Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, released the following statement after his vote against the National Energy Tax, also known as Cap & Tax.  Rehberg, who has been a vocal advocate for an all-of-the-above American energy policy that decreases dependence on foreign energy and creates

“Less than a year ago, I joined colleagues on the House floor to demand an all-of-the-above energy policy.  The lights were down and the microphones were off because Congress had gone on vacation – a vacation that most Americans couldn’t afford to take because gas prices were too high.  It’s almost unbelievable the House just passed an energy tax that is specifically designed to raise energy prices for all Americans, rich and poor.  Cap and Tax will hurt Montana families, cost Montana jobs and kick entire Montana industries to the curb.  While there’s no good time for this destructive policy, I can think of few worse times for it than in our current economic condition.”

Rehberg has been a long-time opponent of this energy tax, both in press statements and on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, contacted both the USDA Risk Management Association and the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) expressing concerns that the Group Risk Plan (GRP) has failed to fairly repay Montana producers from losses incurred due to droughts in 2008.  The GRP is a pilot program backed by the USDA Risk Management Agency.

“For some federal bureaucrats sitting behind a desk in Washington, D.C., this problem will be seen as a simple question of statistics and number crunching,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “For any of Montana’s ag producers in Dawson, Richland, McCone, Roosevelt or Sheridan Counties, this is literally a matter of survival and it’s my job to bring that sense of urgency to Washington, D.C.”

When drought conditions caused a reduced harvest in 2008, many Montana producers counted on insurance money from the GRP for the premiums they paid.  They were told, instead, that they will not receive payments until 2010, if at all.  The program uses data collected by the National Ag Statistics Service, which depends on written surveys of harvested land, but fails to account for land which is not even harvested because of drought conditions.  In a letter to the USDA, Rehberg challenged this methodology as failing to reflect true the loss in a county.  Rehberg asked USDA to provide producers the payments that they need, but are not receiving.

“This needs to get corrected quickly,” said Rehberg.  “These folks invested their money in good faith and have every right to be upset when the government does not uphold its end of the deal.”

Letter:

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Introduces Hunting Heritage Protection Act in House

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has introduced the Hunting Heritage Protection Act in the House of Representatives.  This bill ensures that the right to hunt and trap will not be undermined on public lands.

“In the last several months, we’ve seen unprecedented efforts to expand federal control of our lands,” said Rehberg, a member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and the House Appropriations Committee.  “I have consistently voted to protect Second Amendment rights on our public lands.  The Hunting Heritage Protection Act would go a long way toward permanently ensuring that Montanans won’t have to surrender their rights when they are on public land.”

Rehberg’s legislation, will help prevent federal bureaucrats from making public lands off-limits for hunting. For example, under the bill, federal agencies would have to report to Congress when they plan to ban hunting on large tracts of land.  Additionally, the bill would require annual reports from federal agencies on all actions they’ve taken during the year that impact recreational hunting.

Rehberg has long warned about federal encroachment upon hunting and gun rights.

Earlier this year, Rehberg voted against the so-called Omnibus Lands Bill stating that “[w]hile there are a lot of problems with this massive bill, tucked away in its 1,200 pages is a small but significant attack against the Second Amendment. A federal judge here in Washington, D.C. has taken it upon himself to revoke the Constitutional right to bear arms for individuals while on federal park lands and refuges. This bill is the best place to fix this dangerous policy.  We shouldn’t be expanding federal lands in our country if we can’t make sure that our Second Amendment rights are protected when we’re on these lands.”

Rehberg also recently testified before the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands where he said: “And there’s a new concern looming in the minds of the folks around Montana and the country.  There aren’t many things we in the Northern Rockies care more about than their Second Amendment rights.  Bills like NREPA create more stringent federal controls on the land under consideration, but they don’t guarantee Second Amendment rights on that land.  I’m concerned that NREPA has no guarantees that the federal government won’t someday ban firearms on these new wilderness areas the way it just did in National Parks.”

Young Artists from Whitefish, Great Falls and Belt Receive Honors

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced that Caitlin Sterchi, from Whitefish High School, has been selected as the grand prize winner of Montana’s Congressional Art Competition for 2009.  Rehberg will join Sterchi and her parents in a Capitol Hill ceremony where her artwork will be unveiled and displayed for one year in the Cannon Tunnel along with the artwork of winners from other congressional districts.  The Cannon Tunnel is a pedestrian walkway, leading to the United States Capitol building, frequented by Members of Congress, staff, and the general public.

“It makes me proud to showcase some truly talented young people from Montana,” said Rehberg.  “I look forward to seeing Caitlin’s wonderful picture on the walls of the Cannon Tunnel.”

Sterchi recently graduated from Whitefish High School.  Her artwork was selected from among the entries submitted from all across Montana in the Congressional Art Competition, a U.S. House of Representatives art competition which has been held annually since 1982.  Sterchi’s gouache painting is entitled “Family Outing,” and is an artistic representation of a Canadian goose and her goslings.

Sterchi’s artwork was also the top choice in public voting via the social networking website Facebook.  For the first time in 2009, Rehberg posted all entries online for public review and voting to help select the finalists.

As the grand prize winner, Sterchi received airfare for her and a guest to attend the artwork’s unveiling ceremony in Washington D.C.  She’ll also receive a $1,000 art scholarship offer from the University of Montana.  Caitlin is the daughter of Simon and Amy Sterchi of Whitefish.  Lonnie Collinsworth was Sterchi’s art teacher at Whitefish High School.

In addition to the grand prize winner, Rehberg also recognized Thom Bridge, a senior at C.M. Russell High School in Great Falls as the first place winner for his photograph entitled “Values.”  Bridge’s artwork will be featured in Rehberg’s Washington D.C. office.  Kerry Brashear is Bridge’s art teacher.

Kinzi Anderson, a senior at Belt High School, took an Honorable Mention for a graphite drawing “On the Prowl” which will be displayed in one of Rehberg’s District Offices.  Anderson’s art teacher is Troy Adams.

Simple Change in Tax Code Opens Corridors for Power Transmission

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has introduced legislation to help incentivize private investment in energy transmission and distribution assets, including power lines.  The legislation, H.R. 1113, provides a 15-year depreciation period for property used in the transmission or distribution of electricity for sale.  This, in turn, will allow America’s energy distribution system to compete on a level playing field with foreign companies that can currently recoup their investments at a much faster rate.

“Too many people in places like San Francisco and New York think electricity comes from a switch on the wall, and have no idea about how that power actually got there,” said Rehberg a member of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Sub-committee and a sponsor of the American Energy Innovation Act.  “We can invest in clean energy all day long, but if we haven’t got a way to get that energy from here to there, it’s not going to help us become energy independent.  This bill incentivizes the creation of the transmission lines that will bridge that gap.”

Typically, transmission and distribution assets are considered long lived assets with periods of 20 + years over which a transmission company would depreciate its original value.  By shortening the period of time to depreciate these investments, this legislation will accelerate the deduction the company can take on that asset thus improving the rate of return on the asset, improving the bottom line and improving cash flow.

“We really appreciate Congressman Rehberg’s work on this and his leadership in energy policy,” Dave Gates, Vice President Wholesale Operations North Western Energy.  “This bill will provide an incentive to develop transmission and distribution investment to enable the private sector to develop energy from renewable energy rich areas of the country, such as Montana, and to assist the country reach its energy independence goals.”

Congressman’s Position on House Appropriations Committee Results in nearly $15 Million in Funding for Montana Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $14.89 million in funding for projects throughout the state, including $1.7 million for research conducted by the Water Research Foundation.  The funding was included in the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.

“We may often take it for granted, but clean, safe drinking water does not happen by accident,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “There are dedicated professionals in our communities working to ensure our water supply is safe, and abundant.  Ultimately, the primary benefactors of this funding are the residents of Montana.  In fact, 80% of the drinking water in the U.S. is supplied by organizations that are Water Research Foundation members like Mountain Water Company in Missoula.  Their on-going research projects helps us all.  Foundation research is focused on today’s pressing needs, like water treatment, replacing aging infrastructure, and water use and energy independence.”

The Water Research Foundation, based in Missoula, helps local water companies and districts supply safe, affordable drinking water to consumers nation-wide.  Its work focuses on applied research for cost effective technologies to enhance drinking water technologies. It’s the largest drinking water research foundation in the world, and has sponsored research world-wide to make drinking water clean, affordable and available to the public.

“We’re particularly appreciative of Congressman Rehberg for his responsible and responsive efforts to fund this project,” said Arvid ‘Butch’ Hiller, Vice President and General Manager of Mountain Water Company in Missoula. “This funding will be leveraged five times over by private contributions, and the real beneficiaries of the Water Research Foundation’s efforts are the rural areas and small utilities that are so prominent in Montana.  They need the research and data the most, and can least afford to do it on their own.”

Congressman’s Position on House Appropriations Committee Results in over $8 Million in Funding for Montana Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $8.387 million in funding for projects throughout the state, including $650,000 for the Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.  The funding was included by the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee for Fiscal Year 2010.

“Yellowstone National Park is the only remaining pocket of brucellosis in the United States, and its proximity to livestock producers in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming has serious economic impacts,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “This issue has caused not only financial stress on Montana producers but also on the Montana Department of Livestock as well.  The persistence of Brucellosis in Montana is the result of federal policies that have failed to eradicate the disease in wildlife and livestock and it’s going to take some federal resources to fix the problem.”

The Greater Yellowstone Interagency Brucellosis Committee conducts brucellosis prevention, surveillance, control and herd management in Montana and the Greater Yellowstone Area.  These activities mitigate the danger that brucellosis poses to Montana’s beef industry by detecting the disease in wildlife and preventing its spread to cattle. Working with state and federal jurisdictions, the ultimate objective of the GYIBC is to use sound science and factual information to eliminate transmission risks and eradicate the disease for healthy wildlife and livestock. The program officially began in 1995 with a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture and the Governors of Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.

“Brucellosis funding in the greater Yellowstone area is vital as we work on the control and eventual eradication of this disease,” said Christian Mackay, with the Montana Department of Livestock.  “We welcome these resources. They help fund our ongoing efforts, and demonstrate that Congress wants to be part of the solution.”

Congressman’s Position on House Appropriations Committee Results in nearly $15 Million in Funding for Montana Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $14.89 million in funding for projects throughout the state, including $11.75 million for five separate Conservation Easement projects.  The projects are Meeteetse Spires, Blackfoot Challenge-Nora Gulch, Rocky Mountain Front, Blackfoot River Special Recreation Management Area and Greater Yellowstone Area-Cooke City Mining Claims.  The funding was included in the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.

“Conservation has many faces, and Conservation Easement projects are among the most effective because they are built around the consensus of all interested parties,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “This funding will assist the grassroots efforts of local groups and willing land owners who have come together to preserve these important landscapes for generations to come.  I was happy to partner with President Obama on these conservation easements.  While we don’t agree on everything, ensuring future generations of Montanans have access to these diverse landscapes is something we all can support.”

President Obama included requests in his budget and Rehberg submitted them to the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee.  This cooperative two-pronged approach made inclusion in the final bill more likely.

Conservation easements are voluntarily conveyed, partial legal interests in land.  Since the 1975 passage of The Montana Open-Space Land and Voluntary Conservation Easement Act over 300,000 acres have been protected with conservation easements. They comprise ecological, open space, recreational and historic areas and can include wildlife habitat, natural and undisturbed ecosystems, wildlife and scenic river corridors, threatened or endangered species, recreational resources, pro­ductive agricultural land, educational resources and historic sites or structures.

Each easement is different because each parcel of land is unique, and each easement is designed in consultation with the landowner. All land uses not specifically given up in the easement deed remain with the landowner.

“We appreciate Congressman Rehberg’s support of these projects.   Landowner demand for easements on the Rocky Mountain Front grew by 30,000 acres this year,” said Bebe Crouse, Director of Communications at The Montana Chapter of the Nature Conservancy.  “These United States Fish & Wildlife Service easements support the viability of local ranches and communities in which they reside.   The Blackfoot Bureau of Land Management project represents the largest remaining public portion of the larger Blackfoot Community Project, which, when complete, will conserve more than 100,000 acres in diverse public and private ownership and will help maintain a rural way of life for that community.”

Congressman’s Position on House Appropriations Committee Results in nearly $15 Million in Funding for Montana Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $14.89 million in funding for projects throughout the state, including $290,000 for Em-Kayan County Water and Sewer Infrastructure Improvements.  The funding was included in the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.

“The original water system serving the Em-Kayan District was built almost 50 years ago, and now it’s time to upgrade the system to keep it safe and efficient for the next 50 years,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “The current water system is leaking about a million gallons a year, and this funding will make improvements and provide further safeguards against water contamination while also aiding fire protection for all the local residents.”

The Em-Kayan community water system, which consists of three springs, two wells, five steel storage tanks and a water distribution system including fire hydrants, was constructed in the 1960’s.  Although it has been expanded several times to meet increases in demand, it now requires improvements that are beyond the financial capabilities of the District alone.

These funds will help with the installation of a new PVC water main to prevent water system contamination and better conserve Montana’s resources, the installation of 62 water meters to improve accounting and conservation, 5 new hydrants to meet fire safety requirements, and installation of a new control system to replace the existing maintenance intensive system.

“We want to thank Congressman Rehberg for his hard work on this important project,” said Gene Tracy President of the Em-Kayan Sewer Water District and President of the Homeowners Association.  “This funding will replace the leaking pipes and antiquated control system.  We’re suffering a lot of leakage problems, which causes contamination risks for the people of Em-Kayan, and this funding will help us modernize our systems.”

Congressman’s Position on House Appropriations Committee Results in nearly $15 Million in Funding for Montana Projects

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $14.89 million in funding for projects throughout the state, including $1.5 million for the Meeteetse Spires.  The funding was included in the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.

“The Meeteetse Spires region is one of the most spectacular areas in Montana and every year it’s enjoyed by thousands of folks from all over the world,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee.  “It’s also an area of preferred habitat for just about every species of wildlife in Montana.  With the remarkable landscape and the abundant wildlife, preserving this area will pay great dividends by ensuring that our children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy this area tomorrow as much as we do today.”

The Bureau of Land Management has partnered with The Conservation Fund, the U.S. Forest Service, the Crow Tribe of Indians, Carbon County, and other local organizations to secure funding for the purchase and protection of 560 acres which are currently approved for subdividing.  These funds, which have been approved by the House Appropriations Committee, will enable BLM to purchase the last section of those acres, the last phase of the project.

“Thanks to Representative Rehberg, this critical funding will complete this project and preserve the Meeteetse Spires’ spectacular scenery, conserve important wildlife habitat and expand recreational access,” said Gates Watson, director of The Conservation Fund’s Montana office.  “We applaud Rep. Rehberg for his leadership and commitment to enhancing the quality of life for the people – and wildlife – of Montana.”