Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today introduced legislation which would provide relief to seniors citizens by allowing them to continue to keep money in retirement accounts that they are typically required by law to withdraw once they reach age 70-½.

“Every Montanan has been hit in one way or another by our struggling economy,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “With all of the talk about more bailouts, we’re overlooking key solutions that could provide relief and increased flexibility for some folks without costing billions of dollars.  My bill would protect senior citizens from getting the short end of the stick when it comes to their retirement savings.” 

Suspending the mandatory withdrawal would allow retirees to keep the money in their account if they choose, and possibly recover some of their losses.  Seniors have spent years saving for their retirement and forcing them to take out artificially large amounts now could be devastating in later years.

Currently, an investor must make the required withdrawal based on the size of their account and their age every year after age 70-½.  This rule is intended to prevent wealthy investors from using retirement accounts as a tax shelter.  If an individual fails to take a required minimum distribution (RMD), they are heavily penalized by the IRS, which taxes the amount not withdrawn at 50%.

Rehberg’s bill would waive any penalties for not taking the RMD for 2008 and 2009.  Additionally, the bill would allow seniors that have already taken their RMD for 2008 to re-contribute those amounts to their savings accounts without penalty. 

“This is a serious problem with a simple solution,” said Rehberg.  “With a likely December session of Congress on the horizon and a lot of talk about the economy, this legislation is a quick and cost-effective solution to give seniors a boost.” 

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today contacted President-elect Barack Obama urging him to nominate Montana’s current U.S. Marshal, Dwight MacKay, for another term. 

“Dwight has served honorably as our state’s U.S. Marshal since 2002,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “It would be a huge boost to Montana to keep this experienced and proven leader in his current position.”

In a letter to Obama, Rehberg referenced a recent Billings Gazette editorial which praised the nonpartisan work of MacKay and advocated his service for another term.  Additionally, Rehberg cited that MacKay was supported by the entire Montana Congressional Delegation when he was first nominated for the position.

“I agree with the Gazette’s sentiment that the continued service of Dwight MacKay as U.S. Marshal would reflect positively on your Administration and would benefit Montana and the United States,” added Rehberg in the letter. “For these reasons and more, I urge you to nominate Dwight MacKay as U.S. Marshal for Montana.”

Below is the letter:

Dear President-Elect Obama:

As you make preparations to assume the Presidency, I would like to offer you heartfelt congratulations on your historic victory.  I also wanted to express my willingness to provide your Administration with any assistance I can provide.  I am encouraged by your desire to hit the ground running, and would like to use this opportunity to formally request that you nominate Dwight MacKay to serve another term as U.S. Marshal for Montana.

Dwight MacKay’s original nomination in 2002 was supported by the entire Montana Congressional Delegation and he has faithfully and effectively served the people of Montana for nearly seven years.  As the Billings Gazette observed in a November 10, 2008 editorial, “MacKay has taken a nonpartisan approach to his U.S. marshal duties” and “[i]f the Obama administration wants a well-respected, competent leader in this law enforcement post, they ought to keep MacKay on board.”    

I agree with the Gazette’s sentiment that the continued service of Dwight MacKay as U.S. Marshal would reflect positively on your Administration and would benefit Montana and the United States. For these reasons and more, I urge you to nominate Dwight MacKay as U.S. Marshal for Montana.

Thank you for your serious consideration of this matter, and again congratulations on your election as the 44^th President of the United States.  Do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance on this or any other matter.

Sincerely,

Denny Rehberg

Member of Congress

CC:      Senator Max Baucus

            Senator Jon Tester

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded the Big Sky Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership, led by Montana State University-Bozeman, a $66.9 million grant to fund the Department’s seventh large-scale carbon sequestration project.

“Carbon Sequestration will be a critical part of a comprehensive, clean energy future,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. “It’s great to see a Montana University leading the way in demonstrating and validating this technology.  This funding speaks volumes for the importance of this project.”

The funds will be used to conduct a large-volume test to demonstrate the ability of a geologic formation to safely, permanently, and economically store more than two million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).  The test will be located in Southwest Wyoming and will demonstrate the entire CO2 injection process—pre-injection characterization, injection process monitoring, and post-injection monitoring—and provide the foundation for the future development of CO2 capture and storage opportunities in the region.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has awarded the Montana Department of Labor and Industry an additional $315,000 national emergency grant to provide assistance to Montanans affected by the layoffs at Stimson Lumber Company in Bonner, Montana. Rehberg announced the initial award of $300,000 in June, 2007.

“I said before that I would not forget the tough situation these families have found themselves in,” said Rehberg, a member of the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee which funds this program. “This is welcome news in an unfortunate situation, and I’m going to continue to help in any way I can.”

The Workforce Investment Act grant will be used to continue assistance for 205 former Stimson Lumber employees not covered under the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program. These services include assessment, counseling and case management, follow-up, and supportive services such as child care assistance.