March 2010 E-News

Statement

Welcome to the March Edition of E-News! In today's 24-hour news environment, providing you with timely information on federal efforts and legislation important to Idaho and our country is a top priority for me. This electronic newsletter, along with my website, iTownHall meetings, podcasts, Facebook and YouTube gives me the opportunity to keep you informed on issues important to Idaho, the West and our country. In every edition of E-News, I include a survey question that gives you a chance to weigh in on key issues of the day, and it helps keep me informed of your views.

Reaching as many Idahoans as possible is extremely important to me, and you can use the "Tell a Friend" form on the lower left to pass this along to friends, co-workers and family members. It is my intent that E-News provides you with an interesting and informative resource to help you keep informed on developments in Washington that affect our state, and that you will let me know of anything that I can do to improve E-News and other communications tools.

In this month's E-News, you will find information on:

* Health Care Reform-Continues to be a massive expansion of the role of the federal government
* Armed Services and National Defense-Support for bringing F-35s to Idaho
* Energy-Nuclear energy is the future
* Natural Resources-Idaho Congressional Delegation works to protect discounts for use on Forest Service lands for senior citizens and disabled Americans
* Intern Program-Internships available in my Washington, DC, and state offices
* iTownHall-2010 schedule now set

Health Care

On February 25, President Obama invited Members of Congress to attend a health care summit at the Blair House in Washington, DC. I'm very discouraged by the outcome of the health care summit. The President's insistence that essentially the same bill we have been debating for the last year must be the template for any health care bill to be considered precludes genuine negotiations. There is real potential to reach bipartisan support for a number of significant and meaningful reforms that will truly reduce the cost of health insurance premiums and increase access to health care. But we cannot reasonably build that consensus if the President continues to insist that the starting point must be a bill with a $950 billion price tag that would result in skyrocketing taxes, devastating cuts to Medicare, extension of government control over the health care economy, and would increase, not decrease, the cost of health care insurance for millions of Americans. Americans have made it very clear that this is not the kind of reform that they want. It is my hope that we will start genuine negotiations and build on the many ideas where we can find true bipartisan agreement. Return to the top.

Armed Services and National Defense

Mountain Home Air Force Base and the Idaho Air National Guard have both qualified as top five locations, in their respective categories, under consideration for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The two locations are not competing against each other, as Mountain Home Air Force Base is under consideration for the operation of up to three squadrons of the F-35, while the Boise Air Terminal is being considered for training and support missions through the Idaho Air National Guard. Over the past year, I have met with Air Force leaders and personally expressed my support for these missions to the Air Force Chief of Staff, General Norton Schwartz. This is exciting news for Idaho and the first step in securing the future missions for Idaho that will lead to an increased investment in jobs, aircraft and infrastructure in Idaho. The next step in the base selection process includes a formal environmental analysis, site surveys and public meetings. To register your support, and for more information on how you can support Idaho in this process, click here. Return to the top.

Energy

For far too long, one of our most promising alternative energy options has been left to languish--nuclear energy. Nuclear power should be a central, key part of our national energy strategy. It is encouraging that the President's Fiscal Year 2011 budget provides stronger support for nuclear energy through a significant increase in loan guarantees for construction of new nuclear plants. I firmly believe in the benefits of nuclear energy, which can provide energy and economic security to our country's energy supply, and I have been a strong proponent of nuclear loan guarantees since the program began in 2005. I recently gave the keynote speech at the Nuclear Energy R&D Summit. To listen to the full speech and the question and answer session that followed please visit my YouTube channel. Return to the top.

Natural Resources

My Idaho delegation colleagues recently joined me in asking the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service not to cut discounts for senior citizens and disabled Americans under the Interagency Pass Program. The program provides discounted use rates for activities on Forest Service lands, but the Forest Service is attempting to reduce the discounts from 50% down to about 10% for programs and services operated by Forest Service concessionaires. If the Forest Service was to move forward, some passholders would find the cost of recreation on their public lands prohibitive. Of equal concern to the actual economic impact is the demographic groups that it would effect; the recession has been especially hard on senior citizens and the disabled, who already must shoulder the burden of high healthcare costs and depleted retirement savings. It is confusing that the Forest Service would find it necessary or appropriate to levy increased fees on seniors and the disabled. In this economic climate, we cannot eliminate the opportunity for our senior and permanently disabled citizens to enjoy our public lands, and I will continue working with my delegation colleagues to fight these misguided efforts at the Forest Service. Return to the top.

Intern Program

In the 1970s, I served an internship on Capitol Hill with Idaho 2nd District Representative Orval Hansen. It was an eye-opening experience, as it occurred during the summer of the Watergate break-in, and it helped spur my interest in the political process and public service. It may do the same for many students interested in politics, public service, public relations, writing or many others fields of study. Through an internship in my Washington, DC, office students can gain valuable experience and learn first-hand about our nation's capitol city. Former interns in my office have found great jobs in public relations, news organizations and on congressional staffs, both in Idaho and DC. Their internships have also been useful in getting accepted into competitive graduate programs.

There are also internship opportunities in my state offices. Please visit my website for more information on my internship program and contact information for both Washington, DC, and state office internships. You can also read about the experiences of interns in my office at the Intern Blog on my website. Return to the top.

iTownHall

Using technology to connect with Idahoans helps me keep in touch even when the Senate is in session. In November 2007, I started hosting iTownHall meetings using a telephone/Internet program. This allows me to spend an hour or so speaking with Idahoans, who also have the opportunity to ask me questions about issues that they are concerned about. While the program uses the Internet, it is not necessary for participants to have a computer. All that is needed to participate is a telephone and an hour of your time. The iTownHall meetings are never scheduled during a time when I can be out in Idaho, meeting in person with individuals and groups. They are scheduled to allow me additional opportunity to visit with Idahoans about issues of importance. As such, they have taken place in the middle of the week, generally on Wednesday evenings, during weeks when the Senate is in session.

The quarterly meetings will be held throughout the year, generally every three months, depending on the Senate schedule. The calls will also likely be on a Wednesday, starting at 7 p.m. Mountain/6 p.m. Pacific. The schedule for 2010 is listed below, has been completed. Please note that the schedule is subject to change pending the Senate voting schedule.

* March 10, 2010
* June 9, 2010
* August 4, 2010

Please visit my website to sign up for my next iTownHall scheduled for March 10, 2010, and to listen to previous iTownHall meetings. Return to the top.

Still looking for more information? Use the questions to the left to specify issues that are of concern to you.

It is my hope that you will benefit from being aware of changes in legislation of concern to you. Please visit the Issues and Legislation section of my website for information that addresses many issues important to all of us. As always, I highly value the opinions and concerns of my fellow Idahoans. With that in mind, we continue to work to improve my website. But please do not reply to this e-newsletter. Any comments, suggestions or concerns that you have should be sent to me through the E-mail Me section on my website. Also, let me know if there are issues that you would like me to address.

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