Congressman Denny Rehberg

KALISPELL - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has been released from Kalispell Regional Medical Center and is traveling back to his home in Billings, Montana.

“Jan and I are very grateful for the overwhelming support and prayers we’ve received from around the country. I also want to thank the excellent staff and administrators at Kalispell Regional Medical Center for the outstanding care I received. While it’s good to be heading home, my thoughts and prayers remain with Dustin, Kristin, Greg, Kathy and their families.”

August Schedule Now Includes Listening Sessions in 18 Counties

BILLINGS, MT – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has announced two additional listening sessions in Montana to be held this week in Bozeman and Hamilton. Rehberg has already scheduled sixteen listening sessions across Montana, but was able to schedule two more in Western Montana at the last minute.

“The 14 listening sessions I’ve held so far this August have been incredibly helpful for me,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “It’s important to listen as much as you talk because while Montanans are concerned about health care, they also care about everything from federal spending to cap and tax legislation. It’s my job to bring their concerns back to Washington, D.C. with me.”

Rehberg has scheduled eighteen listening sessions in August, more than any other Montana official and among the most in the United States. The sessions are a part of his commitment to visit each of Montana’s 56 counties. Rehberg added listening sessions in two additional counties for Thursday and Friday:

A Gallatin County Listening Session on Thursday, August 20, 2009 at 9:00 am at the MSU Strand Union Building, Ballroom A in Bozeman.

A Ravalli County Listening Session on Friday, August 21, 2009 at 1:00 pm at the Hamilton Performing Arts Center, 327 Fairgrounds Road, in Hamilton.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $200,000 for The Rocky Mountain Development Council (RMDC) to address a significant shortage of quality, affordable housing in Helena, MT. The funding was included in the House Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.

“The American dream of home ownership faces serious challenges in today’s economy,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “A recent UM report on the cost of housing in Montana confirms the critical need for more affordable units, and the Caird Iron Works projects will bring much needed housing relief for low-income people in the Helena area.”

The Caird Iron Works Redevelopment is a proposed multi-phase effort of RMDC, Inc. The project will reclaim property known as the Caird site, the home of an old iron foundry, and redevelop the 2.4 acre Brownfield tract of land. This project will eliminate the environmental contaminants on the site, and redevelop the parcel to provide 60 affordable housing units located with access to schools, work, and transportation facilities.

“We are very grateful for Congressman Rehberg’s help in securing this funding,” said Rocky Mountain Development Council Executive Director Gene Leuwer. “These funds are critical to our next affordable housing project in Helena.”

“RMDC and the community are still working through how best to redevelop the old Caird Iron Works property,” said Jeff Miller, RMDC Community Development Director. “These funds will be an essential component of the acquisition and construction dollars necessary to deliver another quality affordable housing project. Congressman Rehberg understands the importance of affordable housing to our community and has assisted us a great deal with our previous housing projects including the recently completed Eagles Manor III project”.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $5 Million for the Rocky Boy’s/North Central Montana Regional Water Authority’s drinking water project. The funding was included in the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.

“Helping bring safe drinking water to the people of North Central Montana has been a top priority of mine,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. “Working along-side the tribal and other dedicated community leaders, thousands of residents in rural Montana now have access to clean drinking water for years to come.”

The Rocky Boy’s/North Central Water Project is a municipal, rural and industrial water system proposed for an eight county area in north central Montana. It will serve the Rocky Boy’s Reservation and thirteen surrounding communities through a partnership between Montana’s Chippewa Cree Tribe and its non-Tribal Partners in the North Central Montana Regional Water Authority. Poor quality drinking water, major water supply constraints and the high costs for compliance with federal Safe Drinking Water Act regulations established a critical need for funding this project. In fact, some of the affected communities are already under federal mandate to improve their drinking water systems and others are on boil orders. The North Central Water Project will deliver water to roughly 30,000 Montanans. The project will also provide infrastructure to pipe water to the Rocky Boy’s Reservation.

“The Authority can’t thank Congressman Rehberg enough for his hard work on the Appropriations Committee and the fact that he again secured federal dollars for the construction of the Rocky Boy’s/North Central Montana Regional Water System,” said Dan Keil, Chairman, North Central Montana Regional Water Authority. “Congressman Rehberg knows that many of the 23 communities that make up the North Central Montana Regional Water Authority need immediate help for their water systems and we are appreciative of his efforts to get this System built. Someday this water project will deliver clean and safe drinking water to over 30,000 Montanans who desperately need it.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $3 Million for the Center for Zero Emissions Research & Technology. The funding was included in the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.

“New technology and energy innovations are vital to securing America’s energy future,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. “Montana has an abundance of natural and renewable energy resources, and funding projects like ZERT helps establish the state as a leader in energy research. This will lead to high-paying jobs and help boost Montana’s economy.”

In a coal producing state like Montana, the ability to monitor and validate deep geological carbon dioxide sequestration from coal is extremely important. New technologies hold great promise to significantly reduce emissions from fossil fuels, but the engineering, economic, and environmental viability of these zero emission fossil energy technologies must be confirmed.

“The continued funding resulting from Congressman Rehberg’s support for the Zero Emissions Research and Technology Center (ZERT) will allow us to continue development of key tools that benefit the carbon sequestration program,” said Lee Spangler, Director of the Energy Research Institute and ZERT at Montana State University. “This includes development and testing of new detection technologies, improved simulation models, and biologically based methods of plugging leaky wells. It also helps Montana State continue a leadership role in carbon sequestration.”

BILLINGS, MT - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, kicked off his tour of 16 Montana Counties on Thursday with 3 listening sessions covering Stillwater County, Sweet Grass County and Park County. While town halls have been the subject of national headlines as a result of the backlash against some ideas being considered in Congress, Rehberg’s efforts have generated large, engaged crowds.

“The people I’ve been hearing from aren’t all that impressed with what’s happening in Washington, and they want to know that someone is listening to their concerns,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee who visits each of Montana’s 56 counties every congressional term. “Frankly, the insight I pick up from hearing directly from the folks I represent is invaluable to my ability to represent Montana effectively. That’s why I visit all 56 counties each Congress. I can’t imagine trying to do this job in a bubble of special interests and Washington insiders.”

While many Congressional leaders have recently approached town halls with trepidation, Rehberg scheduled and publicized listening sessions in sixteen counties, among the most nationally. The first three, held on August 6th, were attended by record-sized crowds that overwhelmed the rooms that had been reserved.

At the same time, Rehberg received requests via telephone, email and Facebook to hold even more listening sessions throughout the state, indicating a telling dichotomy: while some members of Congress are cutting back on the number of public meetings they hold, the American people are asking for more.

“I wish I could visit all 56 counties this month,” said Rehberg. “Rest assured, if I haven’t already been to your county in 2009, I’ll be there soon.”

By the end of the month, Rehberg will have visited the following 49 counties in 2009: Beaverhead, Big Horn, Blaine, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Garfield, Glacier, Golden Valley, Hill, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Lincoln, McCone, Meagher, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Phillips, Pondera, Powder River, Prairie, Ravalli, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Toole, Treasure, Valley, Wheatland, Wibaux, and Yellowstone.

Forest Service Misinterprets Congressional Intent on Cabin User Fee Fairness Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Denny Rehberg (MT-AL), Cynthia Lummis (WY-AL). and other western members of Congress are calling for congressional hearings into the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) implementation of the “Cabin User Fee Fairness Act” (CUFFA).

In their letter to Rep. Nick Rahall, (WV-03), Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rehberg and Lummis wrote, “The current appraisal protocol being employed by the USFS does not adequately consider the myriad of restrictions placed on cabin owners that depress market value, or the limited rights of cabin owners. In fact, the USFS has communicated that it believes CUFFA specifically prohibits such consideration – an assertion with which we strongly disagree. As such, significant permit fee increases are being assessed, driving out many cabin owners with multi-generational ties to their respective areas.”

“With significantly increased fee levels already being assessed to individual cabin owners, we hope you agree this issue warrants further review by this committee,” the letter continued. “It is of utmost importance that Congress act quickly to review and address this misinterpretation of law.”

In a bicameral letter on May 6, 2009, spearheaded by Rehberg, Lummis and U.S. Senator John Barrasso (WY), a bipartisan group of western House and Senate members asked the Forest Service to revisit its implementation of CUFFA. Specifically, the letter asserted that the Forest Service should give greater weight to the limited rights of cabin owners during its appraisal process.

CUFFA was intended to allow families with cabins on USFS land to maintain private ownership of those structures by ensuring that fees remain reasonable, through a fair appraisal process. When passing this act, Congress specifically directed the USFS to consider the many regulations and restrictions on USFS cabins when calculating user fees.

Letter:

July 31, 2009

The Honorable Nick J. Rahall, II
Chairman
House Committee on Natural Resources
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Raúl M. Grijalva
Chairman
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
1324 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Rahall and Chairman Grijalva:

Numerous cabin owners in our respective districts have recently contacted us regarding the recreation residence permit appraisal guidelines currently being implemented by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) as a result of the Cabin User Fee Fairness Act. We write to respectfully request that you hold a hearing on this issue of affordability and fairness currently impacting our constituents.

As you know, CUFFA was signed into law on October 11, 2000. This act was intended to allow families with cabins on USFS land to maintain private ownership of those structures by ensuring that fees remain reasonable, through a fair appraisal process. When passing this act, Congress specifically directed the USFS to consider the many regulations and restrictions on U.S. Forest Service cabins when calculating user fees.

The current appraisal protocol being employed by the USFS, however, does not adequately consider the myriad of restrictions placed on cabin owners that depress market value, or the limited rights of cabin owners. In fact, the USFS has communicated that it believes CUFFA specifically prohibits such consideration – an assertion with which we strongly disagree. As such, significant permit fee increases are being assessed, driving out many cabin owners with multi-generational ties to their respective areas.

The attached bicameral letter was sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Vilsack on May 6, 2009, requesting that the USFS adhere to Congressional intent by updating its regulations and appraisal protocol for special use cabin permits. Such action is necessary to alleviate the negative impacts faced by forest cabin owners across the country and to prevent the removal of countless private stewards from our public lands. As you can see from the attached response our offices recently received from USDA, the USFS believes it is following CUFFA’s intent and has no intention of revising their current appraisal protocols.

With significantly increased fee levels already being assessed to individual cabin owners, we hope you agree this issue warrants further review by this committee. It is of utmost importance that Congress act quickly to review and address this misinterpretation of law.

Thank you both in advance for your timely consideration of our request.

Sincerely,

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today released the following statement following the decision by the NCAA to allow post-season play in the state. Since 1982, Montana has hosted 31 playoff games in both Missoula and Bozeman, although a misinterpretation of a rule threatened to disqualify Montana from hosting post-season college games as a result of a state law that allows sports betting.

“This one went to the replay booth, but in the end, the NCAA made the right call for Montana’s college athletes and fans. We can rest easy knowing fate of our teams will be decided on the field of play.”

Rehberg had previously urged the NCAA to rethink it’s rule. Release here: http://rehberg.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=26&sectiontree=5,26&itemid=32

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $500,000 for Montana Physical Sciences Foundation for the synthesis of renewable biomass into biofuels. The funding was included in the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.

“There is a tremendous potential for biofuels in Montana, and by investing in research and development, we are encouraging a balanced approach to meeting America’s energy needs,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. “I’m proud to support a research project that leads to high-paying jobs in Montana.”

With these funds, the Montana Physical Sciences Foundation will work for the Department of Energy to develop technology to convert sources of rural biomass like wheat straw, wood and grass into renewable biofuel. Montana currently has 3 million tons of waste wheat straw and 2.8 million tons of wood mill waste and logging residue, which could be converted into approximately 1,044 million gallons of biofuel each year. Such technology would be scaled for location within the rural communities, at the source of the feedstock, creating locally-based jobs for rural Montanans.

“Thanks to Denny, this project will help develop advanced, renewable biofuels that will provide immediate research jobs as well as lead to new technologies that will help expand the alternative energy market right here in Montana,” said Lawrence C. Farrar, President of Resodyn Corporation. “This funding is an example of Denny’s vision and commitment to the importance of a diversified domestic energy portfolio in Montana. He also understands how to get the most out of Montana’s resources - both natural and human. We are looking forward to undertaking the project and greatly appreciate the support of our Montana delegation.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today sent a letter to the congressional leaders responsible for negotiating the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act.  In the letter, Rehberg asks them to retain the language included by the U.S. Senate to implement the program employed by the Montana National Guard to diagnose and treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in combat soldiers. Earlier this year, Rehberg and Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-01) introduced The Post-Deployment Health Assessment Act of 2009 in the House while Senator Baucus introduced similar legislation in the Senate.  The language was included in the Senate-passed version of the National Defense Authorization Act but not the House version. Rehberg’s letter encourages the House negotiators to preserve his bill language from the senate version for final passage.

“There’s a lot of bipartisan support for this legislation in the House,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I’m hopeful our efforts will succeed in bringing important treatment to our men and women who stand in harm’s way to protect our nation. It’s time to get them the help they need for all the injuries of war, both physical and psychological.”

Rehberg and Baucus’ language, if preserved, creates new requirements for identification of mental health issues including PTSD among soldiers. Prior to deployment, a soldier would be interviewed in order to establish a baseline against which a subsequent interview upon return from a combat theater could be measured. By requiring these interviews to be timely and personal, the likelihood of identifying PTSD in order to begin treatment is dramatically increased.

Letter:

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