Branded Blog

The Voice for Rural America is Louder Than Ever

By Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04)

Over the last two years, Americans have watched as the Biden Administration and Democrats in Congress recklessly spent trillions of dollars and led our country into a recession, punished the agriculture industry with unclear and ever-changing federal regulations, and tied the hands of our energy producers behind their backs, putting our nation at risk. Now, with Republicans in the Majority in the House, it’s time to get America back on track.

As Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, I am honored to lead over 80 Members of Congress from across the United States to advocate for rural policy issues throughout the West and beyond. If we are going to restore our economy to what it once was and continue to be the strongest economy in the world, we must regain energy dominance, encourage domestic mineral development, and fix our broken federal permitting processes while supporting our agriculture industry. The Western Caucus is committed to doing all that and more.

Over the past few years, our organization has expanded and now has Members who hail from Georgia to Arizona, New York to Guam, and everywhere in between. And we’re still growing. As Chairman, I intend to build upon this foundation, expand our influence, and help achieve new victories for rural communities across the country. I am proud to work alongside Western Caucus Members to serve as champions for these communities who feel they have been left behind by the federal government’s over-reaching laws and burdensome regulatory red tape. We will continue working to encourage responsible resource development and energy independence, unlock our public lands and meet the multiple-use mandate, protect our communities from wildfires by advancing active management of our forests, support the water infrastructure that makes our way of life possible across the West, and empower our Nation’s farmers, ranchers, and agriculture industry to continue to grow the food that feeds the world.

Western Caucus Members understand in order to strengthen our national security, we must support our agriculture and energy producers. We must make investments in critical mineral development, infrastructure projects, and law enforcement agencies to ensure our communities have the resources they need to protect our families from hostile nations, natural disasters, and violent crime.

In this digital age, it is unacceptable many rural households still do not have access to reliable Internet, and we know diminished local tax bases—due to a large federal footprint—make it difficult for counties and school districts to provide quality education for our students. Our nation was built on freedom, and that’s the future we want to deliver by preserving private property rights, unburdening landowners from onerous regulations, and ensuring our communities have the resources they need for future generations to succeed.

Western Caucus Members understand how the decisions made in D.C. impact rural communities, and we know state and local control, collaborative decision-making, and stability are the keys to success. We will fight to ensure rural Americans have freedom from government overreach, and that it is those of us who are closest to the land who are making resource management decisions and leading conservation efforts—not unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.

The threat the Biden Administration poses to rural communities across the United States is strong, but the commitment the Western Caucus has for rural America is stronger. We will protect our values and defend the local communities we represent throughout the 118^th Congress, and beyond. I encourage you to support the Western Caucus as we fight for rural communities and lift the voices of those who must be heard, because today, their voices are louder than ever.