WEEKLY UPDATE ON WESTERN CAUCUS MEMBERS TAKING ACTION FOR RURAL AMERICA
“CHAMPIONS OF RURAL AMERICA” WINS TWO TELLY AWARDS
On May 21, 2024, the fifth episode of the T.V. show “Champions of Rural America” co-produced by RFD-TV and the Western Caucus Foundation won two Telly Awards. The episode won Gold in the Political & Commentary category for general television and Silver in the Government Relations category for general television.
The episode features the recent Western Caucus Field Tour to the U.S./ Mexican Border near Sierra Valley, Arizona. Topics include the environmental implications of the current immigration crisis and how farmers and ranchers on the border are impacted.
“The Western Caucus Foundation would like to dedicate these awards to Patrick Gottsch, Founder of RFD-TV,” says Darrell Henry, Executive Director of the Western Caucus Foundation. Gottsch sadly and unexpectedly passed away on Saturday, May 18. “He was the true champion of rural America, dedicating his life to bridging the rural-urban divide, providing resources and information for the agriculture industry, and making it more accessible than ever to watch rodeos live.”
HONORING PATRICK GOTTSCH, FOUNDER OF RURAL MEDIA GROUP
WCF would like to extend our condolences to the family and staff of Patrick Gottsch, founder of Rural Media Group. Patrick helped us make the Western Caucus T.V. show “Champions of Rural America” a reality. He was a true champion of rural America, and he will be greatly missed.
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE FIELD TOUR RECAP VIDEO
Watch the full video from our S. Lake Tahoe Field Tour and Policy Discussion below. Topics include water management, wildfire mitigation, and personal stories from those who have experienced the impacts of wildfire.
FARM BILL: PASSED
The 2024 Farm, Food, and National Security Act was passed very early Friday morning by the House Committee on Agriculture. After a more than 13-hour markup, rural and western Americans can be confident that this bill will protect and enhance our food supply chain and production, decrease food insecurity, provide stable crop insurance for farmers, and defend our national security interests within agriculture.
View the full markup below.
WESTERN CAUCUS UPDATES
Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Rep. Harriet Hageman (WY at-large) and Rep. John Duarte (CA-13) introduced Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolutions to overturn the Biden Administration’s “blanket rule” that will expand the ESA, leading to overregulation.
“Rather than egregious rule changes that will add to the federal bureaucracy while creating hardships for rural communities, the ESA needs common sense reforms to make the law work better for both species and landowners alike…” – Chairman Newhouse
Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (WY) successfully included provisions in the 2024 Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) to continue support for a University of Wyoming (UW) initiative. This project aims to enhance the network of monitoring stations tracking snowpack and soil moisture across the plains of the Upper Missouri River Basin.
The data will be used in several states to improve flood mitigation and resource management, ensuring ranchers and landowners maintain water access.