Today I joined some of my colleagues in asking for an extension of the 30-day comment period to allow for appropriate review of three recently proposed rules involving health insurance exchanges. We sent a letter to U.S. Dept. of Treasury S...ecretary Timothy Geithner, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and U.S. Dept. of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. These new rules involve hundreds and hundreds of pages and will cost the public hundreds of millions of dollars. The least they could do is give people some more time to wade through them. Click the link below to read the letter.See More
Mike Enzi3,106 likes · 77 talking about this
3,106 likes · 77 talking about this
- Majority Leader Reid has proposed weakening the filibuster. I think that’s a bad idea and it will only foster an environment of partisanship and gridlock. If you want your senators to have their voice heard in the future, we can’t eliminate the filibuster. Click the link below to see our side of the story.
- Last week Diana and I hosted our office’s annual cookie party here in D.C. We invited all the Senate support staff, everyone from Capitol police officers to cafeteria workers, to enjoy over 100 dozen home-baked treats. Thank you for all the work you do, it allows me and my staff to do the work we do.
- The Senate may soon consider an extension of the banking account insurance program that would continue Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) protection for non-interest bearing accounts. It’s called the Transaction Account Guarantee, or TAG, program. It’s scheduled to lapse Monday, December 31 and if it does, accounts of $250,000 or more (usually small business accounts, hospitals, or accou...nts for cities and towns) would not be covered under FDIC. I hope my colleagues vote with me to extend the insurance coverage. If they don’t, then these folks could take their money out of community banks and move them to the large banks that they think the government won’t let fail. Or worse, they could look overseas for places to put their money. I believe extending the TAG program for a couple more years will help keep things more stable while we continue to work on an economic recovery.See More
- I do not support giving the president the power to unilaterally raise the debt limit without any congressional oversight. This would amount to giving a blank check for even further spending that we cannot afford. I joined some of my colleag...ues in sending a letter to President Obama stating that surrendering the power of the purse gives away our best opportunity to enact bipartisan deficit reduction legislation. Nearly every significant deficit reduction law of the past 27 years has been linked to a debt limit debate. Click the link below to read the letter.See More
- The financial plan the president has proposed to avoid the fiscal cliff would increase spending, encourage borrowing, and raise taxes. He wants to raise taxes by $1.6 trillion over the next 10 years and add $50 billion in new “stimulus” spending. This is not going to solve our fiscal woes. New revenue of $160 billion a year does not make a $1 trillion per year deficit disappear. He also wants auth...ority to raise the debt ceiling. That would take Constitutional power out of the hands of Congress. This would eliminate a powerful check against more debt: a spending limit. We should move away from a comprehensive, all-inclusive bill and break it up into smaller pieces of legislation. Let them be debated and amended. Allow more members to work on it, instead of very few. If more elected representatives had input instead of only a select few behind closed doors, we’d see a lot more progress on solving this issue. Without Congressional action, the average increase per Wyoming income tax return would be about $3,000 a year starting January 1.See More
- Last night the Senate passed the bill that provides necessary funding authorizations for Department of Defense, including military personnel pay and benefits. I voted for it. We worked through more than a hundred amendments on the Senate floor. The vote total was 98-0. That is what happens when a bill goes through committee, comes out with bipartisan support and each senator is given the opportunity to contribute.
- Any loss of life is tragic, especially when it hits so close to home for so many of us. What took place today at Casper College is a reminder to always look out for one another in our communities and neighborhoods. Diana and I send our thoughts and prayers to everyone affected by today’s events. We appreciate the work of the local law enforcement and school officials who acted quickly to protect students and faculty from further violence.
- The Bill of Rights is very clear on the rights we all have, especially our judicial process. Some folks in Wyoming have expressed concerns that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would allow American citizens to be held without charge or trial. Last night, the Senate passed an amendment to the NDAA to clarify this issue and I voted for it. The amendment makes it clear that no citizen of the United States can be permanently detained by use of military force, declaration of war, or any similar authority. I thank Senators Feinstein and Paul for introducing their amendment.
- To solve our country’s problems we need to do better than compromise. To me, compromise means giving up half of what you believe in in exchange for the other side giving up half of what they believe in. What you end up with is something that no one can believe in. What we need to do is find the common ground. Bipartisanship means finding common ground. We should look for 80 percent where there is ...agreement. Leave out the 20 percent. That’s my 80% rule.
Our nation has made great strides in improving the quality of life for all Americans. The major legislative initiatives that have helped transform our country were forged in the spirit of bipartisanship and cooperation. These qualities are essential to the success and longevity of legislation.See More - I recently had the privilege to present Ranelle Kane and her family (all from Wolf, Wyoming) the medals her father earned in World War II. Staff Sergeant Charles Johnson of the U.S. Army’s 34th Infantry Division earned the Purple Heart, Bro...nze Star and Distinguished Service Cross for his heroic actions fighting in Italy in 1944. Due to a loss of paperwork, awards for Johnson’s heroism and achievements during the war were not recorded. We will never be able to thank these service members or their families enough for what they have done for this country. The whole story can be read here: 1.usa.gov/TjAzDKSee More
- Sublette County residents will have the opportunity to meet with Reagen Green from my Jackson office Wednesday, November 28. She will be at the Pinedale Town Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and at the Sublette County Library in Big Piney from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information, call 307-739-9507.
I meet with people in different parts of the state most weekends, but my staff also holds office hours to answer questions and pass along to me any concerns or ideas you may have. - I’m thankful for my family and friends, and I’m thankful to represent the greatest state in the union. I hope that all are at home with family and friends as we celebrate what we are thankful for. As we celebrate these special days, we will be keeping our troops deployed overseas and their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers. Thank you for your service and all that you do. It is because of you that we are able to enjoy the holidays and our American way of life. Happy Thanksgiving.
- This weekend is Small Business Saturday, a day dedicated to supporting small businesses and their communities. For the third year in a row, I have cosponsored a Senate resolution which designates the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Bus...iness Saturday. This day is intended to draw attention to the local businesses that create jobs, drive our economy and sustain our communities. Participation is easy: on November 24, while you are out shopping, remember to stop by the small, independently-owned businesses in your area. More information about the day and how you can get involved can be found at the website below.See More
- School systems attempting to comply with USDA school meal programs have been met with a lack of USDA flexibility necessary to meet the nutritional needs of many growing boys and girls. Student athletes, students from families with lower inc...omes and smaller school districts are especially feeling the effect of this one-size-fits-all, top-down, federal approach. For example, the program mandates maximum calorie intake based on grade level and ignores gender, height, weight and level of physical activity. I’ve joined Senator Barrasso and others in asking the USDA to move away from formula, toward flexibility.See More
- November is National Adoption Month, which represents the celebration of families established through adoption, but also brings awareness to the needs of more than 104,000 children in the American foster care system today. Currently in Wyom...ing there are 127 children waiting for families, and it is because of people like Todd and Kelly Hoover of Evanston that they are remembered and loved. Voice for Adoption put me in touch with the Hoovers, who adopted three young boys once their daughters started school. They had more love to give, and adoption was something the couple had always considered. I’d like to thank the Hoovers and all Wyoming families who reflect the importance of family, home, and love. From left: Michael, Joshua, Ryan, Tessa, Kelly, Calla, Hannah and Todd Hoover.See More
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