WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Scott Tipton’s (R-CO) bill to protect Colorado and Western water rights from federal takings received a legislative hearing in the House Natural Resources Water and Power Subcommittee. H.R. 3189, which Tipton introduced earlier this month with bipartisan support from Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), has received strong support from a broad coalition of local, state and national stakeholders concerned with recent federal attempts to hijack privately held water rights. Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the Department of Interior’s recent decision authorizing states to use state funds to reopen National Parks, Congressman Steve Daines today announced his plans to introduce legislation that would ensure states are reimbursed within 90 days for all state funds spent to pay for National Park operations. Read more »
Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) today sent a letter, along with 12 other members of the House Western Caucus,to the director of the U.S. National Park Servicedemanding to know what "specific criteria, if any" the Parks Service uses to determine who is allowed access to our public lands during the government shutdown. Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young (both R-Alaska) today sent a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe insisting that commercial hunting and fishing guides and air taxi operators with valid permits be allowed to continue to operate in National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska. Read more »
Washington, D.C. (October 9, 2013) – Following the Administration’s pick-and-choose approach to managing national monuments during the government shutdown, thirteen members of the Congressional Western Caucus sent a letter to National Park Service (NPS) Director Jonathan Jarvis requesting the criteria, if any, that is being used to determine who is allowed to exercise their right to free speech and who is not. Read more »
Washington, D.C. (October 8, 2013) – The National Park Service has granted special permission for a pro-immigration rally to take place on the National Mall today, adding to the Administration’s penchant for picking and choosing what monuments and memorials are open and who they are open to. Members of the Congressional Western Caucus responded to this decision with the following statements: Read more »
WASHINGTON— Today, the National Park Service (NPS) opened sections of the National Mall for a rally. Upon learning this, Congressman Rob Bishop (UT-01), Chairman of the House Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Subcommittee, is calling on the Administration and Senator Harry Reid to support legislation that would fund national parks while Congress continues to negotiate a budget agreement. The Open Our National Parks and Museums Act[H.J. Res 70] was passed by the House and sent to the Senate on October 02, 2013. Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) issued the following statement regarding the Obama administration’s decision to allow an immigration reform rally on the National Mall while it continues to block public access to the rest of the national park system, including the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., and Cape Hatteras and Cape Lookout National Seashores. Read more »
U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem today said she has received an assurance from Speaker of the House John Boehner that he will appoint House conferees within the next week to the House-Senate Farm Bill conference committee. The naming of House conferees will allow formal Farm Bill conference negotiations to begin, bringing the Farm Bill one step closer to completion. Read more »
Washington, DC - Rep. Cory Gardner (CO-04) issued the following statement today on the farm bill:
“With the expiration of the continuing resolution last week, few seem to have noticed that one of the most important bills to rural Colorado also expired last week – the farm bill. While many here in Washington, DC are engaged in political theater, I am extremely concerned that a reform-focused farm bill has not been brought to a conference committee. The damage that was done to farms across Colorado from the floods last month compounds the need for negotiations to pass a farm bill. Read more »
