WEEKLY UPDATE ON WESTERN CAUCUS MEMBERS TAKING ACTION FOR RURAL AMERICA
BOISE FIELD TOUR
The Western Caucus Foundation is proud to have brought more than 100 members of Congress, Foundation stakeholders, and Congressional staffers to Boise, ID for our Fire, Food and Ranching Field Tour & Policy Discussion.
Attendees had a packed schedule which included an exhibition, briefing, and demo from the National Wildfire Suppression Association, tours of a Simplot Potato Processing Plant and the National Interagency Fire Center, and more.
There were three panel dicussions hosted: Agriculture, Wildfire, and “Improving Permitting at the Department of the Interior.” You can find all three below:
Thank you to host member Rep. Mike Simpson (ID-02) and our trip sponsors for making the event a success.
BICAMERAL POLICY BREAKFAST
This morning the Western Caucus Foundation hosted our September Bicameral Staff Policy Breakfast. Thank you to Americans for Prosperity and Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions for speaking to Western Caucus staffers!
Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse’s Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act passed the house by a 269-149 bipartisan vote.
Newhouse states, “Today, the United States took a stand against one of our greatest foreign adversaries, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP has been quietly purchasing American agricultural land at an alarming rate, and this bill is a crucial step towards reversing that trend…”
Learn more below.
CHAIRMAN’S CHAT
Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) was joined by Rep. Tom Tiffany (WI-07), Chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands, to discuss the importance of domestic energy production, policies that impact the agricultural sector, and the role active forest management plays in mitigating and preventing natural disasters such as wildfires.
Watch the full Chairman’s Chat below!
WESTERN CAUCUS UPDATES
Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) have introduced the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Amendments Act. It passed in a House Natural Resources Committee markup yesterday.
This legislation stems from the ESA Working Group, which the two established in July 2023.
The bill’s original co-sponsors include Western Caucus Vice Chairs Pete Stauber (MN-08) and Tom Tiffany (WI-07), along with Representatives Cliff Bentz (OR-02), Jeff Duncan (SC-03), Paul Gosar (AZ-09), and Harriet Hageman (WY at-large).
Congressional Western Caucus member Rep. Russ Fulcher (ID-01)’s resolution relating to “‘Greenhouse Gas Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles-Phase 3’’ passed the House Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday.
The legislation aims to halt the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) EV mandate on heavy-duty trucks and farm equipment that would increase costs on farmers and the American supply chain.
Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and member Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced a bill aimed at safeguarding U.S. energy infrastructure from extremist environmentalist actions.
The Safe and Secure Transportation of American Energy Act seeks to broaden criminal penalties to cover acts of vandalism, tampering, and disruptions targeting pipelines with the goal of strengthening protections for energy systems in the western United States.