Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, announced today the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4200, the Forest Recovery and Research Act, which streamlines timber removal and salvage projects on federal lands damaged by catastrophic storms or wildfires.  Rehberg was a sponsor of the legislation when it was introduced earlier this year.

“Currently, the process for cleanup and recovery on federal lands is burdensome at best,” said Rehberg a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “Bureaucratic red tape forces federal agencies to wait years in some cases before beginning cleanup efforts.  This practice doesn’t make sense and poses a threat to rural economies relying on the timber industry.

“In some instances, the cleanup process is forced to wait two years after a disaster occurs.  Most folks wouldn’t wait two years to remove a dead tree from their backyard if they knew the environmental quality of their property was threatened.”

The legislation gives 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 results in inefficiencies and loss of valuable wood. Rehberg said the legislation does not weaken any environmental protection laws.

Last fall’s hurricanes damaged more than six million acres along the Gulf Coast.  As a result, millions of trees are now dead and face heightened susceptibility to bug infestation, increased risk of unnaturally hot wildfire and a difficult road to recovery.  Expedited recovery processes would help restore damaged forests, limit the risk of wildfire, and reduce danger to the public.

“Current regulations have to be changed in ways that don’t threaten environmental quality, but allow us to have healthy national forests,” Rehberg said.  “This bill actually SAVES taxpayers $21 million over the next five years and calls for more recovery and cleanup research.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, said today a $1 million contract for Stevensville’s Tamarack Air Services to deliver helicopters used to fight fires to a South African company will proceed as expected.  Rehberg’s action saved as many as 20 Montana jobs by helping Tamarack Air cut through bureaucratic red tape that was threatening its ability to deliver the aircraft.

“Tamarack Air asked my office to get involved after a State Department permitting process that typically takes two or three months had dragged on longer than six months,” said Rehberg.  “Small businesses are the backbone of Montana’s economy and shouldn’t be subjected to cumbersome red tape that threatens their ability to do business and create jobs.  I leaned on the State Department to shoot straight with Tamarack Air and approve the export permit that is so vital to their company.”

Most of Tamarack Air’s business is international, requiring the company to apply for an export certificate, costing $3,200, from the State Department.  The State Department’s inability to efficiently process the company’s request could’ve resulted in the $1 million contract’s cancellation, according to company officials.

“We want Montana products to be exported all over the world,” added Rehberg.  “Tamarack Air is doing just that and the government shouldn’t be standing in the way.”

Tamarack Air partners with Billings-based Billings Flying Service to overhaul and refurbish helicopters to be used to fight fires that sell for $175,000 to $300,000 each.  Each company stood to lose as many as 10 jobs each if the contract with Leading Edge Aviation of South Africa had been cancelled.  Many Tamarack mechanics make $20 an hour or more.

“The federal government should never stand in the way of private sector job creation, rather, Congress needs to do all it can to foster an environment where small businesses can prosper,” said Rehberg.   “I saw the State Department’s red tape as an immediate threat to local economies in Montana and wanted to get involved.  Obviously, the more contracts companies like Billings Flying Service and Tamarack Air get, the more jobs they create.”

“We do business with companies in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom, so export permits are vital to our business,” said Tracy Buglie of Tamarack Air.  “Congressman Rehberg helped us get our permit sooner and we didn’t lose this contract as a result.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, announced today the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Right-to-Ride Livestock Act, which protects the right of Montana’s sportsmen and women to ride saddle stock animals on public lands.  Rehberg was a sponsor of the legislation when it was introduced earlier this year.

“The right to ride horses on public lands has become severely restricted in recent years,” said Rehberg.  “Fortunately, this legislation ensures that anyone wanting to enjoy public lands on horseback will have the right to do so.  After all, public lands, should be made available for the public to enjoy.”

The bill protects the rights of sportsmen and women choosing to ride saddle stock animals on public lands such as wilderness areas, national forests and monuments and other similar areas.  This is the second time Rehberg has sponsored this legislation since coming to Congress in 2001.

“There is a historical tradition of horseback riding on public lands in the West that dates back decades, if not longer,” added Rehberg.  “The Right-to-Ride Act ensures all trails, routes, and areas will remain open and accessible for sportsmen and women that choose to enjoy public lands on horseback.”

Last week, Rehberg succeeded in stripping legislative language from the 2007 Interior Appropriations bill that would’ve authorized the sale public lands in the western U.S., including up to 14,000 acres in Montana.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, announced today the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 2978, a bill introduced by Rehberg to allow the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Ft. Peck Indian Reservation to share their drinking water with communities outside the Reservation’s boundaries.  Rehberg introduced the bill in March.

“This is good news for the Reservation and neighboring towns,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “The Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes have shown their deep spirit of community by sharing their clean drinking water with neighboring towns.  My bill helps protect their tribal rights while ensuring safe drinking water for the surrounding area.”

The Reservation’s population is almost 11,000, of which nearly 6,000 are members of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes. The water system serves Reservation populations in or around the communities of Wolf Point, Poplar, Brockton, Ft. Kipp, Oswego, and Frazer.  Communities served by the water project that aren’t on the Reservation include Glasgow, Scobey, Plentywood, and Culbertson which will be served by the Dry Prairie Rural Water Association.

“The Tribes have been great partners in delivering water to the communities outside the Reservation,” added Rehberg.  “It’s important to note the Assinboine and Sioux made the initial offer to enter this agreement.  The main goal of this legislation is to ensure a reliable, long-term supply of drinking water and that goal has been accomplished.”

Last week, Rehberg secured $6 million in funding for the Fort Peck/Dry Prairie Rural Water System, which will serve over 30,000 residents in northeastern Montana and on the Reservation.  The funding comes as part of $21.2 million in Montana projects Rehberg secured in the 2007 Energy & Water Appropriations Bill.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, announced today the Lake County Community Development Corporation (LCCDC), in Ronan, has been awarded a $28,500 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant to provide marketing and development assistance to the Flathead Native Agriculture Cooperative.

“Encouraging economic development at the local level is a top priority, and an essential component of strengthening our economy in Montana,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “This money will go directly toward helping a small business enterprise in the all-important role of marketing their made in Montana product.”

The grant comes at a time when the Flathead Native Agricultural Cooperative is ready to market their “Cross Bow Dried Meat and Sausages” on a broader scale, according to Billie Lee, Executive Director of LCCDC, a non-profit business incubator supported by local, state, and federal funding.  “We’ve been assisting the cooperative over the past several years in their product development, and it’s exciting that they are now ready to move into the next phase of their business,” Lee said.

The Flathead Native Agricultural Cooperative is a cooperative of five tribal producers that have developed a line of smoked beef and bison products.  The group has previously sold some of its product to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.  LCCDC, which will administer the USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant, has been assisting the cooperative at their Mission Mountain Food Enterprise Center in Ronan.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, voted to extend tax relief measures that were passed in 2003, but were set to expire, helping the more than 400,000 Montanans that receive capital gains or dividend income.  The Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act will also exempt middle income taxpayers from the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), which affects almost 5,300 Montanans.

“This tax relief has been a boon not only to the national economy, but to Montana as well,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “In Montana, 329,000 people receive dividend income, including many seniors, and almost 95,000 Montanans pay taxes on capital gains.  Fortunately, this tax relief has been extended and that’s good news for Montana.”

Since the tax relief legislation was initially enacted in 2003, the U.S. economy has created 5.2 million new jobs and the unemployment rate is 4.7 percent, lower than the average rate of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.  Montana’s economy created 3,200 new jobs in March, resulting in the largest month-to-month percentage (0.8 percent) gain in the country.  Rehberg said Montana’s unemployment rate now stands at 3.4 percent, well below the 4.7 percent national average.

The legislation exempts the first $62,550 of a household’s income from the AMT. Without this legislation, the number of taxpayers that will be subject to the AMT will jump from 2.6 million to 35.6 million in the next 5 years, which will encompass a third of all taxpayers and numerous middle income families.

“It’s clear this tax package has been working for many Montanans and I’m pleased the House acted to extend these policies that have stimulated economic growth,” added Rehberg.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, secured $157,000 for a flood-control study along the Yellowstone River in Livingston as part of $21.2 million in total funding for Montana from the 2007 Energy & Water Appropriations bill.  Rehberg is a member of the House Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee.

“Livingston is one of Montana’s most beautiful destinations, luring folks from all over the country to the Yellowstone River,” said Rehberg.  “These funds, which will complete this vital project, will help the community increase flood preparedness.  That’s good news for a community sitting along the banks of the Yellowstone.”

Rehberg said funding for the project in 2007 will increase by $36,000, up from $121,000 in 2006.  Rehberg also secured $2 million for a separate study of flooding readiness plans along the Lower Yellowstone River near Billings.

“This is a critical piece of work for how Livingston will be prepared to deal with flooding issues,” said Livingston City Manager Ed Meece.  “The funds will help us complete the study in a timely manner so we can move on to mitigation.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, announced today his U.S. House Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee has approved $6 million in funding for the Fort Peck/Dry Prairie Rural Water System in Northeastern Montana.  Rehberg secured $1 million in funding above the President’s budget request of $5 million for the project as part of $21.2 million in energy and water projects for Montana.  The Fort Peck project is the largest for Montana in the 2007 Energy & Water Appropriations bill.

“It has been a fight to get funding for this project,” said Rehberg.  “Last year, I made a lot of noise on the Energy & Water Appropriations Committee for funding for this project.  This year it was in the President’s budget and the Committee actually INCREASED its funding over the President’s request. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”

The Fort Peck/Dry Prairie Rural Water System was authorized by Congress in 2000 and when completed, it will serve over 30,000 residents in northeastern Montana and on the Fort Peck Reservation.  Last year, Rehberg secured $16 million for the project.

“The water quality within the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and within the Dry Prairie region had once ranked as among the poorest in the country,” Rehberg said of the project that will bring quality drinking water from a new intake and treatment plant on the Missouri River, near Wolf Point.  “Today’s news is another victory on this front for the communities involved.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced he secured $5.5 million for the Montana Customs Northern Border air branch in Great Falls in the 2007 Homeland Appropriations bill.  Last year, Rehberg secured the first-ever funds for the air branch to help begin its construction.

“Montana shares an expansive border with Canada so funding this customs air branch is a critical priority, both for the federal government and for our state,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “This funding will help us shore up Montana’s border against illegal activity.”

The funding is part of the $32.1 billion Homeland Security spending bill that includes almost $20 billion for border protection and immigration enforcement - a $1.6 billion increase over last year’s bill.  The bill also provides $4.2 billion, a $485 million increase over the previous bill, for port security and cargo inspection.

“Securing Montana’ 546-miles long border with Canada is a daunting task and I’m making clear to Congress that illegal activity takes places on both the northern and southern borders of the U.S.,” said Rehberg.  “Ensuring Montana’s residents and infrastructure are as safe as they can be from terrorist attack is obviously a top priority of mine.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, is sponsoring two bills to help Montana’s small community pharmacies better administer the new Medicare prescription drug benefit and provide Montana seniors with greater access to local drug stores.

“Montana seniors deserve access to their local pharmacies and the pharmacists they’re most familiar with,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “Small-town pharmacies are working overtime right now to help seniors with their new prescription drug plans and I want to ensure these pharmacies are going to be there in the future to provide that much needed assistance.”

Rehberg is sponsoring H.R. 5166, the Independent Pharmacy Protection Act, which will require Medicare drug plans to reimburse rural drug stores within 10 days.  The bill will also help prevent financial losses for smaller pharmacies that dispense generic drugs.

“The implementation of the new Medicare prescription benefit has been a financial challenge because of delays in claims processing and payments to local pharmacies” said Jim Smith, Executive Director of the Montana Pharmacy Association.  “These small businesses have payroll expenses, utility bills and insurance premiums to pay.

“They can’t be kept waiting six to eight weeks for reimbursement from some of the world’s largest insurance companies.  H.R. 5166 requires these insurers to make prompt payment on clean claims.  That’s the single most important thing to do in order to help the pharmacies that are helping Montana’s senior citizens.  We thank Denny Rehberg for his sponsorship of H.R. 5166.”

Rehberg also sponsored H.R. 1671, the Community Pharmacy Fairness Act, to give Montana’s local pharmacies bargaining power in negotiations with pharmacy benefit managers that administer drug coverage for employers and health insurance carriers.  Some benefit managers are fleecing consumers by forcing them to switch to brand-name drugs from generics and restricting consumer choices.

“Rep. Rehberg knows that Montana’s pharmacies are on the forefront of healthcare delivery in Montana, and that federal policies need to be crafted that will keep our pharmacies in place, serving their elderly patients,’’ said Paul Brand, R.Ph. owner of the Florence Community Pharmacy in Florence.  H.R. 1671 will do that by leveling the playing field between these pharmacies and the Pharmacy Benefit Management Companies they must do business with in order to be compensated for their services.  Rep. Rehberg’s sponsorship of H.R. 1671 is deeply appreciated by Montana’s pharmacists.”