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COVID-19 MANDATES
&
KEEPING WYOMING OPEN

Since coming to the Senate in January, I have received thousands of letters, emails, and phone calls from constituents concerned about COVID-19, the vaccine, and mask and vaccine mandates. I hear your concerns, and I want to take a couple minutes to address those concerns.

COVID-19 is serious. It has already taken the lives of too many people in Wyoming, and each death is a travesty. My heart breaks for those who have lost family members to this devastating illness.

Our fear of this virus has sowed discord. It has also empowered the government to issue overreaching mandates. I want to be clear: this pandemic does not make the Constitution irrelevant. It does not mean our rights as private citizens are up for discussion.

While I don’t support vaccine mandates, I do support people’s decision to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Scientists have been researching and working for decades to make treatments like this vaccine possible. The Trump administration prioritized the development of this vaccine under Operation Warp Speed. I received the vaccine when I was eligible, however, I believe getting vaccinated, like any medical decision, is a decision you should make in consultation with your doctor, not because of a mandate from the federal government.

The recent mandates from the Biden administration are far reaching and beyond burdensome. They will not achieve the desired result of stopping the spread of COVID-19. Instead, they will spread further discord and further politicize health care. I also believe that it will worsen our employment problem.

During a crisis such as this, far-reaching federal mandates do not take into consideration what is happening on the ground in our communities. Each state should be responsible for managing their reaction to the pandemic and figure out the best way to stop the spread. The method that works in Los Angeles, California won’t necessarily work in Lusk, Wyoming.

I am an original cosponsor of Senator Ted Cruz’s No Vaccine Passports Act. I am also in discussions with other Senate offices about legislation we can introduce to push back on these federal mandates. I will continue to advocate for an individual’s right to take charge of their own health care decisions.

I care deeply about each person in Wyoming, and I do hope you’ll consider getting this safe, effective vaccine to ensure that you are protected against this deadly virus, but I will oppose any mandate that forces you to take it.

As always, I hope you’ll reach out if you have questions or concerns I can help you with.
SPACE

Happy Trails,

WORKING IN WASHINGTON

Legislative Actions:

S. 2169, my bill to name a federal building in Cheyenne for women's rights pioneer Louisa Swain passed out of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee unanimously. It'll now go to the full Senate for approval. Watch me testify in support of this bill here.
I cosponsored Senator Mike Lee's (R-UT) Transportation Empowerment Act. This bill would transfer funding decisions for transportation back to the states, removing Washington bureaucrats from local decision-making processes.
I cosponsored Senator Steve Daines' (R-MT) bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 service members killed in the suicide bombing at the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan. Wyoming native Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum was one of the 13 service members killed in that attack.

Votes:

Confirmation of Veronica Rossman to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the 10th Circuit
- Opposed
Confirmation of Jayme White to be a Deputy United States Trade Representative
- Supported
Confirmation of Lily Lawrence Batchelder to be an Assistant Secretary, Treasury Department
- Opposed

WORKING IN WYOMING

Media:

I wrote an op-ed about my bill, the
Stop CATASTROPHES Act. This bill would improve forest health and reduce the risk of wildfires by expanding exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act to make sure that forest managers can remove debris that fuel forest fires and implement other forest fire mitigation techniques. Read the full op-ed here.

In State Focus:

People around Wyoming have received notices from their banks and credit unions about a new IRS Reporting Proposal. This proposal would require banks to report personal and business account activity over $600 to the IRS. I want you to know that I am aware of this proposal and actively working to ensure it does not pass. This is a violation of our right to privacy and would place a huge burden on community banks. I cosponsored Senator Mike Crapo's (R-ID) amendment to the infrastructure bill to strike this proposal, but that effort ultimately failed. We are working on other ways to make sure your right to privacy is preserved. In a moment when the IRS isn't responding to taxpayers' questions and concerns, it is appalling that it would insert itself further into our financial matters.

WYOMING SHOUT OUT

I want to congratulate Miamie Sleep for winning the prestigious Jefferson Award! She was selected as one of the five national winners of this award, and will travel to DC at the end of the month to be honored for her work. She is the first winner of the national Jefferson Award from Wyoming.

The Jefferson Award honors individuals who go above and beyond for their communities. Miamie was chosen for this honor because of her dedication to fighting teen homelessness in Natrona County. She has started boys’ and girls’ homes for teens experiencing homelessness in the Casper area.

OFFICE LOCATIONS

Cody

1285 Sheridan Avenue, Suite 210
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

SPACE
Sheridan

P.O. Box 6677
Sheridan, WY 82801
Phone: 307-439-7783

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 124
Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-3424