| The FAA
Reauthorization Delivers Huge Wins for Wyoming
|
| Every five years, Congress has the
responsibility to fully fund the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to ensure airports
across the country have the resources they need to shore up security
measures and fulfill costs associated with meeting the demands of both
national and global travel.
As the Cowboy State continues growing, ensuring the people of Wyoming
have reliable, safe and affordable access to travel is critical to
maintaining our state’s economy, and I am proud to have worked
closely with my colleagues to deliver huge wins for the state of
Wyoming in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. I
have fought for more than a year to make sure that millions of
Wyoming’s tax dollars sent to Washington will be put to work to
improve air travel across Wyoming instead of squandered on partisan
provisions the Cowboy State does not support and will not benefit
from. Wyoming is home to
many small airports that serve what would be otherwise isolated parts
of our state. This bill reauthorizes the Essential Air Service program
that supports flights for Cody and Laramie and increases funding for
the program that multiple Wyoming airports use for capital projects.
This FAA reauthorization will also shield the Rock Springs Airport
from arbitrary new FAA requirements to pay for the upkeep of runways
and taxiways and ensure Wyoming’s airports can move forward with
projects under $6 million in federal funds without being subject to
unnecessary red tape. We have also taken great care to shield rural
airports where the community already struggles to find medical
personnel from having to have an EMT present, and my provisions will
help airports like Casper/Natrona County International address air
traffic control staffing shortages. Not only does the FAA reauthorization finally prioritize the
needs of rural airports, but it will now no longer stand in the way of
wildfire response. My provision to this legislation eliminates costly
hurdles to fighting wildfires and establishes a reimbursement program
for airport sponsors to replace firefighting agents and equipment that
meet military specifications. This legislation is a win for the state of Wyoming that will
offer much-needed support to our small airports and bolster our
economy. This reauthorization will improve access to our
nation’s capital for all Americans, eliminate onerous
regulations and create an environment where smaller airports can do
more than just survive. Happy Trails,  |
| Senator Lummis' Week in
Pictures |
| Great to see old friends and hear from
visitors from across the Cowboy State at Wyoming
Wednesday! |
I am proud to be honored as a Fiscal Hero by the Committee
for a Responsible Federal Budget.
Ending Washington's spending addiction and achieving a
balanced budget is my biggest priority and let me tell you, there is a
lot of work to be done.
National
Association of Realtors representative and Casper resident Laurie
Urbigkit stopped by my office to discuss how we can alleviate the
surging cost of buying a home in Wyoming and make housing more
affordable.
This week, we
sadly began to say goodbye to our wonderful spring interns: Jessica
Yang from Casper, Georgi Ringley from Big Horn and Liz Michael from
Colorado Springs.
They were a joy
to have in the office and will be sorely missed.
| Legislative Actions |
| I
joined Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and more than 20 of our
Republican colleagues in introducing a resolution to recognize October
10th as America Girls in Sports Day. This resolution
celebrates Wyoming’s women athletes and stands up to radical
leftwing activists’ efforts to erode Title IX. From Caitlin Clark playing in front of
millions of viewers on television to girls competing in high schools
across Wyoming, women’s sports have never been more popular.
American Girls in Sports Day celebrates the tremendous advancements
made possible by Title IX 50 years ago. Women’s sports are under
an unprecedented assault by the radical left, and it is critical that
we ensure Title IX is around for another 50 years and beyond.
| Working
for Wyoming | | During
COVID-19, we all saw the danger in letting unelected bureaucrats take
control of every aspect of our lives. While Anthony Fauci pushed some
of the most draconian policies, the World Health Organization (WHO)
was equally as bad. The WHO refused to acknowledge what we all knew,
that COVID-19 escaped from a lab in China, and pushed for intense
lockdowns. Now, President Joe
Biden is trying to surrender U.S. sovereignty to elite globalists at
the World Health Organization. President Biden is attempting to give
the WHO the power to declare public health emergencies and expand its
authority over how the U.S. responds to future health emergencies
including implementing lockdowns. I joined Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) in sending a letter urging
President Biden to withdraw U.S. support from the agreement. Any
agreement President Biden attempts to make will be viewed as a treaty
and needs to be sent to the Senate where I can promise you it will
suffer a swift defeat. | |
| Committee Hearings | | Instead of
clearing the way for states like Wyoming to maximize our vast
resources to power the world and bolster our economy, this
administration continues to push its unrealistic, domestic
energy-killing policies that kneecap our critical resources to cater
to climate alarmists. I grilled
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan
during an Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on this
administration’s outrageous Fiscal Year 2025 Budget and the
deluge of EPA regulations that undermine American energy and impose
unrealistic electric vehicle mandates. Click here to
watch. | |
| Grant Information |
| The
Department of Energy has announced $425 million in grant funding for a
wide array of manufacturing and carbon capture technologies. Small-
and medium-sized manufacturing firms in Wyoming are encouraged to
apply, with priority given to those in census tracts where coal mines
or coal-fired electricity generating power plants have closed. To see if you are eligible or to learn
more about the funding opportunity, click here. |
| Wyoming Shoutout |
| Two of Wyoming's
finest ambassadors will be competing on the world stage this
weekend. Rowan, a Bracco Italiano,
and Sansa, an Australian Shepherd, will be competing in the 148th
Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this Saturday. Sansa, a Casper resident, will be joined
by her owner Shelby Shank and Rowan, a Douglas resident, will be
joined by his owner Jenni Nieft.
Best of luck to Wyoming's canine competitors! |
Photo courtesy of
Cowboy State Daily.
Photo courtesy of
Cowboy State Daily.
