Congressman Denny Rehberg

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today joined House Republicans in declaring a unilateral moratorium on earmarks, including tax and tariff-related earmarks for fiscal year 2011.  This moratorium comes in the wake of a year that saw record spending, record deficits and record expansions of government.

“Earmarks have become the symbol for all the abuse and waste in Washington.  While every aspect of my own earmark process has been open and transparent at unprecedented levels, many of my colleagues weren’t as open.  That’s why I have joined in this effort to enact some spending reform.  This earmark moratorium won’t balance the budget by itself, however it is an important first step and demonstrates to the American people that we are serious about bringing true fiscal reform to Washington.

“Like the Montanans I’ve heard from, I’m upset about the dramatic increases in the budget and downright furious about all the new spending.  From taxpayer-funded bailouts for Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac, Bear Stearns, AIG, Banks and the auto industry totaling more than $1 trillion, to a $1 trillion so-called stimulus that only stimulated bigger government, to a $1.2 trillion government takeover of health care, this Congress can’t spend money it doesn’t have fast enough.  I’m proud to be the only member of Montana’s delegation who voted against all of these big spending plans and in favor of true fiscal responsibility.  Montanans are rightfully upset about these dramatic increases in spending, which is why I am an original cosponsor of a Constitutional Amendment to require the Federal Government to balance the budget.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today released the following statement following testimony of U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar before a Senate committee today.  Last week, Rehberg asked the Secretary for details pertaining to a leaked memo that lays out plans to use the Antiquities Act to carve out 13 million acres of national monuments in 11 western states including Montana.  That information has not yet been provided.  Rehberg also introduced H.R. 4754, which requires congressional approval of new National Monument designations in Montana, similar to a provision already in place for Wyoming.

“Public input is certainly important, but it’s not enough if that input is ignored or comes after a policy has been written or implemented.  When it comes to executive action, we’ve already seen this Administration shoot first and ask questions later, and now that the sights are on millions of acres in Montana, the responsible action is to reassert congressional oversight, just like Wyoming has already done.”

WASHINGTON D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, cosponsored the Open Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) of 2010, with bipartisan supporters from other Western states. The legislation reinstates oversight and transparency measures for taxpayer payments made to organizations through the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA).

“I think Montanans would be outraged to learn that huge national special interest groups with multi-million dollar endowments are bankrolling thousands of lawsuits with tax dollars meant for small businesses, individuals and non-profits,” said Rehberg a member of the House Western Caucus.  “It’s one thing to have access to the courts, but it’s another to force taxpayers to pay for it.  Since 1995, the federal government has inexplicably stopped tracking how it spends these funds, and it’s time to restore the transparency and accountability.”

Originally passed in 1980, EAJA was meant to help provide fair access to legal remedies for individuals, small businesses and non-profits with limited means.  It does this by reimbursing attorney’s fees for plaintiffs who sue the federal government if they win the case or settle out of court.  The original legislation required annual reports to Congress on the amount and nature of EAJA payments, but those reports ended in 1995.

Two private studies, one by a Wyoming law firm and another by Virginia Tech University, have shown that despite congressional intent to assist small organizations, some large environmental obstructionist groups appear to be the biggest beneficiaries of EAJA payments.  The Wyoming study, for example, found that more than 1,200 federal cases were filed in 19 states and the District of Columbia by just 14 environmental groups.  The cost to the taxpayer was $37 million.

The Open EAJA Act reinstates and consolidates tracking and reporting requirements under the Department of Justice (DOJ), and requires the DOJ to publish a public online, searchable database of EAJA payments.  It would also authorize an audit of the last 15 years, during which the fund has operated with absolutely no oversight.

“The hard working folks of the Montana Wood Products Association appreciate Rep. Rehberg signing on to the Open EAJA Act of 2010,” said Ellen Simpson, the Executive Vice President of the Montana Wood Products Association.  “Changes in EAJA are sorely needed to shine a bright light on obstructionists who have made a cottage industry out of suing the Forest Service to stop active management on Montana’s national forests.  The taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent and who benefits while the forests die.  The Open EAJA Act of 2010 will provide that information.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, joined the House Levee Caucus and sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with specific questions about their levee certification process.  He recently raised the issue, which impacts thousands of Montanans who live in the protection of Corps-certified levees in Montana, at an Appropriations hearing.

“Even after the notoriety of the New Orleans levee failures in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, someone in the Army Corps of Engineers made the decision to stop certifying levees altogether,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Levee Caucus.  “That was the wrong decision, because it leaves struggling homeowners up a flooded creek without a paddle.  I’m working closely with the Corps to identify their concerns.  Once those are clear, I’ll be able to decide the best course forward, whether it’s legislative or administrative action.”

The Corps has traditionally certified levees that were originally built by the Corps and turned over to drainage districts.  The West Side Great Falls Levee, which was built by the Corps after a major flooding event in 1964, currently protects 1,000 homes near Great Falls.  Certifications were funded through the Inspection of Completed Works program. 

Failure of the Corps to certify levees in turn forces municipalities or private homeowners to contract with private engineering firms, which is often very expensive because of the potential liability for a levee failure.  In fact, there are no such firms in Montana that currently issue certifications.  If no action is taken, homeowners could be forced to purchase flood insurance because FEMA maps would show that no levees exist.

Although a major problem in Montana, this issue is by no means restricted solely to the Last Best Place.  The bipartisan Congressional Levee Caucus gives Rehberg a chance to amplify his concerns by teaming up with other members of Congress.  The Caucus Chairman, Rep. Rodney Alexander (LA-5), has indicated that levee certification is the number one priority for the Caucus.

“If these levies don’t get certified, our flood insurance costs will go sky high, while property values will fall,” said Sandy Mares, the Administrative Commissioner of the West Great Falls Flood Control and Drainage District.  “We all really appreciate Denny’s work on this important issue.”

“The scary part is that a lot of the folks who are in the path of the proverbial storm don’t even know it’s raining yet,” said Rehberg.  “We’ve got to work together to get this fixed, or Montanans are going to be fighting mad when their insurance rates increase.”

Letter below:

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has signed on as an original cosponsor to the “Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act.”  A wave of new Executive Branch regulations, including the regulation of carbon dioxide by the Environmental Protection Agency, indicates that the Obama Administration is willing to circumvent Congress’ Constitutional responsibility “to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers.”

“The Constitution puts the authority to pass laws in the hands of Congress because we must answer directly to the will of the people,” said Rehberg, a member of the Congressional Liberty Caucus.  “An agency, whether it be the Environmental Protection Agency or the Secretary of the Interior, has no such responsibility to the people.  When Congress abdicates its role to legislate, it undermines the very notion of a government by the People.  This legislation would restore the Constitutional checks and balances.”

Rehberg pointed out that rules and regulations authored by non-elected Washington, D.C. bureaucrats can have the same harmful consequences as those passed by Congress.  The REINS Act requires a vote on every new major rule, which will ensure Congress resumes the legislative accountability granted by the Constitution and the responsibility for Congressional decisions intended by our founders.

“This isn’t about which President happens to be in the White House today,” said Rehberg.  “The fact is, whether it’s a Republican or a Democrat, Congress has been too willing to sacrifice our authority.  Our authority, ultimately, is the authority of the American people, and our duty is to protect it.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has co-sponsored H.R. 4556, a bill that would forbid the U.S. Department of Justice from spending any money to prosecute individuals involved with the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks. Consistent with strong public opinion, the legislation aims to prevent the domestic trial of Khalid Sheik Mohammed (KSM) in the heart of New York City. KSM was the mastermind of the attacks that killed thousands of innocent Americans.

“Trying the terrorist masterminds in our regular court system on the very soil of the country they attacked on 9/11 is an outrage,” said Rehberg. “These men are not common criminals, and the act of terrorism they perpetrated is not a common crime. It was an act of war, and it should be appropriately tried in a military tribunal at a secure location like Guantanamo Bay.”

In addition to the symbolic problems of affording terrorists the protections of the Constitutional Rights they are attempting to destroy, trying dangerous men like KSM in civilian courts subjects American citizens to substantial risks. In fact, the trial, as currently planned in New York City is estimated to cost taxpayers at least $250 million per year — for a total expected cost of more than $1 billion. According to New York Mayor Bloomberg, “It would be great if the federal government could find a site that didn’t cost a billion dollars, which using downtown [New York City] will. [The trial] is going to cost an awful lot of money and disturb an awful lot of people.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today released the following statement following the President’s unveiling of a proposal to bridge the gap between the current House and Senate health care bills. The introduction of the bill comes just three days before he is scheduled to meet with Republican Leaders to hear their ideas, ostensibly to incorporate them into his proposal.

“Montanans aren’t fooled by the fresh coat of paint. This bill is still the same lemon that was soundly rejected by the vast majority of Montanans I heard from last year at 36 public listening sessions across the state. The American people want real health care reform and they deserve an open, bipartisan process that’s done in the light of day. Today’s theatrics are more of the same; a bill crafted in secret behind closed doors and without public input or scrutiny.

“There are better alternatives to lower the cost of health care and increase access, and the President will hear many of those ideas at a bipartisan summit this Thursday. Instead of introducing his proposals three days early, I encourage the President to come to the table with an open mind to find a workable solution that prioritizes the American people.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today issued the following statement following the announcement that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reverse its policy to suspend the Second Amendment in National Parks, instead deferring to state-specific laws regulating the legal possession of firearms. Rehberg is a long-time advocate for the protection of gun rights on all federal lands, including national parks and wilderness.

“While big city forest administrators have been trained to think anyone with a gun is a threat, Montanans realize that in the wild of a national park, having a firearm can mean the difference between life and death,” said Rehberg. “We don’t give up our rights to freedom of speech or freedom of the press just because we step foot into a National Park, why should the right to bear arms be any different?”

On February 22, 2010, new regulations that allow visitors to possess firearms within a National Park will take effect. These regulations end a long-term ban on firearm possession within the parks.

Under the new regulations, visitors looking to bring a firearm into a National Park will be governed by state law. Visitors to Glacier National Park will be subject to the laws of the State of Montana. While visitors to Yellowstone National Park will be governed by the laws of Idaho, Montana or Wyoming based upon their location within the Park.

Montanans visiting Parks in other states should check with local law enforcement within those communities before attempting to enter the Park while in possession of a firearm.

Here are also some links on the gun laws in Idaho, Wyo. And MT:

Idaho: http://crime.about.com/od/gunlawsbystate/f/gunlaws_id.htm
Wyoming: http://crime.about.com/od/gunlawsbystate/f/gunlaw_wy.htm
Montana: http://crime.about.com/od/gunlawsbystate/a/gunlaws_mt.htm

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today joined all House Republicans and 34 House Democrats in opposing a statutory increase in the federal debt limit. Despite bipartisan opposition, a majority in the House voted to increase the debt limit to $14,294,000,000,000.

“This is the record fifth time the Congress has increased the credit limit on our national credit card since 2008. This reckless action is a down payment by Congress which is trying to spend our way to prosperity. But their policies have only made things worse, costing jobs and delaying recovery. Rhetoric won’t cut the deficit. It’s long past time for true spending reform in Washington. Let’s start by auditing the Fed and balancing the budget.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today released the following statement regarding the President’s budget proposal for 2011.

“Despite promises of fiscal restraint, this blockbuster budget spends too much, borrows too much and taxes too much. It’s full of the same failed policies that gave us record spending, record debt and double-digit unemployment over the past year. It’s time to get this country on track for a true economic recovery. Instead, this budget plan offers more irresponsible and unsustainable government spending.”

The President’s budget contains $3.8 trillion in spending for Fiscal Year 2011. It pushes the deficit to $1.6 trillion this year and ensures that it will never drop below $700 billion over the next decade. It also raises taxes by $2 trillion through 2020.