News:
Barrasso: Senate Democrats Ignore Bipartisan Oil Spill Solutions
Republican alternative saves jobs & delivers real reform
07/27/10
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) responded to Majority Leader Reid’s proposed energy legislation. Barrasso highlighted the Republican alternative on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
“We need to implement reforms that prevent these accidents in the future and improve the ability to respond. A tragedy of this magnitude merits a serious bipartisan response from this body and from this country.
Democrats Attempt to Rush Energy Legislation … “The bill is being written behind closed doors, not in a committee, not in front of the American people, not on C-Span, but behind closed doors. And it will likely come directly to the floor later this week without ever going to a Senate committee.
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Lummis Receives Defender of Economic Freedom Award
07/26/10
WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) has received the “Defender of Economic Freedom Award” from the Club for Growth. The award honors Members of Congress for their strong voting record in supporting economic growth and job creation.
“With her score of 97%, Congresswoman Lummis has demonstrated a clear commitment to economic liberty and growth,” said Chris Chocola, President of The Club for Growth. “During one of the toughest economic years in memory, she showed that the principles of free enterprise and free markets are the only way to create jobs and rescue our economy.”…
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Barrasso: Taxpayers Shouldn’t Foot the Bill for the Billy Carter Gas Station
Despite $13 Trillion Debt, Washington Attempts to Spend Taxpayer Money to Enshrine “Billy Beer” and Other Billy Carter Paraphernalia
07/22/10
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) fought to ensure American taxpayer dollars aren’t spent to support the Billy Carter Service Station Museum.
During a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee business meeting, Senator Barrasso offered an amendment to the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site Expansion Act of 2009. His amendment would prevent the inclusion of the Billy Carter Service Station Museum from being made part of a national park.…
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Delegation says snowmobiling must be in the mix for Yellowstone
07/22/10
Washington, D.C. – The National Park Service is considering Yellowstone National Park winter use options that range from snowmobiling and plowing roads for cars to no snowmobiling and other very limited use.
U.S. Senators Mike Enzi, John Barrasso and Representative Cynthia Lummis, all R-Wyo., said the more restrictive options do more to choke the Wyoming economy than to protect the park..…
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Delegation urges more time for input on wild horses
07/22/10
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mike Enzi, John Barrasso and Representative Cynthia Lummis, all R-Wyo., are working to allow Wyoming stakeholders more time to give their input on changes to the wild horse program being developed by the Department of the Interior (DOI).
The Wyoming delegation sent a letter on July 22 to DOI Secretary Ken Salazar requesting that the current deadline of Aug. 3, which only allowed 60 days for comment during the state’s busiest time of year, be extended an additional 60 days. This extension would allow Wyoming’s stakeholders more opportunity to comment on the Wild Horse and Burro Strategy Development Document.…
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Another Broken Promise: Administration Confirms Health Insurance Mandate is a Tax
“Well, this clearly violates the President's repeated promises that no one, no one making less than $250,000 a year would see a tax increase.”
07/21/10
During his presidential campaign, then Senator Obama promised the American people:
Now the American people are learning the rest of the story. This week, the Administration confirmed that the President’s new health care law does raise taxes on hardworking, middle class families.…
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Lummis Defends States' Rights Against ACLU
07/21/10
U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) joined 76 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives and five U.S. Senators in signing on to an amicus brief opposing the Obama Administration’s recent lawsuit against Arizona’s new immigration law, SB 1070.
The Arizona Legislature passed SB 1070 in April. The bill gives local law enforcement the ability to question suspected illegal immigrants during otherwise lawful contact. It also requires immigrants to carry registration documents, which is already mandated by federal law. The Justice Department’s lawsuit challenges SB 1070 on the grounds that the law oversteps federal authority.…
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Enzi: Unemployment insurance can be extended without breaking the bank
07/20/10
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today moved forward with a temporary extension of unemployment insurance for millions of unemployed workers by using more borrowed money and adding $34 billion to an already staggering deficit and national debt. U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., voted against the measure and questioned why other solutions were left in the dust that would have effectively addressed the same problem without bogging down the debt.
Enzi supports a plan to use unspent stimulus funds to pay for unemployment insurance instead of borrowing more money to throw at the problem. The plan was rejected four times by the majority party....…
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Lummis Defends States' Rights Against ACLU
07/16/10
WASHINGTON, D.C. --, Jul 16 - U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), along with 17 other Members of Congress, signed an amicus brief opposing a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to block enforcement of Arizona’s new immigration law.
The brief, written by the Washington Legal Foundation, urges the U.S. District Court for Arizona to reject an effort by the ACLU to prevent the implementation of SB 1070, the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. The Arizona Legislature passed SB 1070 in April. The bill gives local law enforcement the ability to question suspected illegal immigrants. It also requires immigrants to carry registration documents, which is already mandated by federal law. …
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Financial “reform” bill passes, despite alarming privacy infringements
07/15/10
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., decried the recent Senate passage of a bill that enacts a Big Brother financial super agency that will have the power to meddle in every day personal financial decisions.
“This bill will take away liberties, plain and simple. To say it’s federal overreach is an understatement. The sad part is that it is happening all under the guise of ‘consumer protection’ and ‘Wall Street’ reform. While this bill may give the majority party some great talking points for their campaigns, in reality, it does nothing to stop future financial melt downs. Nowhere in the bill is there a mention of reforming Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government sponsored mortgage giants that led to the financial collapse,” said Enzi....…
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Barrasso: White House is Out of Touch with Economic Realities
“The President may believe that we’re on the right track, but fewer than 1 in 3 Americans believe we’re on the right track.”
…Click here to watch FOX News highlight his remarks
0715/10
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo) spoke at a Senate press conference about the Democrats’ job killing agenda and the Administration’s stimulus claims. FOX News highlighted some of his remarks earlier today.
“Last Friday the President was in Nevada, and he said ‘The question is, number one, are we on the right track?’ And then he went on to say that ‘the answer is, yes.’
“Well this to me sounds like a President who is out of touch. He’s out of with the American people and out of touch with the economic realities of our country in the summer of 2010...…
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Misguided Energy Policies Will Only Hinder Gulf Recovery
“The CLEAR Act uses the tragedy in the Gulf as a misguided opportunity to impose job-killing energy policies on Americans.”
07/15/10
Today, H.R. 3534, the CLEAR Act, passed in a House Natural Resources Committee hearing. U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) voted against the CLEAR ACT.
“H.R. 3534 marginalizes the plight of the people of the Gulf who are desperate for solutions to the ongoing disaster. Americans want to see the leak stopped, the oil cleaned up, the communities who have been devastated by this disaster to be made whole again, and for BP to be held completely accountable. …
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Enzi: Small businesses don’t realize what’s coming
Warns of more 1099 forms, paperwork during hearing, expert agrees
07/14/10
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., believes most small businesses aren’t ready for the headaches and paperwork the new health care reform law will bring them and he expressed his concerns during a Senate Finance Committee hearing this morning as he discussed the new 1099 form requirements with accounting experts testifying before the panel.
“The health care reform bill will require business owners to submit onerous and duplicative 1099 forms for every single business-to-business transaction over $600. This includes anything from utilities, office supplies and construction materials. Not only does the health care bill bankrupt our country and require every American to purchase health insurance or face new tax penalties, it also burdens small businesses with paperwork for non-health care related expenses,” said Enzi...…
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Lummis Amendment Freezes Unjustified Government Expansion, Saves $11 Million
“Congress should ask itself whether federal hiring is necessary to carry out its provisions or whether agencies are capable of rearranging their current employees to fill the need.”
07/14/10
Today, in the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), along with Representative Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO), offered an amendment to H.R. 4785, the Rural Energy Savings Program. The amendment, accepted by the committee by voice vote, stops the additional hiring of federal employees under H.R. 4785
“This amendment, which I’m introducing with Rep. Luetkemeyer, would remove the authorization for 10 additional employees from H.R. 4785. Under the current measure there is $1.1 million a year authorized for 10 new employees of the Rural Utilities Service. Over the 10 year budget window, this would come at a cost to the taxpayer of $11 million. …
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Western Caucus Examines Administration’s War on Western Jobs
07/13/10
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT), along with Members of the Senate and House Western Caucuses, hosted a bicameral hearing entitled the “War on Western Jobs.”
Caucus Members and witnesses examined the Administration’s policies and their negative impact on jobs and communities throughout the West. …
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Barrasso Statement on Recess Appointment of CMS Director
07/07/10
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) made the following statement regarding President Obama’s decision to recess appoint Dr. Donald Berwick to be Director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):
“This recess appointment is an insult to the American people. Dr. Berwick is a self professed supporter of rationing health care and he won't even have to explain his views to the American people in a Congressional hearing. Once again, President Obama has made a mockery of his pledge to be accountable and transparent.” ..…
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Coburn, Barrasso Release Oversight Report on Obamacare’s First 100 Days
07/07/10
(WASHINGTON, DC) – U.S. Senators and doctors Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) and John Barrasso, M.D. (R-Wyo.) today released an oversight report, “Bad Medicine: A Check-Up On The New Federal Health Law,” that examines the implementation of the law nearly 100 days after passage. The full report is available here.. ..…
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Energy Committee Passes Barrasso Amendment to Establish Credible Oil Spill Commission
Bipartisan members of the Senate Energy Committee voted to ensure that an investigation is led by experts – not people with an agenda
06/30/10
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) introduced an amendment to the Outer Continental Shelf Reform Act of 2010 (S. 3516) that would establish an independent Congressional Committee to investigate the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. During a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee business meeting, the amendment passed with a 15-8 vote. ..…
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Barrasso Criticizes White House Cap and Trade Push
“America wants the well capped – not a job killing cap and trade program.”
06/29/10
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) released the following statement regarding the White House’s announcement that President Obama remains committed to a cap and trade program that delivers a national energy tax. Senator Barrasso is the only Republican to serve on both the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and Environment and Public Works Committee.
“We have a $13 trillion debt, 9.7 percent unemployment and a well in the Gulf of Mexico that is spewing millions of barrels of oil. Instead of focusing on creating new jobs and stopping the leak, the President today renewed his commitment to a national energy tax.
“Washington should be focused on solving America’s current challenges. America wants the well capped – not a job killing cap and trade program.”…
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Lummis Bill Helps Restore Rights to Property Owners
“…nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.” -- U.S. Constitution: Fifth Amendment
06/29/10
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) introduced H.R. 5624, the Property Owners Access to Court Act. The Lummis bill would allow citizens to defend their Fifth Amendment private property rights in federal court..…
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Delegation: Interior Agrees to Compensate Local Governments On Time
At the request of the delegation and other western lawmakers, Interior agrees not to delay PILT payments to local governments
06/29/10
Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Mike Enzi, John Barrasso and Representative Cynthia Lummis, all R-Wyo., praised the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) decision not to delay payments made to local governments to compensate for the loss of potential tax revenues on federal lands, known as Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT). This decision comes in response to a letter from the delegation and western lawmakers to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar urging the department to provide funding to county governments on time.…
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Second amendment wins big in the highest U.S. court
06/28/10
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Mike Enzi, John Barrasso and Representative Cynthia Lummis, all R-Wyo., praised a 5-4 Supreme Court ruling today stating the right to bear arms, as written in the Second Amendment, applies to every resident of the United States as well as to state and local governments.
“Finally, after years of fighting in the courts, the Constitution has prevailed. This ruling helps insure that whether you live in Cheyenne or Chicago or any other place in the U.S., you’re allowed to protect yourself,” said Enzi.
“Today’s decision is a victory for people in Wyoming and all Americans who value our right to keep and bear arms. No level of government should have the right to take away our individual Second Amendment rights. In light of this week’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing of Elena Kagan, we need to make sure we are confirming Justices who will uphold today’s decision. President Obama’s last nominee for the Court, Sonia Sotomayor, claimed she supported Second Amendment rights during her confirmation process. She voted against them in today’s decision. Americans deserve justices who keep their word,” said Barrasso.
“Today’s ruling affirms what we in Wyoming already know: the U.S. Constitution guarantees law-abiding American citizens the right to keep and bear arms, regardless of where they make their home. The reinforcement of this basic right is an important win for all Americans. I applaud this Second Amendment victory and will keep fighting to protect our fundamental rights,” Lummis said.…
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