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Throughout my more than decade long tenure in Congress, I have been a leading advocate for
protecting the people of Wyoming’s constitutional right to privacy. My
steadfast commitment to protecting your freedoms is why I voted against the National Defense Authorization Act
(NDAA) which included an extension to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) without reforms that would
strengthen privacy rights to prevent the federal government from conducting unconstitutional mass surveillance.
While defending America’s national security is of paramount importance to me, I cannot knowingly support
legislation that erodes the people of Wyoming’s right to privacy by rubber stamping warrantless surveillance of American citizens under
FISA. The Constitution is crystal clear – if the government wants to conduct
surveillance on its citizens, it needs to get a warrant. FISA, as currently written, fails to meet that basic threshold explicitly written in the Bill
of Rights. Earlier this year, I cosponsored the bicameral,
bipartisan Government Surveillance Accountability Act which protects the people of
Wyoming from unfounded surveillance by making significant reforms to FISA and requiring warrants for government purchases of private data from data
brokers. FISA does and should play a role in keeping our country safe, but serious reforms are needed to do so without trampling all over the people
of Wyoming’s rights. Happy
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Senator Lummis' Week in Pictures | ||||
I spoke at a Western Caucus
Foundation press conference to highlight the failures of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) ahead of its
50th anniversary. Since its inception, 1,667 species have been listed but just 62 have been successfully delisted. 36 of the 62
species that were delisted were because of data errors, including when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service erroneously listed the Monito Gecko because
it was unaware the species was nocturnal.
We need to enact commonsense reforms to ensure the ESA is more effective in saving
impacted species and less harmful on people living and working in Wyoming and out west.
My office
sadly had to say goodbye to our intern Aidan Jacketta of Evanston this week. Aidan has been a joy to have for the past couple of months, and I know he
is going to do great things in the future!
This week, I got to take part in one my favorite traditions – the Annual Holiday Cookie Party. For 24 years, former
Senator Mike Enzi and his wife, Diana, would host an annual holiday cookie party for support staff at the U.S. Capitol that are unsung heroes who keep
us safe and keep the lights on. This tradition started when Senator Enzi was the Mayor of Gillette as a way to say thank you to staff for all of the
hard work they do. When Senator Enzi came to the Senate, he continued this tradition by baking more than 200 dozen cookies as a way to say thanks to
everyone that helps throughout the year. When I arrived it the Senate, it was my privilege to carry on this tradition in partnership with the
Congressional Awards Foundation.
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GRANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WYOMING |
The Bureau of Land Management
in Wyoming has opened several funding opportunities. The six new grant programs are targeted to maximize multiple-use programs on federal lands and
provide funding to emphasize the importance of public-private partnerships. These grants are open to states, local governments, tribal entities, higher education institutions, nonprofits and local entities.
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WYOMING SHOUT OUT |
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Whitney Wickes from Sheridan and her horse Chapeau, nicknamed Chapo, racked up the
victories last month at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) National Championship horse show, one of the most prestigious equine competitions
in the country. Whitney won the 1.35-meter junior/amateur jumper grand prix class at
the show, which was held in November in Las Vegas. The win also earned them an overall reserve national champion title in the USHJA 1.30/1.35-meter
junior/amateur jumper division. I am so proud of Whitney and
Chapo, and I am sure these victories are only the start for this dynamic duo!
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OFFICE LOCATIONS |
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