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The only solution the Biden administration seems to
have to address climate change is to create hurdles to developing affordable, reliable energy and to rapidly electrify our transportation options. The
reality is, these “solutions” are quickly proving disastrous for Wyoming families and our economy. It turns out they could also have dire
consequences for our environment. Electric vehicles rely heavily on
rare earth minerals – lithium, copper and cobalt. And as President Biden’s own Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland highlighted in
this week’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, the U.S. is almost completely reliant on China and the Democratic Republic of the
Congo for those resources. In an Environment and Public Works
Committee hearing regarding electric vehicles, I questioned witnesses about where these resources come from. Witnesses came to highlight all the perks
of electric vehicles and a society that does not rely on fossil fuels. But they seemed to miss an essential piece of the puzzle. I asked if the
countries we rely on for these minerals have the same environmental standards as the United States. The answer was ‘no.’ I asked if these
countries had the same worker safety standards as the United States. The answer was ‘no.’ Our world will not be better off if China and
the Democratic Republic of the Congo are mining most of these critical minerals. My friend and Wyoming resident Bob Grady wrote a thoughtful piece in the Washington Post this week about President
Biden’s short-sighed plan to electrify our transportation systems. The truth is that electric vehicles, or for that matter, all vehicles, are
getting increasingly more expensive. It is also true that older cars create more pollution. By forcing affordable, gas-powered cars out of the market,
the Biden administration will inadvertently stop people from replacing their older, less efficient cars because the cost of a new electric one is too
much. Climate change will not be solved by a top-down, government mandated approach
to the transportation markets. The government cannot be picking winners and losers, especially when the American people become the losers in this
game. Happy Trails,
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GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR
WYOMING |
Don't Miss Out! $31 Million in Grants Available to Help Farmers and Ranchers Add
More Value to Their Products to Access New and Better Markets USDA is making $31 million in grants available under the Value-Added Producer Grant program. The grants
help agricultural producers generate new products, create marketing opportunities and increase their incomes through value-added
activities. Eligible applicants
include independent producers, agricultural producer groups, farmer or rancher cooperatives and majority-controlled producer-based business
ventures. The maximum award for a
planning grant is $75,000. The maximum award for a working capital grant is $250,000. Electronic applications will be accepted via Grants.gov until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time
on May 11, 2023. Paper applications must be sent to the State Office where the project is
proposed. Additional information is
available on page 16396 of the March 17 Federal Register or by contacting
the Wyoming State Office. |
| WYOMING SHOUT
OUT | ||
The DAISY
Award honors nurses internationally for going above and beyond and delivering an extraordinary level of care to their patients. I am so proud to say
that Wyoming’s very own Angela Turner received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses for January 2023 and received the Healer’s Touch
Sculpture. Angela is an RN of Oncology and Infusion at Star Valley Health and was nominated by her friend and patient Ginger Thompson.
In her nomination, Thompson
wrote, “My typical infusion room is rather drab and boring, but not with Angela. She is attentive to my every need while I am there. She will
get warm blankets, drinks or other items that I may need. She has become a valued friend to me. She checks on me and is my biggest supporter in
fighting this ugly disease. I am so thankful to have such an amazing nurse!” Thanks for all you do, Angela!
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OFFICE LOCATIONS |
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