WASHINGTON D.C. – This week, U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah) wrote to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell seeking to reauthorize a successful pilot program that has helped the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) improve efficiency and balance complex demands, including oil and gas permitting and environmental conservation. Read more »
Washington, D.C. – Alaskan Congressman Don Young took to the House floor yesterday in support of his polar bear provision within H.R. 3590, the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act, which allows for the importation of specific polar bear trophies taken during sports hunts in Canada prior to May 15, 2008, the date the polar bear was listed under the Endangered Species Act. The SHARE Act, a bipartisan package of eight bills, focuses on addressing a number of limitations and restrictions to fishing and hunting on public lands across the nation, in addition to the protecting the ability to use traditional fishing tackle and ammunition. A full outline of the bill, which passed the House today by a vote of 268 to 154, can be found here. Read more »
Washington, D.C. - Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson and Oregon Congressman Kurt Schrader today introduced legislation to make common sense changes to the federal wildfire budget. H.R. 3992, the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, aims to end the destructive cycle of robbing non-fire accounts in order to pay for wildfire suppression when costs exceed an agency’s wildfire budget. Read more »
WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) questioned a panel of Texan energy, environmental, and farming experts today at a Science, Space, and Technology Committee hearing on EPA overregulation of Texas. You can view the exchange here. Read more »
WASHINGTON D.C. - Rep. Kristi Noem today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, urging the agency to prioritize the implementation of livestock disaster assistance programs. The legislation has been passed by Congress and President Obama is expected to sign the bill this Friday. With his signature, the Farm Bill will be turned over to the USDA to implement the program. Read more »
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Congressman Steve Pearce voted for H.R. 3590, the Sportsman’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act of 2013. Read more »
WASHINGTON D.C. - Today, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 3590 the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act by a bipartisan vote of 268-154. This bipartisan legislation protects the traditional rights of American sportsmen to fish and hunt, removes government roadblocks and red tape, and promotes American job creation and economic growth by supporting recreational opportunities on federal lands. Read more »
WASHINGTON D.C. - The House Judiciary Committee today approved by voice vote the Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act (H.R. 2919), a bipartisan bill authored by U.S. Representatives Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.). This bill reinstates tracking and reporting requirements of payments made by the federal government under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) in order to increase transparency and inform Congress of the impact and effectiveness of the law. The Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS), tasked with compiling this data under the bill, is required to submit an annual report to Congress and establish an online searchable database that will allow the public access to how much has been paid from the EAJA, from which agencies, and to whom taxpayer dollars are being paid. Read more »
Washington D.C. – Congressman Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) spoke on the House Floor in strong support of H.R. 3964, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Emergency Water Delivery Act. This legislation is a solution to the man-made water crisis in California that has Californians suffering during the worst drought to hit our state in over a century. The House passed the Sacramento-San Joaquin Valley Emergency Water Delivery Act by a vote of 229 to 191. Read more »
