Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today lauded House passage of his legislation honoring the life-long service of eastern Montana mail carrier Paul Kasten.  Rehberg’s measure (H.R. 2977), approved by the House today, renames the Brockway, Montana, Post Office as the “Paul Kasten Post Office Building.

“Paul began carrying the mail before most of us were born,” Rehberg explained.  “His 57 years of service to eastern Montana defines the work of a dedicated, rural letter carrier, and this measure is our way of honoring that dedication and showing our appreciation for his years of service.”

Kasten retired this spring at the age of 86. He began his postal career in 1947, delivering the mail by saddle horse to the rural residents of the farming community of Watkins, Montana.  In 1959, several postal routes were consolidated and Kasten began serving the rural routes out of the Brockway post office.  His route covered 93 miles, and he delivered mail three times a week to approximately 30 families. 

Rehberg’s legislation “designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 306 2nd Avenue in Brockway, Montana, as the ‘Paul Kasten Post Office Building.’”  The bill now awaits Senate approval.

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WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced a $137,608 grant has been awarded to Billings-based Eagle Mount, which provides recreational activities to local young people with disabilities.  The funds will be made available for the period October 1, 2005, through September 30, 2006, under the U.S. Department of Education’s recreational program.

 ”This well-deserved grant is both an investment in, and an endorsement of, the tremendous work Eagle Mount is doing for disabled young people in our community,” Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said. “I commend Lynn Mullowney and the staff at Eagle Mount for their commitment to the goal of establishing business and community partnerships to aid the success of young adults with disabilities.”

 Eagle Mount is a community supported not-for-profit organization providing adaptive recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities and support for their families.  The organization last month launched a new program, LIFE Academy (Lessons in Future Employment), designed to enhance both vocational and avocational outcomes for young adults with disabilities, ages 18-28.

 ”Eagle Mount has come up with a model program that I think could be copied in other communities.  It’s obvious they’ve gotten the attention of the Department of Education, thanks to a well-written blueprint for enlisting community involvement in the effort to walk local young adults with disabilities through crucial social and vocational life changes,” Rehberg explained. “I just can’t say enough for the work Eagle Mount is doing.”

 “We’ve grown to love these kids, and want to see them succeed. But we’re also trying to make this a true integrative experience, so that both the kids and the community benefit from this program,” Eagle Mount Executive Director Lynn Mullowney said.

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WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) have reached an agreement that will provide for the sale and transfer of a group of Fort Peck cabin sites.  The sites, at South Fork of Rock Creek, will be put up for sale by the public as stipulated by federal legislation approved in 2000.

“We’ve finally cleared all the bureaucratic roadblocks that will allow the agencies to sign agreements today, allowing for the transfer of a dozen cabin sites to proceed,” Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, explained.  “I’m told they’ll begin selling the first of these cabin lots later this year.”

Language providing for the sale of these cabin sites was included in the Water Resources Development Act of 2000.

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WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today praised a House vote that clears to the way for greater small business access to affordable health care.  The House approved the Small Business Health Fairness Act (H.R. 525), a measure cosponsored by Rehberg.

“This measure zeroes in on the issues at the heart of the health care reform debate – access and affordability for Montanans that don’t work for the big corporations, that get shunned by the big insurance companies, and that will never have health insurance unless and until we step up and change the landscape,” Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said.  “Most Montanans know what’s at stake here: the ability of hard working, small business employees to have the same health plan privileges denied them by bureaucratic gate-keepers.”

The legislation would allow small businesses to join together through association health plans (AHPs) to purchase health insurance for their workers at a lower cost. The measure would increase small businesses’ bargaining power with health care providers, give them freedom from costly state-mandated benefit packages, and lower their overhead costs by as much as 30 percent.

“Let’s get real here – it’s small business, not big corporations, that employ the majority of workers in Montana.  Up to this point, few have been able overcome the heavy-handed regulations of state government turf protectors that want to deny these small business employees the right to join together to secure affordable health care,” Rehberg said.

Previewing the legislation, Rehberg earlier this year held a series of statewide listening sessions focusing on Small Business Health Plans (SBHP) and the need for more affordable health care coverage for small business employees.

“This is about the little guys – small businesses vs. the big insurance companies and bureaucratic regulators. Today, the little guys won,” Rehberg added.

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WASHINGTON, DC - Three Great Falls community leaders who came to Washington to present their plan for keeping MANG’s (Montana Air National Guard) 120th Fighter Wing in Montana today got more than they bargained for: a chance to meet with and argue their case before a key BRAC Commission staff member closely involved with Air National Guard issues.  The invitation came at a meeting today with BRAC (Base Reduction and Closure) Commissioner James Hansen – hosted by Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, in Rehberg’s office.  Hansen invited the three – Airport Director Cynthia Schultz, attorney and Chairman of Committee of 80 Warren Wenz, and businessman Mike Flaherty to make their presentation at the BRAC headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, tomorrow afternoon.

“They made a wonderful presentation to Jim Hansen today, and later to a group of Air Force generals in my office.  Hansen was impressed enough with their plan for saving MANG that he invited them to go over the details with BRAC commission staff,” Rehberg said.  “I was proud of the work Cynthia, Warren and Mike have done on this. It says a lot for the Great Falls community, and speaks volumes to those intimately acquainted with the BRAC process.”

Rehberg arranged both meetings at the request of the trio, hosting a 45 minute meeting with Hansen this morning, followed by a one hour meeting this afternoon in Rehberg’s office with Lt. Gen. Stephen G. Wood, Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, and his deputy, Maj. Gen. Paul J. Fletcher.  Based at the Air Force headquarters in Washington, D.C., Wood and Fletcher are responsible for developing future programs and strategy for the Air Force.

“The whole point of my arranging these meetings has been to connect community representatives, who have worked tirelessly to develop their own plan for Great Falls, with the key officials involved.  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s important to let these officials hear directly from the community instead of bureaucrats and politicians,” Rehberg explained.

Drafted by Schultz and Flaherty, the plan entails sharing resources of both MANG and Malmstrom Air Force Base, maintaining air national guard F-16s at Great Falls, and picking up three additional aircraft.  The group has kept private specific details of their plan to avoid competition from other communities.

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WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, wants the House Resources Committee to focus its attention on Montana’s aging St. Mary Diversion. Rehberg has invited a Chinook farmer and irrigator, Randy Reed, to testify Tuesday before a Water and Power Subcommittee hearing looking into the Bureau of Reclamation’s efforts into fixing declining water infrastructure. Reed is also co-chairman of the St. Mary Rehabilitation Working Group.

“If we’re going to get the federal government’s attention on this, we need to bring in private citizens, not politicians or bureaucrats. Like many of his neighbors, Randy’s livelihood depends on the continued flow of water into the Milk River that the Diversion facility provides, so I’ve asked him to describe to the panel the catastrophe that awaits the Milk River Basin and why we need to get the rehabilitation process rolling,” Rehberg said. “Let’s face it, the St. Mary system is shot; it’s crumbling after nearly a century and it’s become a textbook example of aging water infrastructure in the West. For Randy and others who depend on the ‘Lifeline of the Hi-line’ it’s been an uphill battle against bureaucratic red tape these last several years just to see the rehabilitation process started for this declining system.”

Constructed nearly 90 years ago, the St. Mary Diversion diverts water from the St. Mary River Basin to the Milk River Basin, supplying over 660 farms and 110,000 acres along the Hi-Line.  Located in western Glacier County, the system is used by the municipal water supplies of cities such as Havre, Chinook and Harlem, and is also a source of water for fish and wildlife.

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BILLINGS, MT –  Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced his office will conduct a series of statewide Medicare presentations, July 25 – September 23 (full schedule below).  A similar series, conducted last year, was met with enthusiasm by seniors across Montana.

“This grew out of an effort, last year, to give better Montana’s seniors an opportunity to discuss and ask questions about their new Medicare prescription drug benefit,” Rehberg said. “We enjoyed such a wonderful response by seniors throughout the state that I decided to host a follow-up series this year to help seniors learn more about the new benefit that takes effect next year.”

The series kicks off July 25 with seminars in Broadus, Ekalaka, and Baker, followed by seminars in Wibaux, Glendive, Terry, and Circle on July 26, Jordan, Glasgow, and Wolf Point on July 27, and Scobey, Plentywood, and Sidney on July 28.  August seminars are planned for Anaconda, Big Timber, Boulder, Bozeman, Butte, Columbus, Deer Lodge, Dillon, Forsyth, Great Falls, Hardin, Harlowton, Helena, Hysham, Lewistown, Livingston, Malta, Miles City, Missoula, Phillipsburg, Red Lodge, Ryegate, Townsend, Virginia City, White Sulphur Springs, and Winnett.  The series concludes September 23 in Thompson Falls, following seminars that month in Browning, Chester, Chinook, Choteau, Conrad, Cut Bank, Fort Benton, Hamilton, Havre, Kalispell, Laurel, Libby, Polson, Shelby, Stanford, and Superior.

“The most important message for seniors concerning the Medicare prescription drug benefit plan is that it’s voluntary – beneficiaries are free to choose whether or not they want to participate,” Rehberg said. “Our seminars will permit beneficiaries to get answers to a variety of questions at the local level. I realize that some seniors don’t feel comfortable using the internet or the toll-free Medicare number, and I want to give them a chance to comment and to ask questions.”

The presentation, conducted by Rehberg Constituent Services Representative, Linda Price, is designed to help seniors decide if they should enroll in the Medicare prescription drug benefit that will be made available January 1, 2006.

SCHEDULE:

Date             Town                   Location Address                                                                 Time

 7/25/2005     Broadus           Community Center                                                                 10:00 AM

7/25/2005     Ekalaka             Dahl Memorial Clinic, upstairs board rm., 215 Sandy St.      1:00 PM

7/25/2005     Baker                 Fallon Medical Complex, 202 South 4th St. West                  3:00 PM

7/26/2005     Wibaux              Senior Citizen Center, Nolan Ave.                                         9:00 AM

7/26/2005     Glendive            Senior Center, 323 East Berry                                               11:00 AM

7/26/2005     Terry                  Senior Center, 112 Garfield                                                  1:00 PM

7/26/2005     Circle                 Senior Center, 212 Main St.                                                  4:00 PM

7/27/2005     Jordan              Senior Citizen Center, 922 Jordan Ave.                                  9:00 AM

7/27/2005     Glasgow           Senior Citizen Center, 328 4th St. South                                1:00 PM

7/27/2005     Wolf Point         New Senior Citizen Center, conf. room, 124 Custer Ave.      3:00 PM

7/28/2005     Scobey              Senior Citizen Center, 201 Main St.                                       9:00 AM

7/28/2005     Plentywood       Golden Years Club, 120 W Second Ave.                                 11:00 AM

7/28/2005     Sidney               Senior Center, 813 3rd St. NE                                                 2:00 PM

8/3/2005       Hysham             Community Center, 306 Rapelje                                            10:00 AM

8/3/2005       Forsyth               Senior Center, 1060 Cedar                                                    11:00 AM

8/3/2005       Miles City           Holy Rosary Hospital, 2600 Wilson                                        2:00 PM

8/9/2005       Malta                 Senior Center, 216 1st St. West                                               9:00 AM

8/9/2005       Winnett              Petroleum County Hospitality Room, 217 West Park St.         1:00 PM

8/9/2005       Lewistown          Central Montana Medical Center, 408 Wendell                       3:00 PM

8/11/2005     Columbus           Senior Citizen Center, 620 Palladium Place                         9:00 AM

8/11/2005     Red Lodge          Senior Citizen Center, 207 S Villard                                     12 noon

8/11/2005     Big Timber         Hospitality House, 209 McCloud                                           2:00 PM

8/12/2005     Hardin               Hardin Senior Center, 415 North Center                                10:30 AM

8/15/2005     Ryegate              Golden Valley County Courtroom, 107 Kemp                        9:00 AM

8/15/2005     Harlowton          Senior Center, 41 S Central                                                    11:00 AM

8/15/2005     White Sulphur Springs  Senior Center, 101 1st Ave. SE                                    1:00 PM

8/16/2005     Livingston          Senior Center, 206 S Main St.                                                  9:00 AM

8/16/2005     Bozeman            Senior Center, 807 N Tracy                                                     11:00 AM

8/16/2005     Townsend           Senior Center, 516 2nd St.                                                      2:00 PM

8/17/2005     Helena                 Eagles Nest, 715 N Fee                                                           9:00 AM

8/17/2005     Boulder                City Hall, meeting room, 304 N Main                                     11:00 AM

8/17/2005     Deer Lodge          Senior Center, 100 Missouri Ave.                                            3:00 PM

8/18/2005     Anaconda             Metcalf Center, 115 E Pennsylvania St.                                    9:00 AM

8/18/2005     Phillipsburg          Senior Center, 103 Broadway                                                  11:00 AM

8/18/2005     Dillon                    Beaverhead Pioneer Plaza, 102 N Washington                         3:00 PM

8/19/2005     Virginia City          St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 102 E. Idaho                                 9:00 AM

8/24/2005     Butte                     Senior Center, 615 E Mercury                                                   11:00 AM

8/24/2005     Missoula               Senior Citizen Center, 705 S. Higgins Ave.                                2:00 PM

8/26/2005     Great Falls            Senior Center, 1004 Central Ave.                                              10:00 AM

9/2/2005       Laurel                    Senior Center, 720 South 4th                                                    12 noon

9/19/2005     Stanford                Senior Citizen Center, 75 First Ave. South                                 9:00 AM

9/19/2005     Fort Benton           City Council Chamber, 1204 Front St.                                       11:00 AM

9/19/2005     Havre                     Senior Center, 2 Second St. West                                               2:00 PM

9/20/2005     Chinook                 Senior Center, 324 Penn                                                            9:00 AM

9/20/2005     Chester                  Senior Center, 30 First St. East                                                  1:00 PM

9/20/2005     Shelby                    Senior Center, 739 North Benton                                               3:00 PM

9/21/2005     Conrad                   Community Center, 101 S. Delaware                                          9:00 AM

9/21/2005     Cut Bank                Parkview Senior Center, 715 East main                                       11:00 AM

9/21/2005     Choteau                 Senior Center, 29 N. Main Ave.                                                    2:00 PM

9/21/2005     Browning                Eagle Shields Senior Center, 5525 Haul Road                             4:30 PM

9/22/2005     Kalispell                  (to be decided)                                                                            9:00 AM

9/22/2005     Polson                     Senior Center, 504 3rd Ave. East                                                11:00 AM

9/22/2005     Libby                       Senior Center, 206 Second St.                                                     2:00 PM

9/23/2005     Superior                  Civic Center, 100 River St.                                                          11:00 AM

9/23/2005     Hamilton                 Senior Center, 820 North Fourth St.                                           2:00 PM

9/23/2005     Thompson Falls       City Hall, 108 Fulton St.                                                              9:00 AM

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WASHINGTON, DC - Montana Congressman, Denny Rehberg, is concluding an eight-day European trade mission with Montana businesses that has resulted in approximately $10 million in contracts and agreements.

“We’re all very pleased with the business contacts, contracts, and agreements that have come about as a result of this trade mission,” said Rehberg.  “The business community in Europe is aware of the quality of Montana’s products and services, and anxious to establish economic ties.”

A total of 9 business organizations made the trip to Germany, Spain, and Ireland, which was coordinated by Rehberg’s office, the Montana World Trade Center, and the U.S. Commercial Service (U.S. Department of Commerce).  The trip was funded by the individual businesses, which paid their own airfare and accommodations.  The trade mission concludes Sunday.

“It’s fair to say that at least $10 million worth of contracts and agreements have been reached in the last few days,” said Arnie Sherman, Executive Director of the Montana World Trade Center.

“The European interest in doing business with Montana is exciting for me, because I believe Montana’s products would be widely accepted if we could get them out on the international markets,” said Rehberg.

Trade Mission Participants, and Contacts

Armor Auto, paint coating firm, Missoula, John Ryan, 800-433-6903

Inland Northwest Space Alliance, aerospace development, Missoula, George Bailey, 406-541-3130

MazDog Archery, specialized archery equipment, Missoula, Rory Minjares, 406-360-4857

MSE Technology Applications, an engineering and technology firm, Butte, Jeff Ruffner, 406-494-7100

MCJ EyeCheck, a biological identification business, Illinois, Judi Gerstein, 815-966-0196

Montana Manufacturing Extension Center, manufacturing assistance, Bozeman, Steve Holland, 406-994-3812

MorTech, specialized medical provider, Missoula, Steve Bixby, 406-728-2522

Omega II, Hot Tub manufacturer, Stevensville, Russell Moody, 406-777-2181

Travel Montana, promoting Montana travel destinations, Helena, Webb Brown, 406-442-2405

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WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has introduced legislation to honor eastern Montana rural mail carrier Paul Kasten for over 50 years of service.  Rehberg introduced H.R. 2977, which would designate the Brockway Post Office as the “Paul Kasten Post Office Building.”

“Paul started out delivering the mail on horseback.  He’s served the residents of eastern Montana faithfully for half-a-century.  I’m pleased to be able to offer this legislation, and honor Paul,” said Rehberg.

Kasten, who retired this spring at the age of 86, began his postal career in 1947, delivering the mail by saddle horse to the rural residents of the farming community of Watkins, Montana.  In 1959, several postal routes were consolidated and Kasten began serving the rural routes out of the Brockway post office.  His route covered 93 miles, and he delivered mail three times a week to approximately 30 families.

Kasten says he’s humbled by the honor.  “I don’t try to draw attention to myself, I just went to work, but if Denny wants to name a post office after me, I guess that would be all right,” said Kasten.

H.R. 2977 would “designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 306 2nd Avenue in Brockway, Montana, as the “Paul Kasten Post Office Building”.  The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Government Reform.

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