Recently in Washington

Last week the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1213 and H.R. 1214, legislation that would repeal mandatory funding included in the Democrats’ healthcare law.  The House also passed H.R. 3, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act.  Congressman Simpson supported these bills.

The House also passed H.R. 1230, the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act, which would required the Secretary of Interior to issue drilling permits in the Gulf of Mexico and Virginia, areas where the President has placed a drilling moratorium.  Congressman Simpson cosponsored this legislation.

Delegation Praises Department of Interior’s Move to Delist Wolves
In compliance with congressional direction, Department of Interior releases next steps to delist the gray wolf and return them to state management
The Idaho Congressional Delegation last week praised the actions of the U.S. Department of the Interior to delist the recovered gray wolf in the Northern Rocky Mountains. The decision came after Congressman Mike Simpson, Chairman of the House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee, inserted language in the recent continuing resolution to return the gray wolf to state management.

“No one can rationally argue that the Rocky Mountain gray wolf is still endangered.  Wolf populations in the west are robust and far exceed recovery goals,” said Simpson. “If the Endangered Species Act is going to be effective at all, we need to remove recovered species from the list and consider it a victory.  In this case, instead of recognizing that wolves have made a strong recovery, advocates have been intent on listing them in perpetuity, preventing wildlife managers from making good management decisions and undercutting the intent of the ESA.  Today we’re finally moving past this controversy, putting wolf management back into the hands of the state, where it belongs.”

“I commend the Department of the Interior and Fish and Wildlife Service for promptly complying with the wolf delisting provision that was included in the recently-passed Continuing Resolution for the remainder of this fiscal year,” said Senator Mike Crapo. “As I have said on many occasions, the wolf is recovered in the northern Rockies and the State of Idaho has proven that it can and will effectively and responsibly manage wolves.  Now that the federal government has taken this step, the State of Idaho can finally get to work.”

“Common sense has finally prevailed when it comes to managing wolves in Idaho,” said Senator Jim Risch. “This species is fully recovered and now state wildlife experts can manage gray wolves just like other predator species found throughout the state.  It is unfortunate that it was such an arduous task to get this issue resolved.”

“The original purpose of the ESA has been perverted to do the bidding of activist environmentalists. This is the first step to ensuring these groups no longer misuse the ESA to permanently protect a species regardless of its recovery,” said Congressman Raúl Labrador.  “The recovery of the gray wolf took place several years ago and since that recovery many Idahoan ranches and outfitting businesses have suffered through the killing of livestock and prime hunting herds by these apex predators.  We must remain vigilant in the future to other overbearing federal restrictions on state sovereignty.  This is a great example of a crisis that could have and should have been handled by the state itself and not the federal government.”

Simpson’s language in H.R. 1473 overturned the August 2010 decision by a district court in Montana to put wolves in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Utah back on the endangered species list, in spite of the fact that these populations have met and exceeded recovery goals.  The language directed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reissue its 2009 decision to delist wolves in Idaho and Montana within 60 days of enactment.  Last week’s action by the Fish and Wildlife Service complied with the law, republishing the final rule and allowing for state management, including managed hunts in Idaho and Montana this year.  This rule was effective immediately upon publication. Gray wolves will remain protected in Wyoming, but Simpson’s language protected the ability of the state of Wyoming to negotiate its own state management plan, which, once approved, would allow the Fish and Wildlife Service to delist the entire Northern Rocky Mountain population. 

House Passes More Health Care Repeal Bills
Legislation repeals language that allows for unlimited funds for insurance exchanges
Idaho Congressmen Mike Simpson and Raúl R. Labrador supported H.R. 1213 and H.R. 1214, which both repeal large mandatory spending funds in President Obama’s health care bill that was signed into law last year.

H.R. 1213 would repeal the portion of the health care bill that gives the Secretary of Health and Human Services access to the “amount necessary” to implement health insurance exchanges.  This “amount necessary” is not specified in the bill, essentially granting an unlimited tap on the U.S. Treasury to implement the health care bill.

H.R. 1214 repeals a large mandatory construction fund for school-based health centers. However, these newly constructed facilities may never provide care because no mandatory fund exists in the health care bill to actually pay for care.  Additionally, between the stimulus bill and the health care bill, $3 billion is available for construction at Community Health Centers, making this mandatory fund duplicative and unnecessary.  The bill saves $100 million according to the Congressional Budget Office.

Both bills passed in the House of Representatives and now move to the Senate for consideration.

“There is absolutely no reason that the funds used to set up the health insurance exchanges and construction funds in the bill should not be justified every year in Congress just like many other programs,” said Simpson. “Essentially, the health care bill requires that large sums of money be spent, and then provides that money within the law and takes away the Appropriations Committee’s ability to reduce or eliminate these funds.”

“H.R. 1213 was both unacceptable to me from a philosophical standpoint as well as a practical one.  Exchanges theoretically show promise as a means to bring free market competition to health care, which should bring down costs, but this Health and Human Services “slush fund”  did nothing more than allow the Secretary to pick winners and losers among the states,” said Labrador. “Worse, the funding pool was basically uncapped and it was not tied to any mechanism that would encourage innovation, efficiency and most importantly accountability.  We need real healthcare reform in this country and not new systems that will increase rather than decrease costs and spending, as these health exchanges would have done.”

Committee Action

Wednesday, May 11th
At 9:30 a.m., Chairman Simpson will hold a hearing of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee on the President’s FY2012 budget request for the National Endowment for the Arts.  NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman is scheduled to testify.

At 11:00 a.m., Chairman Simpson will hold a hearing of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee on the President’s FY2012 budget request for the National Endowment for the Humanities.  NEH Chairman Jim Leach is scheduled to testify.

Thursday, May 12th
At 9:30 a.m., Chairman Simpson will hold a hearing of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee on the President’s FY2012 budget request for the Smithsonian Institute.  Secretary of the Smithsonian Wayne Clough is scheduled to testify.

Floor Schedule

Monday, May 9th
Monday, the House is not in session.

Tuesday, May 10th
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 12:00 p.m. for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.

H.R. 1229 - Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act (Structured Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Doc Hastings / Natural Resources Committee)
The rule provides for one hour of general debate and makes in order the following amendments:
Rep. Jared Polis Amendment #22 (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. John Garamendi Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Edward Markey Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Colleen Hanabusa Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Rush Holt Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Jared Polis Amendment #23 (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Alcee Hastings Amendment #12 (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Theodore Deutch Amendment (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Jared Polis Amendment #21 (10 minutes of debate)
Rep. Alcee Hastings Amendment #13 (10 minutes of debate)

H.R. 1016 - Assessing Progress in Haiti Act (Suspension, 40 Minutes of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Barbara Lee / Foreign Affairs Committee)

Wednesday, May 11th
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.

H.R. 1231 - Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Doc Hastings / Natural Resources Committee)

Thursday, May 12th
On Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.

Begin Consideration of H.R. 754 - Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Mike Rogers (MI) / Permanent Select Intelligence Committee)

Friday, May 13th
On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes for the week are expected no later than 3:00 p.m.

Complete Consideration of H.R. 754 - Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Mike Rogers (MI) / Permanent Select Intelligence Committee)

In the News

WOLVES: Delisting rule is a return to 'common sense' -- Western lawmakers
Amanda Peterka, E&E reporter, 5/5/11
Members of Congress from Montana and Idaho were quick to praise the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for delisting wolves yesterday from the federal Endangered Species List.

Responding to a congressional directive, Interior Department officials announced that Fish and Wildlife is lifting protections from gray wolf populations in the two states and in parts of Utah, Oregon and Washington. The final delisting rule was published yesterday in the Federal Register (E&ENews PM, May 4).

"Common sense has finally prevailed when it comes to managing wolves in Idaho," Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) said in a statement. "This species is fully recovered and now state wildlife experts can manage gray wolves just like other predator species found throughout the state. It is unfortunate that it was such an arduous task to get this issue resolved."

Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho) and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) had inserted language into the recent fiscal 2011 spending plan that directed the Fish and Wildlife Service to return the northern Rockies gray wolf population to state management.

The budget rider reinstated a 2009 rule delisting the animals. A federal judge ruled against the delisting last year, saying that wolves could not be under federal protection in Wyoming and state management in Montana and Idaho.

Tester called the final rule a restoration of "a responsible, science-based plan" for wolf management. Wolves continue to be protected in Wyoming, but the rider allows for their removal, too, once the state officials have created an adequate management plan.

"No one can rationally argue that the Rocky Mountain gray wolf is still endangered. Wolf populations in the West are robust and far exceed recovery goals," said Simpson, chairman of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee.

Idaho's congressional delegation blamed environmental activists for delaying the delisting for so long.

"The original purpose of the [Endangered Species Act] has been perverted to do the bidding of activist environmentalists. This is the first step to ensuring these groups no longer misuse the ESA to permanently protect a species regardless of its recovery," said Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho) in a statement. "The recovery of the gray wolf took place several years ago and since that recovery many Idahoan ranches and outfitting businesses have suffered through the killing of livestock and prime hunting herds by these apex predators."

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch (R) said that the delisting did not go far enough.
The final rule delists the gray wolf from the extreme northern part of Utah, but Hatch criticized it for not including the eastern part of the state where the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has found wolf populations present.

Hatch is the lead sponsor of the "American Big Game and Livestock Protection Act," which would put all states in charge of managing their wolf populations.

"While I certainly appreciate the Department of Interior moving forward with delisting the gray wolf in certain parts of our nation, they failed to include the entire state of Utah, even parts of the state where wolf populations exist," Hatch said in a statement. "This is another reason why legislation I've proposed putting states back in charge of managing their own wildlife, specifically the wolf, remains important."

Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) praised the removal but said he still hopes for a legislative solution. Rehberg has introduced a bill to permanently delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List.

"In the last three years, the gray wolf has been removed from the Endangered Species Act three times, by two separate administrations," Rehberg said in a statement. "Each time, I have praised the supremacy of science and the value of letting Montana manage our own wildlife. I am hopeful that this time, against all history and precedent, the wolf will stay under state control."

"But if it doesn't," he added, "I'm also ready to step in with a permanent legislative fix that gets the federal government out of the process once and for all."
Conservation groups called the delisting a premature decision.

"The feds are declaring victory, but gray wolves still only survive in 5 percent of their former range, and even in those places they continue to face a real threat of persecution," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species program director at the Center for Biological Diversity, in a statement. "Taking protection away from them now is premature and will impede the long-term recovery of wolves in the United States."