Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today sent a response to Senator Jon Tester (MT) regarding his request for a meeting to discuss his wilderness bill. Senator Tester sent a letter to Rehberg late last week asking the Congressman to meet him in his Senate office in Washington, DC to discuss the issue. Rehberg recently completed 22 public meetings in Montana on the subject of Senator Tester’s wilderness bill.

“While it’s clear that some fortunate interest groups have been very involved in writing this bill from the beginning, my goal is to include all Montanans who are impacted by this legislation,” said Rehberg, a member of the Congressional Sportsman’s Caucus. “Each of my twenty-two meetings has been open to the public. I certainly don’t see a reason why a meeting with Senator Tester should be any different.” Rehberg asked Senator Tester to meet with him in Montana, rather than in his Washington, D.C. office, and that the meeting be open to the public and the press.

In his letter, Rehberg also asked Senator Tester to join him in posting the individual comments Senator Tester heard from Montanans at his “open house” meetings on his website. “As Montana’s representatives to the U.S. Congress, we have the honorable distinction of setting for ourselves a higher standard of openness and transparency,” wrote Rehberg in his letter.

Finally, Rehberg noted that all of Senator Tester’s “open house” meetings took place after his bill had been written and introduced. Since Senator Tester’s most recent meeting was more than two months ago, Rehberg asked to see the most recent working draft of his wilderness bill that contained any changes resulting from the input he received at those meetings.

“I think Montanans would like to see how their ideas are being implemented in the bill,” said Rehberg. “Seeing what progress has already been made would certainly make our meeting more productive since we could avoid concerns that have already been addressed.”

Complete Letter Below:

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today announced the nomination of twenty-five Montana students for appointments to America’s service academies for 2010. Although some students may already be in various stages of the acceptance process, a congressional nomination is necessary for students to be admitted to one of the five service academies.

“These accomplished young men and women represent a bright hope for our future, and are truly leaders in so many ways,” said Rehberg, a member of the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee. “Montanans can take pride in knowing that our best and brightest are willing to serve their nation, and I’m honored to nominate them to the Military Academies.”

Rehberg appoints and works with a volunteer Academy Review Board consisting of military and civilian personnel to ensure that Montana students are afforded the maximum opportunity to receive one of the highly sought after nominations. Each candidate for nomination is interviewed by the Board and scored according to academic performance, leadership qualities, and community involvement.

Students may receive multiple nominations based on their academy preferences. There are five U.S. Service Academies: Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO; Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT; Merchant Marines Academy, Kings Point, NY; Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD; and U.S. Military Academy, West Point, NY. Entrance to the Coast Guard Academy does not require a congressional nomination.

Following is a list of those candidates who have received nominations:

Seth Adams, MSU-Bozeman (Bozeman): West Point
Christopher Allen, Billings Senior: Air Force
Bentley Alsup, Missoula Sentinel: Air Force, Naval, West Point
Dustin Beck, New Mexico Military Institute (Whitefish): Merchant Marine
Daniel Becker, Billings Senior, Naval
McKay Blackford, Missoula Hellgate: Naval
Thomas Bonogofsky, Belfry: Merchant Marine
Andrew Bovard, Missoula Loyola: Merchant Marine, West Point
Dillon Burke, Missoula Hellgate: Naval, West Point
Jesse Burroughs, Lavina: Naval
Samantha Clement, Carroll College (Great Falls): Naval
Ashley Crowe, MSU-Billings (Billings): Air Force
Jason Dark, New Mexico Military Institute (Missoula Big Sky): Air Force
Seth Donahue, Kalispell Flathead: Air Force
Brice Grotbo, Shelby: West Point
Stefan Hickethier, Great Falls Central: West Point
Kevin Jagoda, Helena High: Air Force
John Joern, Whitefish: Air Force, Naval
Scott Kelleher, Shelby: Air Force
Emily Kreyenhagen, Frenchtown: Naval
Kevin O’Brien, Billings Central: Naval
Taylor Purchio, Billings Central: Air Force
Kasey Smith, Billings Senior: Air Force, Merchant Marine
Haley Sobrero, Columbus: Naval
Jacob Washer, Whitefish: Merchant Marine

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today released the following statement following news that Smurfit-Stone was closing its Missoula plant at the end of the year.

“Behind the ‘417 Jobs Lost’ headline, there are 417 families that are now facing a difficult Christmas season and uncertainty about where their next paycheck will come from. I’m ready to do whatever I can to provide assistance to all those impacted by this closure, and to avoid similar closures from happening in the future.”

WASHINTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced funding in the final Department of Interior Appropriations Bill which will now go to President Obama for his signature. Rehberg is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

“With the vast expanses of federally controlled land in Montana, these funds are a necessary and significant part of preserving our state’s heritage,” said Rehberg. “Montanans want to protect our state for our children and grandchildren. That’s why I worked across party lines with Montana’s Senators and President Obama to find common ground to secure funding for these projects.”

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Rehberg has worked over the last year to include these projects in the final bill. The final bill lists his name as a sponsor for each of these projects, which were carefully scrutinized by Rehberg and his staff and supported by folks all across Montana. Unfortunately, the same care was not applied to the rest of the bill which was written by the House majority. Consequently, Rehberg voted against the final legislation because it included reckless and unsustainable spending increases that he simply could not support. Rehberg’s vote was part of an effort to return the bill to the Appropriations Committee in order to reduce the overall levels of spending to an amount he could support.

The projects Rehberg secured are listed below:

City of Bozeman Main Street Historical District Restoration - $150,000
“We greatly appreciate Representative Rehberg’s work on this. The historic buildings on three sides of the explosion were significantly damaged in the explosion, but not destroyed. I know those owners are struggling to come up with the resources to save those historic sites, which will benefit the community by restoring jobs.” - Chris Kukulski, City Manager , Bozeman

Bozeman’s historic downtown has served as its center of economic activity since the city was first established. The historic core is a hub for retail, dining, banking, and professional services.

On March 5, 2009, a natural gas line explosion in Bozeman’s historic downtown. The explosion and subsequent fire destroyed four historic buildings, and significantly damaged three others. All buildings were in the Bozeman Main Street Historic District, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Plant Biotechnology Research With MSU - $1 million

“We are delighted to be working with an institution as fine as Montana State University and we applaud Congressman Rehberg’s vital efforts for important university research that will benefit the agriculture economy in Montana. Denny is a true champion of research funding and all it can do for agriculture, energy security and a cleaner healthier environment.” - Dorin Schumacher, President of the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research (CPBR)

CPBR funds university research and technology transfer for environmentally friendly industries. Working with the Montana State University, it will improve existing technology and develop new ones ranging from “green” chemicals and industrial manufacturing processes to environmental remediation. This, in turn, helps build agricultural and environmentally friendly industries and develop a workforce of the future that will reduce greenhouse gases and create new, high-paying “green” jobs in Montana and throughout the nation.

CPBR supports research that private companies tend to avoid as a result of high-risks and long-term outlays.

Water Research Foundation, Based in Missoula - $1.7 million

“We’re particularly appreciative of Congressman Rehberg for his responsible and responsive efforts to fund this project. 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.” - Arvid ‘Butch’ Hiller, Vice President and General Manager of Mountain Water Company in Missoula

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.

Em-Kayan County Water & Sewer Infrastructure Improvement – $290,600

“We want to thank Congressman Rehberg for his hard work on this important project. 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.” - Gene Tracy President of the Em-Kayan Sewer Water District and President of the Homeowners Association

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.

Various Conservation Easements – $12 million

“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. 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.” - Bebe Crouse, Director of Communications, The Montana Chapter of the Nature Conservancy.

“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. We applaud Rep. Rehberg for his leadership and commitment to enhancing the quality of life for the people – and wildlife – of Montana.” - Gates Watson, director of The Conservation Fund’s Montana Office

President Obama included requests for several Conservation Easements in his budget and Rehberg submitted them to the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee. They included land acquisitions for Meeteetse Spires ($1.5 million), Blackfoot Challenge-Nora Gulch ($1 million), Rocky Mountain Front ($3.75 million), Blackfoot River Special Recreation Management Area ($4.5 million) and GYA-Cooke City Mining claims ($2 million).

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.

BILLINGS, MT. – Montana Congressman Denny Rehberg’s regular constituent outreach program, known as Traveling Office Hours, will have three of his Montana staff members covering a total of more than 1,800 miles this week.

“Montana is aptly named Big Sky Country, with vast landscapes and diverse geography,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. “As Montana’s Congressman, it’s crucial that I know the thoughts and concerns of my constituents – from every corner of the state – and my Traveling Office Hours program is one way to help them connect with me.”

Rehberg’s six field representatives conduct approximately 10 to 15 Traveling Office Hours throughout the state on a monthly basis. This week, Rehberg field representatives conducted office hours in the following locations: Plains, Ronan, Polson, Havre, Malta, Glasgow, Scobey, Plentywood and Wolf Point.

“I have four district offices in Montana, and my door is always open, but, as a life-long Montanan, I understand that it’s not always easy to get around in this state,” said Rehberg, who regularly drives hundreds of miles each weekend to personally meet with constituents, local government officials, and industry representatives. “I rely on input from Montanans when making decisions in Washington. I’ll continue to do whatever it takes to make sure folks have a way to communicate with my office, no matter the distance.”

Rehberg’s four district offices are located in Billings, Helena, Great Falls, and Missoula.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $300,000 for the Northern Rockies Educational Services efforts to improve technology integration in K-12 classrooms in Montana.  The funding was included in the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.

“Better technology in our schools means a better education for our kids,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee.  “I’m working to ensure Montana’s students have the same access to modern technology as kids who live in urban states like California.  We’ve got the best teachers in the country, this funding will help ensure we’ve also got the best resources to keep Montana competitive when it comes to public education.”

Taking Technology to the Classroom (TTC) is a collaborative statewide project to help Montana K-12 teachers better integrate technology into their classroom and obtain an “Area of Special Permissive Competency” notation on their teaching certificate from the Montana Office of Public Instruction.

“We would like to thank Congressman Rehberg for his support of the Taking Technology to the Classroom project,” said Liz Cunningham, the President and CEO of T.E.S.T. in Missoula.  “This project will benefit education by preparing Montana teachers with effective 21st Century Technology Skills to enhance learning in their classrooms and impact student achievement.  The success of the Montana Taking Technology to the Classroom project will serve as a model for other states.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $300,000 for the Saint Patrick’s Western Montana Telemedicine Network. The funding was included in the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.

“Telemedicine really opens doors to better healthcare in rural states like Montana,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. “By utilizing the latest communications technologies we can enable doctors and medical specialists to have better access to the tools they need to serve their patients.”

Health information technology and the ability for providers to share patient information will improve health care quality, prevent medical errors, reduce health care costs, decrease paperwork and expand access to affordable care. The St. Patrick Western Montana Telemedicine Network project will implement a permanent, shareable, web-based, secure, HIPAA-compliant Electronic Health Record system to connect all hospitals, clinics, and physicians in the region.

“We are delighted that the House of Representatives has included $300,000 in budget legislation for the Western Montana Telemedicine Network” said Jeff Fee, CEO of Saint Patrick Hospital in Missoula. “At St. Pats, we are committed to linking together our region’s hospitals and physicians with an electronic health record system that will reduce health care costs and improve patient care. We thank Rep. Rehberg for his leadership in securing this funding and appreciate his continuing support for this project.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $134,000 in funding for the Montana World Trade Center and the Montana Growth through Trade Program. The funding was included in the House Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.

“The Montana World Trade Center is a valuable resource for local businesses trying to sell their goods in foreign markets,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee. “Those markets mean jobs in Montana. These funds will help ensure the Trade Center can continue its crucial trade mission to expand the global market for Montana products and services and strengthen our state’s economy.”

The funding will help the Montana World Trade Center develop Montana companies that can compete through global trade and export. The center will be important for start-up technology business and will provide assistance that will help existing and emerging technology-based businesses succeed and grow.

“The funds that Congressman Rehberg has secured for the Montana World Trade Center will provide critically needed support for Montana’s export companies,” stated Arnie Sherman the Executive Director of the Montana World Trade Center. “Denny has again demonstrated his commitment to helping Montana businesses expand globally during this difficult economic period.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg today announced $500,000 for the replacement of Women and Infant Care equipment at Community Medical Center in Missoula. The funding was included in the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee bill for Fiscal Year 2010.

“Ensuring a newborn receives the best possible care is one of the most important aspects of modern medicine,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee and the co-founder of the Congressional Baby Caucus. “Funding this CMC Initiative will help ensure that effective pediatric care is available to Montanans.”

Community Medical Center (CMC) is currently in the process of critical service upgrades and replacement of an outdated Women and Infant Care Center. This funding will allow Community Medical Center to acquire up-to-standard equipment that is comparable to infant care units nationwide.

“Community Medical Center is actively working to secure funding to provide a new facility for Women’s and Newborn care services,” said Jean Jenkins the Executive Director of the CMC Foundation. “High risk obstetrical, neonatal, and perinatal care are core competencies at CMC and a much needed service for Western Montana and the region. We are grateful for the efforts of Congressman Denny Rehberg on behalf of our project to build a new facility as we continue to provide excellent medical care to the families in our region. Congressman Rehberg and his staff have worked diligently to support funding requests for this project. With this continued support of $500,000 we are one step closer to a ground breaking in 2010. Thank you for all your efforts on behalf of the mothers, babies and families of Western Montana.“

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.”