By some accounts, 2017 was a political frenzy. U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., hit some of his policy highlights for the year.

Economy up, tax bill down

After years of work, Congress passed tax reform, which President Trump signed into law in December. As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Enzi directed the passage of the FY 2018 Budget Resolution, which provided Congress with the tools it needed to enact tax reform. And as a member of the Senate Finance Committee and a member of the joint Senate-House conference committee, Enzi worked with his colleagues to help finalize the tax reform bill. He said the legislation would make critical and long overdue reforms to our tax code that will jumpstart the economy and, most importantly, let families decide how more of their hard-earned money should be used. The final bill also repealed Obamacare’s individual mandate and opened up a portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for energy development.

Working for coal miners

Over the past year, Enzi cosponsored resolutions and sent letters to overturn burdensome regulations on the coal industry. This included a resolution Congress passed to overturn the “Stream Protection Rule”, which was aimed more at stopping coal production than protecting the environment, according to Enzi.

Protecting jobs and domestic energy production from duplicative regulations

Enzi worked to eliminate costly and duplicative federal energy regulations. One of those efforts included cosponsoring the Protecting States’ Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act to ensure that states are protected from redundant hydraulic fracturing regulations if state governments are already adequately regulating the practice.  

Reining in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Since the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Enzi has pointed out the dangers of giving a federal agency so much power with so little accountability. Last year, Enzi sent several letters and introduced legislation to rein in its excessive pay structure. The Senate also reversed a CFPB rule that Enzi said would have benefited trial lawyers more than consumers.

Constituent Services

Over the past year, Enzi and his office have assisted in hundreds of federal constituent cases to help folks in Wyoming.

Doubling the size of Black Hills Veterans Cemetery

In January 2017, Enzi reintroduced legislation to provide for expansion of Black Hills National Cemetery and in December, the Senate passed the legislation. Because Wyoming is one of the few states that does not yet have a VA National Cemetery, it is important that surrounding states have the capacity to ensure an honorable resting place for Wyoming’s veterans.

Delisting the gray wolf

After a judge in Washington, D.C., returned the gray wolf to the Endangered Species List by overruling a management plan agreed to by the Department of the Interior and several states, Enzi and a group of bipartisan senators introduced legislation to delist the gray wolf in Wyoming, Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota. In March, a federal appeals court upheld the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2012 decision to remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List in Wyoming. Enzi also introduced legislation to improve the Endangered Species Act.

Providing stronger protections from the death tax

For two decades, Enzi has been fighting the estate tax. The tax reform bill recently signed into law doubles the amount of the previous exemption to reduce uncertainty and costs for many family-owned farms and businesses when they pass down their life’s work to the next generation.

Supporting our veterans

From cosponsoring the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, which was signed into law, to calling for a review of and improvements to the Veterans Choice Program on the Senate floor, Enzi has focused on helping veterans.

Helping small businesses access health care

Last year, Enzi introduced legislation that would allow small businesses to pool together to provide better health care for their employees. President Trump signed an executive order that could lead to a similar policy. In January 2018, the Department of Labor released a proposed rule to provide this option to small businesses.  

Passing 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

In June, Senator Enzi voted for the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and the President signed it into law in December. This bill authorized a pay raise for U.S. troops and construction funds for improvements at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne. It also called for C-130H aircraft modernization and supported the UH-1N helicopter replacement program, which provides security for the missile fields. In addition, it authorized federal financial reimbursement to states for forest fire containment under certain conditions. 

Hosting the Inventors Conference and partnering with GRO-Biz

Enzi hosted his annual Inventors Conference in Torrington. This conference is dedicated to helping individuals with ideas learn more information about the patent process, business planning, funding options and how to market their product. He was also a partner at the annual Government Resources and Opportunities for Business (GRO-Biz) Conference and Idea Expo, which allows the opportunity for Wyoming businesses to learn and network in a multi-billion dollar federal government market.

Auditing the Department of Education’s student loan data

After learning that the Department of Education consistently underestimated the projected cost of its income driven student loan repayment program, Enzi requested an audit of all student loan-related data from the department. With a more than $1.3 trillion student loan portfolio, Enzi said it was important to ensure the Department of Education can maintain accurate records of loan transactions, cost and performances.

Protecting payments to Wyoming

The Wyoming delegation worked to allow states to collect their own federal mineral royalties, protecting money that is rightfully owed to the states. They introduced legislation that would eliminate a collection fee charged by the federal government, which amounts to around $40 million each year. Enzi also fought to protect Wyoming’s abandoned mine land money, highway money and Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PILT). PILT are federal payments to local governments that help offset losses in property taxes due to non-taxable federal lands.

Increasing water storage in southwestern Wyoming

The Wyoming delegation reintroduced legislation to approve the expansion of water storage at the Bureau of Reclamation’s Fontenelle Reservoir in Lincoln County. This legislation allows Wyoming to finally take advantage of the project’s full potential. 

Making the Voluntary Protection Program permanent

Enzi introduced bipartisan legislation to make permanent the successful Voluntary Protection Program, a proven workplace health and safety program. Enzi said it is time to cement this program into law to ensure it can grow and provide help for more of America’s small businesses. 

Improving education

Enzi introduced the Transparency in Student Lending Act, which requires disclosure of the annual percentage rate for federal student loans.

Protecting law-abiding knife owners

Enzi and U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., introduced legislation to ensure those traveling with a properly secured knife are not prosecuted under local or state laws which ban certain knives. The Interstate Transport Act provides safe harbor to those travelling with a knife where it is lawful for the knife to be possessed at both the points of origin and destination. 

Helping physician assistants provide hospice care

Enzi and U.S. Senator Tom Carper, D-Del., introduced the Medicare Patient Access to Hospice Act, which would allow physician assistants to provide and manage hospice care for Medicare beneficiaries.