Congressman Denny Rehberg

January 28, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has pledged to help the 90 employees of the Owens & Hurst Lumber Co. mill in northwestern Montana, following the company’s announcement Thursday it will shut down in May. Rehberg’s office has begun working with various agencies on behalf of the families affected by the closure.

“It’s hard not to be angry at the circumstances that created this,” Rehberg said. “The failed policies of overregulation and environmental extremism lead to the systematic destruction of our environment and our economy in Montana. We have more and more unhealthy forests, and fewer and fewer responsible land managers — like Owens & Hurst — to take care of them. This really points to the continual need to understand the direct relationship between maintaining a healthy forest through active management, and maintaining the economic health of timber-dependent communities.”

Rehberg contacted the Economic Development Agency (EDA) putting in an official request for a $50,000 economic strategic planning grant to help the community adjust to the impact of the closure.

“The closing of a business is always difficult, both for the employees and the community,” Rehberg said. “My immediate concern is the wellbeing of each of these families.”

Rehberg said that he would work to provide assistance and information on federal programs such as the U. S. Department of Labor Job Training Partnership Act and unemployment assistance, in addition to EDA’s Economic Adjustment Programs.

“Ultimately, it’s up to the federal government to end this cycle of lost jobs and crippled economies due to these failed policies that are hurting our communities and killing our forests,” Rehberg added.

January 26, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set February and March for Montana producers to enroll in drought disaster assistance programs. Eligible Montana farmers and ranchers, Rehberg said, can expect payments as early as late March.

“This assistance is crucial to Montana producers, many of whom are experiencing their seventh continuous year of drought,” Rehberg said.

This past October, Congress included agriculture disaster assistance programs in the FY 2005 Military Construction Appropriations Bill. Rehberg, now a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said the USDA is currently writing the rules to distribute the assistance.

“I had a chance to visit with USDA officials, who tell me they will administer the assistance programs similar to those in FY 2003,” Rehberg said.

Producers can expect the following approximate timelines:

- Crop Disaster Assistance Program: March signup; payments should be received 2 – 3 weeks later

- Livestock Assistance Program: End of February, beginning of March signup; payments should be received 6 – 8 weeks later

- American Indian Livestock Feed Program: End of February, beginning of March signup; payments should be received 6 – 8 weeks later

January 26, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today called on fellow Western lawmakers to join him in the effort to reform the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

“One of my priorities in this caucus is seeing that Endangered Species Reform is brought up before the House, voted on, and sent on to the Senate,” Rehberg, a Billings rancher, said. “There are problems within the Endangered Species Act. I think everybody recognizes that, and it’s time for Congress to get off the dime and get something done.”

Rehberg, who begins his third term joining only a handful of Western members to serve on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, has been a member of the Western Caucus since 2001, the start of his first Congressional term. Rehberg previously served on the House Agriculture, Resources, and Transportation & Infrastructure Committees.

“The Western Caucus is one of those groups of individuals, men and women, in the United States House, who have interests similar to ours in Montana,” Rehberg said. “The Western Caucus is one of the places we can talk about the St. Mary’s Water Project, the Rocky Boy’s water project, Dry Prairie water project – the problems we’re having with the Corps of Engineer and the Missouri River management of lake levels at Fort Peck Reservoir.”

January 11, 2005

BILLINGS, MT - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg (R), today called on the administration to withdraw from the final rule with which the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) announced last month it would resume imports of live cattle from Canada, effective March 7. Rehberg’s comments come in reaction to an announcement today by the Canadian government of yet another discovery of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), in Alberta.

“Enough is enough. The administration needs to back away from it’s plans to reopen the border March 7. The border needs to stay closed,” Rehberg said.

On December 29, Rehberg had cautioned the admin to answer questions before opening the border.

“Montana farm groups get it; they understand the safety and the market issues at stake here. Those in the administration must open their ears and their eyes, and get it,” Rehberg commented this afternoon. “As I said two weeks ago when the USDA announced it would open the border, the federal government must proceed with caution over how and when to open the border.”

In his December 29 statement, Rehberg said:

“I still think we need to be cautious in how and when we do this. While the USDA’s immediate responsibility is to protect the health of American consumers, they must also carefully consider how these changes will impact our cattle markets.

“Maintaining market stability is crucial. As a rancher, my business suffered when the dairy buyout of the mid 1980’s flooded the market with cattle and devastated the price of beef. In Montana, our beef industry is worth over $760 million to our economy annually; therefore, how we open the border is important because a backlog of Canadian beef could flood the market and negatively impact prices.

“Ultimately, all of this points to the need for a mandatory Country of Origin Labeling program. It’s obvious that the origin of an Ag product matters when it comes to food safety and market stability.”

January 6, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. House leaders today appointed Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, to the powerful Appropriations Committee, upon recommendation by House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL). Charged with writing the 13 annual spending bills, the Appropriations Committee controls one-third of the federal government’s $2.5 trillion budget.

“This is obviously good for Montana,” said Rehberg, who began his third term on Tuesday. “I asked to be on the House Appropriations Committee because the appointment gives me an ability to take care of important Montana priorities, and it also allows me to help bring some added fiscal discipline and restraint to the federal budget.”

Regarded as a plum committee assignment by political observers, Appropriations is an exclusive panel, meaning Members may serve on no other committees without a waiver from House leadership.

“My first experience with appropriations was 20 years ago when I was a member of the Montana House of Representatives,” Rehberg said. “A group of us on the committee fought to bring fiscal accountability to state government. We helped balance the budget, all the while resisting attempts to raise taxes.”

Beginning with his first term in 2001, Rehberg has served on the House Agriculture, Resources, and Transportation & Infrastructure Committees.