HOME | ABOUT | MEDIA | SERVICES | ISSUES

Preventing Unnecessary Government Overreach in Wyoming

This week, the Senate passed my Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that provides clarity and transparency for landowners in Wyoming by pushing back on the Biden administration’s attempts to redefine “habitat”under the Endangered Species Act.

There is an important distinction between habitat and critical habitat – whether a species can live in that habitat, or whether they need to live there in order to survive. When the Biden administration scrapped a 2020 rule that defined habitat, it left regulated parties in the dark and undermined the ESA’s purpose of protecting endangered or threatened species.

Private property owners need to be partners in species recovery, not the enemy. My resolution ensures Wyoming landowners are not unfairly targeted by this administration and that habitat designations are based on science, not politics. I am proud this resolution passed with bipartisan support in the Senate.

The Endangered Species Act was passed into law to protect treasured species from untimely extinctions due to human influences, not to make them political pawns. I hope President Biden sees the value in partnering with those that live near these species that we are trying to protect and signs this legislation into law.

Happy Trails,

Senator Lummis' Week in Pictures

I had the privilege of meeting with a group of Wyoming realtors to discuss housing issues throughout the state and the need for more affordable housing in Wyoming.

Senator Barrasso and I enjoyed visiting with Wyoming resident Mark Lyon and discussing how we can best advocate for Wyoming in upcoming Farm Bill negotiations.

WORKING IN WASHINGTON

Legislative Actions:

I joined U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn in introducing the Make the Migrant Protection Protocols Mandatory Act to reinstate the Migrants Protection Protocols, also known as the Remain in Mexico program that was highly effective at slowing the flow of illegal immigration during the Trump administration.
- President Biden’s open border agenda has turned Wyoming into a de facto border state. I am confident that restoring the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy would go a long way in slowing the tidal wave of illegal crossings at our southwest border.

Committee Hearings:

During a Commerce Committee hearing, I submitted an amendment to remove the requirement for a two-man crew for Class I railroads. Creating additional red tape would increase costs for shippers, decrease scheduled pickups due to crew shortages and most importantly would not provide any safety benefits. It’s imperative that Wyoming coal is exported across the country, and I fear any additional regulations would exacerbate issues shippers in Wyoming have struggled with the past few years. Click here to view my remarks.

Major Votes:

Passage of S.J. Res. 24, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution introduced by U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to overturn the northern long-eared bat’s listing as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Supported
- Listing the northern long-eared bat as endangered would create a regulatory headache for people throughout Wyoming and there is zero evidence doing so would even help the species.

WORKING IN WYOMING

Working for Wyoming:

With wildfire season rapidly approaching, I have been working overtime to ensure that firefighters in Wyoming are fully prepared to protect our communities. Many of the hurdles wildland firefighters face are burdensome regulations by the federal government that limit how fire crews are transported.

This week, I introduced the bipartisan Wildfire Response Aviation Modernization and Safety Act which clears the way for fire crews to be transported by leased aircraft by reforming current Federal Aviation Administration regulations. Speeding up the response time of fire crews is common sense and something we can do right now to better protect Wyoming from the deadly threat posed by wildfires.

News Around Wyoming:

The Quest For 2,000: Worland Man Tries — Yet Again — To Grow One Ton Pumpkin

Cowboy State Daily

Jay Richard is serious about his pumpkins. After coming close to state champion status with his giant pumpkins the last few years, Richard has decided to elevate his efforts to grow truly gargantuan gourds.

The Worland businessman is throwing time and effort into building a 30-by-70-foot greenhouse to shelter just two of the large, orange fruits — but they’ll be a prodigious pair of pumpkins.

Wyoming’s Fossil Cabin — "World’s Oldest Building" — Could Be Moved This Summer

Cowboy State Daily

Wyoming’s famed Fossil Cabin museum has existed, at least in some form, for millions of years, but the last five have been perhaps the longest of its lifespan.

The cabin sits along a remote stretch of Wyoming Highway 30 between Rock River and Medicine Bow.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WYOMING

U.S. Senator John Barrasso, Governor Mark Gordon and I are hosting a Federal Funding Summit in Sheridan June 12^th-15^th 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.

An event summary can be found here. For more information and to register, visit: www.lummis.senate.gov/federal-funding-summit-rsvp.

WYOMING SHOUT OUT

Eight University of Wyoming students earned the honor of being selected to research how total solar eclipses impact the atmosphere as part of the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project. Of the eight students participating, three are from Wyoming. Hunter Kindt of Cody, David Gordon of Gillette and Erin Poyer of Rock Springs were selected to participate in this exciting research project.

The team will launch half-pound weather balloons in October and next April. A solar eclipse is expected on October 14^th, and a total solar eclipse is expected April 8, 2024. They will fly the balloons as high as 115,000 feet once every hour for 30 hours around the eclipse time.

I am so proud of my alma mater and the students for keeping Wyoming’s reputation as a hub of innovation and exploration alive!

Photo courtesy of the Casper Star-Tribune

OFFICE LOCATIONS

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

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