Legislative Actions:

• I cosigned Senator John Barrasso’s (R-WY) letter to the Secretaries of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Department of Commerce urging the departments to streamline the process for granting broadband permits on federal lands.
  • Much of Wyoming’s broadband infrastructure is either on or passes through federal lands. Streamlining the permitting process will make broadband deployment in Wyoming quicker and easier.
• I cosponsored Senator Brian Schatz’s (D-HI) CONNECT for Health Act to expand access to telehealth services.
  • Since Wyoming is such a rural state, telehealth has allowed for people in the most remote areas to have access to health care they desperately need. When the current Public Health Emergency we are still operating under comes to an end, it’s important Congress acts to ensure telehealth is not relegated back to the restrictions it was under before the pandemic, which limit access to care particularly for our most rural citizens.
• I cosigned a letter to legislative appropriators in regard to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) asking for full funding for nuclear fuel security consistent with the funding levels of the NDAA in other funding vehicles.
  • Wyoming has historically been the largest producer of uranium, and funding a Strategic Uranium Reserve or developing domestic enriching capabilities will encourage economic growth for the state, in addition to lessening our reliance on Russian uranium.

My staff has been hearing growing concern from folks in the state about housing shortages and the issues this is causing when companies are looking to hire new employees. In July, more than 90% of Wyoming communities said that they were experiencing some sort of housing shortage. The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, of which I am a member, held a hearing in September asking stakeholders and loan professionals about how the USDA’s Rural Housing Service can better serve rural residents. This situation is escalating all around our great state and it's something that my team and I are keeping a close eye on, especially as our economy moves closer and closer to a recession.

Media:

I joined Christine Lee on Coindesk TV to talk about my ranking on Coindesk’s Most Influential 2022 list and the need for increased digital asset regulation after the FTX collapse. Click here to watch.

News Around Wyoming:

Senators vote to block railroad strike
Gillette News Record
Sens. Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso both backed successful legislation Thursday to block railroad unions from striking over a longstanding contract dispute.

At the same time, the Wyoming Republicans opposed an attempt to grant seven days of paid sick leave to the workers. That vote ultimately failed.

Without Enough Pilots, Airlines Cutting Service Across Wyoming
Cowboy State Daily
Demand for service is rising at regional airports across the state, but a pilot shortage has forced airlines to cut the number of available flights at most of the state’s nine commercial airports.

Sheridan, Gillette and Cody have lost between a quarter to a third of their regional flights, while Rock Springs and Riverton have lost half or more, according to a study by the Regional Airline Association. Casper, meanwhile, has lost a little more than 10% of its flights, while Laramie had just a slight decline.