News Podcast from Capitol News Connection

Rural Airport Reprieve

Patrick Terpstra — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:29:42 +0000

AMBI engine
AMBI Ladies and gentlemen, we are number one for departure, (inaudible) please be seated.

A United Express flight rolls down the runway at Morgantown Municipal Airport.

AMBI (take off nat)

United Express, operated by Colgan Airlines, runs about three flights out of Morgantown and brings four plane loads of people into the airport on the average weekday.
Terrence Moore is Morgantown’s city manager.

MOORE The trend is, people are flying into Morgantown, people are flying into and out of Morgantown.

He says although the airport is the fastest growing in the state, it still must rely on more than a million dollars in federal aid each year from the Essential Air Service Program.

MOORE At some point I’d like to think the city of Morgantown and Morgantown Municipal Airport will be at a place where it could function on an independent basis and not have to depend on Essential Air Service, however the timing is not yet in position to do so.

With the goal of budget cutting, the Republican-led House voted to wipe out subsidies for Morgantown and 12 other rural airports in the nation.
United Express receives about 200-dollars per passenger to fly into Morgantown.
The airport should lose its subsidy, explained Ohio Republican Steven LaTourette, because it is fewer than 90 miles from Pittsburgh.

LATOURETTE Rather than the American taxpayer subsidizing the cost of the ticket, and paying the airline to transport those people, we’re going to ask those folks to get in their car and drive the less than 90 miles to a hub airport.

Senate Democrats refused to go along with the cuts, accusing Republicans of taking aim at Morgantown to needle West Virginia Senator Jay Rockefeller.

ROCKEFELLER It has nothing to do with Morgantown.

Rockefeller says Morgantown has become a politcan pawn.
He says Republicans are trying to force him, as chairman of the Senate’s transportation committee, to support legislation undoing a ruling by the National Mediation Board in favor of stronger union rights for airline and rail employees.

ROCKEFELLER It isn’t about Essential Air Service, because if I agreed to that, then they would say well we got that one, and then they would come back and refuse to have an extension until you do the National Mediation Board.

The partisan dispute created a two-week-long stalemate, forcing the F-A-A to furlough 74 thousand employees and halt airport construction projects across the country.
A deal struck Friday allowed the Senate to pass the House bill that included elimination of subsidies for Morgantown and the other rural airports, but with a fail-safe…
Cities, citing hardships, can petition the Department of Transportation to keep their airport subsidies.
In a statement, Rockefeller said he “received assurance” from D-O-T that federal funding for the Morgantown airport would be maintained at least until mid-September.
Then, Congress returns from summer break to again debate whether to remove the subsidies.
Without the money, Morgantown’s city manager says airport operations would immediately eliminate 30 jobs.
That, he says, would be the first domino to fall.

MOORE There’s a direct relationship relative to the necessity for commercial air service and the viability of economic activity and development in Morgantown. So, continuation of this program does remain essential.

Airports in Beckley, Greenbrier, Clarksburg and Parkersburg also receive federal subsidies.
Rockefeller says he is confident at the end of this funding battle, money for all the airports in West Virginia will be maintained for years.

AIRPLANE AMBI IN

House Republicans are just as determined to reform the subsidy program in the next round of negotiations.
For West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Patrick Terpstra, Capitol News Connection.

AIRPLANE AMBI OUT

US Debt Downgrade: Ripple-effect for States?

EW Johnson — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:15:20 +0000

Last month, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley came to Capitol Hill and predicted the then-unresolved debt limit debate would be a defining moment in the nation’s history.

O’MALLEY The danger that we face now is this: our jobs recovery is fragile, and there are two ways to kill that jobs recovery. One is by needlessly driving our country into default. We need to pay our bills. The other is with massive public sector cuts.

As chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, O’Malley had also come to talk about implications for states’ credit ratings – particularly for Washington’s closest neighbors.

O’MALLEY On both sides of the Potomac: Maryland’s Triple-A bond rating, and Virginia’s Triple-A bond rating, is threatened by our potential inability to pay the bills of the United States, the wealthiest republic on the planet.

Default didn’t happen, but a US credit rating downgrade did – from triple-A to double-A+.

According to University of Maryland economics professor John Shea, the slap by Standard & Poor’s won’t necessarily be felt by the state – at least not right away.

SHEA The only way this would have an effect on Maryland I think would be if this ratings downgrade causes further slow down of the economy or perhaps a double-dip recession.

For now, says Shea, Maryland has a couple things working in its favor. The state is subject to a constitutional requirement to balance its budget, so there’s no chance of racking up excess debt. And party preferences aside, he adds, it helps that Annapolis isn’t so prone to dysfunctional partisan paralysis.

SHEA The state of Maryland is essentially a one-party state… so if we have a fiscal problem there’s one party that can dictate a solution. It might not be a solution that makes people happy, but we don’t have the kind of legislative stalemate in Maryland that we have at the federal level – or at some other state levels.

Bond ratings are a measure of perceived reliability. As any credit card holder knows, the lower the credit rating, the higher the interest. The University of Maryland economist says the US bond rating dip won’t necessarily drive up states’ borrowing costs directly. But it could drive up interest rates on mortgages and other consumer loans, which are contractually tied to interest rates on US Treasuries.

SHEA The big fear that we should have in the state of Maryland is not that our own debt is going to be downgraded, but rather that this downgrade is going to contribute to higher interest rates in the economy and create an overall economic slowdown, which would affect every state.

Standard & Poor’s could still announce separate downward adjustments to its credit ratings of state and local governments.

In the meantime, states have been put on notice to expect sharp reductions in federal spending – particularly on military projects. Maryland’s economy is likely to feel the effects of growing competition for every dollar of defense related spending.

I’m Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reporting in Washington for Capitol News Connection on 88-1, WYPR.

Defender of DOMA

Jim Hilgen — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 22:25:18 +0000

INTRO:

A conservative activist from Colorado Springs was on Capitol Hill today (Wednesday), hoping to defend the Defense of Marriage Act. The 1996 law, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, is the focus of a new repeal effort. Jim Hilgen reports from Washington.

STORY:
Opponents of the Defense of Marriage Act hope to do away with it in favor of a Respect for Marriage Act. That bill took its first step toward passage at a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee where Thomas Minnery of the Christian ministry Focus on the Family said repealing DOMA could have some serious consequences.

MINNERY: To place the issue of marriage, once again, into the hands of judges and to take the issue of marriage out of the hands of people who have already spoken so clearly, in so many states.

The Respect for Marriage Act is endorsed by President Obama and has broad Democratic support in the Senate, but is unlikely to gain much traction in the Republican-controlled House.

From Capitol News Connection, I'm Jim Hilgen KRCC News.

Hydraulic Fracturing in Pennsylvania

Patrick Terpstra — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 04:00:00 +0000

In Congress, the drilling debate ranges from oil rigs in water… to hydraulic fracturing on land. Use of the process known as “fracking” is growing here in Pennsylvania, and the state is taking steps of its own to address concerns about health effects. From Washington, Patrick Terpstra looks at what the federal government may do to address those concerns.

>>>>>>
Energy companies are expanding drilling sites along the Marcellus Shale, which sits beneath 60 percent of Pennsylvania.
Their target -- huge quantities of untapped natural gas, much of it trapped a mile underground or more. Mike Soraghan reports for Greenwire… an energy and environmental news service in Washington.

SORAGHAN Industry wants to keep on keeping on the way they are now. They are generally pretty happy with the status quo.

Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey is not happy with the status quo…
Getting to that natural gas requires fracturing rock in a process commonly called “fracking,” where hydraulic fluids are injected into the ground to make way for drills.
About 98 percent of the liquid is water… but the exact ingredients of the rest of it is not always disclosed and includes toxins.
Casey has authored a bill that would require hydraulic fracturing companies to tell people what chemicals they’re driving into the ground.

CASEY Well it’s obviously legislation that would be the right thing to do for Pennsylvania and it obviously has national implications as well.

All fracturing companies nationwide would have to follow the new reporting rules.
The industry has pushed back.
Its lobbyists say that would force companies to publically reveal chemicals they regard as trade secrets.
Casey’s bill would allow those ingredients to remain confidential except in the case of an emergency.
Colorado Congresswoman Diana DeGette tells one such story.

DEGETTE An emergency room nurse was treating someone, a worker, who was covered in the fracking fluid, she came into contact with it and had a very severe reaction and almost died. She thinks it’s from the fracking fluid.

DeGette has a bill similar to Casey’s in the House, though hers would go a step farther.
Her “FRAC Act” also would make hydraulic fracturing companies adhere to drinking water regulations.
Right now the industry is exempt from parts of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

DEGETTE There are a number of different chemicals in fracking fluids, including carcinogenic chemicals like benzene and other chemicals. So it seems to me if we really are injecting those chemicals into the ground and they could affect the drinking water, we should have reporting.

Legislation similar to Casey’s and DeGette’s failed once before… with opponents, including Republican Senator Pat Toomey, saying the new regulations would cost jobs and slow domestic energy growth.
Casey is not predicting an easier time in this divided Congress.

CASEY It’s just very hard to predict.

The ideas in Casey’s bill are already actually part of a new state law.
Earlier this year the Pennsylvania Department of Enviornmental Protection began requiring hydraulic fracturers disclose all fracturing chemicals, except those deemed proprietary.
Casey says… it’s too soon to tell if the state rules go far enough.

CASEY We’re going to know the answer to that question based on how the administration in Harrisburg handles this issue.

Meanwhile, The E-P-A is studying whether fracking fluid has ever contaminated drinking water.
So far, federal scientists have never linked dirty drinking water with fracking fluid – but they say they need to do more research.
Journalist Mike Soraghan has tracked the industry for the past 10 years.
He notes the fracking solution is just one potential concern.

SORAGHAN There are tanks everywhere that can spill, there is a number of people in the environmental community and non industry community that are saying there are bigger fish to fry that we can see.

State Health Commissioner Eli Avila (AHH-vuh-lah) recently announced that Pennsylvania will become the first state to create a registry of illnesses in communities near fracturing sites.
Avila says it will refute or verify claims of health problems related to fracking.
The results also could either help or hinder Casey’s fight for federal fracking regulation.
From Capitol News Connection, Patrick Terpstra, W-P-S-U News.

Meet the Prez

Jim Hilgen — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Over the last two days Congressional Republicans and Democrats met separately with President Obama to discuss plans to address the nation’s debt ceiling, and Pennsylvania’s delegation remains split. Jim Hilgen reports from Washington.

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The debt ceiling discussion has ratcheted up a notch. Central Pennsylvania Republican Glenn Thompson joined his fellow Republicans at Wednesday’s meeting at the White House. He says any deal to raise the debt ceiling has to include serious short and long-term spending cuts, adding that defaulting on the national debt could be catastrophic.

THOMPSON Our debt would increase exponentially, it will increase dramatically. And not just for us, the interest rates and inflation that would follow would impact everyday citizens, families, businesses with their ability to get credit, the interest rates they would pay.

Thompson says the most likely place to make the deepest cuts are to entitlements like Medicare and Medicaid. On Thursday, Democrats got their turn to discuss the debt ceiling with the President. Representative Mark Critz from southwestern Pennsylvania says that meeting showed him the President is sending a strong message about the importance of addressing the debt crisis. While he agrees that spending cuts are in order, he says Republican proposals to alter Medicare and Medicaid could keep the process contentious.

CRITZ For me it’s a non-starter when you talk about completely changing the way Medicare is set up, as has been proposed. But a lot of issues we can come to some common ground and I’m hopeful that what you’re hearing from Republicans is rhetoric, and when it comes down to what’s best for this country we can’t come to some compromise.

Rep Critz says a plan that would avert the possibility of a default could be in place by the end of June. From Capitol News Connection, JH, WPSU News.

High Gas Prices Fuel Subsidy Debate

EW Johnson — Thu, 12 May 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Stubbornly high gas prices were a constant refrain in Washington this week. Congress spent much of its time voting on bills and holding hearings. Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports on how each member of the Wyoming delegation is weighing in on the debate.

Like just about everyone these days, Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis has a gas station story at the ready:

LUMMIS I just paid $100 to fill one tank for the first time in my life. [What kind of car?] it’s a Toyota…

Wyoming lawmakers are generally unified in their assessment of what Congress can – and can’t – do about high gas prices. From House member Lummis…

LUMMIS Congress is in a position to make sure that long term we have abundant, affordable energy. In the short term, the situation is a little more difficult.

To Senator Mike Enzi…

ENZI In the short term, I can’t think of any, but in the long term, if we were to use American oil, we wouldn’t have to be sending our money to countries that don’t even like us. And there’s plenty of oil around if we were able to explore it.

The debate fueled by the near-universal strain of high gas prices has become a mash-up of ideas and widely-differing approaches. They range from accelerating leases for offshore oil drilling… to rolling back tax breaks and subsidies for oil companies… to reining in Wall Street speculators.

In the House, where Republicans hold sway, the debate has focused on whether and how to encourage more off-shore drilling. Several bills have been approved by the chamber. One would give the Obama administration 60 days to act on new requests for drilling permits. Another sets a goal of harvesting three million gallons of oil a day from the Gulf. Those measures stand little chance of passing in the Senate… where Democrats prefer to focus on ending oil subsidies.

ENZI You can call them subsidies or you can call them tax expenditures or you can call them incentives to get ppl to use American oil. All tax expenditures are going to be looked at…

Senator Mike Enzi is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which capped off the week with a much-anticipated and, at times, heated hearing with top oil executives. Enzi didn’t attend because of a schedule conflict. He has said that any change in subsidies should be phased in slowly.

Senator John Barrasso spells out his view of the relationship between oil company tax breaks and budget-breaking gas prices:

BARRASSO Well, I’m a Conservative and I believe if you tax something more, you get less of it. If they want to raise taxes on the production of American oil, I think it just makes it that more expensive for energy…

He’s got his message down.

BARRASSO People in Wyoming are feeling the pain at the pump. So I oppose raising taxes on American energy production and I think it’ll just drive more jobs overseas.

Asked about the rationale for keeping subsidies in place long after the economic rationale for creating them in the first place has gone away…

BARRASSO People all around this country are feeling the pain at the pump…

And asked whether those subsidies should be phased out so long as all corporations are treated equally…

BARRASSO Right now Americans are paying about $4 per gallon… the last thing we need to do is raise taxes on energy producers, specifically American energy producers.

Both Senators are in favor of taking steps to speed up domestic production.

ENZI Off-shore drilling, on-shore drilling, National Wildlife Refuge… Just about anything that’s done that looks like it might streamline or loosen up oil production brings the price down.

Watching all this from the sidelines is analyst Lon Anderson, who studies gas prices for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

ANDERSON "Really, there is very little that Congress can do," Anderson said. "The price of fuel is really driven on the world market. It's supply-and-demand, but it's also driven by the commodity markets that operate very much like Wall Street, with bidders coming in with billions of dollars and making purchases, and those things influence the prices." (:21)

The House recently voted to cut funding for the regulation of commodity futures trading. Including hedge fund speculation that has contributed to the run-up in gas prices.

From Capitol News Connection, for Wyoming Public Radio, I'm Elizabeth Wynne Johnson.

Florida's fiscal outlook: The good, the bad and the uncertain

EW Johnson — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 05:00:00 +0000

After two years of what economists euphemistically call “negative growth,” Florida ’s state revenue has started to climb. According to Arturo Perez, director of the Fiscal Affairs Program at the National Conference of State Legislatures, that’s pretty much the story nationwide.

PEREZ Most economists would say that the economic recovery is occurring but it’s rather tepid. That is to say, not robust.

That is to say, not fast enough to off-set higher demand for state services. And not fast enough to make up for the loss of federal stimulus dollars. Again, Florida ’s not alone. Most states are still facing budget deficits in the coming year.

PEREZ Collectively states were facing about $82.1 billion in shortfalls for the fiscal year that begins July 1st of this year.

According to Perez, states are following a predictable course: their emergence from a recession typically lags one to two years behind nationwide recovery as a whole. One thing not typical, he says: this downturn affected all parts of the revenue tax base – income, corporate and sales tax. The housing crisis drove Florida to the furthest depths of this recession. Only a housing recovery and its corresponding effect on consumer spending will restore the state’s sales tax base.

PEREZ When that starts to grow robustly enough to offset some of these shortfalls things will normalize in Florida .

Apparently, there’s a new word making its way around state economic development circles… to express optimism tempered with caution. (PEREZ We’re being “cautiomistic.”)

From Capitol News Connection in Washington, Elizabeth Wynne Johnson, WLRN-Miami Herald News.

Rep. Chaffetz hand-picked for new House GOP team

EW Johnson — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Rep. Jason Chaffetz is a transparency-hawk who was hand-picked by GOP leaders for a new House Technology Operations team.

CHAFFETZ: “I’m excited that the speaker chose me to join this bipartisan group of members and staff to refresh what we’re doing at the House of Representatives.”

In addition to updating Web sites and increasing Wi-Fi access in the Capitol, this group will use technology to make Congressional documents more accessible to voters.

Chaffetz is critical of Utah ’s new state law that exempts certain types of government communication, such as voice mails and text messages, from being turned over to the public.

CHAFFETZ: “I would have vetoed the bill that came before the state legislature. It does a number of things, raising fees and whatnot – that would limit public access.”

Gov. Gary Herbert signed that law reluctantly himself – and now hopes the state legislature will replace it during a special session.

From Capitol News Connection, I’m Elizabeth Wynne Johnson, KUER News.

Cpl. Frank Buckles laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery

EW Johnson — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 05:00:00 +0000

BEETS “It’s very somber – a lot of people lined up, which is encouraging, to see that they’re willing to pay their respects even to someone they don’t know.”

“My name is Rick Beets…

“My name is Mary Beets…

“And we’re from the Dallas, Texas area.

“We were honored to be able to be here because my grandfather served and he was in the Navy and he was very proud of that fact.”

BENNETT “My name is Benny Bennett and I’m from Durant, Oklahoma. We’ve been following him on the news and when we heard he was here, we just had to come see it, because it’s a great honor to have served this country, and we think it’s a great honor to have lived so long to represent this country.”

CARMICHAEL “I’m Sharon Carmichael. I’m originally from Clarksburg, West Virginia. I currently reside in Alexandria, Virginia. I admire the courage of Corporal Buckles. I’m enthralled by his patriotism, that he found a way at age 16 to find a way to enlist so that he could serve his country.”

CARMICHAEL “Being prior Army myself, I had to come and pay my respects to a man who went above and beyond for this beautiful country of ours.”

BEETS “They were willing to give their life for their country, and it did give us our freedom. We’re a democratic nation, and we are able to walk in freedom, serve our Lord in freedom, and the young men who are giving their lives now are still protecting that freedom.”

CREAN “He is being given the honors of a sergeant-major… What you’ll see today is a caisson funeral with a color guard and firing squad, so he’s basically being buried with full honors, which is appropriate for what he represents – the era of soldiers that he represents.”

CREAN “I’m Peter Crean and I’m deputy director of the U.S. Army Center of Military History.”

CREAN “He’s going to be buried in the same section as Gen. Pershing…. and that’s appropriate given that Gen. Pershing was the commander of the American expeditionary forces, and Frank Buckles is the last surviving known American veteran from that time period.”

Blumenthal Hopes for Connecticut Airport Upgrades

Manuel Quinones — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 16:20:25 +0000

The bipartisan federal aviation bill would authorize $8 billion for airport improvements and speeds up air traffic control upgrades.

BLUMENTHAL – “My support is contingent on this bill providing jobs to people in Connecticut.”

Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal isn’t sure about specific airports or job numbers in the state.

BLUMENTHAL – “I don’t believe there are a huge number but any jobs are important.”

Nationwide – an airline industry estimate says the legislation will help create or save almost 300,000 jobs over time. It also provides incentives for service to smaller airports.

The bipartisan FAA bill was still on the runway this week when it encountered its first delay. Republican leaders have attached a health care repeal amendment – a move that is certain to complicate negotiations in the Senate.

From Capitol News Connection in Washington, Manuel Quinones, WSHU News.

New Senator Calls For Balanced Budget

Manuel Quinones — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 22:46:10 +0000

In addition to requiring a balanced budget, this amendment would cap federal spending at 20-percent of Gross Domestic Product. It also would require super majorities in both the House and Senate for any tax increase.

PORTMAN - “Around this country, you will see a lot of Democrats, Independents and Republicans joining this effort, understanding this is only common sense. We have to stop spending more than we take in.”

Senator Rob Portman says that was his goal during a previous stint as director of the Office of Management and Budget. Critics say the latest effort is more politics than substance. Passage appears unlikely, especially given the high threshold associated with amending the Constitution.

PORTMAN - “Some people say, ‘well, it will be very difficult to accomplish this in the short term.’ It does not mean we shouldn’t get started right away.”

Portman scored a spot on the Senate Budget Committee. So he will play a role in bipartisan efforts to control spending regardless of what happens with the balanced budget amendment.

For 90.3, I’m Manuel Quinones, Capitol News Connection in Washington.

Airports Hope for Long Stalled Aviation Bill

Manuel Quinones — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 17:13:36 +0000

Democrats call it the Senate’s first jobs legislation of the year. The bipartisan aviation bill would authorize $8 billion for airport improvements and speeds up air traffic control upgrades. Which facilities and where – that’s still up in the air. But an airline industry estimate says the legislation will help create or save almost 300,000 jobs nationwide over time. Senator Udall hopes lawmakers move quickly toward approval.

UDALL – “It’s a job creator. It helps us invest in new cutting edge technology, particularly manage our traffic flow.”

The legislation also provides incentives for service to smaller airports. The FAA bill was still on the runway this week when it encountered its first delay. Republican leaders have attached a health care repeal amendment – a move that is certain to complicate negotiations in the Senate.

From Capitol News Connection, I’m Manuel Quinones, KRCC News.

SOTU Reax: Oil, Education, Bipartisanship

Sara Sciammacco — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:03:16 +0000

Wyoming Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis says she liked what she heard from President Obama, but she still has her doubts.

LUMMIS: “Well I agree with much of what the President says and little with what he does. So in the coming months his expressed willingness to work with Republicans is welcomed, but I am a bit skeptical because of past experience.”

Lummis says the president hasn’t held up his end of the bargain over the past two years to control federal spending and limit the growth of government.

LUMMIS: “People come up to me in grocery stores almost in tears when I am home about the amount of spending and how it has grown and this forty-five thousand dollars that every man, woman, and child owns. It is frightening.”

The congresswoman went on to say that the president’s talk on simplifying the complicated tax code will resonate with her constituents. But, his proposal to eliminate federal subsidies for oil companies didn’t sit well with her.

LUMMIS: “That was a bizarre statement because here you have a guy who behind the scenes is regulating oil, gas, coal ash, EPA regulations on greenhouse gases are really hurting theses industries, really increasing their costs.”

One area Wyoming Senator John Barasso says he can work on with the president is free trade agreements.

BARASSO: “The president specifically talked about South Korea, Panama, and the Colombia free trade agreements. I think we need to ratify those, I agree with the president.”

Barasso says the agreements will help spur economic job growth. He seemed less optimistic on health care.

BARASSO: “A year ago the president said if you have any ideas we should bring them to him. I did that at the round table discussion at the White House last year. It seemed no matter what ideas we brought forward they were rejected and I am going to continue bringing ideas to the floor every week.”

The president told Congress in his address that he would be open to look at other ideas to bring down health care costs, including one that Wyoming Republicans pushed for -- medical liability reform.

Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi is more encouraged by the president’s promise to improve the nation’s education system. On the top of Enzi’s priority list is fixing the No Child Left Behind law. Enzi has been working closely with Senate Democrats to produce a new proposal.

ENZI: “We have a good bipartisan effort going all ready and I am just pleased his remarks didn’t claim any particular area so we have the flexibility to move.”

Enzi says he has helped identify nine problematic areas in the law and he is most focused on promoting greater flexibility in rural school districts.

ENZI: “From the meetings we had to ten hearings there has been a lot of agreement. We have learned a lot. We know what the problems are and I should also mention that every education bill has been bipartisan, and that’s been since, oh well, the early 60s.”

President Obama urged lawmakers in his address to speed up the overhaul of the law. Senators hope to complete a bill by April.

The challenge will be to find common ground and produce a proposal that both Democrats and Wyoming Republicans can stand behind.

From Capitol News Connection, for Wyoming Public Radio, I'm Sara Sciammacco.

Reaction to Year's Other Big Speech

Manuel Quinones — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 23:59:01 +0000

National Congress of American Indians President Jefferson Keel calls this a new era of self determination for Native Americans. That resonated with Derek Valdo, a councilman for the Pueblo of Acoma in New Mexico.

VALDO - “...self determination is one of the key factors that is going to help bring our communities up to par.”

United Tribes of North Dakota President David Gipp also picked up on Keel’s theme of self-reliance. He says that should guide how federal dollars are spent in Indian Country.

GIPP - “Emphasizing the need for investment in Tribal America, particularly when we talk about the fact that our tribes are reaching out and developing successful business and successful economies.”

MURKOWSKI - “In an era where the federal spending pie is shrinking, competition for a slice of the pie will be fierce.”

Senator Lisa Murkowski delivered the legislative response to Keel’s speech. The Alaska Republican’s role was that of cheerleader, not adversary.

MURKOWSKI - “You’ll need to fight hard to keep what you have and even harder to get what you need.

She advised Native American leaders to keep a copy of the Constitution handy when lobbying for more federal money.

MURKOWSKI - “This is must have spending to fulfill the trust responsibility that is founded within the Constitution.”

Indian Country leaders at the event praised President Keel and Senator Murkowski for focusing on potential growth areas for Native communities, especially in exploiting energy resources.

GIPP - “We’re not just a fleeting group of people. We own resources that were originally ours. And we will be a major part of what happens with America’s future.”

From Capitol News Connection, I’m Manuel Quinones, National Native News.

GOP Senator Disappointed With Obama Speech

Manuel Quinones — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:41:23 +0000

President Obama called for a five year domestic spending freeze and spoke about plans to increase exports. Senator Cornyn says he didn’t go far enough in promoting fiscal restraint or economic growth.

CORNYN – “The President did not give a lot of time and attention to what I believe are the priorities of the American people.”

The President also touted investments in education, clean energy and innovation.

CORNYN - “If it’s all about investments, which is code for more government spending, I think we are going to have some differences of opinion.”

Many lawmakers opted for bipartisan seating this year in the name of promoting constructive political dialogue. Cornyn sat with Washington State Democrat Patty Murray.

For Texas Public Radio News, Manuel Quinones, Capitol News Connection.