WEEKLY UPDATE ON WESTERN CAUCUS MEMBERS TAKING ACTION FOR RURAL AMERICA
WESTERN CAUCUS MEMBERS PARTICIPATE IN HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES FIELD HEARING DURING OREGON FIELD TOUR
Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and his Western Caucus colleagues took part in a Natural Resources Committee field hearing, focusing on the critical need to safeguard water supplies and address water shortages impacting farmers and ranchers.
They also participated in a field tour visiting Gifford Pinchot National Forest, a meeting with farmers & ranchers in Klickitat County, learned about the Forest Health and Community Wildfire Resilience Program, and more!
INTRODUCED: RESOLUTION TO DESIGNATE 10/4 NATIONAL ENERGY APPRECIATION DAY
Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (WY) introduced a resolution to recognize October 4, 2024, as National Energy Appreciation Day, honoring the men and women who power the U.S. and the world.
The resolution is cosponsored by Senators John Barrasso (WY), Kevin Cramer (ND), James Lankford (OK), Ted Cruz (TX), Shelley Moore Capito (WV), Pete Ricketts (NE), John Hoeven (ND), Jim Risch (ID), Bill Cassidy (LA), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (MS).
“I introduced this resolution to recognize and celebrate the men and women in the Cowboy State and throughout the country who work to power not only our nation, but the entire world.” – Senator Lummis
INTRODUCED: ABUNDANT AMERICAN RESOURCES ACT OF 2024
America has abundant natural resources, but they’re locked up under bad policies, taxes, and regulations. It’s time to unlock America’s land, and the key is the Abundant American Resources Act introduced by Congressional Western Caucus Chair Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Rep. Jodey Arrington (TX-19).
SOON: HEARING ON NATIONAL PARK ACCESS FOR GOLD STAR FAMILIES
Every Gold Star family member should have free access to America’s national parks.
Congressional Western Caucus member Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) writes about her leadership with the Military Families National Parks Access Enhancement Act.
“It’s important to remember that the freedoms we enjoy every day, including access to beautiful landscapes across the country, would not be possible without the selfless service of our men and women in the military. Service members constantly put themselves in harm’s way to protect and defend our homeland.
A small way we can repay them is by granting free access to our national parks.”
CHAIRMAN NEWHOUSE ON THE DANGERS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
The Antiquities Act was meant to protect treasures, but overreach is locking up land without local input.
The Congressional Western Caucus is fighting to restore its true purpose and defend rural rights.
Read Chairman Dan Newhouse‘s (WA-04) new piece for Federal Newswire:
NEWHOUSE AND WESTERMAN:
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT REFORM
Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) wrote about the need for Endangered Species Act Reform.
Read their new piece for Agri-Pulse below:
NEWHOUSE & LUMMIS ON
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (WY) wrote an opinion piece for the Washington Examiner.
They criticize the Biden administration’s concept of “environmental justice,” arguing that it is used to block traditional energy and infrastructure projects, particularly in rural and low-income areas.
The Chairs claim that this approach harms communities by pushing unreliable energy sources and driving up costs, while ignoring the benefits of traditional energy industries. They advocate for affordable, reliable energy to support economic growth in disadvantaged areas.
WESTERN CAUCUS UPDATES
Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and Representative Harriet Hageman (WY), along with 9 other Western Caucus members, urged the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to withdraw its updated Western Solar Plan. They argue the plan threatens public land use, harms grazing and fossil fuel activities, and supports unreliable energy sources.
The proposal impacts over 31 million acres across 11 states where federal lands are crucial.
Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and five members sent a letter to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) advocating that groundwater regulation should remain under state and tribal authority, not federal oversight.
The letter was a response to PCAST’s request for input on America’s groundwater challenges.
Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Vice Chair Celeste Maloy (UT-02), and Representatives John Curtis (UT-03), Blake Moore (UT-01), and Burgess Owens (UT-04) issued statements in response to the Department of the Interior’s Final Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Resource Management Plan for the Bears Ears National Monument, covering 1.35 million acres in southeastern Utah.