By Victoria Mullen, WKTV
Stabenow Applauds Action Requiring Release of Study to Stop Asian Carp
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Co-Chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force, today applauded news that the Senate Appropriations Committee included language in the Energy and Water Appropriations bill requiring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release a critical study to stop Asian carp within thirty days of the bill’s enactment. The study, which will provide important guidance on how best to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes, was supposed to be released in February but has been delayed indefinitely by the Trump Administration.
“Today’s news is an important step toward getting the Army Corps to release this report so we can stop invasive species like Asian carp from entering our Great Lakes,” said Senator Stabenow. “This report is especially urgent given that a live silver carp was recently discovered just nine miles from Lake Michigan. There is no time to waste and I will work with my colleagues to make sure this language becomes law.”
Huizenga: We Can Protect Endangered Species and Preserve Taxpayer Dollars
On Wednesday, Congressman Bill Huizenga testified before the House Natural Resources Committee on his legislation to modernize the Endangered Species Act. Currently, no fee cap exists for litigation pertaining to the Endangered Species Act. Because of this, taxpayer dollars designated for species protection and restoration are being used to line the pockets of litigious trial attorneys and special interests. H.R. 3131, introduced by Congressman Huizenga, brings the hourly rate for awards of fees to prevailing attorneys to $125 per hour, which is in line with litigation involving veterans, small businesses, and federal benefit claims. The Endangered Species Litigation Reasonableness Act will protect endangered species and preserve taxpayer dollars.
Stabenow, Peters Request Meeting with President Trump to Discuss Ways to Promote American Jobs and Manufacturing
As the White House continues its “Made in America” activities this week, U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Gary Peters (D-MI) today requested a meeting with President Donald Trump to discuss ways to promote American jobs and manufacturing and end outsourcing. The Senators reminded President Trump of his promise to put forward a comprehensive plan to end outsourcing and create jobs, and they called on him to work with Congress to ensure that American jobs are not shipped overseas.
“Your administration declared this week to be “Made In America” week to showcase American manufacturers and American-made products,” wrote the lawmakers. “In Michigan, manufacturing is a key component of our economy. As Senators who have long supported domestic manufacturing, we share a common goal in rewarding manufacturers that make products domestically and create good-paying jobs. Thus, we respectfully request a meeting with you to discuss an economic agenda that promotes American manufacturing by preventing outsourcing and implementing strong Buy American laws.”
Earlier this year, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow announced her American Jobs Agenda, which will ensure we are making products in America, closing loopholes that send jobs overseas, and holding countries like China accountable for unfair trade practices.
In February, U.S. Senator Gary Peters introduced the Outsourcing Accountability Act to help consumers identify which companies are sending jobs overseas by requiring publicly traded companies to disclose their total numbers of employees by location, including by state and by country. Currently, publicly traded companies are required to disclose total number of employees, but not where they are based, making it very difficult to accurately track the number of jobs they are eliminating in the United States and moving overseas.
Huizenga Congratulates Wyoming Police Chief James Carmody on Being Named Police Chief of the Year
Congressman Bill Huizenga spoke on the floor of the U.S. House to congratulate Wyoming Police Chief James Carmody on recently being named the Michigan Police Chief of the Year.
Go here to view the video, and go here to read the story by WKTV’s Joanne Bailey-Boorsma on Carmody’s recognition.
Peters, Young Introduce Legislation to Update Environmental Sensitivity Index Maps for Great Lakes
Maps Help Assess Ecological Risks of Oil Spill & Natural Disaster; Great Lakes Maps Have Not Been Updated in Over 20 Years
U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Todd Young (R-IN) announced that they are introducing bipartisan legislation to update the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps in the Great Lakes to better address habitat restoration and potential ecological impacts in the event of an oil spill or a natural disaster. ESI maps provide an inventory of at-risk coastal resources such as endangered and threatened species, sensitive shoreline habitats, and human-use resources like beaches, parks and boat ramps. ESI maps for the Great Lakes have not been updated in over two decades and are only available in a limited number of viewable formats, while maps of the East coast, West coast, and Gulf coast have been updated within the last five years and are available in more accessible, searchable and detailed formats.
“An oil spill in the Great Lakes would have long-term and catastrophic implications for the health of Michigan’s ecosystem and economy,” said Senator Peters, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard. “ESI maps can provide crucial insight into how oil spills or natural disasters can impact our environment, but unfortunately maps for the Great Lakes have not been updated in decades. I’m pleased to join Senator Young in introducing bipartisan legislation that will modernize these maps and help provide a better picture of what resources could be at risk so we can keep our Great Lakes safe and clean for future generations.”
ESI maps, which are administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), are used to document the potential ecological impacts for a range of risks to natural resources including oil spills, natural disaster planning and recovery, research, resource damage assessments, and restoration. An up-to-date ESI is necessary to correctly identify vulnerable locations and prioritize areas for protection in the event of a disaster. ESI maps in the Great Lakes have not been updated since between 1985 and 1994, depending on location.
Huizenga leads hearing on the costs of going and staying public
Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment Subcommittee Chairman Bill Huizenga led a hearing to examine the burden that federal corporate governance policies, particularly those stemming from Sarbanes-Oxley and the Dodd-Frank Act, place on public companies. The hearing also focused on ways to ease over-burdensome regulations so public companies can better facilitate capital formation and promote economic growth.
Key Takeaways from the Hearing
- The number of public companies and the number of companies going public have dramatically decreased over the last 15 years, greatly limiting the investing options for ordinary Americans.
- Given that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) turns 15 this year, it is appropriate for Congress to review its effectiveness and the significant compliance cost imposed on public companies, particularly for small and medium sized issuers.
- Congress must take steps to ensure that the federal securities laws provide investors with material information, and ease burdensome regulations and federal corporate governance polices, many arising out of Dodd-Frank, to facilitate public company formation.
