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Accomplishments

Senator Bob Bennett's Accomplishments

Tax Policy
  • Instrumental in passing the largest tax relief measure in history in 2003, which created over 8 million new jobs, over 47 consecutive months of economic growth, helped bring down the budget deficit, and returned trillions of taxpayer dollars back to hard working Americans.
  • Honored campaign pledge to simplify and restructure the tax code by working on a bipartisan effort to develop a new national tax system based on a flat tax/consumption based tax.
  • Sponsored successful amendment calling on the Senate Finance Committee and the Joint Economic Committee to undertake a comprehensive analysis of tax simplification proposals, including flat tax proposals, and to conduct appropriate hearings and consider appropriate legislation.
  • Instrumental in the formation of the tax and economic policy of 1996 Republican Presidential Nominee Bob Dole.
  • Sponsored bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the carryover of unused nontaxable benefits under cafeteria plans, flexible spending arrangements, and health flexible spending accounts.
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Veterans
  • Introduced and passed legislation to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah as the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, honoring a Utah Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.
  • Cosponsored legislation providing advanced funding for veterans' health programs. Such two year planning ensures that budgetary uncertainty does not disrupt the quality care owed to our nation's veterans.
  • Worked with the Utah delegation to press the VA to consider placing a walk-in counseling center for veterans in Ogden. This center would alleviate the stain placed on the Salt Lake City Vet Center, and would enhance the care available to veterans of northern Utah.
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Governmental Affairs
  • Worked closely with Senate leadership and a handful of lawmakers in legislative effort to create new federal Department of Homeland Security.  This department consolidates a number of previously disparate government agencies and is responsible for focusing the full compliment of federal assets on defending our nation from the threat of terrorism.
  • Senator Bennett has been a consistent advocate of modernizing government. In a September 2009 hearing on contracting data systems, Senator Bennett noted that, "Government develops processes that should be integrated, but are not. This is because agencies begin doing things one way, and often stay that way for the wrong reasons. Federal agencies should overcome their separate interests, and find a solution that gives us the integrated and functional system we all need." Since that hearing, the federal government has streamlined its process of reporting contracting information. This improvement will generate immediate benefits to taxpayers, as the metrics this system provides will help contractors deliver needed services while eliminating wasteful expenditures.
  • Co-sponsor of the Lieutenant Colonel Dominic ‘Rocky' Baragona Justice for American Heroes harmed by Contractors Act, which will ensure that contractors are accountable for their actions when supporting our troops overseas.
    • In a November 2009 hearing, Senator Bennett heard the testimony of the parents of US Army Lieutenant Colonel Dominic "Rocky" Baragona. LTC Baragona was the victim of a negligent driver in Iraq, who was working for a contractor. As Senator Bennett observed, this tragedy "reminds us of the dangers inherent in simply wearing the uniform of our armed forces, and the bravery of those who choose to face that danger for us."
  • In a December 2009 hearing on Afghanistan contracting, Senator Bennett sounded a cautionary note to the military and civilian agencies, stating; "I am concerned that too often, when our government agencies outsource their work they also outsource the results. This is poor business practice, whether in the marketplace here at home, or on the front lines of Afghanistan." Senator Bennett intends to continue oversight of Afghanistan contracting, as every dollar saved is done so not only for the American taxpayer, but in furtherance of our vital efforts overseas.
  • In an October 2009 hearing, Senator Bennett admonished the administration to eliminate the barriers to entering the federal marketplace for small businesses, stating; "The federal government spends so much time putting up so many barriers, that the contractor says ‘just forget it.' The process for entering the federal marketplace is so impenetrable that companies decide it is not worth it to sell to us."
  • In a February 2010 hearing, Senator Bennett pushed the idea of small business access further. In his opening statement at that hearing, he said; "encouraging small businesses to sell to the federal government is an essential part of gaining those cost savings. It is my belief that greater competition - which is gained through participation of new companies in the market - will have a greater effect on price than the federal government's aggregated purchasing power. With a greater number of companies competing in the marketplace, the federal government will have access to the best goods and services available, at the best price, and the efficiencies of the market will yield cost savings to the American Taxpayer".

 

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Arts
  • Appointed in 2003 to be a member of the National Council on the Arts.
  • Co-introduced the Artist-Museum Partnership Act which allows artists to take a fair market tax deduction for donated items.
  • Proposed restructuring of federal arts funding by combining the NEA, NEH and Institute of Museum Services into one agency.
  • Supports federal funding for the arts.
  • Sponsored legislation authorizing $15 million for construction of a new Utah Museum of Natural History and announced nearly $500,000 grant as federal "down payment" for design and construction of the new building at the University of Utah.
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Economy
  • Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee in 108th Congress.
  • Hosts the annual Rural Business Conference, to examine the economy and offer advice to small businesses on how they can grow and become more profitable.
  • Amended the 2002 budget to call for quick stimulus for the American economy, linked to a long term stimulus to guarantee economic expansion and job creation. This amendment authorized tax cuts of an additional $42 billion and protected the Bush tax cut, the repeal of which would have amounted to a $439 billion tax increase.
  • Introduced the Main Street Revitalization Act of 2010, a bill that would provide an immediate injection of working capital to invest in small businesses and create jobs by providing simple, targeted tax breaks. Bennett's bill would provide immediate access to working capital and help our economy get back on track quickly.
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Education
  • Supported numerous Utah education initiatives and projects with federal appropriations of over $12.5 million since 2000.
  • While voting against "No Child Left Behind" as amended by the Congress, Bennett has secured $1.5 million to assist the state in developing computerized assessments to better determine how Utah’s children were performing, as well as $1 million to assist teachers increase their teaching qualifications in the coming year.
  • Obtained nearly $2 million for reading and training materials for small rural schools around the state.
  • Worked to amend the ESEA reauthorization bill to make technical corrections to the Rural Education Initiative. This amendment alters the qualifications for grants under this program to include an either/or provision in determining rurality to account for geographic isolation. This amendment has serious impact on those school districts that have a total population density of less than ten people per square mile.
  • Continues to seek relief from the impact of federal government land ownership on Utah’s ability to generate much needed revenue from our state school trust lands.

 

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Agriculture
  • Served as chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies.
  • Following years of crop devastation in the state, secured $7.6 million dollars, in FY 2004 to fight Mormon cricket and grasshopper infestations in Utah. An additional $645,775 was also secured for FY 2003.
  • Following the Forest Service prescribed fire which unintentionally burned thousands of acres of state and private land, including two state parks and land along a critical watershed (Cascade Fire), passed legislation to ensure that federal agencies shoulder the full cost of repairing those lands.
  • Secured $600 million nationally for rural broadband loans.
  • Secured $975 million nationally for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program critical to farmers and ranchers.
  • Successfully secured legislation authorizing $175 million to control salinity levels along the Colorado River so that nearly 2 million acres of agricultural land in western states remains productive.
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Banking
  • Negotiated and guided passage of Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, facilitating check truncation and improving the overall efficiency of the nation's payments system.
  • Named chairman of new subcommittee on financial services and technology,and subsequently Chairman of subcommittee on financial institutions.
  • Helped write Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act in Senate Banking Committee and was influential in moving the legislation through the conference committee.
  • Assisted in crafting Financial Modernization Act of 1999, the most sweeping banking reforms in over 30 years.  Bennett amendments included in the final conference report provide regulatory relief to Industrial Loan Corporations.
  • Hosts annual conference in Utah on new technology in the financial services industry.
  • Passed the Unlisted Trading Privileges Act of 1994, increasing competition in securities markets.
  • Sponsored bill to amend banking and securities laws with respect to "netting" of financial contracts. Agreed to as an amendment to the Bankruptcy Protection Act.
  • Authored bill to amend the Bank Protection Act of 1968 to facilitate the use of electronic authentication techniques(digital signatures) by financial institutions. Eventually a similar bill became law.
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Marriage
  • Introduced legislation that would guarantee residents of Washington, D.C. the right to vote and decide whether same-sex marriage licenses should be issued in the nation's capital rather than allowing the decision to be made by the D.C. city council.
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Disability
  • Secured federal funding for 2002 Paralympic Winter Games to assist with venue operations, spectator services, broadcast support, and ceremonies
  • Introduced legislation to provide for a more equitable allotment of funds for states for centers for independent living. (Language to be included in Vocational Rehabilitation Reauthorization bill.)
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Space
  • Arranged 1995 visit to Salt Lake City of the space shuttle Discovery.
  • Sponsored annual Space Talk exhibit at Utah State Fair.
  • Sponsored semi-annual conference on space policy.
  • Argued successfully that recent modifications to the RSRM made the ASRM program unnecessary and wasteful.
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Intellectual Property Rights
  • Recognized as the Intellectual Property Legislator of the Year in 2001 by the Intellectual Property Owners Association for his work to enhance the effectiveness of the U.S. Patent Office. (2001)
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Health Care
  • Chaired the Senate Republican Health Care Task Force in the 104th Congress.
  • Led opposition to President Clinton's plan for government-run healthcare.
  • Worked to restore deductibility of health insurance for the self-employed, portability of health insurance, and confidentiality of medical records.
  • In 1998, as member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, committed to doubling NIH funding over next five years.
  • Sponsored a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for research and services with respect to lupus.
  • Introduced a bill to ensure confidentiality of medical records and health care-related information. While the bill was not enacted as law, Bennett's hearings made an important contribution to the body of information on the subject and many of his proposals were founding the administrative ruling by the Secretary of Health and Human Services that forms current health privacy standards.
  • Worked in 2003 to include a healthcare infrastructure provision in the Medicare package for cancer hospitals and research.
  • Signed on as co-sponsor of the Healthy Americans Act with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). It's the first major bipartisan healthcare legislation in more than a decade. It guarantees quality, affordable, portable health coverage for every American, cutting health costs by more than $1.48 trillion over the next decade.
  • Cosponsored an amendment that would ensure that the health care reform legislation in the Senate would not allow federal funds to be used for abortion coverage.
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Census
  • Introduced legislation which would require the Census Bureau to include a question on every decennial census asking whether the respondent is a citizen or lawful resident of the United States. This would ensure that the apportionment of congressional seats and the Electoral College will be based on the legal population, rather than unfairly advantaging those communities with high illegal populations.
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Appropriations
  • Sees that Utah is fairly represented during the appropriations process from seat on powerful Senate Appropriations Committee.
  • Currently sits as Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.
  • Served as the Chair of the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development and Related Agencies.
  • Served more than 4 years as chairman of the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch.
  • Gained spot on the transportation subcommittee, key to funding numerous Utah transportation projects.

Additional appropriations totals are listed under the various topics in this document.

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Congressional Reform
  • Called for and saw enacted congressional reforms -- congressional accountability, curbing unfunded mandates, term limits for committee chairs.
  • Headed a bipartisan Senate task force on congressional reorganization.
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High-Tech
  • Named chairman of the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 (Y2K) Technology Problem.
  • Recognized by the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) as ‘Legislator of the Year’ in 2000 for his support and leadership on key information technology issues.
  • Named chairman of the new Senate Republican High-Tech Task Force, focuses on facilitating high-tech growth – 106th Congress.
  • Inducted into High-Tech Legislator Hall of Fame by the American Electronics Association.
  • Named chairman of the new Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Working Group, the Senate's central clearing house for cyber safety information and CIP issues.
  • Sponsored and passed legislation to bolster the nation's critical infrastructure and establish a safe conduit through which vital information from the private sector can be shared with the government.
  • Sponsored an unanimously approved resolution designating October as National Cyber Security Awareness Month, to help raise awareness and encourage Utahns to take steps to ensure safe internet use.
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Year 2000 Computer Problem
  • Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem.
  • Held 34 public hearings and solicited testimony from more than 150 witnesses to assess the scope and impact of the Y2K problem on both the private and public sectors.
  • Became known as the leading congressional voice in alerting U.S. government and business to the looming crisis.
  • Successfully urged President Clinton to appoint a "Year 2000 Czar" to ensure the United States' successful Y2K rollover. 
  • Sponsored legislation to require disclosure by publicly traded companies of their Year 2000 readiness.  SEC quickly enacted similar requirements.
  • Identified additional high-tech industry concerns and issues as a result of close associations with members of high tech industry leaders.
  • Sponsored bill that became law to encourage sharing of information about Y2K related computer processing problems, solutions, test practices and results.
  • Helped assure Y2K crisis was averted in making Y2K issues high profile for government and private sector organizations.
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Russian Religious Freedoms
  • Urged a review of U.S. aid following comments by Alexander Lebed that Russia should ban all religions other that Russian Orthodox, Islam and Buddhism.
  • Authored letter calling on President Clinton to urge Russian President Boris Yeltsin to veto religiously restrictive legislation.
  • Met in Moscow with Russian officials and received verbal assurances that the law would not be used in a manner that would be punitive to the LDS faith or other western religions.
  • Used contacts established in Russia to closely monitor and to obtain vital information on the investigation into the kidnapping of two Mormon missionaries.
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Mexican Economic Crisis
  • Asked to be Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole's liaison between the Clinton administration and the Federal Reserve in finding a solution to the 1994 crisis.
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Firearms Licensing
  • Crafted compromise legislation allowing state law enforcement agencies to better track the activities of federal firearms license holders while also enabling legitimate federal firearms dealers to continue their law abiding businesses and pursuits.
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Transportation

Roads

  • Authored language in Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) authorizing the use of discretionary funding to assist Olympic venue cities, expediting I-15 reconstruction in Salt Lake Valley.
  • Facilitated an agreement between the U.S. Forest Service and private property holders for the construction of a new access road to the Olympic Downhill Skiing venue at Snowbasin ski resort.  The existing road was too narrow and winding, posing a safety hazard for the transportation of visitors to one of the Olympic Games' major venues.  Senator Bennett worked with his appropriations committee colleagues to pay for the construction of this road.

Light Rail

  • Obtained federal commitment for 80 percent of cost of north-south light rail transit. This full-funding grant agreement amounted to $240 million toward light rail construction.
  • Secured federal full-funding grant agreement toward construction of Main Street to Rice-Eccles Stadium light rail transit.  This line proved helpful in moving Olympic visitors and provides daily access to the University of Utah for thousands of students.
  • Secured federal full-funding grant agreement toward construction of Main Street to Rice-Eccles Stadium light rail transit.  This line proved helpful in moving Olympic visitors and provides daily access to the University of Utah for thousands of students.

Bus Transit

  • Successfully increased bus fleet in many communities in the state.

Commuter Rail

  • Actively pursued federal financing for development of a Wasatch Front commuter rail system.  These funds have been used to conduct preliminary environmental work and design of the rail line.

Airports

  • As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, assisted Salt Lake City International Airport in meeting demands of growth by seeking federal funding for ongoing and future improvements.
  • Funded a number of safety and security improvements at Ogden-Hinckley Airport including main runway reconstruction, terminal security equipment, de-icing facilities, helicopter pad, taxiway and perimeter fencing improvements.
  • Appropriated more than $1.6 million in federal funds for construction of a control tower at the Provo Airport, one of the state’s busiest general aviation airports.
  • Helped in gaining approval for installation of an instrument landing system for the Logan-Cache Airport, boosting the local economy by enabling charter, business and cargo aircraft to continue operations during periods of inclement weather.
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Olympics
  • Authored legislative language to permit security and non-security support from the Department of Defense for the Olympic Games.
  • Secured millions of dollars for Olympic preparations.
  • Requested and received federal funding for drug doping control program for the 2002 Winter Games.
  • Successfully sponsored legislation to authorize the minting of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games commemorative coin.
  • Guided Senate passage of Snowbasin land swap, exchanging 1,300 acres of federal land needed for a prime Olympic venue for 4,100 acres of private land.
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China/Iran Arms Transfers
  • Repeatedly urged Clinton administration to sanction Chinese for transfer of chemical weapons equipment and C-802 missiles to Iran.  Limited sanctions were later imposed.
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Defense
  • Opposed the Obama administration efforts to transfer detainees currently housed at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the United States and opposed their prosecution in civilian courts.
  • Engaged in ongoing effort to bolster Utah's defense industry by supporting beneficial defense programs, namely the Minuteman III Solid Rocket Motor manufacturing base and the strategic ICBM force.
  • Worked to increase defense contractor accountability in Iraq and Afghanistan through increased oversight.
  • Argued successfully to support Hill Air Force Base during the 1995 and 2005 Base Closing and Realignment Commission rounds.
  • Fought to increase funding and equipment for the Utah National Guard, HAFB and Utah defense community through the defense appropriations process.
  • Prohibited funding of study on transporting chemical weapons to Tooele.
  • Introduced and passed legislation to require a Department of Defense study of the adequacy of the domestic production of beryllium, a critical metal for our national defense.
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Energy and Natural Resources

Land Use

  • Successfully blocked efforts to stop Utah's RS 2477 roads agreement with the Department of Interior.
  • Worked to block Clinton administration's Rangeland Reform proposals.
  • Responding to the obstructionism that has left many of Utah's national forests in a deteriorating condition, most notably the Dixie NF, Bennett cosponsored the bipartisan breakthrough amendment on the Healthy Forests legislation to streamline the administrative appeals and judicial review process.  The Act is considered to be the most significant reform in forest management policy in decades.
  • Advocated sound land use solutions such as Holistic Range Management.
  • Worked to prevent the implementation of the Clinton Roadless Initiative.

Parks

  • Secured funding for new visitor centers in Arches NP, and Hovenweep NM.
  • Passed legislation to authorize the construction of a new visitor center and administrative office at Timpanogos Cave National Monument and Uinta National Forest.
  • Secured funding for shuttle system in Zion National Park, reducing congestion and pollution in the park.
  • Led a bipartisan effort to reform National Park concessions policies.

Natural Resource Appropriations

  • Worked to significantly increase Utah's PILT payments.  Payments to Utah's counties have nearly doubled since FY 99, escalating from $9.7 million to approximately $19 million in FY 04.          
  • Secured the first dollars for Utah's GIS wilderness mapping effort and approximately $3 million to date.  This data is being used by the state with the Department of the Interior in demonstrating the strength of its RS 2477 roads claims.
  • Secured funding for the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge's water management system and the Refuge's visitor education center.  Total funding for the visitor center, water management system and roads funding is approximately $10 million.
  • Gained funding for preservation and maintenance of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Utah's Millennium Trail.  Total funding secured by Bennett for the trail now exceeds $10 million.
  • Successfully authored legislation to authorize $15 million for the construction of the University of Utah Museum of Natural History.  The Museum will ensure that artifacts collected from federal lands in Utah will have a repository for their storage and display in Utah, rather than being transported to other museums where few Utahns will have the chance to enjoy them.
  • Secured approximately $10 million since 2000 for the clean up of the Moab Atlas tailings pile.
  • Secured funding necessary for the continuing completion of the Central Utah Project which allows 10 Utah counties to develop their portion of the Colorado River water.

Other

  • Authored language to prevent any federal funds from being used to study the draining of Lake Powell.
  • Worked to gain approval of two major school trust lands exchanges to benefit Utah's public schools (Lands in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the West Desert).
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Environment

Water

  • Cosponsored Safe Drinking Water Act, helping to safeguard public drinking water supplies.
  • At the request of local leaders, Bennett secured $7 million for the construction of facilities at the Ashley Valley Water Treatment Plant to reduce dangerous levels of selenium leaching into Ashley Creek and threatening two species of endangered fish downstream in the Colorado River.
  • Supported Ogden City's sewer and drinking water rehabilitation with appropriation money enabling the city to repair its deteriorating sewer and drinking water delivery systems.
  • Successfully amended existing law to establish a program for assisting municipalities in rural Utah to meet their local water and wastewater treatment needs and authorizing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tousle up to $25 million to help develop local water systems in small communities.

Other

  • After it was determined that the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) was involved in the creation of the Grand-Staircase Escalante National Monument without consulting Congress, Bennett introduced an oversight provision to reign in the federal agency to its original mission of coordinating environmental policy rather than promoting politically generated environmental agenda.
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Welfare
  • Joined with other republicans in successfully overhauling the nation's welfare system, establishing greater flexibility for states and increased individual accountability.
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