Doc Hastings RSS Articles

Bipartisan Farm Bill Moves Forward

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Just before midnight on May 15th, after hours of debate, the House Committee on Agriculture passed bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Farm Bill for another five years. While it’s far from perfect, this bill includes a number of reforms that reduce federal spending and eliminate duplicative programs, while continuing key priorities that help growers and processors in Central Washington remain competitive in an ever-global marketplace.

With a record national debt and families across our country tightening their budgets, there is no question that the federal government must learn to make do with less. I’m pleased to see that this bill eliminates or consolidates more than 100 programs and includes measures to reduce fraud and abuse – saving taxpayers an estimated $40 billion.

The bill eliminates direct payments to farmers while still providing a safety net to help producers manage risk. For the first time since 1996, it reforms the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to reduce fraud, waste and abuse, and it ensures that benefits are going to those most in need. This includes common sense proposals such as preventing lottery winners from receiving benefits and cracking down on abuses by states like Washington, which several years ago infamously mailed $1 heating assistance checks to thousands of residents so they could qualify for SNAP even though they earned more than the nationally set income limit for the program.

At the same time, this legislation continues the important investments in agricultural research, pest management, and trade promotion programs that are critical to ensuring that our farmers can continue to compete. This includes renewing the Agricultural Research Service to help growers stay ahead of pests and diseases, making strong investments in the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, which helps growers of crops like apples, potatoes, and hops that have never received federal subsidies, and continuing the National Clean Plant Network that gives our wine grape, tree fruit, and hops growers access to virus-free rootstock.

The bill also fully renews funding for the Market Access Program (MAP), which helps growers open up new markets overseas. With one in three jobs in Washington state dependent on international trade, MAP is critical to helping local growers continue to find new countries to send their top-quality products. A 2010 study found that for every federal dollar invested in MAP, we gain an additional $35 in agricultural exports, which has generated more than $6.1 billion in annual economic activity for rural communities throughout the country.

Agriculture has been the backbone of Central Washington’s way of life for generations, and is still the foundation of our economy today. The extension of the current Farm Bill expires on September 30th and our growers need and deserve some certainty so that they can plan ahead. There’s no question that improvements can be made and additional savings can be found while preserving key investments in Rural America’s future. I will continue to advocate for federal policies that give our growers the tools they need to succeed.

Hastings Urges Obama Administration to Halt Proposed Endangered Species Listing

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Doc Hastings (WA-04) today sent a letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Director Dan Ashe expressing concern over the USFWS hastily listing the White Bluffs Bladderpod under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and seeking to finalize a critical habitat designation next week. In the letter, Hastings urges Director Ashe to immediately halt efforts to enforce this designation, allow the public at least 60 days’ extension for meaningful comment, and to allow a public hearing for impacted farmers and landowners to express their concerns. Click here to read the full letter.

“Because the right to one’s private property is a fundamental right protected by our Constitution, when federal rules and regulations might impact such rights, as here, I firmly believe that extra caution should be exercised by the federal government,” wrote Hastings. “As you know, I have been highly critical of the Department of Interior’s negotiation of settlements behind closed doors with litigious groups that frequently petition and file Endangered Species Act-related lawsuits against the federal government, because they defy transparency and accountability, and raise questions regarding the Service’s ESA management priorities. These settlements also ignore input from states and local entities that are most affected by the potential ESA listing or critical habitat designation. Without a reasonable extension, it would confirm my criticism has been justified.”

Background:
Last month, Hastings called the listing “the latest example of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s reacting to self-imposed deadlines from a closed-door settlement with a litigious environmental group.” The White Bluffs Bladderpod is found on thousands of acres near the Hanford National Monument in Franklin County and Benton County, Washington. The critical habitat designation for the Bladderpod includes over 400 acres of privately-owned land as habitat, which could cost over $300,000 in lost irrigated agriculture value.

This announcement follows two court settlements in 2011 between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Center for Biological Diversity and WildEarth Guardians that require the USFWS to determine whether 757 different plant or animal species should be listed as endangered before 2018. The Bladderpod, as well as the Umtanum Desert buckwheat species, was petitioned for Endangered Species Act listing by the Center for Biological Diversity in 2004.

As Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee with jurisdiction over the Endangered Species Act, Hastings has promised to closely examine actions to determine what improvements might be necessary to the Act to ensure the local community, private property, and the public’s right to access public lands are protected.

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Preserving Social Security for Future Generations

Fri, 10 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

As a parent and grandparent, I want to ensure Social Security is protected for today’s seniors and for generations to come.

Social Security Administration facts show our nation is changing. 160 workers were paying into Social Security for every retiree receiving benefits in 1935. Today, there are 2.9 workers for every retiree, and this amount is expected to drop to two workers per retiree by 2030. As our nation changes, the current system is simply not able to keep up. In fact, Social Security trustees estimate that by the year 2033 it is expected to go broke. Improvements are needed if the Social Security promise made in 1935 is to be kept.

It’s time to stop postponing solutions and start working toward a consensus to strengthen the program for our children and grandchildren. The sooner we strengthen Social Security, the more options we will have. The longer we wait, the more costly a solution will be – that’s the unfortunate reality.

As I’ve said before, Social Security reform must be guided by three basic principles.

First, I will never support legislation that reduces benefits for those in or near retirement. America must honor its commitment to those who have worked a lifetime and earned the right to a secure retirement that cannot be taken away.

Second, Social Security must be made permanently sound – a partial fix leaves the promise of Social Security in doubt and places an even heavier burden on our children and grandchildren.

Third, we cannot afford to increase payroll taxes high enough to keep Social Security from going broke – the burden on hardworking Americans would be much too great.

Finally, younger workers should have the choice of voluntarily investing a portion of their money in personal, protected retirement accounts. Currently, the money deducted from their paycheck goes to pay for Social Security benefits for today’s retirees. Younger workers should have the choice of setting aside a portion of that money in their own retirement accounts so they can build a nest egg for themselves and their families. I’ve supported these reforms in the past and I continue to advocate for them now.

As the national conversation continues about the future of Social Security, many options and ideas will be carefully considered. A secure retirement for our children and grandchildren, while protecting the full benefits of today’s seniors, is a goal we all share. It matters more than partisan divides. It’s a worthy and necessary goal that should unite our nation not divide it.

Thank A Teacher During Teacher Appreciation Week

Fri, 03 May 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Somewhere along the way, most of us have had a teacher who influenced our lives in a big way. Perhaps a teacher encouraged us to pursue a particular interest or skill, challenged us to push the limits and achieve more, or saw something in us that we were unable to see on our own.

During the first full week of May, communities across America will celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to reach out and pay tribute to over 7 million men and women nationwide who dedicate their lives to educating children.

Teachers play an important role in the lives of our children, our communities, and our nation. Our teachers pass knowledge on to the next generation. They help guide our children through their early years and inspire them to strive for success.

I look back on my years in the Pasco public school system with many fond memories of teachers who helped shape me into the person I am today. I imagine that most Americans can reflect on their school days and remember some special teachers who made a real difference in their lives.

The most important factor in a student’s success in school is the quality of the teacher in the classroom. It takes a special kind of person to become a teacher. I commend Central Washington teachers for the time and energy they devote to our children and the dedication to their profession day in and day out.

One of those dedicated people is Central Washington’s very own Jeff Charbonneau, a science and physics teacher at Zillah High School. Jeff had the opportunity to spend the week in Washington, D.C., where he was named National Teacher of the Year at a ceremony at the White House. I am proud that one of Central Washington’s own teachers was selected to receive this prestigious national award and will represent our community as he travels around the country as an ambassador for education in the coming year.

Teachers do not always receive the appreciation they deserve. I would like to say thank you to all the hard working teachers, especially those in Central Washington, who are educating the future of our great country.

This week, I encourage you to extend a “thank you” to a teacher who has made a difference in your life.

Government Report Confirms Flawed ESA Science; Specific Answers Needed for Farmers, Forest Managers

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Following today’s release of the National Research Council’s (NRC) risk assessments report on pesticides, two key Members of Congress called on four federal agencies to start over and conduct a more thorough study that more directly answers serious questions relating to Endangered Species Act biological opinions (BiOp) and crop protection products.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) requested the NRC to examine some trivial issues pertaining to the Endangered Species Act consultation process for pesticides. Today’s NRC report, titled “Assessing Risks to Endangered and Threatened Species from Pesticides,” raised general concerns regarding the federal government’s methods to conduct scientific assessments of ecological risks from pesticides, as required by the Endangered Species Act. However, the report failed to specifically evaluate NMFS biological opinions that several House Members, states, scientists and even a federal court, have criticized as flawed and indefensible.

At a May 2011 joint oversight hearing, held by the U.S. House of Representatives Committees on Agriculture and Natural Resources, a bipartisan group of Members urged the federal agencies to modify their request and ensure the NRC conducts a complete and comprehensive evaluation of all aspects of the Biological Opinions pertaining to pesticide use nationwide. Members specifically requested that such a study include an evaluation of the technical and economic feasibility of the so-called “reasonable and prudent measures” suggested by the NMFS, as well as a comprehensive scientific peer-review of each of the Biological Opinions that had been issued to date. In a follow-up letter to the NRC dated June 23, 2011, Chairmen Lucas, Hastings, and Simpson outlined the minimum issues that needed to be addressed if the study was to be at all valuable.

If implemented, NMFS measures would affect more than 112 million acres and impact rural economies in California, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho by ending the use of vital crop protection tools, forcing family farmers out of business, and jeopardizing production of a significant portion of the fruits, vegetables and grains grown in these states. The measures would also put human health at risk by restricting the ability to control disease-carrying mosquito populations.

Though the USDA, EPA, and even the NRC agreed that such a comprehensive analysis would be necessary and beneficial, this request was rejected without justification by the NMFS and FWS. The subsequent contract proffered by the government agencies specifically prohibited the NRC from conducting a comprehensive analysis and instead allocated valuable government resources to a study of only a few trivial issues.

A recent Fourth Circuit Federal Appeals Court decision re-enforces the need for the analysis advocated by the Members of Congress when it vacated the first of NMFS’ Biological Opinions for NMFS’ failure to do the necessary analysis under the ESA and its implementing regulations.

“While we appreciate the hard work of the NRC, the charge to the council was so restrictive as to render their final report meaningless,” said Rep. Frank Lucas. “If we are to truly protect threatened and endangered species and their critical habitats, it is essential that the federal agencies charged with administering the Endangered Species Act be open to legitimate scientific scrutiny of their policies and practices.”

“With the recent federal court ruling that NOAA’s salmon BiOps for crop protection products are based on flawed science, outdated data, and failed to consider economic impacts, it is imperative that the National Academy of Sciences comprehensively review the flaws and force NOAA to re-write these opinions as soon as possible,” said Rep. Doc Hastings. “In addition, while incomplete, the National Academy of Sciences’ report clearly raises questions about the lack of data and questionable science used by federal agencies to implement the Endangered Species Act, and will require more oversight.”

Congressman Frank Lucas represents the 3rd Congressional district of Oklahoma and serves as Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture.

Congressman Doc Hastings represents the 4th Congressional district of Washington and serves as Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources.

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Congressional Mailbag

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:00:00 GMT

Each month I receive thousands of e-mails, phone calls, letters, tweets, and Facebook messages on a variety of topics. I wanted to share a few questions that I’ve recently received.

Is Congress working to end the sequester?

President Obama has proposed more tax increases on hardworking Americans to end across-the-board spending cuts, known as sequestration. The federal government has a spending problem and the President must get serious about prioritizing how our taxpayer dollars are spent. Instead of threatening employees with furloughs or layoffs, government agencies should instead make more responsible, prioritized solutions to reduce their overhead costs. I believe we need to cut spending and I voted twice to replace the across-the-board cuts with targeted cuts that achieve greater savings. In response to recent flight delays, Congress passed a bill to give the FAA flexibility to better prioritize its spending, so that air traffic controllers no longer will be furloughed. This will help ensure air travel remains safe and flights won’t be delayed.

Is Congress’ budget being cut too?

You may be interested to learn that Members of Congress were not exempt from spending cuts. In fact, my own office’s operating budget was cut by 8.2 percent this year, bringing the total reductions to my office budgets to 20 percent in the last three years. As Americans are doing more with less, so should Congress, and so should the Obama Administration.

What are you doing about the management of gray wolves and their impact on Central Washington communities?

The current wolf situation has created a confusing management and regulatory scheme that has left Washington and other states in the weird situation of having wolves listed as endangered on one side of a highway and de-listed on the other. Wolves can’t read maps, and people and property deserve better than the federal government’s current, perverse wolf management under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). I recently joined 68 Members of Congress in sending a bipartisan, bicameral letter to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe urging support for the de-listing of the gray wolf under the ESA throughout all lower 48 states. In my view, state governments are more qualified to effectively manage wolf populations and are better able to meet both the needs of local communities and wildlife populations than Washington, D.C. bureaucrats.

I appreciate that so many people I represent from Central Washington take the time to share their views with me. The easiest way to contact me is through my website at www.hastings.house.gov where you can e-mail me and sign up to receive e-newsletters. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

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Hastings’ Statement on Senators’ Discussion Draft of Nuclear Waste Legislation

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Doc Hastings released the following statement on the bipartisan group of U.S. Senators’ draft legislative proposal for comprehensive nuclear storage that was unveiled yesterday:

“Yucca Mountain is the national repository under the law. Legislative efforts like this that circumvent Yucca Mountain and support the Obama Administration’s illegal shutdown of Yucca Mountain will be met with my strongest opposition.

Distracting focus from a permanent repository through interim storage gimmicks, taking us back to square one with an unrealistic siting process, and punting a permanent repository off until 2048 is wholly unacceptable.

A $12 billion facility designed to vitrify Hanford’s high-level tank waste so that it can be sent to Yucca Mountain is nearly 70 percent complete. The longer Yucca Mountain is delayed, the longer waste will remain at Hanford. Hanford has long provided interim storage for the majority of our nation’s defense nuclear waste – and it will continue to serve as an interim storage site until Yucca Mountain is finished.

This legislation solves a political problem for one Senator to the detriment of Hanford cleanup, of nuclear power, and of American taxpayers.”

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Natural Resources Committee Approves Three Bipartisan Hastings’ Bills to Improve Public Access in Central Washington

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Today, the House Committee on Natural Resources passed three pieces of legislation authored by Congressman Doc Hastings (WA-04) that would advance public access and fishing opportunities in Central Washington. The three bipartisan bills, pertaining to Rattlesnake Mountain, Stehekin Road, and North Cascades fish stocking, passed the Full Committee by unanimous consent. Hastings, who chairs the Committee, reintroduced the three bills last month for the 113th Congress. All three of Hastings’ bills passed the House of Representatives with broad, bipartisan support in the 112th Congress (2011-2012), but the Senate failed to take a vote on the bills.

“I am pleased that the Natural Resources Committee today approved three bills, which are important to Central Washington. These bills would provide greater recreational access to the public, increase tourism, and create new fishing opportunities in Washington. All three of these bills passed the House of Representatives with broad, bipartisan support last Congress. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure they will pass again with the same level of support, and I sincerely hope the Senate will approve these bipartisan initiatives before the end of the year,” said Congressman Hastings following the Committee vote.

Background:
The Rattlesnake Mountain Public Access Act (H.R. 1157), would allow public access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain located on the Hanford Reach National Monument in Benton County, Washington. Currently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Interior Department agency responsible for managing the Hanford Reach National Monument, despite completing a management plan years ago, has refused even limited public access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain. Hastings’ legislation would require the Secretary of the Interior to provide reasonable public access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain in the Hanford Reach National Monument for educational, recreational, historical, scientific, cultural, and other purposes.

H.R. 1156 renews efforts that would allow the National Park Service to relocate and rebuild the Upper Stehekin Valley Road in the North Cascades National Park. Over time, floods and the changing path of the Stehekin River has critically damaged significant sections of Stehekin Road. The Road occupies a narrow corridor within the borders of the Stephen Mather Wilderness Area. Hastings’ bill would adjust the wilderness boundary for the sole purpose of rebuilding the closed section of road away from the Stehekin River, provided there is no net loss of wilderness acreage.

The North Cascades National Park Service Complex Fish Stocking Act (H.R. 1158), would allow the practice of fish stocking in North Cascades lakes to continue, a tradition that has been in place for more than a century, and which long predates the establishment of the National Parks Service. Without this legislative authority, the National Park Service has stopped and will not continue fish stocking. Hastings’ legislation would permit the stocking of up to 42 lakes in the North Cascades National Park Complex that have historically been stocked with fish and is home to many recreational activities that draws Park visitors from around the state, region, and beyond.

In addition to the 112th Congress, Hastings’ Upper Stehekin Valley Road Access bill and the North Cascades National Park Service Complex Fish Stocking Act passed the House of Representatives in the 111th Congress (2009-2010), but were not acted upon by the Senate.

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Hastings’ Statement on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Listing Two Hanford Reach Plants as Endangered

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Congressman Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) announcement of final listing for the Umtanum Desert buckwheat and the White Bluffs bladderpod as protected species under the Endangered Species Act. Yesterday’s announcement from the USFWS also designates approximately 344 acres as critical habitat for the Umtanum Desert buckwheat and 2,861 acres as critical habitat for the White Bluffs bladderpod, including 419 acres of private property in Franklin County.

“This is the latest example of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s reacting to self-imposed deadlines from a closed-door settlement with a litigious environmental group. It is unclear why, with a national debt of nearly $17 trillion and other economic and environmental priorities, the Obama Administration feels the need to take this action now. This designation includes over 400 acres of privately-owned land as habitat for two plants, which the Fish and Wildlife Service concedes could cost over $300,000 in lost irrigated agriculture value,” said Hastings. “I am also concerned that this action could de-value private property and block public access and multi-use of thousands of acres of Hanford monument and adjoining state-owned boat launch access. As Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee with jurisdiction over the Endangered Species Act, I intend to closely examine this action to determine what improvements might be necessary to the Act to ensure the local community, private property, and the public’s right to access public lands are protected.”

Background:
The Umtanum Desert buckwheat and the White Bluffs bladderpod are found on thousands of acres near the Hanford National Monument in Franklin County and Benton County, Washington. This announcement follows two court settlements between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Center for Biological Diversity and WildEarth Guardians that require the USFWS to determine whether 757 different plant or animal species should be listed as endangered before 2018. The two species were petitioned for Endangered Species Act listing by the Center for Biological Diversity in 2004.

In a related matter, Hastings’ recently reintroduced legislation—H.R. 1157—the “Rattlesnake Mountain Public Access Act,” which directs the Department of the Interior to provide the public with reasonable public access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain located within the Hanford Reach National Monument. Hastings’ legislation passed the House of Representatives by a unanimous vote of 416-0 in the 112th Congress. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, despite finalizing a management plan of the Hanford Monument in 2008, has failed to provide any public access to the summit, though they recently announced plans to allow, for the first time, two tours next month of wildflowers that are located near the summit.

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Obama Administration Tactics Violate Due Process

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Last summer, news reports broke that the U.S. Department of Labor was effectively holding hostage the crops of blueberry farmers in Oregon until they signed documents agreeing to alleged violations to federal labor laws. Since then, similar cases have popped up on the West side of our own State of Washington.

Agents from the Department of Labor accused these farmers of a variety of labor violations and invoked an abusive tactic known as the “hot goods” provision – impounding the farmer’s crops until they agreed to sign a form admitting to breaking the law.

Make no mistake, I believe that the enforcement of labor laws is important. However, I’m concerned with the manner in which these investigations were carried out. Many of the growers that were victims of this “hot goods” policy believed that they were not guilty of the violations they were accused of. However, as we all know, blueberries are a perishable crop and our farmers are left with little choice: either admit to the violation and pay a substantial fine in order to preserve their harvest, or contest the investigation and lose their crop while waiting for a court resolution. No one in America should face the choice of giving up their ability to defend themselves against accusations from a government agency or losing the fruits of an entire year’s work – possibly even leading to bankruptcy.

Prohibiting the shipment of produce is grossly unprecedented, unfair, and does not honor the right to due process afforded to all Americans.

So far, to my knowledge no one in my district in Central Washington has yet been a victim of the “hot goods” tactic. However, I am concerned that it’s only a matter of time before it will be employed on growers of many of our region’s leading perishable crops, such as cherries, apples, and asparagus.

Many believe, as I do, that the Obama Administration is overstepping its authority and that the “hot goods” order should only be used on nonperishable food items and only in extreme cases.

I have long-advocated for policies that support our farmers and growers. That is why I’m proud to cosponsor H.R. 1387, introduced by Representative Kurt Schrader of Oregon, which exempts perishable agricultural commodities from being subject to the “hot goods” provision.

The Department of Labor must take steps to ensure that perishable agriculture producers are provided due process and that producers can harvest, pack, ship, and market their fruit and produce in a timely manner – without having their crops held hostage for an admission of guilt.