WEEKLY UPDATE ON WESTERN CAUCUS MEMBERS TAKING ACTION FOR RURAL AMERICA
CHAMPIONS OF RURAL AMERICA – EPISODE 6
RFD-TV flew in this week to film the sixth episode of “Champions of Rural America,” produced by the Western Caucus Foundation.
This episode will feature segments on American mining and the importance of cutting through red tape to increase needed mineral production, women in the Western Caucus, and other topics that impact the west.
This will air on RFD-TV on Monday, April 1st at 7:00 PM ET and Saturday, April 6th at 11:30 AM ET.
MARCH BICAMERAL STAFF POLICY BRIEFING
This morning, the Western Caucus Foundation hosted our monthly Bicameral Staff Policy Briefing where House and Senate staffers were updated on committee matters and Western Caucus functions.
Thank you to Katherine Lee, Federal Affairs Lead, Americas at Orsted for speaking to Western Caucus staffers about clean energy technology.
SENATE WESTERN CAUCUS UPDATES
Senate Western Caucus Chair Sen. Cynthia Lummis (WY) introduced the “Legacy Mine Cleanup Act” to codify the Trump administration’s Office of Mountains, Deserts and Plains within the Environmental Protection Agency.
The office would work to better preserve the environment and improve the quality of life for those who live in mining towns by cleaning up mine sites.
“We need to abandon the federal government’s one-size-fits-all approach and adopt region-specific solutions to preserve our western way of life.”
Senate Western Caucus members Sen. Mike Lee (UT) and Sen. James Risch (ID) along with two other Senators introduced the Geothermal Energy Optimization (GEO) Act to speed up the nationwide acceptance of geothermal energy.
U.S. Geothermal energy is one of the most clean and versatile forms of energy, and increasing its production will create countless jobs through western and rural America.
Senate Western Caucus Chair Sen. Cynthia Lummis (WY) and Chairman Emeritus John Barrasso (WY) sent a letter to the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) expressing convern regarding the recent decision to initiate a National Recovery Plan as per the Endangered Species Act, specifically aimed at gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountain region.
Gray Wolves have been recovered and delisted, and the Senators believe that Wyoming can manage the wolves more effectively than the U.S. Government.
Senate Western Caucus Chair Sen. Cynthia Lummis (WY) presented five amendments to the appropriations bill to serve Western and rural America.
These amendments protect consumers, block ESA abuse, cut back unnecessary U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spending, ensures that cash can be used to enter national parks, and more.