Cynthia Lummis RSS Articles

Lummis votes to reauthorize Violence Against Women Act

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – In a vote of 222 to 205 the U.S. House reauthorized the 1994 Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The authorization provides federal funding to programs and organizations that provide assistance to victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault. VAWA grants, provided through the Department of Justice along with the Department of Health and Human Services, established such outreach programs as the National Domestic Violence Hotline and other outreach programs aimed at the education and prevention of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. Today’s passage also increases the mandatory penalty for forcible rape to 10 years.

U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo), cosponsor of the legislation, issued the following statement: “These programs are essential to the healing process for victims of domestic violence both mentally and psychically and it does do in a way that includes much needed accountability measures. For some women programs and services provided through these grants are the only safe path to a better future.”

The reauthorization of VAWA provides funding for an additional 5 years.

Lummis Announces Eastern Laramie County Office Hours

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U S Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, and US Congressman Cynthia Lummis are announcing that their representatives, Debbie McCann, Jamie Gronski and Johnnie Burton are scheduled to hold Office Hours in Eastern Laramie County on

Wednesday June 6, 2012, as follows:

Pine Bluffs, Town Hall, 220 Main Street 1:30 to 2:00 p.m.

Albin, Community Center, 430 5^th Avenue 2:30 to 3:00 p.m.

Burns, Community Center, 134 South Main St. 3:30 to 4:00 p.m.

Area residents are encouraged to stop by during those times to report their concerns/interests regarding federal issues. All comments and concerns will be relayed to the senators and the congressman.

Lummis Statement on the Dumping of DOE’s Uranium Stockpile

Tue, 15 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON - In response to the Department of Energy’s announcement today that it intends to release more than 9000 tons of its surplus uranium to bail out the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC), U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo) issued the following statement:

“The Department of Energy’s announcement today adds another chapter to the book of the Obama Administration’s bailouts of failing companies. In this case, it represents a serious blow to our domestic mining industry.

“We have ample uranium resources in Wyoming and all over America. But over 90% of the uranium used to provide electricity in this country is imported. Uranium from American soil, produced by American workers resulting in American jobs can help us correct that imbalance, but not when the Obama Administration levels a direct hit on domestic mining jobs by cavalierly dumping its surplus on the market.

“The Obama Administration’s claim that this massive government intrusion into the market will not have an adverse material impact on domestic mining or conversion simply does not pass the straight-face test.

Lummis Calls for Investigation of Stimulus Dollars Used For Government Lobbying

Fri, 11 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo) called on the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to investigate stimulus grantees’ use of tax dollars to lobby state and local governments. Grant reports submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show grantees using federal tax dollars to influence laws, regulations and policies at the federal, state and local level.

Rep. Lummis provided the Inspector General with several examples of possible violations, such as grantees lobbying for tax hikes on tobacco and sugary beverages, restrictions on fast food restaurants and convenience stores, and menu-labeling legislation.

“Disease prevention and wellness policies might be worthwhile goals, but it is illegal to use federal dollars to lobby the government,” Rep. Lummis said. “The federal government should not spend tax dollars to lobby itself, nor should it use tax dollars to influence state and local government officials. The Constitution gives specific powers to the federal government and reserves all other powers to the states and the people. Using federal tax dollars to lobby state and local governments upsets this balance.”

In authoring the letter, Rep. Lummis was joined by her seven Republican colleagues on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. To read the letter to the Inspector General, please click HERE. Allegations of CDC funds below.

Allegations of CDC Funds Used for Lobbying Activities

Example 1:

Award Number: 1U58DP002592-01

Grantee report excerpt: “A local policymaker identified to support the smoke-free ordinance”; and “drafts and model policies supporting…tobacco excise tax.”

Example 2:

Award Number: 3U58DP002007-01S2

Grantee report excerpts: “advance policy changes that address the sale of sugar-sweetened electrolyte replacement beverages”; “wrote a legislative concept paper…sent forward to the Governor for consideration”; “Reduce density of fast food establishments and convenience stores without healthy food options”; and “enact a moratorium on new drive-throughs.”

Example 3:

Award Number: 3U58DP001958-01S4

Grantee report excerpt: “new Colorado laws passed creating Food Systems Advisory Council and Farm to School Task Force.”

Example 4:

Award Number: 3U58DP002006-01S2

Grantee report excerpt: hired a “grassroots coordinator” who spent “163 hours” and is responsible for “establish[ing] community support by educating and advocating for the adoption of smoke-free policies.”

Example 5:

Award Number: 3U58DP001960-01S3

Grantee report excerpts: “By January 1, 2012, increase the tax on other tobacco products from 15% of the wholesale price to 68% (or a number equal to the state’s cigarette tax based on a per price or per dose basis)”; and “seek sponsorship of bill that increases excise tax on other tobacco products.”

Example 6:

Award Number: 3U58DP001962-01S2

Grantee report excerpt: “obtained support from three (3) lawmakers to introduce future legislation.”

Example 7:

Award Number: 3U58DP001967-01S2

Grantee report excerpt: “support passage of a statewide tobacco free school campus law.”

Example 8:

Award Number: 3U58DP001969-01S2

Grantee report excerpts: “work to enact a comprehensive smoke-free law”; and “reducing exposure to secondhand smoke through local and state laws.”

Example 9:

Award Number: 3U58DP001971-01S2

Grantee report excerpts: “media work on menu labeling project with various partners to pave the way for federal legislation”; and “worked with the Licensing Sub-committee to formulate language changes in licensing legislative efforts…conducted research and coordinated with legislative staff concerning pending legislation.”

Example 10:

Award Number: 3U58DP001975-01S4

Grantee report excerpt: “pass a comprehensive, statewide smoke-free air law…[t]he initiative will include strategies that will: 1) increase public support for smoke-free workplaces; 2) use a comprehensive media strategy that complements existing, state-funded health communication and counter-marketing activities.”

Example 11:

Award Number: 1U58DP002452-01

Grantee report excerpt: “identify a County Council member willing to introduce amendments to strengthen the County’s smoke free ordinance.”

Example 12:

Award Number: 3U58DP002003-01S2

Grantee report excerpt: “Workgroups have been established, legislation is being introduced and youth programs are developing a research program on childhood obesity”; “Legislation is being proposed to codify the Wellness School Policy”; “Legislation is proposed to increase the tax on all tobacco products”; and “[C]reation of a tobacco possession law.”

Example 13:

Award Number: 3U58DP001963-01S2

Grantee report excerpts: “The statewide legislative proposal to ban the display of tobacco products in stores open to youth was prepared for the Governor’s Office”; “working to finalize a policy proposal to amend the Tax Law to restrict the number, type and location of licensed tobacco retailers”; “provided TA for contractors to use in their education & mobilization activities in support of statewide legislative objectives”; and “drafted legislation in support of the ARRA objectives.”

Example 14:

Award Number: 3U58DP001998-01S2

Grantee report excerpt: “lobby for implementation of systems and policies to promote the prevention of chronic diseases and obesity.”

Example 15:

Award Number: 3U58DP001992-01S2

Grantee report excerpt: “six communities will be selected for successful smoke-free ordinance initiatives” and grantees will work to “restrict point of purchase advertising.”

Example 16:

Award Number: 3U58DP001995-01S2

Grantee report excerpt: “promote a comprehensive clean indoor air act within the state.”

Lummis Announces Evanston/Kemmerer Office Hours

Mon, 07 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Michael B. Enzi, U.S. Senator John, U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis R-Wyo., has announced their respective Field Staff Members Reagen Green, Sandy DaRif and Bonnie Cannon will be available to visit with Evanston and Kemmerer residents at the following date, times and locations:

Thursday, May 10

Kemmerer Town Hall from 1:30-2:30
220 Highway 233

Evanston City Hall from 5:00-6:00
1200 Main Street

Area residents are encouraged to visit with the Wyoming delegation on an individual basis to discuss issues or their views, questions, or concerns regarding the federal government. These comments and concerns will then be relayed to their U.S. Senators and Congressman.

Please contact Senator Enzi’s office at 307-739-9507, Senator Barrasso’s office at 307-362-5012 or Congressman Lummis’ office at 307-362-4095 with any questions.

Two New Studies Identify Major Flaws in the Equal Access to Justice Act

Wed, 02 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – The Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Notre Dame Law School published separate studies on the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA) this week that show funds intended for the nation’s veterans, seniors and small businesses are flowing to environmental groups contrary to Congressional intent.

The Notre Dame law review article provides a comprehensive history of EAJA, and relies on a broad analysis of court records and public tax returns to show that millions of dollars are paid out to environmental groups using a social safety-net program not designed for them. The GAO study confirms that while the amount of tax-payer reimbursements to environmental groups is likely in the millions, the federal government has not kept track.

“We have known for some time that the Equal Access to Justice Act needed attention, but these new reports from respected institutions shine a spotlight on the urgency of the matter,” Rep. Lummis (R-WY) said. “These two studies confirm that EAJA is broken and the government is not keeping track; it throws up unnecessary roadblocks to those who deserve the help, and at the same time is a free-flowing spigot for those the law was not intended to assist. But it can and should be fixed as soon as possible. Environmental laws exist for environmentalists; EAJA is for seniors and veterans in need.”

“It’s time to return EAJA back to its original intent of helping our nation’s veterans, seniors and small businesses,” said Barrasso. “For far too long, we’ve watched special interest groups fund their anti-multiple use agenda with Americans’ hard earned taxpayer dollars. These new reports confirm the pressing need for more accountability and transparency when it comes to EAJA payments. Americans deserve to know who their money is going to and how exactly it’s being spent.”

H.R. 1996, the Government Litigation Savings Act, will modernize the Equal Access to Justice Act by improving the process for legal fee reimbursement for veterans, seniors and small businesses, and providing greater certainty on the amount of reimbursements available for these deserving groups. At the same time, H.R. 1996 removes tax-payer subsidies for litigation filed outside the boundaries set by the nation’s environmental laws. The bill is supported by over 100 groups representing conservationists, sportsmen, outdoor recreationists, small businesses and farmers and ranchers.

Highlights from the GAO and Notre Dame studies include:

· Intended originally as a cost saving mechanism, the $125 an hour cap on attorney’s fees is routinely “evaded,” and despite court instructions to narrowly interpret EAJA’s language to increase fees for special factors, EAJA reimbursements range from $157 to over $500 an hour. Notre Dame Journal of Legislation, pages 36 – 41.

o The Government Litigation Savings Act corrects this problem by creating a clear hourly rate applied equally to all legal representation no matter their area of expertise.

· The absence of an equitable cap on the net worth of groups eligible to receive EAJA reimbursement, combined with the absence of any federal oversight provides the opening for well-heeled organizations to sue the federal government repeatedly over procedural issues outside the bounds of environmental law. Notre Dame Journal of Legislation, pages 41-45.

o The Government Litigation Savings Act corrects this problem by establishing a uniform net worth cap of $7 million, and institutes a robust tracking and reporting requirement.

· Reviews of open court documents from September of 2009 to October of 2010 reveal payments to twenty environmental litigants that totaled at least $5.8 million, while an examination of tax returns from these same twenty groups showed the average yearly attorneys’ fees totaled $9.1 million. Notre Dame Journal of Legislation, pages 48 – 54.

o The Government Litigation Savings Act corrects this problem by requiring an EAJA applicant to show a “direct and personal” impact of the government’s action to receive reimbursement.

· After interviewing 75 bureaus and agencies within the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior, the GAO determined that only 10 could provide any data on EAJA reimbursements. One of those ten, which is housed in the Department of Interior, relied on employee memory to create the data. The GAO study is clear that the number of cases and awarded amounts the agency could identify are not “comprehensive, or precise.” Limited Data Available on USDA and Interior Attorney Fee Claims and Payments, Government Accountability Office.

· GAO, which relied only on what the 10 agencies were able to provide, still identified $4.4 million in EAJA payments. This number does not match court documents, tax returns, and is derived from a much larger amount of legal fees. For example, the Forest Service identified over $16 million in legal fees, but could only identify the source of $2.3 million.

o The Government Litigation Savings Act corrects both of these problems by requiring a robust tracking and reporting requirement administered by a third party, disallowing any agency from making the decision that a payment of tax-payer dollars is “too small” to track, or “not needed.”

House Votes to Keep Student Loan Rates Flat

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis joined House colleagues Friday to maintain undergraduate student Stafford loan rates of 3.4%. The rates, set to double in June, were established by a democratically controlled congress in 2007.

The cost of extending the loan rates, over $6 billion, will be paid for by eliminating the Prevention and Public Health Fund. Fifteen billion dollars was appropriated to the fund as part of the Patient Affordable Care Act under the direction of the Center for Disease Control. Through a number of grant reports, the bulk of the Prevention and Public Health Fund has been used for tax lobbying efforts for among other things, junk food, tobacco products and sugary beverages.

The year extension prevents the June interest rate on student loans from rising to 6.8%.

“6.8% is a high interest rate for anyone borrowing right now, let alone students who face hefty unemployment rates after graduation,” Rep. Lummis said.

House Resources Committee Holds Hearing on Lummis Bill to Protect Southwest Wyoming Jobs

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – The House Natural Resources Committee held debate on U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis’ (R-Wyo) H.R. 1192, Soda Ash Royalty Extension, Job Creation and Export Enhancement Act of 2011. Introduced in March of 2011, Congressman Lummis’ legislation extends the 2% royalty rate paid by Wyoming’s natural soda ash producers into the fall of 2016.

The federal royalty of 2% was set by Congress in 2006 as a response to the growing synthetic soda ash industry in China, and the Chinese Value Added Tax rebate for soda ash that artificially depresses the price of the Chinese product. That legislation expired in October 2011, and the Department of Interior chose to substantially increase the costs to operate in Wyoming. The increased royalty rate will add approximately $25 million dollars in new costs annually, while at the same time the Chinese government’s subsidies amount to approximately $30 million dollars annually.

“During the five years of the 2% royalty rate, U.S. manufacturers increased employment, increased production and exports, and increased the royalties paid to the federal and state coffers as compared to the previous five years when the royalty was higher,” Rep. Lummis said. “So by any measure this was a success.”

“As the Representative of the state with significant resource extraction from federal lands, I do not believe that any industry should be able to extract resources on our public lands without paying the American people for the privilege,” Rep. Lummis said. “These resources belong to the American people. But the U.S. government has to be smart when developing and setting these rates because as we know it is a global market place.”

The soda ash industry employees 3,000 people in southwest Wyoming and are responsible for hundreds of longshoreman jobs at the Port of Portland, Oregon and Port Arthur, Texas where Wyoming’s soda ash is shipped around the world.

Accounting for nearly one billion dollars to the balance of trade for the U.S., the extension of this royalty rate is important to maintaining the American soda ash industry’s competitive edge in the global market. This naturally made mineral, derived from the hard rock called Trona, can be found in everyday items such as household cleaners and glassware to car windshields and laundry detergent.

At the forefront of the industry is Sweetwater County, Wyoming, accounting for 90% of the soda ash produced in the United States. This industry has a sizeable impact on employment and our state’s economy, and is crucial to Sweetwater County.

Despite Wyoming’s superior natural product, unfair trade practices, like Chinese subsidies, have eroded the American product’s global market share. It is for these reasons the legislation is supported by the United Steelworkers Union in Wyoming, and the Longshoremen at the Port of Portland.

Watch Congressman Lummis’ testimony here: http://youtu.be/zCAx54GstlA

For more information on H.R.1192 please visit: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.r.01192:

Department of Labor Withdraws Youth Agriculture Restrictions

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON – Thursday evening the U.S. Department of Labor announced that proposed rules to restrict youth from working in agriculture would be withdrawn by the Administration. The new restrictions would have banned teenagers from certain livestock work and eliminated 4-H and FFA training certifications, limiting vocational agriculture training for youth and impairing the intergenerational transfer of agriculture skills and knowledge.

U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo), a Member of the House Appropriations Committee and outspoken opponent of the measure, had been working with U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg (R-MT) to cut off funding for the proposal in the Department of Labor's annual appropriations bill.

“This proposal was a clear intrusion on the family farm by the government,” Rep. Lummis said. “I’d like to thank the families across the country that took the time to voice their opposition to this proposed government intrusion and firmly drew a line in the sand. This is truly a victory for the family farm and the dedicated, time-tested student organizations like 4-H and FFA that were targeted by this proposal. I will see to it that this proposal or anything like it moving forward, does not receive one dime from the taxpayer.”

Western Caucuses Holds Hearing on Western Job Growth and American Energy Development

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 04:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, DC—Today, Senate Western Caucus Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY), Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Steve Pearce (R-NM), and Members of the Senate and Congressional Western Caucuses held a bicameral hearing entitled “The Western Economy—Perspectives of Job Creators in the West.”

Members heard testimony from western business leaders on the specific challenges they face creating jobs in the West. Witnesses discussed the growing amount of Washington red-tape that is limiting American energy and mineral production and threatening to push investment and job creation out of the West.

At today’s hearing, the Western Energy Alliance, which represents over 400 energy companies, presented a new study detailing potential oil and gas development across the entire West. The study specifically found that there are twenty projects that oil and gas companies have proposed in the West that would create 120,905 jobs, $8 billion in wages and bring in $27.5 billion in economic activity.

Highlights from the Hearing:

“Rather than support legislation that will spur economic growth and American energy production, the Obama administration continues to enforce arduous regulations that make it even more difficult for Americans who are already struggling to scrape by. Today, we heard again from American job producers from across the West who reiterated that the jobs and energy are available if they are given certainty and predictability from the federal government.”

- U.S. Representative Steve Pearce (R-NM), Congressional Western Caucus Chairman

“Ever since President Obama took office, he has made it clear that the West is not a priority for him. EPA, the Interior Department, and other Federal agencies seem to almost go out of their way to target jobs in the West—specifically jobs producing American energy.”

- U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), Senate Western Caucus Chairman

“When President Obama and unelected bureaucrats at the EPA talk about an all-of-the-above energy plan they clearly mean some-of-the-above. So far their debilitating cuts and regulations on the coal, oil and gas industries have compromised affordable, accessible energy for our nation and initiated an attack on western jobs and economies. Oil and gas drilling permits are being withheld in some cases for years and new coal-fired regulations have rendered coal power plants extinct already robbing our country enough energy to power 18 million homes. But the biggest victim of this attack is the American energy consumer inundated with rising energy costs for the sake of the Administration’s agenda. At some point logic needs to play a role in the Administration’s energy conversation along with a realization of the importance of western energy sector. I’m thankful for all of the job creators who participated in today’s Western Caucus. Their experiences are invaluable to this discussion.”

- U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Congressional Western Caucus Vice Chairman

“The negative impact from the U.S. Department of Interior’s disastrous public lands policies don’t just end at the fence line. Surrounding communities are the ones who shoulder the lion’s share of the burden, with Washington bureaucrats paying little regard to the challenges they face. If you look at the past ten years, you’ll see a significant disparity in education funding increases between public lands states and those from the east coast. Placing further limits on how the lands may or may not be used makes it harder for states to meet their basic needs, such as providing children with every educational opportunity afforded to others living in states with little or no public lands. There is no justification for this disparity and the current Administration isn’t making things any easier. The Congressional and Senate Western Caucuses are working together to give the West a greater voice as we combat this Administration’s thinly veiled war on the West.”

- U.S. Representative Rob Bishop (R-UT)

“Today's Western Caucus testimony from America's job producers was clear: to get our economy back on track the government must get out of the way. Arizona can be a national model for energy driven economic recovery. I am a proponent of an all-the-above energy strategy which includes the responsible development of alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, hydropower, and biomass. Arizona is conducive to each of these energy sources, and I continue to call on the Administration to loosen its bureaucratic grip so that our nation can create jobs and address the rising costs of energy that our families face every day.”

- U.S. Representative Paul Gosar (R-AZ)

“The Department of Energy claims there is more than 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil in oil shale in Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. This is more than the proven reserves of Saudi Arabia. If we were able to develop this resource the way we are capable of doing, we could have a major impact on the jobless rate as well as the cost of energy in our country.”

- U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Senate Western Caucus Subcommittee on Public Lands Chairman

“We cannot do enough to underscore how important our natural resources are in the west and how important the production of energy is to the American economy. It is important that we focus on the roadblocks that our own government is putting in the way of people who want to create jobs and who want to deliver energy to the American people.”

- U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-ID)

“When we look at what regulations might cost, it is important to understand that FMC and the other domestic soda ash producers cannot ‘outsource’ our soda ash business. We cannot move the world’s largest and most productive source of soda ash to another country. We need to maintain the competitive edge that allows us to export 52% of what we produce, and contribute over $875 million surplus to the overall US balance of trade. We have serious concerns about the future of our competitive position if required to make non- economic decisions based on domestic regulations that our international competitors do not have to comply with.”

- Jim Pearce, Manufacturing Director, FMC Corporation

“Perhaps the most egregious example of example of job killing rules comes from EPA, who is using these rules to drive power generation away from coal by dramatically raising the cost of coal‐fired electricity. The courts are beginning to take note that EPA is over‐reaching its authority. An example is the Spruce permit which was legally issued over three years ago, and then EPA suddenly vetoed that permit. The courts have since reinstated the rule.”

- Greg Schaefer, Vice President for External Affairs, Arch Coal

“Western independent oil and natural gas producers are able to help solve some of our nation’s most pressing economic and energy security challenges, but bureaucratic red tape, redundant and burdensome government regulations, and the unending specter of litigation are standing in the way. There is a pressing need to reform the management and regulation of energy development in the West if the United States is serious about increasing its own domestic energy supplies and rebuilding the economy.”

- Tim Wigley—President, Western Energy Alliance

“Pioneer is concerned that certain regulatory issues will slow our ability to produce energy and create jobs. For example, Endangered Species Act listings are often made without proper science. The Dunes Sagebrush Lizard is affecting operations in Texas. Pioneer’s operation in the Raton Basin is one of the case studies EPA is using for its hydraulic fracturing study. Industry is concerned since Congress has charged EPA to conduct a scientific study of hydraulic fracturing, yet Pioneer has noticed procedures that raise questions about the quality of the science.”

- Tom Sheffield—VP Rockies, Pioneer Natural Resources

“Leasing delays are holding up production. Leasing is not a green light to drill—it’s just the first step in a long, expensive process fraught with bureaucratic red tape and lawsuits. BLM created polices in 2010 that added three additional layers onto the leasing process. These new regulations are in addition to the existing multiple layers of regulation that for decades have made development on federal lands more time-consuming and difficult compared to private lands. As a result, lease parcels offered by the government in the Rockies have declined by 70%, acreage by 81%, and revenue by 44% since 2008.”

- Jim Schroeder—President and CEO, Mesa Energy

“Samson has been frustrated during both the leasing and the permitting phases. Federal law requires BLM to issue leases within sixty days of receiving payment from winning bidders, yet BLM regularly fails to do so. A Government Accountability Office report found that BLM failed to comply with this law 90% of the time.”

- Rich Frommer, VP Rocky Mountain Division, Samson

“Our power production and environmental managers are still going through the EPA’s 1,100-plus page Mercury and Air Toxics rule, otherwise known as Utility MACT. We know there will be impacts from the new rule – more emission control requirements at our power plants – and the cost will be significant. Montana-Dakota Utilities and the other two co-owners of the Big Stone Power Plant in South Dakota will spend $490 million on an environmental retrofit project. That regulatory compliance expense will eventually be added to our customers’ bills, resulting in a rate increase of approximately 15 percent.”

- Geoff Simon, Director of Government Relations, MDU Resources

“Scrutiny of proposed projects is appropriate because we all want to maintain the environment and the quality of our public lands. However, there is a real threat that over-regulation will threaten the global competitiveness, and even the survival of this industry. This shovel-ready economic engine is on stand-by, hampered by the arduous, lengthy, and overly complex permitting process.”

- Pat Rogers, Director of Environment and Permitting, General Moly

“Tri‐State and other electric power suppliers employ thousands of people throughout the West in generation facilities, mines and support operations. Many of these jobs are in rural areas and are among the best‐paying. At a time when there is a major effort to not only create, but to maintain jobs in rural areas, the confluence and additive effects of the myriad regulations we've discussed directly against those goals.”

- Dave Lock, Senior Manager of Government Relations, Tri-State