| Streamlining the Permitting Process |
One of the slowest processes on planet earth, aside from the formation of
fossils, is the federal permitting process. Vital projects ranging from those that would increase American energy independence to building roads
throughout the state of Wyoming are often delayed, sometimes up to 10 years, due to red tape and backlogs in the federal permitting process. To say
our country desperately needs permitting reform is an understatement. That is why I
joined Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and my colleagues on the Environment and Public Works Committee in introducing the Revitalizing
the Economy by Simplifying Timelines and Assuring Regulatory Transparency (RESTART) Act. This legislation would provide meaningful reform to our
nation’s permitting and environmental review processes. It would also speed up the federal permitting process for important energy,
infrastructure and transportation projects throughout Wyoming. Currently, there
are few, if any, enforceable timelines on National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) and other permitting processes, meaning that
the review process can be delayed by endless legal challenges. This legislation would create enforceable timelines and modernize current laws while
maintaining environmental protections. This bill also includes provisions
of my Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act of 2023 which would protect firefighters, communities and properties in
Wyoming from the devastating impacts of wildfires by creating a Clean Water Act exemption for federal, state, local and tribal
agencies to use fire retardant on fires. If we want low energy prices,
clean-burning energy and safe roads, it is imperative that we modernize the permitting system. The RESTART Act deserves bipartisan support
and I will push to see this legislation considered and signed into law this Congress. Happy Trails, |
| Senator Lummis' Week in Pictures |
At a press conference in Washington this week, I urged President Biden to come to the negotiating table and work on solutions to
our nation’s out of control spending before we default on our debts. We cannot keep spending in this current manner. We need to pay back our
debt, but we also need to make longterm changes to the way we spend taxpayer dollars. Watch my remarks here.
I had a productive
conversation about delivering high-quality education to Wyoming students with Dirk Andrews, Director of the Wyoming Chapter of the National Education
Association.
I got to meet
Jim and Angie Navarro of Dayton who were stopping by Washington, D.C. on their way to visit their son in the U.S. Army.
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| Legislative Actions:
- I introduced a series of five bills to ensure industries and municipalities in Wyoming are not subject to liability claims if the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
designates per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as hazardous.
- Wyoming water treatment facilities, farms and ranches should not be held liable
for contamination that seeps into their land from nearby airports, fuel depots and refineries. Keeping our water and air clean is a must, but we do
not need to punish hardworking people in Wyoming who are simply the victims of circumstance.
- I signed on to a letter with Senator Tedd Budd (R-NC) demanding answers from the U.S.
Navy about its ‘digital ambassador’ pilot program after reports surfaced that the Navy enlisted a TikTok drag queen to help reach
potential recruits on social media.
- Woke politics and Chinese spy apps have no place in our armed forces. Our military should be entirely focused on
being the most lethal fighting force the world has ever seen and the people of Wyoming deserve answers.
Committee Hearings:
- During a Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development hearing, I described the unique
issues that come with living in rural areas and why it is important that western states are properly included in federal funding for affordable
housing. Wyoming communities continue to face housing shortages and it essential our towns and counties have access to the tools and resources they
need to meet the needs of our families and citizens. Click here to view my opening remarks and here for my questioning of witnesses.
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| Working for Wyoming: U.S. Senator John Barrasso, Governor Mark Gordon and I are hosting a Federal Funding Summit in Sheridan June
12th-15th to provide free professional instruction, access to agency representatives and various resources to help
localities, counties and non-government organizations (NGO’s) apply for, secure and manage federal funds.
This free, four-day event, which is divided into a two-day grant writing and management intensive
and a two-day overview of federal funding opportunities, gives federal funding seekers the opportunity to brush up on their grant writing skills and
learn best practices for pursuing federal funding opportunities.
News Around Wyoming:
Kentucky-based Ramaco Resources has been working for
years to open its Wyoming coal mine and use the coal to make sought-after carbon products like graphene.
Cowboy
State Daily
A little over a decade ago, community leaders in Buffalo decided downtown needed a
little color.
So, the city offered artists opportunities to create
large format murals on buildings facing Clear Creek, which runs through the middle of the northern Wyoming town’s downtown
area. |
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WYOMING SHOUT OUT |
Roughly two-thirds of the population of our state lives in rural communities and while
there are many great aspects to rural life, accessing quality health care can sometimes be difficult. Jason Frye, a Navy veteran and former oil field
worker, is finding solutions to meet our healthcare needs by starting a community paramedicine program in northeastern Wyoming to help bridge the gap
in rural medicine.
Rather than working out of a doctor’s office, Frye travels
around in his SUV with his black medical bag going directly to people’s homes and ensuring those who might be hesitant or unable to make it to
town to see a doctor still receive quality care. Community paramedics can provide
in-home vaccinations, wound care, ultrasounds, blood tests, exercise and nutrition tips. They also teach patients how to monitor their
symptoms.
Thank you Jason for keeping Wyoming healthy!
Photo courtesy of KFF Health
News |
Cody
1285 Sheridan Avenue, Suite 215
Cody, WY 82414
Phone: 307-527-9444
Cheyenne Federal Center
2120 Capitol Avenue, Suite 2007
Cheyenne, WY 82001
Phone: 307-772-2477
Casper
Dick Cheney Federal Bldg.
100 East B Street, Suite 3201
PO Box 33201
Casper, WY 82601
Phone: 307-261-6572
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Sundance
120 North 4th Street (769)
P.O. Box 769
Sundance, WY 82729
Phone: 307-283-3461
Star Valley
80 1st Street
Suite 105
P.O. Box 1630
Afton, WY 83110
Phone: 307-248-1736
Washington, DC
Russell Senate Office Building
Room
SR 127A
Washington, DC 20510
Phone:
202-224-3424 |
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