Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced a grant totaling $112,005 has been awarded to the Twin Bridges Volunteer Fire Department from the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) Grant program.

“Montana’s volunteer firefighters work tirelessly to protect our communities. It’s vital we provide them with the resources to do their jobs safely and effectively,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Congressional Fire Caucus. “We must continue to invest in improvements for those who put their lives on the line to protect us.”

The AFG grant comes from the Department of Homeland Security and is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). AFG grants are designed to assist local fire departments and emergency medical organizations with operational expenses, personnel training, and make safety equipment and vehicles purchases. Montana received $4.67 million in AFG grants for fiscal year 2008.

“I want to thank Congressman Rehberg for his help in funding this grant which will improve the safety of our firefighters and first-responders,” Lloyd Carlson, Chief of Twin Bridges Volunteer Fire Department. “A small department like ours has a small budget but a large call volume, so this program allows us to better serve the Twin Bridges community. Without this program, we wouldn’t be able to purchase much needed equipment.”

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has sponsored legislation to help schools and communities generate energy from biomass, cutting energy costs and aiding in the reduction of catastrophic wildfire fuels.

“This will go a long way toward helping Montana’s schools and communities create jobs, promote healthier forests, and reduce energy costs,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. “As a part of an all-of-the-above energy solution, biomass can move us away from foreign sources of energy and toward the next generation of alternative energy production.”

The bill (H.R. 2170) would create a revolving loan fund to be used by public institutions, such as schools and hospitals, to cover the initial costs of converting to woody biomass for energy production. The institutions would be able to pay back the zero-interest loans with the savings in energy costs. The measure would also ensure the institutions receiving such loans use woody biomass for not less than 75% of their energy consumption.

“This is a smart step toward preparing our communities for alternative energy use, and one that will save the taxpayers money,” said Rehberg. This legislation is currently in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Signs Don’t Create Jobs or Provide Any Economic Investment

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today spoke on the floor of the U.S. House and sent a letter to Vice President Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood expressing criticism of the continued waste of federal stimulus.  Specifically, Rehberg today expressed concerns over money being spent to erect signs that serve no purpose other than to notify drivers that construction projects are funded by the “Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act.”  The Senate failed to pass an Amendment (S. Amdt. 2361) to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3288) which would have blocked the further spending of tax dollars on additional signs.

“These signs provide no jobs or long-term investment in our economy,” said Rehberg on the House Floor.  “Instead, they represent the worst of political credit-taking.  What’s more, the signs are wrong.  The dollars Congress allocates come from taxpayers.  In this case, it would be more accurate to say a project is funded by our children and grandchildren.  There are better ways to spend millions of dollars.”

Because of the incomplete information provided on stimulus transparency websites, it is not possible to determine exactly how much money is being spent on these highway signs.  However, the sponsor of the Senate Amendment, Senator Judd Gregg from New Hampshire estimated that it could be as much as $20 million.

As a result of the lack of promised transparency with stimulus spending, and in an effort to identify and eliminate waste within Montana, Rehberg launched Stimulus Watch Montana in June, 2009.  The website is part of his official congressional website and allows Montanans to report wasteful spending, anonymously if they wish.

“The only jobs these signs are meant to save are those of the Congressmen and Senators who voted for the $1 trillion stimulus, which so far hasn’t really stimulated anything,” said Rehberg.  “Montana taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to foot the bill for these campaign signs.”

Rehberg’s letter:

Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today participated in a legislative hearing held by the Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power to discuss Rehberg’s bill, H.R. 3563, the “Crow Tribe Water Settlements Act of 2009.”  Testifying on behalf of the bill were The Honorable Cedric Black Eagle, Chairman of the Crow Tribe and Crow Agency, and Mr. Chris Tweeten, Chairman of the Montana Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission.  The hearing moves the bill one step closer to final passage in the House.

“Montanans understand the importance of water and the importance of Native American issues in a way that the federal government doesn’t always grasp,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the House Native American Caucus.  “I requested a hearing on this bill because it’s the right thing to do for the Crow Tribe.  I’ll keep working across the aisle get this bill passed and signed into law.”

Rehberg’s legislation authorizes the federal component of a comprehensive settlement of the Federal Indian reserved water rights claims of the Crow Tribe in Montana. The bill has two major components. First, it approves the Crow Tribe Water Rights Compact reached between the tribe and other non-federal parties quantifying the Tribe’s water rights. Second, it authorizes economic development projects.

The Montana Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission was established by the Montana legislature in 1979 for purposes of concluding compacts for the equitable division and apportionment of waters between the State and its peoples and the Indian Tribes claiming reserved water rights within the State.   The Commission and the Crow Tribe negotiated the Crow Tribe-Montana Compact in 1999.  Montana’s state legislature ratified a Compact that same year.

The Crow Tribe has a membership of approximately 11,000 people, 7,900 of which live on the Crow Indian Reservation located in Big Horn County in south-central Montana.

“This is a great day for the Crow Tribe,” said Chairman Black Eagle.  “It is yet another significant step toward vindication of our water rights. Congressman Rehberg has been a staunch friend and supporter of the tribe and we would not be where we are without him. We look forward to his assistance in obtaining final enactment of this bill, which is important not just for the Crow Tribe but for the entire State of Montana.”

With the number of competing interests in health care reform, it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. When Congress finally settles on a single bill, Montanans will need some time to study it for themselves.

From the start, proponents of government-run health care have railed against the “powerful special interests” that are standing in the way of their vision of socialized medicine. And they’re right to condemn the overreaching influence some powerful Washington, D.C. interests have on our legislative system. But in the health care tug-of-war, it’s disingenuous to ignore the special interests pulling on the other side as well. Does anyone really believe the vested interests – all of them – don’t have a big say in whatever reform is being debated in Congress?

Despite all of the back-room influence brokered in Washington, at the end of the day, the only special interests that matter to me are those of the people I represent. And those interests have, all too often, been left out of the room.

That’s why, throughout the month of August, I met with folks all across Montana and heard directly from them about their health care experiences, concerns and ideas. I held sixteen public listening sessions across the state and sought input from patients, doctors, seniors, Native Americans, hospital administrators, pharmacists, Montana health insurance companies, rural health care providers and small businesses.

The folks at my listening sessions came with hand-made signs and a desire to have their voices heard. They spoke from the heart. They told me their stories, and shared their concerns.

There was a doctor in Bozeman who described her anguish at limiting the number of Medicare patients she could see because the government payments didn’t cover the cost of seeing them. I heard from a young man in Hamilton whose emotional story about the care his grandmother received through Medicaid in her final days highlighted a success story of our current system. And, I heard concerns about the unsustainable levels of federal spending and higher taxes that would force small businesses to cut benefits or lay off workers.

While citizens across the country made news at town hall meetings, some cynics tried to write them off as pawns of the insurance or pharmaceutical industries. By suggesting they were just an extension of the toxic Washington, D.C. atmosphere, it was easier to ignore them. The people I heard from weren’t paid political operatives with expensive signs and focus-group tested talking points, they were regular folks, with real concerns.

I heard time and again from Montanans that it’s critical for any health care reform measure to do four things: 1) enhance affordability, 2) enhance accessibility, 3) enhance quality, and 4) enhance choice. I’ve reached across the aisle to find workable solutions that can achieve these goals without inviting the government into the hospital room.

And while we work together to heal health care, we also want to make sure we do no harm. At my listening sessions, many expressed concerns about a so-called public option which creates a government-run health insurance system intended to compete with private insurers. Opposition to the public option comes from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress because it wouldn’t compete on a level playing field. Not only would the government be free from any need for profit, it would also have the full regulatory strength of the federal government behind it. These differences would give the public option an advantage that would, over time, drive private alternatives out of business and reduce consumer choice. Without a private role in the cost of health care, rationing is inevitable.

Neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate has produced a final bill yet. Over the next several weeks, Congress will stitch together a patchwork of reforms into a single bill. The House will pass one version and the Senate another. Eventually, a bill will emerge from a conference committee between the chambers, which means only a handful of House and Senate Members will actually be privy to what specific reforms we’ll be voting on. Even now, it’s too early to know what that bill will ultimately include, although it’s a good bet that the special interests on both sides will have had a say in what is included.

But we don’t work for the special interests in Washington.

That’s why I’ve asked for a 30-day adjournment after the final bill is printed to allow each member of Congress to return home and hear what their constituents think. My August town hall meetings again reminded me that it’s more important than ever to get out of the Washington spin-zone to hear what our bosses think. We need to hear from more than the special interests on either side before we vote; not after.

Our children and grand children won’t remember how fast we reformed health care but they will remember how well we fixed it. We can take 30 days to listen to what Montanans think.

Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the Rural Health Caucus.

WASHINGTON, DC - Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, this week received the National Farmers Union Golden Triangle Award for his leadership on issues affecting family farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

“From the unique challenges of rural health care to the devastating impact of the death tax on family farms, Montana’s farmers are faced with many challenges,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and a rancher. “I’m proud to have earned the trust of the Montana Farmers Union and I’ll keep standing up for Montana farmers in Washington, D.C.”

The Golden Triangle Awards have been presented annually since it was established in 1988. This year, recipients were chosen for their leadership on a variety of issues, not limited to but including; work to address the crisis in the dairy industry, efforts to increase transparency and oversight of commodity markets, support for increasing the use and production of renewable fuels, and increasing competition in the marketplace.

“Representative Rehberg has done a fabulous job in hearing our concerns and bringing those to Congress and working really hard to make sure that everybody is treated fairly and that the legislation that Montana’s farmers and ranchers need is passed,” said Kristie Rutledge, member of Montana Farmers Union and the Farmers Union Enterprises Leadership Group.

Rehberg was presented the award by representatives of the Montana Farmers Union during a meeting in his office.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today released the following statement in response to the introduction of a health care reform package by Montana Senator and Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus.

“Max’s hard work in putting together a bill on such a complex issue is a testament to his genuine desire to do what’s best for our country. There’s a long road ahead and the devil is always in the details. I’ll continue to seek input directly from Montanans as Congress considers the various health care reform proposals.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, issued the following statement in recognition of Patriot Day, which memorializes the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

“Today is the eighth anniversary of the September 11th attacks against America and our way of life.  Today, we remember those taken from us and pray that such an event does not happen again.  While it’s important to focus on what unites us, rather than what divides us, it’s equally important to remember that disagreement in a respectful and productive way is one of America’s ideals that the terrorists feared most.  Our strength will always be drawn from the acceptance of our diversity and the empowerment of our citizens.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today released the following statement in response to President Obama’s address to a Joint Session of Congress on the subject of health care refrm.

August showed in dramatic fashion that that the debate in Washington can be very different from what is going on back home. Through sixteen listening sessions across the state, Montanans told me that while our health care system needs reform, especially when it comes to accessibility and affordability a government takeover is not the answer. That’s why I’ve brought workable alternatives to the table: lawsuit reform, preventative care and insurance pooling for small business must be a part of any effective reform. Congress owes it to the American public to adjourn for 30 days before adopting any healthcare reform so we can once again listen to what they think before rushing head-long into a vote. Montanans won’t remember how fast we fixed this problem, but they will remember how well we fixed it.