Protecting your personal privacy is one of my top priorities in Congress.
This week, I wrote an op-ed discussing the impacts technology has had on the safety of our privacy here in the U.S.
I have deep concerns about the ways individual companies collect and use our data, but I am even more concerned
about how the government can access and use our data. We are not truly free if we are
not in control of our own data. In this day in age, that presents a variety of challenges. So much of who we are is already online. The
Pandora’s box is open. However, I do not believe that hope is lost, yet one of the solutions – government intervention – also has
potential to be the problem.
Benjamin Franklin famously said, "Those who would give
up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”
Franklin could never have anticipated just how much freedom his fellow Americans would give up under the guise of
connectedness and convenience, and to be frank, I am not sure many of us fully understand how much we are actually giving up.
You can read my full op-ed here. Happy Trails,  |
| Legislative Actions:
- I wrote a letter with Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) to the National Association of Attorneys General recommending that state
attorneys general take steps to protect homeowners from predatory homebuying practices.
- This letter is in response to
allegations of a well-known home-buying company, HomeVestors of America, using deception and coercion to close sales. It is important that Wyoming
homeowners are protected from unfair practices.
- I cosponsored the Sentinel Nuclear Deterrence Act of 2023 which would provide
multiyear procurement authority for the Sentinel missile program.
- FE Warren in Cheyenne is one of three Air Force bases where the Sentinel program will
be deployed. The current Minuteman III missiles are expensive and difficult to maintain. This bill would help deploy the Sentinel missile program more
rapidly and efficiently.
Committee Hearings:
- During a Senate Environment and Public
Works Committee hearing I questioned Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt about the Biden administration’s proposed greenhouse gas
performance measure. This rule would require states to demonstrate progress toward reducing emissions from cars and trucks on their highways, creating
an impossible standard for rural states like Wyoming to meet.
- During a Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development hearing I highlighted barriers to tribal home
ownership and discussed ways to improve access to home ownership and rental opportunities on Native American reservations. I also had the opportunity
to invite Wyoming native Patrick Goggles, Executive Director of the Northern Arapaho Housing Authority, to testify before the
subcommittee.
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| Working for Wyoming: One of the top requests my staff receives from constituents is help getting or renewing a passport. This process has become
aggressively long and drawn out and has caused more than one hiccup in peoples’ travel plans.
Currently, the U.S. Department of State, the agency responsible for issuing passports to U.S.
citizens, has requested that passport applicants allow 13 weeks for their application to process and up to four weeks to mail. It is also important to
note that some countries will not allow entry to travelers whose passports expire within 6 months of their trip. That is why I am encouraging all
Wyoming citizens with travel plans to check the expiration dates of their passports and submit their applications for a passport or passport renewal
as early as possible. I have offices across
Wyoming with experienced staff who can help you with passports, as well as with any other problems with the federal government including IRS issues,
VA benefits and Social Security issues. To find an office near you, visit www.lummis.senate.org/office-locations/. You can also call my main office at
202-224-3424 and we will connect you with a staff member that can assist you. News Around Wyoming:
Laramie Live
The 2023 Phil Steele Preseason All-America and All-Conference teams were announced on Monday
and 10 Wyoming Cowboys were named to the Preseason All-Mountain West Team. Among those 10 were junior place-kicker John Hoyland, who was also named to Phil Steele's Third Team All-America squad and
First Team All-Mountain West Team.
Laramie Live Another year, another Pony Express Re-Ride is underway and the riders in Wyoming have taken
possession of the mail. Each year, the ride
changes up the direction it travels, and this year the mail started in Sacramento, CA and will end up in St. Joseph, MO. |
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GRANT
OPPORTUNITIES FOR WYOMING |
I was blown away by the spectacular turnout to the first ever Wyoming Federal Funding Summit
hosted by Senator John Barrasso, Governor Mark Gordon and myself. More than 200 people from nearly every county in the state came to Sheridan College
to hear from an amazing array of experts with decades of experience writing, reviewing and executing grants.
Anyone who knows me knows
that I am strongly opposed to Washington’s reckless spending but if Wyoming taxpayers are going to be forced to foot the bill, then we need to
make sure our tax dollars are coming back to Wyoming. This four-day summit equipped localities, counties and non-government organizations (NGOs) with
the necessary tools to successfully apply, secure and manage federal funding to ensure that Wyoming gets our fair share.
While the expertise of the presenters was incredibly valuable, what made this event so special was seeing the bonds formed by
those attending. I am confident that this summit equipped leaders across Wyoming with the knowledge and relationships to greatly improve our
communities and state.
Lastly, I would like to say THANK YOU to our supporting partners: the University of Wyoming, Office of Governor Mark Gordon,
Department of Environmental Quality, Wyoming Department of Workforce Services, Wyoming Association of Municipalities, the Wyoming Business Council and
Sheridan College. This event would not have been possible without your generosity.
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WYOMING SHOUT OUT |
Driving across our state can be a rigorous task,
especially during the winter months, but for nearly a century the Wyoming Highway Patrol has made sure that the roads are safe and lent more than a
few helping hands to those in need. This Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Wyoming Highway Patrol will be celebrating its 90th anniversary at the Casper Wyoming Department of Transportation facility at 900 Bryan Stock Trail. Too many people across America have
turned their backs on law enforcement in the last few years, but in Wyoming we still appreciate the brave men and women who keep us safe and this
event is the perfect opportunity to say thank you.
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| Photo courtesy of Oil City News. |
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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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