WEEKLY UPDATE ON WESTERN CAUCUS MEMBERS TAKING ACTION FOR RURAL AMERICA
COMMUNICATIONS STAFF MIXER
The Western Caucus Foundation hosted its first ever Communications Staff Mixer to network and thank House and Senate Western Caucus communicators for the work they do to amplify the work of the Caucus to the constituents of Western and Rural America.
We hope that those of you in attendance enjoyed the opportunity to get to know us and fellow communicators within the Western Caucus.
A special thanks to Molson Coors for sponsoring this event!
Comms staff: Be sure to be on the lookout for another invitation to another Cattle Call in coming months!
Whether or not you are a Communications staffer, we encourage you to follow us on social media to keep up with the latest from the Western Caucus community.
NOLA PANEL DISCUSSIONS NOW AVAILABLE
We’re excited to share that the first two panels from New Orleans are now available on YouTube.
The panels available for view include our Welcome Panel and the Rice’s Whale Panel.
Our Rice’s Whale Panel included Meghan Gallinaro, Regulatory Advisor at Chevron, Matt Giacona, Vice President of Government Affairs at National Ocean Industries Association, and Lori LeBlanc, Vice President of Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association.
Additionally, we’d like to thank Tim Charters, Director of American Petroleum Institute and Eric Zimmermann, Chief Operations Officer at LLOG Exploration Company for speaking about offshore leasing.
We greatly appreciate our sponsors’ help in coordinating planning efforts and providing information to help field tour attendees understand nuances to these issues.
WESTERN CAUCUS COLLEGE
The Western Caucus College is a four-day training that covers key western issues including the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Federal Land Management, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and more.
A certificate indicating successful completion of the program identifies you as having in-depth issues when applying to Western Caucus member offices, stakeholder organizations, and perhaps select government agencies.
Another Western Caucus College session is on the calendar, and staffers will receive an invite today. Be on the lookout so you can experience the program for yourself and gain more knowledge about the history of Western issues to enhance your current role or seek another within the Western Caucus community.
WESTERN CAUCUS UPDATES
Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (WY) issued a statement after the Biden-Harris administration announced its updated solar plan, opening 31 million acres across the West, including areas in Wyoming, for solar development.
Part of the statement includes: “It is time for this administration to stop picking winners and losers and prioritize multiple use of federal lands as is required under existing laws.”
Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) also issued a statement on the BLM’s proposed updated Western Solar Plan.
For background, the Final Utility-Scale Solar Energy Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) expanded the 2012 Western Solar Plan to 11 states and over 31 million acres for solar development. A 30-day protest period and 60-day governor’s review follow, with final decisions expected by late 2024. Western Caucus Members raised concerns about the draft PEIS after its January 2024 release.
Western Caucus Member Rep. Vince Fong (CA-20) sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom, criticizing his refinery supply mandate for causing higher gas prices and artificial shortages in California, Arizona, and Nevada.
“This unworkable mandate will not only affect Californians, but also our neighboring states like Arizona and Nevada who rely on our gasoline supply. Newsom is intentionally increasing gas prices when Californians are already struggling to afford to live and work in the state…”