United States Senator Mike Enzi

Enzi responds to constituent concerns about IRS, health secretary scandals

Thu, 23 May 2013 03:30:00 EST

Collecting Common Sense from Wyoming for Washington...

Enzi questions Treasury Inspector General on criminal penalties, leaking of taxpayer info

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:30:00 EST

During a Senate Finance Committee hearing today that focused on the criteria the IRS used to target specific organizations applying for tax exempt status, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., questioned Treasury Inspector General (IG) for Tax Administration J. Russell George on possible criminal penalties for the IRS actions and accusations that the agency leaked taxpayer info.

In one line of questioning, Enzi asked why the IRS shared confidential information, such as application materials and donor names, of conservative groups with the liberal news media group ProPublica. According to the IG, the release of taxpayer information could be a violation of federal law and does carry criminal penalties. George also noted that if evidence of such activity is found, it would be turned over to prosecutors for criminal prosecution.

When asked by Enzi if he still believed the actions the IRS took were inappropriate, but not illegal, sentiments the IG had expressed at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing last week, the IG responded, “Thus far, we have not uncovered any actions that would be deemed illegal.”

At the end of his questioning, Enzi concluded that “the American public will judge this but it seems like it’s very borderline if it’s not illegal.”

Click here to watch the full questioning by Enzi.

Enzi wants accounting for money sent to United Nations

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:30:00 EST

Washington, D.C. – Every year, the federal government gives billions of dollars to the United Nations (UN) without having a full accounting of the contributions to the international body. U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., joined Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, and others recently in an effort to require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to annually report contributions to the UN from every federal agency, including all non-monetary gifts.

“It’s disturbing that no one, including our ambassador to the United Nations, knows exactly how much money we send the UN every year,” said Enzi. “With a national debt exceeding $17 trillion, we need to be able to account for every dime we spend, including what we send to the UN.”

Enzi said reports from the State Department on UN spending exist now, but are limited to just the State Department’s spending. The senators’ bill, S.978, would require OMB to look across all agencies and report its findings annually.

“This will give us a more accurate picture on spending,” he said. “In these financially challenging times, even in Washington, every billion, every million, every dollar should count.”

Cardin, Enzi introduce a bill to end use-it-or-lose-it for medical savings accounts

Fri, 17 May 2013 03:30:00 EST

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Ben Cardin, D-Md. and Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., both members of the Senate Finance Committee, have introduced legislation that keeps a worker’s unspent funds from a flexible spending account in their own pocket. The Medical FSA Improvement Act of 2013 (S. 966) would amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow employees who use health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) to cash out any remaining balance in their account at the end of a plan year. This provision replaces current Internal Revenue Service policy in which any unspent FSA funds revert to the employer at the end of the plan year for activities related to the administration of the plan.

“In an economy where every penny counts, it makes little sense for employees who miscalculate their anticipated yearly out-of-pocket health care expenditures at the beginning of a plan year to have to forfeit those funds to their employer at the end of the year, if unspent,” said Senator Cardin. “Millions of private industry workers, as well as federal, state, county and local public sector employees put their money into FSAs to help defray their out-of-pocket health care costs, saving money for them and their families. We should remove any fear these workers have of losing their hard-earned money while encouraging them to use these funds wisely.”

“Medical flexible spending accounts help put families and consumers in control of their medical decisions,” said Senator Enzi. “With the high cost of health care, we should be doing whatever we can to encourage people to be proactive and plan ahead, like putting money into a FSA for out-of-pocket costs. Our legislation will ensure that hard-working Americans don’t lose the money they put aside simply because their health costs were less than they anticipated. It’s time to end use-it-or-lose it for flexible spending accounts.”

FSAs are an important benefit for all workers. They allow employees to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenditures, including dental and vision services. Many families count on their FSAs to help pay for their monthly expenditures for prescription drugs, co-pays for doctor visits, their children’s dental care, and medical equipment and supplies for disabled family members.

Enzi statement on proposed fracking regulation

Thu, 16 May 2013 06:30:00 EST

U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., issued the following statement concerning the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed rule on hydraulic fracturing.

“While I am still reviewing the proposed BLM rule, I generally favor regulating hydraulic fracturing through state governments, which is how it had been done for more than 40 years. The people in state government are the same people who live and work in the areas being regulated. They take all the interests of the affected areas to heart because they have the same interests.

“Wyoming is a model for how states can oversee energy production without burdening businesses with excessive red tape or publicizing industry trade secrets. A federal, one-size-fits-all approach isn’t necessary.

“Clean water and energy are both essential, but they don’t have to be mutually exclusive.”

Senator Mike Enzi - May Newsletter

Wed, 15 May 2013 07:30:00 EST

Let states colelct their own mineral revenue payments

Senator Mike Enzi led a bipartisan group of senators who introduced a bill this week that would allow states the option to collect their own share of federal mineral revenue and protect money that is rightfully owed under the Mineral Leasing Act. Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., introduced the House version of the bill. The legislation would also eliminate the two percent fee the federal government charges for collecting the revenue. The federal government would still keep its 50 percent share of mineral revenue under the legislation.

“Wyoming is fully capable of collecting its share of mineral revenues and shouldn’t have to wait for the federal government to write us a check,” said Senator Enzi. “The money owed to the state is written into law and is not negotiable. It sets a dangerous precedent when Washington thinks it’s ok to take state money instead of cutting its own spending. The government needs to uphold its end of the deal.”

Every year, billions of dollars in revenue are generated from energy production on federal lands. Since states bear most of the costs associated with mineral development, they are guaranteed a share of the revenue under federal law. The federal government isn’t upholding its end of the bargain and is trying to keep state money. Senator Barrasso is a co-sponsor of the Senate bill.

Wyoming senators for coal & energy workers

Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso are standing up for coal and energy workers across Wyoming and the country. They joined other energy state senators this month to introduce legislation that would protect the jobs of thousands of hard-working Americans and stop abusive and unnecessary regulations.

“Coal powers our nation, employs thousands of hard working people, and helps drive our economy,” said Enzi. “Sensible rules mean job creation. Energy production and protecting the environment don’t have to be mutually exclusive. The proposed rule changes by this Administration are more about stopping energy production than they are about protecting the environment. Current rules already do that.”

The Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act would prevent the Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining (OSM) from rewriting the current stream buffer zone rule or “Stream Protection Rule.”

After an extensive five-year process that included 40,000 public comments, two proposed rules and 5,000 pages of environmental analysis from five agencies, the rule was updated in 2008. In contrast, to date the administration has not provided any evidence or data to justify a change to the rule. According to the Obama administration’s own estimates, the new regulation could cost up to 7,000 coal mining jobs and negatively impact local economies in 22 states.

Americans owe more than they make

Americans now owe more than they make and financial literacy statistics gravely reflect the need to integrate finance into the lives of our students at an early age.

This was the message Curtis Biggs of Sheridan, the vice president of the Wyoming chapter of the Jump$tart Coalition, told Senators at a Senate subcommittee hearing in recently.

Biggs was in Washington to speak on how financial literacy education can make a positive difference for both individuals and the country’s economy.

Click here to watch video footage from the hearing

Wyoming senators urge EPA to withdraw water regulations

Senators Enzi and Barrasso joined a group of 30 senators urging the Environmental Protection Administration to withdraw draft guidance to define “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act, and redirect the agency’s resources.

In a letter, the senators expressed concerns that if not withdrawn, the new guidance could expand the scope of the waters to be regulated beyond that intended by congress, and interfere with western state water laws.

Click here to read the letter

Enzi answers immigration, opposing view queries

Senator Enzi records “Collecting Common Sense from Wyoming for Washington” videos every other week when the Senate is in session.

Enzi responds to questions and comments made by Wyoming residents on Facebook and Twitter, in phone calls to his D.C. and Wyoming offices, and in emails and written letters.

In this week's video, Enzi answers questions about immigration reform and representing people with different beliefs.

Click here to watch the video.

Sheridan County office hours

Senator Enzi's five state offices in Cheyenne, Gillette, Casper, Cody and Jackson offer office hours where Wyoming residents have the opportunity to meet with Senator Enzi’s state representatives in his absence. Upcoming office hours include:

Friday, June 14^th

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. – Sheridan YMCA

Enzi, Barrasso ask President Obama’s cooperation in investigation of IRS misconduct

Wed, 15 May 2013 04:00:00 EST

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Mike Enzi and John Barrasso, both R-Wyo., joined their GOP colleagues in sending a letter to President Obama asking that he help them get to the bottom of the recent IRS scandal.

According to a Treasury Inspector General report, the IRS began targeting Tea Party and other similar conservative organizations with increased scrutiny as early as 2010.

“The American people deserve to know what actions will be taken to ensure those who made these policy decisions at the IRS are being held fully accountable and more importantly what is being done to ensure that this kind of raw partisanship is fully eliminated from these critically important non-partisan government functions,” the senators wrote. “It is imperative that the Administration be fully forthcoming to ensure that we begin to restore the confidence of our fellow citizens after this blatant violation of their trust. We look forward to working on this critical issue with the Administration’s full cooperation.”

Click here to view a copy of May 14 letter.

Senators introduce bipartisan bill to allow states the option to collect their own mineral revenue payments

Tue, 14 May 2013 06:30:00 EST

Washington, D.C. – Every year, billions of dollars in revenue are generated from energy production on federal lands. Since states bear most of the costs associated with mineral development, they are guaranteed a share of the revenue under federal law. But the federal government isn’t upholding its end of the bargain and is trying to keep state money.

A bipartisan group of Senators today introduced a bill that would allow states the option to collect their own share of federal mineral revenue and protect money that is rightfully owed under the Mineral Leasing Act (MLA). The bill would prohibit the federal government from withholding mineral royalties and would eliminate the two percent fee the federal government charges for collecting the revenue. The federal government would still keep its 50 percent share of mineral revenue under the legislation.

“Wyoming is fully capable of collecting its share of mineral revenues and shouldn’t have to wait for the federal government to write us a check,” said Senator Mike Enzi. “The money owed to the state is written into law and is not negotiable. It sets a dangerous precedent when Washington thinks it’s ok to take state money instead of cutting its own spending. The government needs to uphold its end of the deal.”

"We have an existing agreement for mineral development within our states' borders that should be honored and off limits to federal meddling," said Senator Tom Udall. "The royalties New Mexico earns from the extraction of our abundant natural resources is used to fund public education and other critical services."

“Wyoming and other states deal with this issue daily and have the resources and manpower needed to make sure that mineral revenues are properly paid and collected,” said Senator John Barrasso. “Our bill will make the process more efficient, cost effective, and accountable. We must make sure Washington delivers on its obligations to mineral producing states.”

“At a time of budget tightening across the country and in Washington, states are increasingly left to take on additional financial burdens to take the place of federal funding that is no longer available,” said Senator Heidi Heitkamp. “Yet, in the face of increasing reliance on states to bear the burden, the Department of the Interior has decided to take it upon itself to not distribute millions of dollars of royalty revenues due to the state of North Dakota. Interior has no right to refuse to pay North Dakota its statutorily determined portion of mineral royalty revenue collected from oil and gas development, extraction and production in our state. This money should be put towards infrastructure maintenance and upgrades and funding for critical services like schools, law enforcement, and health services in Indian Country and other impacted areas.”

“This legislation is about fairness,” said Senator John Hoeven. “These royalties are revenues generated by developing resources and spurring economic activity in our respective states. By successfully developing these resources, North Dakota has become a powerhouse for the nation, contributing to our country’s economy, energy security and job growth. At the same time, we build and maintain the infrastructure that successful communities and economies need to thrive. North Dakota and other productive states are clearly entitled to a fair share of the royalties they produce in exchange for what we contribute to our nation.”

“Utah’s rightfully owed almost $9 million in royalties through the Mineral Leasing Act over the next six months, which is used for public schools, infrastructure, and other necessary improvements,” said Senator Orrin Hatch. “This bill would make sure that Utah – as well as other states that have mineral resources on Federal public domain lands – receive these royalties that they’re owed.”

The MLA provides that all States be paid 50 percent of the revenues resulting from the leasing of mineral resources on Federal public domain lands within their borders. Revenue payments are based upon actual development of mineral resources on public lands within the states. These royalties are used by states to fund such necessary items as public school systems, community colleges, emergency response activities and basic infrastructure projects.

The original co-sponsors of this bill are Senators Tom Udall, D-N.M., John Barrasso, R-Wyo., Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., John Hoeven, R-N.D., Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and Jim Risch, R-Idaho.

Identical legislation was also introduced today in the House by Rep. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.

Click here to read the bill.

Click here to see a breakdown of the money being withheld by the federal government that is owed to the states.

Senate Health Committee Members Praise HHS Response to Avian Flu Threat

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:00:00 EST

Quick federal response shows new rules and flexibility created in the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization already making Americans safer...

Enzi responds to constituent concerns about immigration reform, representing people with opposing views

Fri, 10 May 2013 06:00:00 EST

New video: Collecting Common Sense for Washington from Wyoming...

May 9: Collecting common sense from Wyoming for Washington

Fri, 10 May 2013 06:00:00 EST

U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., sat down and responded to Wyoming constituents’ questions and comments about immigration reform and representing people with opposing views. The topics were selected from comments Enzi received on Facebook and Twitter, in phone calls to his D.C. and Wyoming offices, and in email and written letters.

June 5 deadline for Enzi U.S. Senate Fall 2013 Page Position application

Fri, 10 May 2013 03:30:00 EST

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi is encouraging Wyoming juniors in high school to apply to be a Senate Page for the fall session in Washington, D.C.

The deadline for fall applications is June 5.

“The page program has been a tradition in the Senate for more than 180 years,” Enzi said. “The program allows students to have a front row seat during debates in the Senate and will provide unique experiences that participants will carry with them forever.”

Page duties consist primarily of delivering correspondence and legislative material at the Capitol. Other duties include preparing the Senate chamber for sessions and carrying bills and amendments to the appropriate people on the Senate floor.

Pages attend classes at the Senate Page School until 9:45 a.m. and then work until 4:00 p.m. or until the Senate adjourns for the day. The Senate Page School provides the necessary requisites for a junior year course of study.

Fall Page eligibility is limited to juniors in high school who will be 16 or 17 years old on or before the date of appointment. Applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

Pages live in Webster Hall located near the Capitol and receive a stipend to cover the cost of the residence. Breakfast and dinner are provided daily.

The fall session runs from September 9, 2013 – January 24, 2014. Applications and additional information can be found by going to www.enzi.senate.gov. Further questions can be directed to Dianne Kirkbride in Senator Enzi’s Cheyenne office at 307-772-2477 or Dianne_Kirkbride@enzi.senate.gov.

States’ rights legislation levels playing field for all businesses

Mon, 06 May 2013 08:00:00 EST

For more than 12 years, U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., has been working to level the playing field between brick-and-mortar and online companies. Today, the Senate passed Enzi’s legislation 69-27, sending a strong bipartisan signal that states should be able to enforce their own laws and that the federal government should not favor one business over another or one taxpayer over another.

Enzi’s Marketplace Fairness Act, S. 743, would give state and local governments the ability to collect sales tax on out-of-state, catalog and online sales. No state would be forced to collect the sales tax, but would have the authority to make this decision if they so choose. Enzi said it’s a conversation state residents and their state legislators should be able to have.

“For more than a decade I have been working on a solution to put Main Street retailers and online and out-of-state companies on a level playing field,” said Enzi. “Not because it’s popular, but because it’s fair and it’s the right thing to do. The federal government should not have the right to tell a state how it can manage its finances. This doesn’t cause the federal government to do anything. What it allows is for the states to do what they have already passed laws on. No state should have to come to Washington asking for permission to enforce their own laws.”

Sales taxes go directly to state and local governments, which brings in needed revenue for maintaining schools, fixing roads and supporting local law enforcement. Not a dime would go to Washington. If sales over the Internet continue to go untaxed and electronic commerce continues to soar, revenues to state and local governments will plummet and the federal government does not have the money to help states, according to Enzi.

“When I was in the Wyoming state legislature, I know we never passed a law that discriminated against in-state people. We never put a burden on the people who pay the property tax, hire residents and participate in community events while telling those from outside Wyoming that we want them to have our money, but they don’t have to do anything in return. We never intended to give out-of-state businesses a free ride,” Enzi said.

Facts about what the Marketplace Fairness Act:

The bill gives states the right to decide to collect – or not to collect – taxes that are already owed. It is 100% optional and requires state action before any sales tax collection could happen.
The legislation would simplify the country’s more than 9,000 diverse sales tax jurisdictions and provide two voluntary options by which states could begin collecting sales taxes from online and catalog purchases.
The bill would not tax the Internet or Internet services. It does not raise taxes or create any new taxes. It closes a sales tax loophole that puts local and Main Street retailers at a disadvantage.
The bill exempts businesses with less than $1,000,000 in annual online or out-of-state sales from collection requirements.

The Marketplace Fairness Act is bipartisan legislation that is supported by Republican and Democrat governors, state legislators, and local officials nationwide. The bill is also supported by hundreds of Main Street retailers, business and trade associations, and online merchants. The list of supporters is attached to this release.

Click here to read a speech Sen. Enzi gave today on Marketplace Fairness as prepared for delivery.

Statement of U.S. Senator Mike Enzi on the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013

Mon, 06 May 2013 06:30:00 EST

The Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013
Statement of U.S. Senator Michael B. Enzi
May 6, 2013

Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote for the Marketplace Fairness Act just over an hour or so from now. I have said this many times over the past few weeks – in fact, I’ve been saying it for the past 12 years as I’ve worked on this issue – but it’s worth repeating again - this bill is about fairness, it is about leveling the playing field between brick-and-mortar and online companies, and it is about collecting tax that is already due. It is NOT about raising taxes, taxing the Internet, or taxing Internet access.

This issue, in general, and this bill, in particular, has grabbed the attention of the members of the Senate and their constituents back home. Unfortunately, the misinformation that is being disseminated by many has added confusion and anxiety about what the bill does and does not do. For example, the Americans for Tax Reform sent me a detailed letter last week asking many questions. It appears that the letter was not meant to find resolution or a path forward with this issue, but ultimately to confuse my colleagues prior to tonight’s vote. Senator Alexander and I responded to the 16 questions in order to provide clarity for the organization and its members. Mr. President, I would like to ask your consent to insert both letters into the Congressional Record.

I would encourage everyone to read the bill – it’s short – about 11 pages or so. And it’s a bill you can read from beginning to end and understand what it does which is very unusual for Washington. It’s not like a lot of bills that simply make changes to other bills and requires that you get ahold of those other bills and read them to figure out what is going on. This bill is straightforward. If a state meets the simplification requirements outlined in the bill, it may choose to require collection of sales taxes that are already due. Congress is not forcing states to do anything. And if states do act, they are collecting taxes that are already due by consumers – folks like you and me.

One of the issues that has received much attention as we we’ve been debating this bill the past few weeks is the issue of audits. There is concern that small businesses will be subject to onerous and time-consuming audits by state and local governments if those governments start requiring that they collect sales tax on their remote sales.

It is critical to keep in mind that sellers that have under $1 million in remote sales in a year are not required to collect and would not be subject to audit from out-of-state governments.

In order to obtain authority to require remote sellers to collect, and therefore even have the potential of being audited by remote governments, states either must join the Streamlined Sales Tax and Use Agreement, I will refer to as streamlined states, or they must simply their tax structure by:

Creating a single entity within the State responsible for all State and local sales and use tax administration and audits;
Establishing a single audit statewide;
Limiting collection to a uniform state and local tax base;
Allowing a single sales and use tax return; and,
Providing the program to figure the tax with no liability to the retailer and therefore no need for an audit.

For states that join the Streamlined Sales Tax and Use Agreement, a remote business would only be subject to a single audit for participating streamlined states, eliminating the possibility of audits by local governments and the probability of an audit.

?For states that do not join the streamlined states but choose to participate in the alternative simplification system outlined in the bill, a business would also be limited to a single audit, per state, per year.

Practically speaking, there is no possibility that streamlined states or non-streamlined states would ever be able to perform significant audits of remote sellers.

Today, the states audit less than 1 percent of retailers inside their borders. Auditing remote sellers would require additional resources and travel and is simply not a realistic possibility.

For audits that are performed under the new system, the Marketplace Fairness Act demands that states adopt uniform audit procedures which would simplify and reduce business administrative expenses.

Sellers who use the certified sales tax administration software would either not be audited or would have limited scope audits to determine that the software was properly installed.

In addition to the audit protection the Marketplace Fairness Act provides, participating states are required to establish and maintain an accessible database of geographically based tax rates and tax base information to make it easier for remote sellers to collect taxes. These states are also required to hold those sellers harmless for errors in the database.

Compared to today’s sales tax administration, where sellers are expected to research and comply with tax rate and tax base information and to understand jurisdictional boundaries without help from the state and local governments, the Marketplace Fairness Act dramatically reduces administrative burden and audit risk.

Some opposed to this bill go so far as to say that this potential overreach of state and local governments will lead to taxation without representation. The Marketplace Fairness Act includes significant benefits for remote sellers, including limits on audits, liability protections, and tax and administrative simplification. The tax is imposed on the consumer by the state where they reside pursuant to tax rates and a tax base established by the state and local governments. This serves as the ultimate check on excessive taxation. Because this tax is imposed on the consumer, there is no danger of taxation without representation.

Another concern raised by a few of my colleagues is that businesses will leave the United States, set up shop outside our borders, and sell into the United States, presumably only because of a sales tax collection requirement. It’s important to note that states currently enforce collection of state taxes against foreign businesses with no physical presence in the United States, and have a number of methods to compel collection by foreign sellers, including liens, levies, and seizure of assets. The Marketplace Fairness Act treats foreign corporations the same as it does domestic corporations. All online retailers that make over $1 million in remote sales, regardless of where the retailer is located, must collect and remit sales tax to states that require it.

Finally, let me emphasize a few points that have generated a lot of spirited debate among my colleagues, the business community, and our constituents. The bill does NOT alter so-called nexus standards, as interpreted by the Supreme Court. The bill does NOT dictate to the states how they structure their state tax systems. The bill does NOT affect the taxability of goods or services, digital or otherwise. The bill DOES give states the right to decide to collect – or not to collect – taxes that are already owed.

In conclusion, I want to thank everyone associated with this bill for their hard work and efforts in getting us to this point. Thank you to Senators Alexander, Durbin, and Heitkamp for their unwavering support of this bill and moving it forward in the Senate.

Thank you to all of the cosponsors of the bill – I very much appreciate your support. Thank you to all of the businesses, trade groups, and constituents who have provided constructive feedback as we’ve attempted to address as best we can all of the concerns that have been raised. Thank you to all of the Senate staff who have worked on this issue:

My staff – my Legislative Director Randi Reid and my Tax Counsel Eric Oman;

Corey Tellez, Beth Cook, Dena Morris, Reema Dodin, MJ Kenny, and Ben Garmisa on Senator Durbin’s staff;

Allison Martin, Michael Merrell, and David Cleary on Senator Alexander’s staff;

Jillian Fitzpatrick on Senator Heitkamp’s staff;

and all of the staffers of the bill’s cosponsors.

I know you have put in an immeasurable number of hours on this issue, and I thank you for your hard work.

I look forward to continuing to work with my House colleagues – Congressman Womack, Congresswoman Speier, Congressman Conyers and Congressman Welch – as they push forward to House passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Wait time for Wyoming veterans disability claims too high

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 06:00:00 EST

Wyoming veterans shouldn’t have to wait almost a year to get the help they need when they return home. That’s why U.S. Senator Mike Enzi joined more than 60 other senators today in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to take direct action to reduce the current backlog of veterans’ disability claims. Currently, Wyoming has 1,183 backlogged claims with veterans filing their first claim waiting 269 days on average.

“We need to do whatever is necessary to make sure those who served their country get the care they need when they come home,” said Enzi. “Our veterans have made countless sacrifices on our behalf and we can’t ever forget that.”

In the letter, Enzi cited long delays in cities across the country and made the case to the president for swift action to reduce the backlog.

“After a decade of war, and despite the VA’s efforts to modernize, more than 600,000 veterans are still stuck in the VA’s disability claims backlog,” the senators wrote. “Solving this problem is critical for veterans of all generations. We need direct and public involvement from you to establish a clear plan to end the backlog once and for all.”

The full text of the letter can be read here.

Enzi, Barrasso: stop abusive, unnecessary regulations

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:30:00 EST

Senators fight to protect coal & energy workers...

Enzi statement on Marketplace Fairness Act

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:30:00 EST

U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., issued the following statement concerning the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013.

"Wyoming shouldn’t subsidize out-of-state and online retailers that operate and sell to people in our state. Right now, these retailers can offer lower prices than our local businesses simply because they do not have to charge the same sales tax that all of our local merchants do. Sales tax pays for the roads we drive on, the schools our kids go to, and the fire and policeman we depend on. And I don’t want to see a situation where other taxes will have to be raised to cover basic local services because these out-of-state and online retailers are not collecting the sales tax that is owed on their products. My Marketplace Fairness bill doesn’t create a new tax or raise any tax. It’s about states’ rights. It allows a state to enforce its own laws without having to ask Washington for permission. The federal government should not have a role or authority in telling a state how to manage its finances. This bill specifically says that it’s up to the states to enforce this law and it’s 100% optional. Not a single dime would go to Washington. The bill would also protect small businesses until they have $1 million in online sales. It’s not complex or costly for businesses. Free software and services to collect and send the tax to the state are provided to businesses by the states. Take the time to research and read the bill yourself, it’s 11 pages and included below. Don’t take all the negative hype for granted. I don’t support policies that favor one taxpayer over another or one business over another. All businesses should play by the same set of rules and compete on a level playing field."

Click here to read the billl.

‘Americans owe more than they make.’

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:30:00 EST

Sheridan financial literacy expert emphasizes importance of educating kids ...

Wyoming Senators Urge EPA to Withdraw Water Regulations

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:00:00 EST

Senators write EPA urging them to abandon draft guidance that will drastically expand the Clean Water Act. ...

Marketplace Fairness Act Press Conference

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:00:00 EST

Senators Durbin, Enzi, Alexander and Heitkamp join small business owners at news conference to urge passage of the Marketplace Fairness Act...