Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, released the following statement today regarding the passage of the Democrat’s Budget Resolution:

“Congress needs to bring fiscal accountability to federal spending and make sure taxpayers are getting value for their dollar. This budget plan does neither. It contains the biggest tax hike in American history and it does nothing to reign in the waste, fraud and abuse that continues to plague federal spending.

We can balance the budget, control spending and provide support for those most in need, and we can do it without raising taxes. But it’s going to take some bi-partisan teamwork. And it’s going to take the courage to make some tough decisions. Montana families and small businesses deserve nothing less.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today challenged the Bush Administration at a congressional hearing to punish international trading partners who “cheat” by keeping U.S. products out of their country while allowing their products to be bought and sold in America.

“Trade is a vital part of a good economy,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee, which held the hearing. “Yet, many of our trading partners don’t hold up their end of the deal when it comes to allowing American-made products, such as Montana beef, to be bought and sold in their country. The Administration needs to punish these countries so that U.S. producers get treated fairly.”
The witness at today’s hearing was Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson. During the hearing, Rehberg emphasized the importance of trade but also talked about the problems with South Korea, which has refused to allow U.S. beef products to enter into their country though many Korean products are sold in America. After the hearing, Secretary Paulson told Rehberg he was recently in South Korea and was upset to see many of the Korean vendors serving Australian beef because American-made beef had been banned.
Today, Rehberg also met with members of the Montana Stockgrowers Association in his office to talk about options for encouraging Korea and Japan to use Montana beef and other ways of expanding opportunities for Montana producers. Creating options for Montana ranchers to export their beef products is one of the Stockgrowers Association’s highest priorities.
“International fair trade is a top priority,” said Steve Roth, President of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. “We need to emphasize that the exportation of Montana beef is no longer a food safety issue. It’s time for it to become a trade issue.”
“We always appreciate the opportunity to meet with Congressman Rehberg and are thankful for his support of establishing international markets for Montana beef,” said Errol Rice, Executive Vice President of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. “Free trade agreements should be based on science and it’s time we level the playing field for Montana producers.”
“Montana’s beef industry is losing billions of dollars due unfair trade policies,” said Rehberg. “I know Montana ranchers make a safe, high-quality product and they deserve a fair opportunity to show Korea and other countries why our beef is among the best and safest in the world.”
Last year, with the support of Rehberg, Japan lifted their three year ban on the importation of U.S. beef. Last fall, Rehberg also traveled to South Korea with the Montana World Trade Center to encourage it to lift a similar ban.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, this week opposed an amendment that would have prohibited funding for Montana’s Empire Builder Rail Line. The amendment was intended as part of the Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007 which came before the House this week.
“Along Montana’s Hi-line, the rail service is a part of life,” said Rehberg, Co-chair of the House Rail Caucus. “So, it’s vital we ensure the safety and security of both the passengers and the rail workers. Thankfully, we were able to vote down this amendment before it could hurt local rail service.”
The amendment to this week’s legislation, introduced by Representative Peter Sessions, would have prohibited the Empire Builder rail line from receiving any of the homeland security grants included in the bill. The amendment was defeated by a 130-299 vote.
Amtrak’s Empire Builder serves as many as 140,000 Montanans annually. The Passenger service accounts for over $3.2 million in wages for the Montana economy, while direct spending by rail travelers in Montana is estimated at more than $5.3 million annually. Ridership of the Empire Builder Line in Montana, which serves the Hi-Line and Glacier National Park, has increased almost 40% since 2002.
“The Empire Builder line runs all the way from Chicago, Illinois to Seattle, Washington,” said Rehberg. “As a backbone of northwestern transportation, it’s unacceptable for this line to be put in jeopardy. I’m glad my colleagues joined me in defeating this amendment.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today slammed a Pentagon decision to eliminate 50 land-based intercontinental missiles (ICBM) located at Malmstrom Air Force Base. The Department of Defense confirmed to Rehberg today its intent to eliminate the missiles.
“I’ll continue to battle to protect Malmstrom’s Missiles,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “These missiles are a vital part of our nation’s defense and the Malmstrom community. It’s unfortunate that this proposal has reached this point.”
There are currently 500 land-based ICBM’s in the U.S. Last year, Rehberg and several other members of land-based missile states were successful in blocking a proposal to eliminate some missiles, including these same 50 missiles. It’s estimated 500 on-base jobs and $3 million in operating funds would be lost due to this proposal. In January, Rehberg sponsored legislation that would put the House on record in support of maintaining 500 land-based intercontinental missiles, including those at Malmstrom.
Earlier this week, Rehberg met with Warren Wenz and Greg Schwant from the Committee on 80 to discuss the importance of the missiles to the Great Falls community. The Committee on 80 is an eighty member business group which advocates expanding the missions at Malmstrom as a way to help out the local economy.
“It’s always a pleasure to be able to meet with Congressman Rehberg,” said Warren Wenz. “We’re thankful for his willingness to fight for Malmstrom’s missiles and his assistance to the Great Falls community.”
“The missiles are not just important for local jobs but they are an important part of our national defense strategy,” said Greg Schwandt. “The missiles are ready-to-go, 24/7 and it’s essential they’re not removed.”
“Threats from countries like Iran and North Korea further emphasize the need for deterrence,” said Rehberg. “Obviously, the Pentagon is not getting the message that eliminating these missiles would weaken our nation’s defense. The fight’s not over. I’m going to continue working to block this proposal and look for new ways to expand Malmstrom’s mission.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today met with the Montana Farmers Union to discuss mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), disaster assistance, and the Farm Bill.
“Agriculture is our number one industry,” said Rehberg. “So, it’s essential to do everything we can to provide disaster assistance dollars for our producers and create new opportunities for our ag communities to grow. I’ll continue to ensure Montana’s ag needs have a seat at the table when these issues are discussed.”

The Montana Farmers Union advocates on behalf of Montana’s ag industry for programs that are beneficial for farmers, laborers, and consumers by focusing on the preservation of rural community life and the traditional independence of farmers living on the family farm.

Earlier this year, Rehberg introduced legislation to move the deadline for mandatory Country of Origin Labeling from September 30, 2008 to September 30, 2007.

“This year will be critical to the future of an industry that is the backbone of our state’s economy,” said Rehberg. “With the Farm Bill coming to a vote this summer and a good coalition of members dedicated to implementing COOL in the House, this will be a key year for the future of Montana’s ag industry.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 4 Montana counties as primary agricultural disaster areas. An additional 8 counties received contiguous disaster designation.

“Montana farmers are constantly at the mercy of Mother Nature,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “After the excessive moisture last fall threatened our producers, my office contacted the USDA urging them to take the necessary steps so that the Montana farmers hit hardest could qualify for disaster assistance. I’m glad to see these 12 Montana counties are now eligible.”
This designation makes farm operators in both primary and contiguous areas eligible for low-interest disaster assistance loans from the Farm Service Agency. The designation is based on a determination by the Secretary of Agriculture that local producers suffered significant production losses due to excessive moisture and an early frost which occurred during the final months of 2006.
“These loans are an essential part of a producer’s ability to replace damaged crops and repair prime agriculture land in an area where their land is their livelihood,” said Rehberg.

Counties receiving primary disaster designation include: Yellowstone, Rosebud, Treasure, and Big Horn.
Counties receiving contiguous disaster designation include: Carbon, Custer, Garfield, Musselshell, Petroleum, Powder River, Golden Valley, and Stillwater

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, will visit eight Montana communities inviting area residents to share their comments in a series of public listening sessions, from April 10-13.

“I visit each of Montana’s 56 counties every congressional term so I can hear directly from Montanans. I encourage everyone to join me to discuss the important issues facing Montana and the nation,” said Rehberg, a Montana rancher and member of the House Appropriations Committee. “These public listening sessions are geared toward exchanging ideas and gathering input I can take back to Washington D.C. I’m looking forward to visiting with my constituents.”

Rehberg will conduct eight listening sessions in four days, beginning April 10. The public and media are welcome to attend.

Congressman Denny Rehberg Listening Sessions

Tuesday, April 10
Ryegate – 10:00 a.m. Golden Valley County Courthouse, 107 Kemp
Harlowton – 2:00 p.m. Wheatland County Courtroom, 201 A Avenue Northwest

Wednesday, April 11
Lewistown – 10:00 a.m. Montana Farm Bureau Insurance Building, 301 Northeast Main Street
Stanford – 2:00 p.m. Judith Basin County Courthouse, 31 1st Avenue

Thursday, April 12
Havre – 10:00 a.m. Hill County Detention Center Meeting Room, 1450 2nd St. West
Chester – 3:00 p.m. Liberty County Courthouse, 111 1st East

Friday, April 13
Shelby – 10:00 a.m. Shelby Civic Center, 669 Park Ave.
Cut Bank – 2:00 p.m. Glacier County Court House Annex, 1210 East Main Street

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today sponsored two pieces of legislation to fully fund the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program, or PILT.
“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 legislation will provide a huge boost in giving Montana communities the PILT funding they were intended.”
Local governments in Montana are unable to tax the property values or products derived from federal lands. The PILT program provides payments to counties and other local governments to offset the loss in tax revenues due to the presence of substantial acreage of federal land in their jurisdictions. PILT payments provide essential support for vital community services such as roads, firefighting, police protection, and providing healthcare in rural communities across the West. Montana has over 27 million acres of federally-owned public lands and received $17.3 million in PILT payments in 2006.
The Federal Land Compensation Act, sponsored by Rehberg, would phase-in a mandatory fully funded PILT program by funding PILT at 80% of the fully authorized amount in 2008, 90% in 2009, and 100% in 2010.
The PILT and Refuge Revenue Sharing Permanent Funding Act, also sponsored by Rehberg, would require PILT be fully funded, beginning in 2008, at its authorized levels.
“PILT was a promise from Congress to assist those counties containing federal lands,” said Harold Blattie, Executive Director of the Montana Association of Counties (MACO). “PILT has been one of MACO’s highest priorities and this legislation is certainly good news.”
“It’s really a matter of fairness,” said Rehberg. “Counties with federal lands deserve to be compensated for lost tax revenue so they can provide vital services to residents.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today urged the Small Business Administration (SBA) to continue its support of the Timber Sale Set-Aside Program.
“Montana’s small timber mills depend on the guaranteed purchase of federal timber products,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee, which held the hearing. “However, it’s not clear if the SBA is committed to the Timber Sale Set-Aside Program. It’s important we continue to protect small lumber mills by making sure this program has the resources it needs to be effective.”
The Timber Sale Set-Aside Program ensures that small lumber mills will have a “fair proportion” of the timber sold by the federal government. Without the protection of this program, small business mills would constantly be outbid by large companies for these products. This program has been crucial to the survival of small business mills operating near national forests or BLM timberlands.
Recently, the SBA eliminated the position of national director for the Timber-Sale Set Aside Program within the organization. This means the four field representatives for the program must now report to an area office of SBA where information about this particular program is limited. During the hearing, Rehberg urged the SBA to recreate a director’s position specifically dedicated to this program.
“Two years ago, in Eureka, Montana, we saw the closing of the Owens & Hurst mill, and the loss of 90 family-wage jobs,” said Rehberg. “This program ensures we are doing our part to prevent Montana’s small mills from sharing the same fate.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, this week is urging President Bush and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to crack down on the employment of illegal immigrants and to oppose legislation supporting amnesty.
“Employers are not being held accountable for the hiring of illegal aliens and we haven’t done enough to deal with the illegals that are already in our country,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “Meanwhile, we continue to allow people, whose first act is to come into America illegally, to take advantage of our tax-payer funded social services intended for American citizens. I’m urging both the President and Speaker Pelosi to act now on this issue.”
In a letter to President Bush, Rehberg is urging the Administration to enforce the laws already on the books to ensure employers don’t hire illegal immigrants. In the letter, Rehberg cites a study by the Center for Immigration Studies that found the current level of immigration has reduced the wages of the average native-born worker in a “blue-collar” occupation by 12% a year, or almost $2,000.
Rehberg also sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi asking her to not bring amnesty legislation to the House floor. Rehberg argued that amnesty legislation undermines the important debate on immigration policy and is unfair to those who play by the rules and have patiently waited for their turn to become legal citizens.
“It’s time to get tough on illegal immigration and it’s time to do it now,” said Rehberg.
Both letters currently have 61 cosigners.
Below are the letters:
The Honorable George Bush
President
United States of America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear President Bush,
As Members of the House of Representatives, we appeal to you on behalf of American workers. We urge you to continue recent efforts to vigorously enforce the laws that ensure that employers do not hire illegal immigrants.
Employers who hire illegal immigrants create unfair competition in the labor market and depress wages for all workers. The Center for Immigration Studies has found that the current level of immigration has reduced the wages of the average native-born worker in a low-skilled occupation by 12% a year, or almost $2,000. Alexander Aleinikoff, a former Clinton Administration INS official and now the Dean of Georgetown Law School, calls it a “myth” that “there is little or no competition between undocumented workers and American workers . . . .” The sixteen million Americans without a high school degree who have seen their wages stagnate or decline or who have lost their jobs would surely agree.
You can help protect these vulnerable Americans by enforcing our immigration laws. Existing law already prohibits businesses from employing illegal immigrants. Unfortunately, for years we saw enforcement decline steadily under both Democratic and Republican Administrations.
We are encouraged by your Administration’s recent enforcement efforts. Your Administration should take more such bold steps.
We were heartened to read in the Wall Street Journal that an enforcement action at a plant was an “unexpected opportunity” for local American workers and that “[f]or the first time in years [the company] aggressively sought workers from the area’s state-funded employment office . . . .” Please give American workers the opportunities they deserve.
Sincerely,
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker
U.S. House of Representatives
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Speaker Pelosi:
We are Democratic and Republican Members who are united in asking you not to bring amnesty legislation to the House floor.
Citizenship is the greatest honor and responsibility our country can offer. Millions of people around the world play by the rules, obey the law, and often wait years for the opportunity to legally immigrate.
When Congress granted permanent residence to millions of illegal immigrants in 1986, we required them to wait, pay a fine, and “learn” English. The result was legally and publicly recognized as amnesty.
Amnesty hurts vulnerable American workers, burdens American taxpayers, and rewards lawbreakers. It encourages more illegal immigration. And it tells all those who have patiently waited abroad for their turn to come to the United States that they are foolish.
The United States has the most generous legal immigration system in the world. We should take the side of American workers and taxpayers, legal immigrants and the rule of law. Please oppose any effort to put illegal immigrants on the path to amnesty.

Sincerely,