| Down to the Wire: Funding the Government |
Year after year,
the Senate waits until the last minute to vote to fund the government. We know the deadline, it never changes. We have until September 30th to craft a
budget and fund the government for another year. Yet, on September 29th, the House had not passed a budget.
This year is the 25th year that Congress has not followed proper budgetary procedure. Instead, we use legislation
called a continuing resolution (CR) to allow Congress to continue to fund the government at current levels until we vote on a budget. Year after year,
we use this as an out instead of making hard, but necessary, decisions right before an election.
I am in favor of funding our federal government at responsible and sustainable levels, however, all too often, senators use
the CR process to sneak in funding for pet projects. Earlier this month, I signed a letter with Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) urging my colleagues to adopt
a clean CR without additional spending and priorities. If we are going to ignore the proper budget process and rely on CRs, we need to use them for
their true intention, not as a sneaky way to spend more money.
The late
Senator Mike Enzi was a staunch advocate for returning to a proper budget process. Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee would pass their
twelve appropriation bills and Members of Congress would vote on them individually based on their content and costs. Passing my Sustainable Budget
Act to create a plan to put our nation on a sustainable fiscal trajectory is an important first step to
ensuring a workable budget process moving forward.
I voted against the
continuing resolution, not because I am hoping for a government shutdown, but because I cannot abide by spending our future generations into oblivion.
We need to make hard choices now to secure the future for our grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Happy
Trails, |
| Legislative Actions:
- I led a letter with Senator John
Barrasso and Representative Liz Cheney in support of the Town of Afton and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) position on
the Periodic Spring.
- Afton, and many other communities in Wyoming, use spring-fed water
systems to provide drinking water. An adverse action by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding Afton’s spring could jeopardize
spring-fed water sources in other communities throughout the state.
- I
cosigned a letter to the Department of Defense (DOD) on the
contract with Express Scripts regarding the Pharmacy Benefit for TRICARE beneficiaries.
- This new contract is $4 billion, but they are cutting the number of in-network pharmacies from 50,000 to 35,000. Additionally, they are also
implementing the changes starting in October, two months earlier than expected. My office has already been contacted by veterans who have been
notified that there will be no in-network pharmacies within 100 miles. This is unacceptable.
Major Votes:
- Final passage of H.R. 6833, the legislative vehicle for the Continuing Resolution.
- Opposed
- Americans have been
feeling the devastating effects of inflation due to the Democrats’ reckless spending spree. This legislation increases government spending at a
time when we need to cut spending to get inflation under control.
Committee
Hearings: Committee on Environment and Public
Works
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- I joined a hearing titled “Securing U.S. Leadership in Emerging Compute Technologies”
where we discussed artificial intelligence and distributed ledger technologies. To watch the hearing, click here.
|
| Last week, two of my staffers, Chris Land and Tyler Lindholm, headed out to the University of Wyoming for the fifth annual
Wyoming Blockchain Stampede. They chatted with students, faculty, and the general public about the wins Wyoming has had with financial innovation. The
University of Wyoming is a leader in this exciting space, and is making incredible progress through programs like the Center for Blockchain and
Digital Innovation that launched in 2021. 
News Around Wyoming:
Wyoming Delegation Sends Letter to EPA Regarding Spring Water Dispute
in Afton
Sheridan Media
U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis (both-R-WY) and Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) sent a letter to the
Environmental Protection Agency urging the agency to work with the town of Afton and Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to conduct further
tests on the quality of their spring water as opposed to requiring it to fund and build a $12 to 14 million water treatment operation.
The delegation writes, “we strongly support Afton and
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality’s position that a ground water under the direct influence determination is not warranted.
Afton’s compliance sampling spanning over fifteen years has been excellent. There have been no documented or suspected disease outbreaks. The
absence of complaints by water users, the disparity between recent microscopic particulate analysis results and prior MPA results, a successful
chlorination system, and the findings of the 2020 DEQ report all support further analysis and cooperation with parties before making a final ground
water under the direct influence determination.
Right To Repair: Why Wyoming Farmers Are Buying Old
Tractors Instead of New Ones
Cowboy State Daily
Tractors have become so technologically advanced, it’s impossible for farmers and ranchers to fix them, say
“right-to-repair” advocates.
Some
farmers are lobbying their state legislatures for right-to-repair laws. Others are turning to the Eastern European gray market to snag their own
repair software. That’s because manufacturers have a monopoly on repair software in the U.S., advocates argue. |
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| WYOMING SHOUT
OUTS |
|
Former Senator Al Simpson joined the
groundbreaking on the new University of Wyoming College of Law expansion. This expansion will add two stories onto the current building, creating
spaces for clinics, accessible restrooms, and a broader legal education program. I look forward to seeing the final product of this wonderful
endeavor!
The Sheridan VA Medical Health Center is celebrating 100 years of service. They will be hosting a free, family
friendly event on October 1, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m, complete with food trucks, a car show, bounce houses, and a fly fishing competition! If
you are in the area, please stop by and help them celebrate 100 years of veterans’ healthcare!
Click here for more information. |
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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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 |
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