Congressman Denny Rehberg

Letter to Ag Secretary had requested opening CRP acres to farmers and ranchers

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, hailed today’s decision by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman permit emergency grazing on federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres. Rehberg, both last month and this week, had asked Secretary Veneman to open CRP acreage to emergency grazing. Rehberg, a Billings rancher, is a member of the House Agriculture Committee.

“I’m relieved her agency finally acted on our requests,” Rehberg said. “Producers throughout Montana are reducing herd numbers because of skyrocketing feed and water costs; they need immediate relief because of this year’s extreme drought.”

In an announcement today, Secretary Veneman authorized emergency grazing of CRP acreage in eligible counties through September 30, 2004. Eligible counties are those that have suffered at least a 40-percent deviation from normal precipitation, or be at an extreme (D3) or exceptional (D4) level for drought as rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

“As of last week, 34 of Montana’s 56 counties were designated as either extreme or exceptional, according to the U.S Drought Monitor,” Rehberg explained. “Combined with a rare freeze this month in several counties, Montana’s ongoing drought conditions rival or exceed those in neighboring states. It’s simply too much for our producers to handle without emergency relief.”

In his letter to Veneman this week, Rehberg said the USDA had received “Montana’s request over a month ago,” and urged Veneman to “immediately open CRP to emergency use.”

“Livestock need feed and water everyday and producers are forced to sell animals each day that passes without additional grazing acreage,” Rehberg said. “I know what these producers are living through having personally hauled over 8,000 gallons of water, eight hours a day to my cattle during the drought of the 1980’s.”

Under the Conservation Reserve Program, producers voluntarily retire environmentally sensitive cropland for 10 to 15 years as a means of protecting natural resources and improving the environment. Currently, about 3.4 million acres in Montana are enrolled in CRP.

WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a measure sponsored by Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg (R), allowing qualified police officers to carry concealed firearms. The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2003 exempts qualified current and retired law enforcement officers from state laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed handguns.

“This is about improving the effectiveness and safety of our law enforcement officers,” Rehberg, a member of the House Second Amendment Caucus, said. “Montana has had this program in effect on a statewide level for some time. This legislation will permit Montana officers to carry concealed weapons across state lines.”

The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2003 amends the federal criminal code to authorize qualified current and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms. It would allow law enforcement to carry their weapons across state lines without worrying about obtaining special permits in states where reciprocity is not in effect.

“Trusting police offers to do their jobs and protect citizens is just plain common sense,” Rehberg said. “As a matter of principle, we should allow qualified law enforcement officials to serve and protect the public without the heavy hand of bureaucracy. Our bill does just that, and I urge the Senate to do the right thing and pass the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act.”

The bill does not permit officers to carry machine guns, firearms silencers, or destructive devices such as bombs, grenades, and rocket launchers. Nothing in the legislation would supersede state laws that restrict the possession of a concealed weapon on any state or local government property, or that allow private citizens to restrict concealed weapons on their property.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg (R), who met yesterday with new Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mark McClelland, said he looks forward to working with McClelland to meet the needs of rural America. McClelland came to Capitol Hill to discuss rural health care issues with Rehberg and several of his colleagues from rural Congressional districts. Rehberg is a member of the House Rural Healthcare Caucus.

“It’s great to get a face-to-face meeting with the person responsible for administering our Medicare and Medicaid programs,” Rehberg said. “He met with us to get a better understanding to our rural constituents and their response to the new Medicare prescription drug program. I told him seniors around Montana that I’ve met with appreciate the new prescription drug program, although a few have said it took a while to get their new discount cards.”

McClellan replied that seniors should receive their cards in a matter of days after they apply. If they don’t receive their cards, McClellan told Rehberg, they should contact the card sponsor as well has the Medicare hotline (1-800-MEDICARE).

“McClellan understands the case for better rural health care. He cares about the needs of rural America,” Rehberg said “We can work with him.”

Other issues discussed in the meeting with Medicare Administrator McClellan included: rural ambulance payment rate adjustments under the Medicare Modernization Act, continued investments in Critical Access Hospitals, including reimbursement for lab services, and maintaining investments in home health care agencies – things, Rehberg said, “that are important, too, because they have everything to do with rural seniors getting access to the medical care that they need.”

This month, Rehberg’s office is conducting a series of Medicare seminars statewide, helping Montana seniors answer questions about the new prescription drug discount card

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, voted for and the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation that includes an additional two-year tax delay on livestock sales in drought areas. Rehberg, with the support of 27 of his colleagues, had urged House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Thomas to include the provision to the House version of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 to “help preserve jobs in the agricultural community.” The House okayed the measure, 251-178, Thursday.

“In drought-stricken areas like Montana, producers struggling to make ends meet really need this additional two-year cushion to stay in business,” Rehberg explained. “The tax delay was in the Senate version, and we urged the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee to include it in our bill, which he did.”

Twenty-seven other House Members added their signatures to Rehberg’s May 18 letter, asking Chairman Thomas to support an additional two-year delay for the inclusion of income on the sale of excess cattle in a drought designated area. The additional two-year delay would be applied only if a producer uses this exemption to reinvest these monies into future production.

“In many agricultural communities, the loss of even one farm or ranch can be devastating,” Rehberg stated in his letter to Thomas, adding losses are “multiplied throughout the community, impacting local grocers, implement dealers, feed sellers, fuel suppliers, fertilizer sales, and the vitality of the community as a whole.”

“Providing an incentive for ranchers to eventually reinvest the proceeds of these sales will maintain jobs in the community and local economic development,” Rehberg wrote. “Everyone in the industry supports the plan, because it gives producers the relief they need to hold on to their businesses, allowing them to concentrate on managing their herds.”

The American Jobs Creation Act, which now heads to a joint House and Senate panel to work out differences in the two bills, ends certain European Union sanctions against U.S. agricultural products, and would also eliminate Alternative Minimum Taxes for certain farmers.

Hails Victory Against Amendments Regulating Bison, Snowmobiles in Yellowstone

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, Thursday was victorious in his efforts at turning back a pair of amendments to the Interior spending bill that would have had adverse effects on Montanans and on Yellowstone National Park. Rehberg’s efforts helped defeat a proposed ban on snowmobiling and on managing diseased bison.

“After a lot of hard work, solid debate, and tough talk, we sent these two, tired old amendments to the morgue where they belong,” Rehberg commented.

Twice taking to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives Thursday, Rehberg began by helping to defeat, 215-202, an amendment offered by Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) that would have prohibited the management of bison in the Yellowstone Park herd.

“If I could put it to the sponsors in language they can understand, maybe I ought to talk like ‘Ranger Rick,’ and suggest to you that when a bull and cow get together, guess what? They have calves. And when you have calves, eventually you overpopulate,” Rehberg said. “The problem is 40 percent of the herd in Yellowstone Park is infected with brucellosis. Don’t you care enough about your bison to have a healthy heard? You’re loving your park to death. Give us the opportunity to use the Memorandum of Understanding that’s in place to manage the herd for the betterment of the park.”

Rehberg also helped defeat, 224-198, an amendment offered by Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ) that would have reinstated the short-lived ban on snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton Park, permitting only public tours via the use of “snowcoaches.” Last year, an identical amendment was narrowly defeated, 210-210.

“Over the years we encouraged West Yellowstone, the Jackson area, Gardner, Cody to become gateway communities… to create the motels, to create the restaurants, to create the gift shops, to create the recreational opportunities for the sightseers,” Rehberg said. “And then what comes along? Somebody that [says], ‘We’re taking half of your income away.’ Our communities can’t withstand that. I hope, someday, they understand the kind of devastation they have created for these communities and these families with this kind of legislation.”

Rehberg also extended his invitation to D.C. Circuit Court Judge Emmet Sullivan to take a snowmobile tour of Yellowstone National Park. With the aid of a radical environmentalist propaganda film that exaggerated pollution concerns, Sullivan last year vacated a National Park Service Winter Use Plan for Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

“If this judge is so impressed by [fictional] films, I hate to be the one to tell him there is no Yogi Bear and Boo Boo out there either,” Rehberg said. “I hope [he] will… accept my invitation and actually learn something useful about it.”

Appropriations Committee okays $4 million for Fort Peck Dry Prairie Rural Water System

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced the House Appropriations Committee has approved his requests of $8.539 million for Montana’s Fort Peck Fish Hatchery, $6 million for the Mariah hypersonic wind tunnel development program in Butte, and $4 million for the Fort Peck Reservation Rural Water System.

“Important for Butte and its local economy, the Mariah funding also offers a real potential for Great Falls, where the project may one day supply a new mission that will lead to sustained expansion for Malmstrom Air Force Base,” Rehberg said. “Constructing and hosting the world’s only hypersonic wind tunnel will help give Montana a prominent place in America’s commercial and military aerospace dominance.”

The House Appropriations committee yesterday approved spending bills that include funding Rehberg requested for the three projects.

“The fish hatchery funding is great news for those of us working to improve warm water fishing opportunities in Montana as a means of stimulating the local economy,” Rehberg said. “With completion now in sight, this project to raise federally endangered species, such as the pallid sturgeon, would never have come to fruition without the support of the people living around Fort Peck Lake and help from the state’s largest group of organized anglers, Walleyes Unlimited.”

The $6 million amount for Mariah, $8.539 million for the Fort Peck Fish Hatchery, and $4 million for the Fort Peck Dry Prairie Rural Water System now head to the House floor for a vote by the full U.S. House of Representatives.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg (R), announced the U.S. House Appropriations Committee has approved $4 million in funding for the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and Dry Prairie Rural Water System, a regional public water project that will provide clean water for nearly 30,000 residents of northeastern Montana.

“This is a promising and necessary project that will supply safe drinking water for thousands of Montanans in an area that’s larger than the states of Connecticut and Delaware combined,” said Rehberg.

The water quality within the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and within the Dry Prairie communities (Valley, Daniels, Sheridan, and Roosevelt counties) had once ranked as among the poorest in the country. The water system would bring quality drinking water from a new intake and treatment plant below Wolf Point to nearly 30,000 people over 7,800 square miles. The project combines two separate ventures involving the Dry Prairie Rural Water Authority, which lies outside the boundaries of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation; and the Assiniboine and Sioux Rural Water System, which lies on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.

“We made a commitment to provide clean water to the people in this area and I’m pleased to see the project continues to get the necessary funding, and continues to move forward,” added Rehberg.

In 2000, Congress authorized $175 million to build the system. The project has been in the works for the past 10 years. Rehberg attended a groundbreaking last summer as work began on a water intake on the Missouri River southeast of Wolf Point.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced a staff specialist will host a series of Medicare presentations across the state to assist seniors in comparing the new Medicare prescription discount cards, and to provide seniors with local, state, and national resources to answer questions that may arise concerning the newly enacted Medicare Prescription Drug Bill.

“We passed the Prescription Drug bill to provide affordable prescription drugs for seniors. I’m taking it one step further in setting up these informational forums to help seniors take full advantage of their cost savings,” said Rehberg.

As of June 1st, Medicare began offering discount cards to help reduce the cost of prescription drugs for seniors. The voluntary cards will save seniors up to 25% on prescription drugs, and allows individuals to choose the benefit that best suits their prescription drug needs.

Linda Price, Rehberg’s Medicare Constituent Services Representative, will give a presentation, host a question and answer forum, and provide constituents with local, statewide, and national Medicare resources. For more information contact Linda Price in Rehberg’s Billings District Office, at (406) 256-1019 or toll free at 888-232-2626.

June 14
City: Forsyth
Location: Forsyth Senior Center, 1060 Cedar St.
Time: 10:00 a.m.

City: Baker
Location: Senior Citizen Center, 23 S. 1st West
Time: 2:00 p.m.

June 15
City: Glendive
Location: Senior Citizen Center, 323 East Barry
Time: 10:00 a.m.

City: Sidney
Location: Sidney Senior Center, 813 3rd St. N.E.
Time: 2:00 p.m.

June 16
City: Havre
Location: North Central Senior Citizens Center
2 2nd Street West
Time: 10:00 a.m.

City: Great Falls
Location: Senior Citizens Center, 1004 Central
Time: 2:00 p.m.

June 17
City: Helena
Location: RMDC Neighborhood Facilities Center
201 S. Last Chance Gulch
Time: 10:00 a.m.

City: Butte
Location: Belmont Senior Center, 615 East Mercury
Time: 1:00 p.m.

June 18
City: Bozeman
Location: Bozeman Senior Center, 807 North Tracy Avenue
Time: 2:00 p.m.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today said his focus is on completing work on the government’s major spending bills as the Congressional session enters the summer period.

“The appropriations process is so important in every aspect of our lives, and it’s not just the projects you hear about, it’s also the on-going projects, like the ability to offset the effects of drought,” said Rehberg, who helped the state receive over $800,000 in Emergency Conservation Program funding released yesterday (June 3) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“Government touches us in so many different ways, too many ways some would say, and we would like to cut back on the size and the scope, and the intrusiveness of the federal government, but there are essential needs, such as national defense, the highway program, our fire fighting ability, so I’m focused on moving the appropriations process forward,” said Rehberg.

Traditionally, the U.S. House and Senate considers 13 appropriation measures each fiscal year, among them, Transportation, Defense, Interior, Labor, Foreign Relations, Education, and Health and Human Services. Work on the bills has been ongoing since early spring, and House leadership expects the body to focus more specifically on the spending measures next week.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today supported the passage of a measure enabling as many as 35 million seniors to simplify their tax returns. The “Simple Tax for Seniors Act,” (H.R. 4109), directs the IRS to create a new form, Form 1040SR, similar to Form 1040EZ, which seniors may utilize regardless of income, social security benefits, retirement, and interest or dividend income.

“Wading through the Federal Tax Code gets a little bit easier today for seniors with the passage of this bill,” remarked Rehberg, who joined both Republicans and Democrats in overwhelmingly approving the measure.

The bill will also result in cost-savings. According to the IRS, the tax agency spends up to 50 percent more when processing a Form 1040 versus a Form 1040EZ.

“As a taxpayer and small businessman, I know that simpler is better when it comes to paying taxes, and more cost-effective, as well,” said Rehberg.

If passed into law, the new tax form will be available for use in filing 2005 returns.