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McConnell’s “Freedom to Fish” Signed Into Law

McConnell measure permanently blocks Obama Administration from restricting access to fishing on the Cumberland River

June 10, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell’s “Freedom to Fish” provision was signed into law today by the President. The measure is included in the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 (WRRDA), which passed the Senate and House in May.

The provision, which was secured by Senator McConnell, institutes a “permanent ban” on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ ability to enforce any attempt to restrict public access to fish the tailwaters of the Barkley and Wolf Creek Dams in Kentucky – some of the most popular fishing areas in the state - by giving states the ability to determine how best to regulate public access to these areas. The language also prohibits the Army Corps from ever constructing physical barriers to these public areas or even attempting to implement any kind of a restricted area using signs in the Cumberland River basin for four years following enactment of WRRDA.

“This is outstanding news for the thousands of Kentuckians and fishing enthusiasts from far away who have enjoyed the pleasure of fishing the tailwaters below Lake Barkley and Wolf Creek dams along the Cumberland River,” Senator McConnell said. “My measure will permanently prevent the Obama Administration from blocking fishing access to the area, which would have hurt tourism in the area and depressed the local economy.”

Background:

On March 19, 2013, McConnell met with Lt. Col. Jim DeLapp, former Nashville Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to discuss the Army Corps’ attempt to barricade these waters. In the meeting, McConnell reiterated his opposition to the Army Corps’ plan and said he would continue to work to prevent the installation of the barricades. On February 12, 2013, McConnell sent a letter to the head of the Army Corps, Jo-Ellen Darcy, voicing his opposition to the administration’s plan.

On Feb. 28, 2013, Senators McConnell, Rand Paul, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker introduced the Freedom to Fish Act to prevent the Army Corps from blocking fishing access to the tailwaters of the Barkley and Wolf Creek Dams. Congressman Ed Whitfield (R-KY) introduced the House companion bill.

On April 13, 2013, Senator McConnell met with local elected officials, anglers and local residents at Lake Barkley to hear firsthand their concerns regarding the Army Corps’ plan and was told that the proposal to block access to these waters would have a major detrimental impact on the communities near these dams. 

On May 15, 2013, the Senate passed its initial version of the Water Resources and Development Act, which included the McConnell Freedom to Fish provision.

On May 16, 2013, the Senate passed a separate bill introduced by McConnell to delay, for two-years, the Army Corps’ ability to restrict public access to these areas, allowing time for the Conference Committee to produce a final WRRDA bill. Senator McConnell’s delay measure was signed into law by the President on June 3, 2013.

On August 28, 2013, Senator McConnell—along with Senator Paul—wrote House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster requesting that he include the permanent Freedom to Fish language in his committee’s bill and in the final WRRDA.

On May 16, 2014, Senator McConnell was successful in securing his Freedom to Fish language in the WRRDA. Senator McConnell’s provision continues a “permanent ban” on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ ability to enforce any attempt to restrict public access to fish the tailwaters of the Barkley and Wolf Creek Dams in Kentucky – some of the most popular fishing areas in the state.

On May 20, 2014, Senator McConnell’s Freedom to Fish is passed by the House of Representatives.

On May 22, 2014, Senator McConnell’s Freedom to Fish provision is passed by the Senate.

On June 10, 2014, the President signs Senator McConnell’s Freedom to Fish provision into law.

Senate Focus Should Be on Fixing the VA, Not Partisan Bill Designed to Fail

June 10, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following remarks on the Senate Floor regarding the need to focus on solutions for our nation’s veterans:

“Americans across the nation have been truly shocked by the way our veterans have been mistreated.
 
“The fact that 18 veterans died in Phoenix alone while waiting for care is a national tragedy.

“This should be reason enough for Washington to take decisive action – action to reform a system that allowed this tragedy to occur, and action to hold those responsible accountable.
 
“And yet, as we now know, the scandal extends well beyond Phoenix.

“In the words of the government’s own inspector general report, the kind of problems we saw there are ‘systemic’ and extend throughout the Administration’s facilities.
 
“A new internal audit, released just yesterday, found that the scandal has spread to 76% of V.A. facilities surveyed.
 
“It also found that about 100,000 veterans continue to wait for V.A. medical appointments – and that many veterans have already had to wait three months or more. This is a national disgrace.
 
“I recently received a message from a disabled veteran who lives in West Liberty, Kentucky.

“He says he’s experienced ‘delay after delay’ in the V.A. system — and he’s understandably fed up.
 
“He says that every time he thinks he’s getting somewhere, he finds that some V.A. employee has changed a date in his file, or has posted a ‘no show’ for appointments he wasn’t even made aware of.

“‘I suppose I will become a casualty of the War with the V.A.,’ he wrote, ‘Before I ever receive a decision on my appeal or ever receive proper treatment.’
 
“It’s not right.
 
“That’s not the promise this country made to our veterans.
 
“And there’s no good reason for the Democrat Leader in the Senate to make veterans wait another day longer. There’s no reason for the Majority Leader to prioritize partisan bills aimed at boosting Democrat turnout in November over bipartisan legislation aimed at fixing the problems at the VA.
 
“That’s why we should move to the Sanders-McCain bill introduced last night.
 
“Veterans have been made to wait long enough at these hospitals. Congress shouldn’t keep them in the waiting room by putting partisan games ahead of solutions.
 
“Fixing this problem is where the Senate’s focus should be right now.
 
“As the acting VA Secretary recently said, the extent of the problems at the VA ‘demand immediate actions.’
 
“He’s right.
 
“I know the Majority Leader would rather turn to a political agenda he already admitted was written by campaign staffers. But we’ll have plenty of time to consider bills designed intentionally to fail later.

“Instead, now is the time for the Senate to act like the Senate again. To be serious. To be more than just a campaign studio for one political party.
 
“Senators Burr, Coburn, and McCain have been working extremely hard on the issue, along with the Chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee. And we all know, there’s no one in this chamber better suited to tackling this crisis than John McCain. He understands the experience and needs of our veterans.
 
“So we should give Senator McCain and the rest of this group the space and the support they need to get effective, bipartisan reform through the Senate. And given that their legislation contains provisions similar to a bill that already passed the House overwhelmingly, I think we’ll get there too.

“But we need to give the effort the attention it deserves first. That means putting the designed-to-fail bills off to the side for a minute.
 
“Because look: this is what the American people actually sent us here to do – to legislate.
 
“So I’m calling on the Majority Leader and the President to hit pause on the never-ending campaign.
 
“Veterans have been denied care. Veterans have died.
 
“This is the issue that deserves the Senate’s immediate attention.
 
“And if our colleagues are serious about getting to the bottom of this scandal, holding the perpetrators accountable, and enacting the reforms needed to fix it…then they’ll actually focus on helping our veterans – instead of worrying about saving their own seats in November.”

McConnell Calls on EPA to Hold Hearing on Coal Regulations in Eastern Kentucky

June 5, 2014

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Thursday invited the Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Gina McCarthy, to hold a hearing in eastern Kentucky to discuss the latest job-killing regulations on existing coal-fired power plants proposed by President Obama earlier this week. The EPA announced it will hold four public hearings on the proposed regulations and, once again, eastern Kentucky was left off the list.

In a letter to Administrator McCarthy today, Senator McConnell wrote: “As you are aware, last fall your agency held eleven public listening sessions ‘nationally’ to gather information before proposing these regulations. Unfortunately, not one of these sessions was slated for a non-metropolitan city dependent on coal.  As coal employs 7,000 Kentuckians and accounts for over 90 percent of Kentucky’s electricity, I formally invited the EPA to hold an additional listening session in Pikeville, Kentucky—the heart of coal country— which your agency did not honor.

“However, I saw earlier this week your agency has announced four additional public hearings on the proposed regulation.  Once again, I was disappointed when neither Pikeville, nor any other location within 5 hours of Eastern Kentucky, appeared on this list.  Sadly, the locations you chose for these hearings are too distant and costly for most Kentuckians to easily attend.”
In the letter, Senator McConnell invited the EPA to hold a hearing in Eastern Kentucky and to “directly explain to my constituents how your proposed regulations on existing coal-fired power plants will impact Kentucky jobs and the Commonwealth's power generation.  As some of the people most affected by this proposed rule, my constituents deserve to be looked in the eye and told how the proposed rule will affect them.”

NOTE: On Tuesday, Sen. McConnell introduced legislation that would block President Obama’s proposed regulations on existing power plants unless appropriate agencies can prove it will NOT eliminate jobs, cost our economy, increase electricity prices or reduce electricity reliability. The legislation is simple: Before the EPA Administrator establishes any new regulation or guidance that limits carbon emissions from new or existing power plants, the following criteria must be met:

  • The Secretary of Labor certifies to the EPA Administrator the regulation will not generate loss of employment.
  • The Director of the Congressional Budget Office certifies to the EPA Administrator that the regulation will not result in any loss in gross domestic product of the U.S.
  • The Administrator of the Energy Information Administration certifies to the EPA Administrator that the regulation will not increase electricity rates.
  • The Chairperson of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the President of the North American Electric Reliability Corp. certify to the Administrator that electricity delivery will remain reliable. 
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