Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, pressed Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter T. Schoomaker at a congressional hearing this week on National Guard and Army Reserve equipment left behind in combat zones.  Rehberg also underscored the importance of Montana’s Infantry Battalion, which could be impacted if the Pentagon reduces the total number of Brigade Combat Teams to 28 from 34.

Rehberg questioned Schoomaker about his plan to fund and replace equipment that is taken from National Guard units and left in overseas combat zones, noting that the equipment “is critical to training and readiness, yet billions of dollars of equipment” is left overseas and never replaced.

“I conveyed to Gen. Schoomaker that as the Army evolves to meet new threats, Montana continues to be ready, willing and able to fully partner in America’s 21st century force,” said Rehberg, a member of the Military Quality of Life Appropriations Subcommittee.  “Montana’s National Guard & Reserves need quality equipment if they are going to continue to be the well-trained and modern fighting force the Army can rely on.”

Schoomaker, a four-star general, said the Pentagon has been fighting a multi-billion dollar equipment deficit, but that it’s in the process of rectifying the problem as it has increased its equipment budget fourfold in recent years.

“I also told Gen. Schoomaker that we’d like to keep our Infantry Battalion in Montana,” added Rehberg.  “It’s important that Pentagon Generals communicate with our State Adjutants General about these issues.  General Schoomaker agreed this is something the Army needed to do a better job of.  He assured me that he is making an effort to improve the lines of communication.”

Rehberg also invited the Army’s top commander to visit Montana and fly-fish.  “And bring those brave men behind you,” Rehberg said in reference to three young, enlisted soldiers who sustained major injuries in combat.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, announced today Montana State University in Bozeman has received a $386,185 grant from NASA that will aid weather prediction research at the school’s solar physics department.

“Montana State is a leader in solar weather prediction research and this grant is a win-win for both the faculty and students” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “The physics department at MSU is known for increasing public understanding of scientific research and this grant will help that tradition continue.”

The grant will allow MSU’s faculty and students to continue research that uses the sun to predict weather trends, such as strength of hurricanes.

“It’s good to see science continue to receive funding,” MSU Professor Dana Longcope said.  “We have a highly respected solar research group here at MSU and this grant serves to further our efforts.  MSU is a big presence in this research area.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, is pressing House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), to support full funding of the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. Montana has over 27 million acres of federally-owned public lands and received $17.2 million in PILT payments in 2005.

“All 56 counties in Montana have federal public lands and receive PILT payments,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “When PILT is not sufficiently funded, every single community in Montana is impacted and forced to struggle to adequately provide important local services - such as education, healthcare, and law enforcement. This is just unacceptable.”

Since local governments are unable to tax property values or products derived from federal lands, the PILT program is designed to provide federal compensation to counties and local governments to offset losses in tax revenues.  Rehberg, and other members of the Congressional Western Caucus, sent a letter to the Majority Leader Boehner, requesting his support for full funding of PILT.

“PILT is not just a ‘handout’ for Western communities; it is the federal government fulfilling its obligation to the communities that host the public lands,” Rehberg wrote. “Federal ownership robs local communities of vital property tax dollars and the revenues associated with private business development.”

“Congress has the ability to override the President’s meager budget proposal,” Rehberg said. “Last year, we were able to do that, and I’m pressing my colleagues to gear up for the same effort - to make sure Western, rural communities receive the PILT funding they deserve.”

Letter Below:

Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, was successful in pressing for the release of the final engineering reports for the $5.3 million Rocky Boy’s/North Central Water Project, which will enable construction to begin this summer.

In a call to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Rehberg detailed the need to release the reports, which allow the funds to be spent, for this project immediately. Release of the reports had been stalled after the project became lost in OMB’s bureaucratic maze.

“This project is vital to not only the Rocky Boy’s Reservation, but to all of north-central Montana,” said Rehberg, a member of the Energy & Water Appropriations subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over water projects. “We’ve made a commitment to provide clean water to the folks living in these areas and I don’t want to see bureaucratic hurdles standing in the way.”

Rehberg secured funding for the project last year in the Energy & Water Development Appropriations bill. The Rocky Boy’s project brings together three participating water systems that are currently listed on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) significant non-compliance list for violating the Surface Water Treatment Rule. The project will move the systems into compliance and provide upgrades.

When completed, the Rocky Boy’s system will transport water from the Tiber Reservoir to the Rocky Boy’s Reservation through a core pipeline. It will also serve residents in portions of the following counties: Chouteau, Hill, Liberty, Pondera, Teton and Toole.

“Safe and dependable drinking water isn’t a privilege, it’s a right,” Rehberg added. “These communities deserve that and if I have to prod a government bureaucracy to deliver on that promise, then I’m going to do that.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, announced today Montana’s Chippewa-Cree tribe will receive a $2.3 million housing grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The grant is awarded under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996.

“Home ownership is part of the American dream and I want to see that dream become a reality for more of Montana’s Native American communities,” said Rehberg a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “Many Native American families are forced to deal with substandard housing and this grant will help improve the situation for Montana’s Chippewa-Cree.”

The funds can be used for construction, improvements and upgrades, management of low-income housing, crime prevention and safety and other housing services. The Chippewa Cree Reservation is located in north-central Montana. This includes areas in Chouteau, Hill, and Liberty counties.

Rehberg’s past efforts on behalf of Native American housing include:

– Working on the Appropriations Committee to fight for HUD funding for Native American Housing.
– Secured $250,000 to transfer Malmstrom Air Force Base housing to the Rocky Boy Reservation.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, questioned Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner (BOR) John Keys on the status of needed upgrades to the St. Mary Diversion Facilities in north-central Montana. The 100-year old facilities provide water for 15,000 residents and 140,000 irrigated acres in Montana.

“This is an ongoing project that has been one of my top priorities since coming to Congress,” said Rehberg, a member of the Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over BOR. “I want this project to get going and that’s going to require BOR and other stakeholders to come to the table and hash out a plan that benefits Montana.”

The facilities import water from the St. Mary River Basin to the Milk River Basin in north-central Montana. Efforts to improve the facilities by the state and water users have been ongoing, but the canal system sprung a severe leak in 2004 and a catastrophic incident could cause acute harm to the environmental and economic interests along the Milk River Basin and on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

Rehberg sought answers on the Bureau’s plan to manage a possible failure of the system and Keys promised the structure would be fixed. Rehberg told Keys a more detailed plan is needed to help the facilities and work remains to be done.

“Right now what we have is a prime example of a deteriorating water project in the West that is being hampered by bureaucratic red tape,” Rehberg said. “I made clear to Commissioner Keys that rehabilitation for this vital project needs to do more than get off the ground, it needs to fly.”

Last year, Rehberg secured $500,000 for construction improvements at the facility.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, sponsored legislation promoting timber removal and salvage projects on federal lands damaged by catastrophic storms or wildfires.  The bill, H.R. 4200, the Forest Recovery and Research Act, was discussed at a House Resources Committee meeting today.

“The approval process for salvage projects on federal lands has become cumbersome and threatening to local economies,” Rehberg said.  “In Montana, we saw this firsthand with delayed salvage projects following the Bitterroot fires of 2000.  These delays led to the closing of a Eureka saw mill.  Our rural economies can’t thrive if they’re forced to jump through bureaucratic hoops.”

The legislation would give the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management 30 days to evaluate and recommend any restoration work or salvage projects following fires or storms that damage more than 1,000 acres of public lands.  Damage between 250 and 1,000 acres would be evaluated at the agencies’ discretion.  The bill’s aim is to streamline a burdensome recovery process that that results in inefficiencies and loss of valuable wood. Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said the legislation does not weaken any environmental protection laws.

“This isn’t a ‘loggers vs. environmentalists’ debate, nor should it be’,” added Rehberg.  “We’ve watched with frustration in Montana as less than 4 percent of the affected area in Bitterroot was recovered, making recreation and other activities on the land impossible.  This bill will help Montana avoid similar scenarios in the future.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today pledged to support Amtrak’s $1.5 billion budget submitted to Congress. Rehberg continued to insist Amtrak support long-distance lines, specifically the Empire Builder, which carried more than 140,000 passengers to and from Montana.

“The President’s budget came out of the gate this year with $900 million for Amtrak instead of last year’s zero, but clearly operating on that budget doesn’t guarantee safety and dependability for the passengers,” said Rehberg. “I look forward to putting a pencil to these figures and finding a funding level that will assure the level of service Montanans expect on the Empire Builder.”

The White House’s 2006 budget proposal had called for moving most of the funding responsibility for passenger rail service to the states, eliminating some routes, and privatizing some services.  From his position on the House Appropriations Committee, Rehberg pressed for funding for the Empire Builder route, which crosses Montana’s Hi-line, and organized a bipartisan coalition that eventually won approval of legislation restoring full-funding for Amtrak at $1.3 billion through 2006.  The Administration abandoned its previous plans to curtail Amtrak funding by adding $900 million to the budget for 2007.

“Funding levels aren’t a game of paper, rock, scissors – this is a serious effort to ensure riders on the Empire Builder are safe and the trains operate promptly and efficiently,” Rehberg said. “I’m working with Congress to see that the Empire Builder continues its great service to Montana.”

In 2004, Amtrak accounted for over $3.2 million in wages for the Montana economy, while direct spending by Amtrak travelers in Montana is estimated at over $5.3 annually.

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) and U.S. Congressman Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) announced today the U.S. Air Force will conduct an “Attributes Study” of Montana’s Malmstrom Air Force on April 10.  The study will evaluate Malmstrom’s assets, strategic value and potential for new missions.

Senator Burns said, “Denny and I understand that Malmstrom offers unique strengths and capabilities for our military and national defense.  It will remain a critical base as we evaluate emerging threats around the world.  This attributes study will provide evidence of what we already know: Malmstrom is a first class facility with no land encroachment issues, outstanding housing we’ve funded over the years through the Defense Appropriations Committees, and a high quality of life for soldiers there in Great Falls.  Malmstrom wants more work and we’re going to make sure they get it.”

Congressman Rehberg said, “This is an excellent opportunity for Montana’s congressional delegation to show the Air Force the true value of Malmstrom.  Whether it’s the superior air space or strategic location to emerging threats, Malmstrom has a lot to offer the Air Force.  April 10 begins an advertising campaign for Malmstrom and Conrad and I will continue our commitment to bringing new missions to this base.”

In a meeting March 7 with Senator Burns and Congressman Rehberg, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Steve Wood said the Air Force Attributes study is an “A to Z study” of a base. The Air Force will file a report that will go back to the government where the bases’ strengths can be matched up with available government missions.

Senator Burns said, “I’ve met with the top leadership of the Defense Department, and nearly all of the top leadership of the Air Force many times.  I have been over to the Pentagon so many times that they have a parking spot ready for me.  Those meetings and our joint efforts made this “Attributes Study” a reality.”

Congressman Rehberg said, “There’s definitely a place at the Air Force table for Malmstrom.  This base has the ability to serve a valuable role in meeting new threats facing our nation.  I hope Max will join me and Conrad in touting Malmstrom’s many great attributes.”

Senator Burns and Congressman Rehberg, Montana’s two Congressional appropriators, have been instrumental in securing funds and fighting to keep missions at Malmstrom, including adding a F-15 squadron through the latest Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) round.

Senator Burns is a senior member of the powerful Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and Congressman Rehberg is a member of the House Military Quality of Life Subcommittee on Appropriations, giving them advantageous positions to secure funding for Malmstrom and ensure the base is a part of the Air Force’s future plans.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, announced four Native American groups in Bozeman will share a $300,000 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Community Development program.

“This is a victory for these groups and Bozeman,” Rehberg said.  “Native American communities are an integral part of Montana’s history and I will continue to fight for funding that helps these communities.”

The rural development funds will be used to provide technical and financial assistance through the Rural Community Innovation, located in Bozeman.

“Rural Community Innovation (RCI) is pleased that USDA is supporting development of the private sector in Native American communities throughout America,” said Michael Utter, chief executive officer of RCI.  “This grant will help ensure private sector, small business development on four reservations in the Western United States.”