Senator Conrad Burns’ Montana eNewsLetter Friday, October 28, 2005 version 5, edition 8

Backhanded Maneuvers Block COOL

I’m disappointed to tell you that on Wednesday night, opponents of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) succeeded in including a two-year delay of the law in the conference report on Agriculture Appropriations. In fact, I’m more than disappointed, I’m furious. Congress passed a law and President Bush signed it in 2002. Now there are a few hand-wringers in Congress who are bowing to special interests and using backhanded maneuvers to block mandatory COOL. The members who inserted this delay should be ashamed of themselves, and because of this I refused to sign the conference report and I will not vote to pass Agriculture Appropriations. It is the will of Congress, and the will of the cattle producers in this country to implement mandatory labeling. The opponents of COOL do not have the votes to repeal it in the light of day, so they keep using backhanded maneuvers to delay and delay this law. This is a terrible way to do business.

Time to End the Japanese Beef Embargo

On Wednesday I joined many of my Senate colleagues to introduce legislation that will encourage Japan to open its domestic market to American beef. This bill would require the President to impose sanctions on Japanese products if Japan does not re-open its important domestic market to U.S.-produced beef by the end of the year. Specifically, this bill would set forth the deadline of December 15, 2005 as the date by which the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) must certify that Japan has reopened its borders to American beef. If Japan fails to reopen its market by this date, the bill directs the U.S. Department of Treasury to impose additional tariffs on selected articles grown, produced or manufactured in Japan in an amount equal to $2.7 billion by December 31, 2005. Earlier this month I met with Japanese Ambassador Ryozo Kato regarding the embargo, and it was a positive meeting. The Ambassador was optimistic, and he indicated that we could hear something concrete before the end of the month, but time continues to pass with no action. I stressed to him that the Senate is very seriously considering sanctions if the ban continues, and the introduction of this bill shows just how serious Congress is about the matter. The Japanese government must be made to understand that the American beef industry and government cannot continue to stand idly by while Montana producers are struggling to make ends meet. We produce the best beef in the world, and it’s time that Japan gets serious about ending this embargo.

Telehealth Increases Access to Critical Health Services

I recently introduced the “Medicare Telehealth Enhancement Act of 2005,” a bill that would improve the provisions of telehealth services under the Medicare Program and provide grants for the development of telehealth networks. We have been seeing shortages of nurses, radiologists, mental health providers, and other health professionals for quite some time. The demographics in Montana have been changing over the past few years, and our health care providers continue to see more patients over the age of 65. We now have more elderly per capita than most states in the union, and by 2025, the State of Montana is predicted to rank third in the nation in the number of people over the age of 65. Telehealth has been a proven solution to this mounting crisis, and I have long supported efforts in technology to improve the efficiency and quality of healthcare, and make it easier for folks in rural areas to get the health services they need. For a more thorough explanation of my bill, please visit the press release section of my website by pointing your web browser to: http://www.burns.senate.gov.

Hearing on BLM Oil and Gas Production

This week, I held an Interior Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oil and gas production that focused on the current Applications for Permit to Drill (APD) backlog and the bottlenecks to increasing domestic onshore production of natural gas and petroleum. For as long as I have been a United States Senator, I have been keenly interested in our ongoing attempt to supply our nation with sufficient energy to fuel our economy. All segments of the economy are directly impacted by the costs of fuel to produce and move our output. From keeping warm in our homes to moving food to the market, the American taxpayer faces a tighter budget as a result of skyrocketing energy costs. Data from the Energy Information Administration illustrates just how much of a burden the average American is facing. Those who heat with natural gas are facing an expected increase of 48%, or $350 above last year’s cost for heat this winter. If these expectations hold true, the consumer cost for delivered natural gas in Montana will have doubled since 2002. The projections for gasoline and related products are just as dire—over the last three years the average price of gasoline in Montana has also doubled according to the data presented by the EIA. Clearly, we have a big problem, and I look forward to using the information we gathered and working with the BLM and Congress to address this issue.

ICBM Bill

Thursday evening, I introduced a bill which states that it is the policy of the United States to continue to transition to an ICBM force with 500 missiles each equipped with a single nuclear warhead. It is critical to U.S. national security that we maintain the balanced nuclear force structure envisioned by the 2001 Nuclear Proliferation Review and codified in the Moscow Treaty. The strategic nuclear forces that deterred Soviet aggression and kept the limited conflicts of the Cold War era from escalating to global annihilation continue to play a critical role in deterring aggression and dissuading new near-peer competitors. There are still threats out there, which our ICBMs continue to successfully deter, and I feel that our land-based leg is more important to our country’s national security than ever. Malmstrom AFB and the great people there continue to play an important role in ensuring the safety and security of families across this country.

Upcoming Community Outreach Hours

In the coming weeks, several of my state staff members will be holding community outreach hours in an area near you. This is a great opportunity for you to speak with one of my field representatives and let them know your questions and concerns. I know it’s often hard with work and home obligations for people to make it to my field offices, so I want them to visit you. They will relay all the questions and concerns to me, so I can find out what’s on the mind of folks in Montana, and to see if there’s something I can do to help. If you have any questions about any of the outreach hours listed below, please feel free to call Sarah, Denise or Pam at (800) 344-1513.

· Monday, October 31, Sarah Converse will hold hours in Stanford from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Extension Meeting Room, Judith Basin County Courthouse, 31 1st Avenue.

· Tuesday, November 1, Sarah Converse will also be available in Cascade from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm in the Cascade Senior Center, 2 Central Avenue West.

· Monday, November 7, Denise Smith will hold hours in Polson from 10:00 am to 11:30 pm in the Lake County Courthouse at 106 4th Ave E.

· Wednesday, November 9, Denise Smith will also hold hours in Libby from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the Libby Memorial Center at 111 East Lincoln Blvd.

· Friday, November 18, Pam Tierney-Crisafulli will hold hours in Glasgow from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Glasgow City-County Library, 408 Third Avenue South.

Undelivered Tax Refunds

The Internal Revenue Service is looking for 249 Montana taxpayers whose federal income tax refund checks totaling more than $167,000 were returned to the IRS as undeliverable by the Postal Service. Nationwide, 84,290 undeliverable refund checks totaling approximately $73 million wait to be claimed. The refund checks are mostly from 2004 individual income tax returns and, in Montana, they range in amount from $1.00 to more than $15,000. The average check amount is $672.19. Tracking down an undelivered refund check is easy. Taxpayers with Internet access may visit the IRS web site, http://www.irs.gov, and click on "Where’s My Refund?" Entering three basic pieces of information – Social Security Number, filing status, and the expected refund amount as shown on the 2004 federal income tax return – starts the simple and secure process. Taxpayers without Internet access who think they are missing a refund check may also call the IRS, toll-free, at (800) TAX-1040 for assistance.

Funds for Montana Fire Departments

I’m pleased to announce funding for Montana fire departments from the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant Awards program. In this round of funding the Laurel Volunteer Fire Department will receive $218,405, the Absarokee Fire District will receive $116,698, and the Paradise Valley Fire Service in Emigrant will receive $120,631. Each department is being awarded funds to bolster their firefighting operations and safety programs. These departments house some of Montana’s finest first responders. Time and again these folks sacrifice their safety for our own, so I’m pleased to do my best here in Washington to make sure they have all the tools and equipment they need to do their job well. The United States Fire Administration (USFA) is a division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) within the Department of Homeland Security. The mission of the USFA is to reduce life and economic losses due to fire and related emergencies, through leadership, advocacy, coordination, and support. For more information on USFA, please contact the Website at http://www.usfa.fema.gov.

Preparing for Flu Season

Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt recently announced the purchase of additional vaccine that could be used in the event of a potential influenza pandemic. The department has awarded a $62.5 million contract to Chiron Corporation to manufacture an avian influenza vaccine designed to protect against the H5N1 influenza virus strain, which has caused an epidemic of avian flu in Asia and has recently spread to Europe. The number of individuals who could be protected by the newly contracted vaccine is still to be determined by ongoing clinical studies. Developing an effective avian influenza vaccine is a key element of a comprehensive U.S. approach to prepare for an influenza pandemic that includes improved vaccine production methods and stockpiling of antivirals. This contract will increase our stockpile of the vaccine and is a continuation of our aggressive multi-pronged approach to a potentially critical public health challenge

Assistance with Federal Agencies

Every day, I am able to help Montanans who are having problems with Federal agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Immigration and Naturalization Service, Department of Defense, and the Forest Service. It is one of my primary responsibilities to ensure Montanans are treated fairly by the Federal government and my constituent’s concerns and problems are presented to the agency and those agencies work to rectify the problem in a timely manner. If you or someone you know could use help with a Federal Government agency, please feel free to contact any of my eight state offices for assistance or call me at 800-344-1513. You can also visit my website at: http://burns.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Services.Casework.

Military Service Academy Nominations

Each year I look forward to another round of nominations for bright, young Montana students wanting to attend our U.S. Service Academies. As a former Marine, and now as your United States Senator, I enjoy the opportunity to assist those future American leaders who want to attend a U.S. Service Academy. If you are, or know of, a young man or woman interested in a top-of-the-line education and a commission to the United States Armed Forces, please contact my Academy Advisor, Lisa Wheeler, at (406) 723-3277 or (800) 344-1513. The deadline is November 1st for the following years entering class. For more information, visit my website by going to: http://www.senate.gov/~burns/index.cfm?.FuseAction=Academies.Home.