From Doc Hastings
Washington State's Fourth District Congressman
 "Ninth Circus Court" gets it wrong--- again
 
SAN FRANCISCO (4-24-07)---The infamous Ninth Circuit has, once again, gotten it all wrong. With the stroke of a pen, judges are overruling science and the efforts of those who actually live in Central Washington who know we can have both salmon and dams.
 
These judges have signed onto Judge James A. Redden's "activist judges know best" approach to managing the entire Columbia Basin economy and ecosystem. They would destroy dams, valued in the billions, which are vital to irrigation of farms, which in turn feed millions of people, including judges.
 
Reddin, of the U.S. District Court of Oregon, is a former Democrat
politician.
 
Judges should not be allowed to seize control of the entire river to personally dictate policies that won't even help recover salmon.
 
The Bush Administration should appeal and fight this extreme and excessive ruling. Leaving it unchallenged would further solidify the Ninth Circuit's expansion of the Endangered Species Act."

Egregiously Stupid Act
Need for ESA reform is now
 
WASHINGTON, D.C.(4-27-07)---The listing of the northern spotted owl as an endangered species in 1990 triggered a political debate in our region over federal land management the impacts of which continue to be felt today.
 
The science at the time suggested the creation of more old growth forest habitat would lead to recovery of the northern spotted owl. This resulted in the Northwest Forest Plan, which set aside millions of acres of federal forests in Washington, Oregon, and California.
 
Thousands of good paying jobs in the timber industry were lost - with much of the impact falling on rural communities with few economic development alternatives.
 
In recent years owl population studies have shown, however, that these Endangered Species Act-driven measures haven't had the desired effect. In fact, northern spotted owl numbers continue to decline.
On April 26 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a long-awaited draft recovery plan for the northern owl that calls for - among other things, controlling barred owls - conducting additional research, managing habitat for spotted owl nests and prey and reducing the risk of wildfires.
 
This plan clearly identified the more aggressive non-native, barred owl as the primary threat facing the northern spotted owl--not the lack of old growth forest habitat.
 
In fact, the science shows that the northern spotted owl needs a mix of old growth forest habitat and less densely forested habitat to successfully nest and feed.
 
Seventeen years after the northern spotted owl was listed under the ESA, we have seen real economic turmoil for thousands of families - but we have yet to see real species recovery because of a single-minded focus on old growth forest habitat.
 
It's difficult for those of us in Central Washington to consider the spotted owl situation without thinking of the connection to salmon recovery efforts.
 
We know healthy salmon runs depend on many factors, including natural predation, fluctuating ocean conditions, fishing and the urbanization of historic salmon habitat. Yet the Endangered Species Act makes it easy for special interest groups to simply point the finger solely at our dams.

Placing 100 percent of the burden of recovery on the hydropower system is not justified by science, inflicts undue economic harm on our region, and impedes recovery by ignoring the many other factors affecting salmon survival.

 
The Endangered Species Act was intended to be a comprehensive attempt to recover plant and animal species threatened with extinction. It's a noble goal - but a flawed law. It's time to solve the problem by reforming the Endangered Species Act with a focus on results.

Doc moves Sunnyside Port help through U.S. House

SUNNYSIDE (4-20-07) &endash;Congressman Doc Hastings has helped push through a provision that would help the Port of Sunnyside improve river habitat and increase local economic development.
 
The measure would allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to give credit to the Port of Sunnyside for funding it has invested to maintain progress on its wetland restoration and wastewater treatment project.  It would ensure that the Port gets proper credit for funds it invested as it works with the Corps to make the project a reality.
 
"What's long impressed me about this project is its potential for both helping the Yakima River environment and boosting local economic development," said Hastings.

Proposal would kill some seals annually gorging on salmon

COLUMBIA RIVER (4-13-07)---Year after year, sea lions have been observed at the Bonneville Dam killing thousands of salmon as they return to spawn.
 
As sea lions once again belly up to an endangered salmon buffet at the Bonneville Dam this spring, Doc Hastings is renewing efforts to reduce predation of endangered Columbia River salmon. Non-lethal hazing of the seals hasn't worked.
 
Doc's Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act would allow the four Columbia River treaty tribes to kill a limited number of California sea lions preying on salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River. The proposal is co-sponsored by Congressman Brian Baird (D-WA)

  Doc backs balanced budget amendment to Constitution
Dem-controlled Congress OKs highest tax hike in history

WASHINGTON, D.C.---Before adjourning for the traditional Easter district work period, the House of Representatives narrowly approved a federal budget blueprint by a vote of 216 - 210.

I opposed this plan that would increase government spending by billions and pay for it with the largest tax increase in American history.

There are two ways to balance a budget, whether it's your own family budget or the federal budget. You can either reduce the amount of money being spent, or increase the amount coming in.

The Democrat budget plan flat-out rejects the option of spending less, and focuses instead on raising taxes. It calls for spending more money each year - and at a rate that is faster than inflation. This means that each year the size of the federal government will grow bigger and more rapidly than the American economy.

To pay for the record levels of spending, the plan raises taxes more than at any other time in our country's history.

The budget does not extend relief from the marriage tax penalty, it doesn't extend the thousand dollar child tax credit, it doesn't end the death tax, it doesn't fix the Alternative Minimum Tax for middle class families, it doesn't protect the lowest tax rate, and it could again impose taxes on lower income Americans who currently pay none thanks to the 2001 tax relief law.

I believe there is a better way - and it starts with making certain that this tax relief is not repealed or allowed to expire to pay for more government spending. This tax relief should be made permanent law.

By prioritizing and reforming federal spending, the federal government can achieve savings without raising taxes on American families and the small businesses that are driving our economy. It requires taking a balanced approach that meets the government's most essential responsibilities while holding the line on spending.

To help meet these goals I support eliminating unnecessary programs to shrink the size of government, amending the Constitution to require a balanced budget each year and addressing the federal programs that grow automatically each year without congressional action or review and currently make up over half of our total budget.

 
Act would help specialty crop growers in Washington
 
Washington, D.C. (4-12-07)---Doc Hastings is backing the "Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act," that would expand international markets for Central Washington specialty crops and encourage home consumption of fruits and vegetables.
 
If approved the Act would:
  • Increase specialty crop growers' access to export markets via expansion of the market access program.
  • Ensure specialty crop issues are made a priority in trade agreemens and federal policies.
  • Expand fruit and vegetable snack program, which helps schools to provide kids with healthy snack choices.
  • Provide new investments in agriculture research to help American farmers reap benefits of science and technology necessary to remain competitive in the global marketplace.
  • Increase funding for the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops and the Specialty Crop Block Grant programs.
The "Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America Act" has more than 80 Republican and Democrat cosponsors.
 
"I'll continue working on behalf of our specialty crop growers to move this bill through Congress so that, ultimately, it can be enacted into law and benefit our farmers," Hastings said.