Senator Markey Decries Trump Pipeline Power Grab

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by: Senator Edward J.Markey (D-MA)

Washington, D.C. - April 12, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement regarding the two executive orders issued this week by President Donald Trump. One executive order would allow the President to unilaterally approve or deny permits for construction, connection, operation, and maintenance work on international pipeline projects like the Keystone XL pipeline, bypassing the State Department and circumventing the need for environmental reviews. The other executive order would make it harder for states to protect their water quality and the environment by directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide new guidance on states’ use of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, which allows states to withhold certifications or impose conditions on federal permits for activities that could result in discharges to bodies of water. The attack on Section 401 authority was opposed by the Western Governors’ Association earlier this year.

“This Trump pipeline power grab will only benefit the American Petroleum Institute and Big Oil’s bottom line,” said Senator Markey, Chair of the Senate Climate Change Task Force. “These executive orders trample states’ rights and completely undermine the role that science and environmental reviews play in making policy and permitting decisions about pipelines projects across the country. It is Congress—not the President—that has the authority to make changes to states’ powers under the Clean Water Act. I will continue to fight this effort to turn states and communities across the country into Big Oil playgrounds.”

Bill To Strengthen Federal Procedure For Pipeline And Compressor Approval Introduced

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by: Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA, 8th)

Washington, D.C. - April 11, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- ongressman Stephen F. Lynch introduced H.R. 2152, the Pipeline and Compressor Safety Verification Act of 2019, to strengthen public health and safety protections during the process by which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decides whether to grant approval to natural gas systems, such as the proposed Weymouth Compressor Station and West Roxbury Lateral Pipeline. FERC certificates are needed to authorize the approval and operation of pipelines and compressor stations, and H.R. 2152 would add the requirement that the Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security of Massachusetts, the State Fire Marshal for Massachusetts and the Director of the Massachusetts Pipeline Safety Division sign off on the certificate, stating the project would not pose a danger to surrounding residential communities in order to allow FERC to grant a license to proceed.

“The certification process of pipeline approval and maintenance is outdated and does not reflect the robust safety measures we must consider for high-pressure pipelines placed in densely populated areas,” said Lynch. “I believe it is critical to include the Commonwealth’s top public safety officials in the review process in order to protect residents in the affected areas from poor oversight decisions at the federal level. It is imperative we take precautions to put the health and safety of our public above all else, and in this case it means adding another important step to the process. We have already seen too many tragedies to maintain the same requirements in their authorization procedure.”

There are notable gaps in FERC’s permit process for pipeline approval and maintenance oversight, and H.R. 2152 will help remedy those loopholes. Additionally, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has agreed to host a listening session in Weymouth to examine the serious public safety issues relating to the construction and operation of the proposed Weymouth Compressor Station, which is anticipated to be scheduled momentarily. PHMSA will arrange for regional staff members to attend the hearing to ensure those in attendance are equally qualified and familiar with the impacted area. This has been agreed upon in response to overwhelming and validated concerns of health experts, citizens groups, and residents of the community and surrounding areas. Last year the Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts witnessed a series of explosions and fires as a result of high pressured release of natural gas funneled into Columbia Gas’ low-pressure distribution system, which is one out of the total 633 pipeline incidents that occurred across the United States last year, resulting in 8 fatalities, 92 injuries and $1 billion in property damage.

You can read H.R. 2152, the Pipeline and Compressor Safety Verification Act of 2019, here

HOEVEN: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD REIMBURSE NORTH DAKOTA FOR DAPL PROTEST COSTS

Senator John Hoeven (R - ND)

Washington, D.C. - July 22, 2018 - (The Ponder News) -- Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem filed a claim with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seeking $38 million to cover the costs related to the illegal protests surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Hoeven secured $10 million in Fiscal Year 2017 through the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance program to help reimburse the state.

“The Army Corps of Engineers and other federal officials did not enforce the law, which allowed the illegal encampment to take place,” Hoeven said. “The State of North Dakota should not have to bear the resulting costs and that is why I have worked to secure funds to reimburse the state. I support the Attorney General in these continuing efforts to make the state whole and will assist however I can on behalf of our state’s taxpayers.”

Trump’s putdown of wind energy whips up a backlash in Iowa (And more...)

Trump’s putdown of wind energy whips up a backlash in Iowa
Council Bluffs Nonpareil
June 22, 2017
President Trump’s putdown of wind energy at his Iowa rally was denounced Thursday across the state, which takes pride in its position as a national leader in wind generation.
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Total solar eclipse 1st in 99 years to sweep width of US
Creston:News Advertiser
June 23, 2017
Total solar eclipses occur every year or two or three, often in the middle of nowhere like the South Pacific or Antarctic. What makes this one so special — at least for Americans — is that it will cut diagonally across the entire United States.
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Nursing home workers still posting vulgar photos of residents on Snapchat
Des Moines:Register
June 23, 2017
Six incidents were in Iowa, which has put a greater focus on identifying such cases. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has called upon Snapchat and other social media companies to do more to stop the problem.
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Pipeline court case continues
Ft. Dodge:Messenger
June 23, 2017
The Sierra Club on June 15 filed a motion to revoke Dakota Access’s permit in Iowa, in light of a federal judge’s ruling that the Army Corps of Engineers didn’t adequately consider some matters important to the Standing Rock Sioux when issuing the national permit.
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Statement on Flood Insurance Reform Bills
Alex Mooney (R-WV, 2nd)
June 23, 2017
The 21st Century Flood Reform Act embraces free market reforms that will allow the private sector to give consumers real insurance choices and will get the program back on sound financial footing.
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Neal Statement on Senate GOP Health Care Bill
Richard E. Neal (D-MA, 1st)
June 22, 2017
“Republican Senators have taken an already ‘mean’ bill and made it even meaner. Despite seven years of promises, the Senate Republicans’ health care plan would not lower costs, would not provide health and financial security to working families, and would not help solve ongoing public health crises, like the opioid epidemic. This heartless bill would instead shift more of the financial burden of health care onto the backs of middle class families, while at the same time dramatically slash important programs, like Medicare and Medicaid, that seniors and working people depend upon. By crafting this partisan plan in secrecy, far from the view of the American public, and presenting it today without so much as a single public hearing, it’s clear that Senate Republicans learned nothing from the ‘go-it-alone’ strategy that Republicans used in the House. It’s disheartening that Senate Republicans didn’t seize this opportunity to sit down with Democrats, their own colleagues and, most importantly, their constituents to engage in good faith discussions on ways to further improve our health care system in a manner that continues to bring down costs, cover more people and expand important consumer protections.”
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Noem: USDA's Opening of CRP Acres Gives Ranchers Needed Options
Kristi Noem (R-South Dakota)
June 23, 2017
Rep. Kristi Noem issued the following statement after the USDA announced it would open South Dakota CRP acres for grazing in areas categorized as D2 (severe drought) or D3 (extreme drought) until September 30, 2017. The announcement came after a personal request from Noem to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to grant additional flexibility.
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Nunes Statement on Passage of Healthcare Bill

REP. O’HALLERAN AND 22 ARMED SERVICES DEMOCRATS INTRODUCE BILL TO BOOST UNITY AND DETERRENCE AGAINST RUSSIAN AGGRESSION
Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ, 1st)
June 23, 2017
“There can be no mistake, Russia’s blatant disregard for international agreements and treaties must be countered with strength on the international stage,” said Rep. O’Halleran. “I am proud to support legislation that strengthens our commitment to the collective defense of our allies. We must take action to end to this encroaching aggression and prevent future attempts to weaken our democracy, or the democratic process in countries around the world.”
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President Signs Blunt-Backed Bill to Increase Accountability at the VA
Senator Roy Blunt - (R - MO)
June 23, 2017
U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) released the following statement after President Trump signed into law the Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. The bipartisan legislation, which Blunt cosponsored, reforms the Department of Veterans Affairs by making it easier for the secretary to hold employees accountable for misconduct or poor performance, and ensuring appropriate due process protections for whistleblowers.
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Boozman Applauds Signing of VA Reforms into Law

Roe Statement on President Signing VA Accountability Bill into Law

Amid Reports that Trump Will Break Promise to Get Tough on Drug Pricing, Booker, Franken, Lawmakers Urge Trump to Act on Solutions that Bring Down Prescription Drug Costs
Senator Cory A. Booker (D-NJ)
June 23, 2017
With news reports indicating the White House is on the verge of issuing an executive order devoid of policies that would meaningfully reduce prescription drug prices, breaking yet another key promise to Americans, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) and other Senate and House Democrats to urge President Donald Trump to act on solutions that truly reduce the rising cost of prescription drugs.
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Brown Vows to Keep Up Bipartisan Efforts to Protect Great Lakes Following Asian Carp Sighting
Senator Sherrod Brown- (D - OH)
June 23, 2017
“It’s clear: now is not the time to take away the tools that help us protect our Great Lakes,” said Brown. “Between this carp sighting and news that the Lake’s health is declining, it is a bad week for our Great Lakes. We’ve got to double down on our efforts to protect Lake Erie and the jobs it supports. That means staying vigilant and standing strong in bipartisan opposition to the elimination of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative proposed by the Administration.”
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Senate Intel Committee to Hold Open Hearing Next Week on Russian Intervention in European Elections
Senator Richard Burr - (R - NC)
June 23, 2017
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, announced that the Committee will hold an open hearing on June 28, 2017 to examine Russia’s interference in recent and future European elections. The witnesses will address Russian activities in the French and Montenegrin elections and look forward to Germany’s fall election. This will be the latest in a series of open hearings to provide for the American people further context and understanding of Russian efforts to undermine democratic institutions at home and abroad.
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SBC Examines How to Bring Broadband to Rural America
House Committee on Small Business
June 22, 2017
Members of the House Small Business Subcommittee on Agriculture, Energy, and Trade heard from a group of experts in the first of a series of hearings addressing the rural broadband deployment efforts small telecommunications companies are undergoing in rural America. Witnesses also discussed the potential for policy changes at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and what the FCC has done to help or hinder broadband deployment.
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Judicial Watch Asks Trump Administration to End Congressional Obamacare Exemption
Judicial Watch
June 23, 2017
The ACA requires states to create at least two exchanges: a small business exchange (referred to as “SHOP” in the ACA) and an individual exchange. It also requires certain members of Congress and congressional employees to purchase insurance on an exchange created either by their state of residence (or by the District, if they are a D.C. resident) or by the federal government, if their state of residence did not establish an exchange. 42 U.S.C. § 18032(d)(3)(D)(i). Because the ACA limits the purchase of insurance on a small business exchange to employees of small businesses – and Congress is not a small business – the ACA unequivocally requires that certain members of Congress and congressional employees purchase insurance on an individual exchange created either by their state of residence (or by the District, if they are a D.C. resident) or by the federal government for that state.
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Immigrants, Pipeline, 911, Voter Fraud, Wall, Fishing, Palestine, Import Taxes, March for Life

Kari’s Law of 2017, first introduced by Louie Gohmert (R-TX, 1st) in 2015, and now reintroduced, will ensure that anyone who dials 9-1-1 can reach emergency personnel even if the phone typically requires that user to dial a prefix such as “9” or “7” to get an outside line.

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Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) issued the following statement in support of the 44th annual March for Life held in Washington, D.C.:

“It is truly awe inspiring every year to see so many Americans make their way to Washington, D.C. to march in support of the most innocent Americans who have no voice – the unborn.

“I’ve been fighting for the rights of the unborn for years, but we have a unique opportunity now to enact laws to protect the most vulnerable members of our society.

“I look forward to working with President Trump to end the federal government’s support for groups that promote abortion practices, and to further protect the unborn.

“The work already done by the House of Representatives and the White House is a message to those who march in Washington that the U.S. government has not forgotten about your respect for life, and the need to protect millions of unborn children.”

Background: Earlier this week, the House passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 7), and President Trump signed an Executive Order banning international nonprofit groups from receiving federal money to provide abortion services.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced that beginning on February 1, 2017, the ½ mile backwater no-wake restriction for Lake Havasu that was designated in May 2015 will be lifted.

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The Obama Administration, in its final hours, defied a Congressional hold placed on $221 million for the Palestinian territories and released the money to Palestine without approval.

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Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-14) issued the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order advancing the Keystone XL Pipeline:

“I applaud President Trump for advancing the Keystone XL Pipeline, which Republicans in Congress pushed the Obama administration to approve for years. Construction of the pipeline will support more than 40,000 jobs and add billions of dollars to our economy. It was subject to five safety and environmental reviews by the State Department, and is even supported by labor unions. This action will make a real difference to all of the Americans who will have the opportunity to work and support their families as a result of this pipeline.”

According to the State Department, construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline will support approximately 42,100 jobs and roughly $2 billion in earnings throughout the country.

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President Trump called for a “major investigation” into allegations of widespread voter fraud during the 2016 election.

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President Trump announced that the United States would pay for a border wall through a tax on all imports from Mexico.

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Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA, 9th) announced that he has reintroduced legislation to establish a Joint Ad Hoc Congressional Committee on Trade Responsibilities, which would be tasked with developing a plan to move to the legislative branch the functions and responsibilities of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). This would be in accordance with Article I, Section 8 of our Constitution, which establishes that Congress shall have power “To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises…” and “To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations…”

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Trump is expected to sign an executive order in the coming days ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which has protected more than 750,000 young illegal immigrants.