{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Republican\", state = \"OR\" and year = 2023 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-house-senate-lawmakers-demand-supreme-court-block-white-house-eco", "ICYMI: House, Senate lawmakers demand Supreme Court block White House eco actions: 'Set the record straight'", "2023-12-22", "2023", "2023-12", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-senate-lawmakers-demand-supreme-court-block-white-house-eco-actions-set-record-straight\n\nBy Thomas Catenacci - Fox News\n\nFIRST ON FOX: A group of dozens of House and Senate Republicans filed a legal brief Monday to urge the Supreme Court to take up two cases related to President Biden's authority to lock up public lands from resource development and other uses.\n\nIn the brief first obtained by Fox News Digital, the lawmakers \u2014 led by Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., and joined by House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and 26 other lawmakers including three senators \u2014 argued that the president's use of the 1906 Antiquities Act is an example of federal overreach and violates the U.S. Constitution.\n\nThe lawmakers specifically asked the high court to hear both American Forest Resource Council v. United States of America and Murphy Company v. Biden, two cases challenging the expansion of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument in southwest Oregon. Plaintiffs have argued that the monument expansion was both illegal and caused significant economic damage, particularly to the timber industry.\n\n\"We urge the Supreme Court to hear these cases and send a clear message that the President cannot simply bypass Congress and rewrite our nation's land laws with the stroke of a pen,\" Bentz said in a statement. \"This is about upholding the Constitution, protecting our rural communities, and ensuring responsible management of our public lands.\"\n\nThe Antiquities Act, designed as a federal conservation tool, grants the president broad authority to establish national monuments on existing federal lands. Since taking office in 2021, Biden has established five such monuments in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, Mississippi and Arizona, which have faced opposition from industry, lawmakers and garnered legal challenges.\n\nInvoking the Antiquities Act and establishing a national monument effectively blocks the designated lands from normal uses. Under separate legislation passed in the 1970s, Congress established the so-called \"multiple-use\" and sustained yield mandate, requiring the Bureau of Land Management to open the lands it manages to various uses including energy development like drilling, grazing, recreation and mining.\n\n\"For far too long the executive branch has abused the Antiquities Act to cut off millions of acres of public lands, an action that greatly impacts rural communities across the country and ignores Congress\u2019 directive on how those lands must be responsibly managed,\" Westerman said Tuesday.\n\n\"The president does not have the constitutional authority to lock away our federal land and waters, especially without any local input,\" he said. \"I urge the Supreme Court to take up these two critical cases and set the record straight on the executive branch\u2019s authority when it comes to regulating our federal lands and waters.\"\n\nBut while the two cases are focused on that monument, they have much wider ramifications for future use of the Antiquities Act and national monuments created by Biden over the last two years, according to plaintiffs.\n\nBiden's designation of the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada and Baaj Nwaavjo I\u2019tah Kukveni National Monument in Arizona, for example, have faced opposition that included legal challenges from state governments as well as mining, livestock and agriculture groups.\n\n\"Whether you\u2019re living in southwest Oregon near the illegal expansion of the monument, in Utah where numerous presidential proclamations have placed massive areas off-limits in recent years, or in Washington, D.C., where concerns about the protection of our democracy and constitutional processes are top of mind, this case and its outcome are critical to the future management of our federal lands,\" American Forest Resource Council (AFRC) President Travis Joseph said last month.\n\nIn 2019, after the AFRC sued the federal government over the designation of Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, a lower court ruled in favor of the group and said the executive branch lacked authority to override the will of Congress which, in separate legislation, defined sustained-yield timber harvest as the dominant use of public land in Oregon.\n\nThen in July, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed that decision. Months earlier, in April, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals came to a similar conclusion in Murphy Company v. Biden, the second case that Republicans asked the Supreme Court to review.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/bentz-leads-bicameral-coalition-amicus-brief-urging-supreme-court-curb", "Bentz Leads Bicameral Coalition in Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court to Curb Presidential Overreach under the Antiquities Act", "2023-12-19", "2023", "2023-12", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) announced that he is leading a coalition of Congressmen and Senators in filing an amicus brief with the Supreme Court, urging the Court to hear two important and critical cases challenging the President's misuse of the Antiquities Act to establish National Monuments. These cases, American Forest Resource Council v. United States of America and Murphy Company v. Biden, present a clear opportunity for the Court to establish limits on presidential authority and uphold the Constitution's separation of powers doctrine.\n\n\"The Constitution makes it clear that Congress, not the President, makes our laws. The President\u2019s job is not to make law, but to enforce them. Yet, in recent years, Presidents have increasingly usurped congressional authority by using the Antiquities Act to 'Monumentize' millions upon millions of acres of public land rendering massive areas largely untouchable. This blatant disregard for the will of the people is an affront to the Constitution,\" stated Congressman Bentz. \"In this brief we urge the Supreme Court to hear these cases and to make it clear that the President cannot circumvent Congress by rewriting our nation's public land\n\nlaws with the stroke of a pen. This is about upholding the Constitution, protecting our public lands from being left to burn up, and that they can be properly managed with the their best interest in mind.\"\n\nThe amicus brief highlights several key concerns:\n\nPresidential Overreach: The President's recent national\n\nmonument designation in Oregon overrides Congress's directive for\n\nhow these lands must be managed, specifically the O&C Act, which\n\nmandates sustained-yield timber production to generate revenue for\n\nrural communities. The President\u2019s actions set a dangerous precedent\n\nof executive overreach on all federal lands and waters.\n\nEconomic Devastation: The President\u2019s monument designation\n\ncripples forest-dependent communities and exacerbates the wildfire\n\ncrisis by severely limiting essential forest management practices.\n\nConstitutional Violation: The Constitution vests Congress, not the\n\nPresident, with the power to regulate federal lands. This case is an\n\nopportunity for the Supreme Court to reaffirm the separation of\n\npowers and protect the rights of American citizens.\n\nTravis Joseph, American Forest Resource Council President stated, \"We thank Congressman Cliff Bentz for his leadership on the Congressional amicus brief, and for bringing awareness to these important issues on Capitol Hill. Congressman Bentz and his colleagues understand the Constitutional issues that are at stake; the need to maintain and strengthen the separation of powers; and to ensure that Congress - not the President - continues to make the laws on behalf of the Americans they represent.\"\n\n\"For far too often, Congress has given the Executive Branch too much authority to manage and lock up Federal lands,\" said Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04). \"Both the Obama and Biden Administrations have abused the Antiquities Act to create new national monuments out of our federal lands to lock them up from development in opposition to the intent of Congress. It\u2019s past time for members of Congress to reclaim authority relating to the Antiquities Act, which is why I signed on to this Amicus Brief to make our argument clear to the Supreme Court as they review cases.\"\n\nNatural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04) stated, \"For far too long the executive branch has abused the Antiquities Act to cut off millions of acres of public lands, an action that greatly impacts rural communities across the country and ignores Congress\u2019 directive on how those lands must be responsibly managed. The President does not have the constitutional authority to lock away our federal land and waters, especially without any local input. I urge the Supreme Court to take up these two critical cases and set the record straight on the executive branch\u2019s authority when it comes to regulating our federal lands and waters.\"\n\n\"For years, the Obama and Biden Administrations used the Antiquities Act to institutionalize massive executive overreach, seizing acres and acres of land without consequence. In some Congressional Districts, almost 80% of rural land was set aside as public or federal land,\" said Congresswoman Miller-Meeks (IA-01). \"We must preserve the use of federal lands for responsible recreational, agricultural, and energy use. I am proud to join my colleagues in urging the Supreme Court to curb executive overreach and require the Administration to consult Congress before making rash decisions about our federal lands.\"\n\n\"I am proud to join my colleagues in asking the Supreme Court to impose a limit on a president\u2019s authority under the Antiquities Act,\" Congressman Russ Fulcher (ID-01) said. \"Congress should determine whether public land can become an untouchable national monument; not the president. The Biden Administration is taking land away Congress requires be sustainably harvested to generate revenue for rural counties. I have worked, on a bipartisan basis, to extend Good Neighbor Authority to counties and tribes, helping them with job creation and revenue from timber harvests, along with managing the risk of wildfires and good environmental stewardship of our forests. I hope the Supreme Court hears the message loud and clear: Congress \u2013 not the President \u2013 has the constitutional authority over federal lands.\"\n\nCongressman John Rose (TN-06) added, \"President Biden's heavy-handed approach to using the Antiquities Act must be halted by the Supreme Court. As an attorney and eighth-generation farmer, I understand that the best stewards of public lands are the local communities who manage and depend on them\u2014not the federal government\u2014and that President Biden's use of the Antiquities Act is blatantly unconstitutional. I am proud to join Rep. Bentz in this amicus brief to hold the president accountable to the constitution and prevent him from damaging rural southwest Oregon communities that depend on this public land.\"\n\n\"Once again, the Biden administration is overstepping its authority and restricting more of our lands from use. The Antiquities Act is just one of many ways that the Biden administration is keeping Americans from gaining energy independence, enjoying sport & recreation activities, and restricting every ability to do anything except \u201cconserve\u201d land in the name of a ridiculous climate change agenda. I urge the Supreme Court to take up this case and to strike down this Biden abuse of office,\" Congresswoman Harriet Hageman (WY-AL) concluded.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/bentz-releases-statement-support-national-defense-authorization-act", "Bentz Releases Statement in Support of the National Defense Authorization Act", "2023-12-14", "2023", "2023-12", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) released the following statement after voting \u201cyes\u201d on H.R. 2670, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024.\n\n\u201cThe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is absolutely essential to the safety and security of every American. There is simply nothing more important than being able to defend our country and our freedoms. The bill is not perfect, but it takes huge steps in the right direction. This bill helps us prepare for the worst, and the list of really bad things that could happen grows longer every day.\n\nOne of the good things done in this bill is that it secures funding for Kingsley Field\u2019s next mission, which is to train elite F-35A Lightning II jet pilots in Klamath Falls.\n\nFor nearly 70 years, Kingsley Field has played a critical role in safeguarding our nation's air superiority. Since taking office, securing Kingsley's future has been a top priority, and I'm thrilled the Air Force has chosen Kingsley for this essential mission.\u201d\n\nFY24 NDAA Highlights:", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/bentz-releases-statement-following-todays-wwf-hearing-snake-river-dams", "Bentz Releases Statement Following Today's WWF Hearing on the Snake River Dams", "2023-12-12", "2023", "2023-12", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - \u201cToday\u2019s Congressional hearing called out the Biden Administration for engaging in secret discussions to breach the four lower Snake River dams, to impose upon the people of the northwest billions in costs to replace thousands of megawatts of clean reliable power generated by these dams, and, if that was not enough, to force the people of the Northwest to inequitably pay billions in higher utility rates under the guise of building fish runs to levels not seen in centuries.\u201d \u2013 Congressman Cliff Bentz\n\nClick here to watch today's hearing.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-house-panel-probe-biden-admins-negotiations-eco-groups-trying-tear-down", "ICYMI: House panel to probe Biden admin's negotiations with eco groups trying to tear down key power source", "2023-12-11", "2023", "2023-12", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-panel-probe-biden-admins-negotiations-eco-groups-trying-tear-down-key-power-source\n\nBy Thomas Catenacci - Fox News\n\nFIRST ON FOX: A top House panel is probing the Biden administration's negotiations with left-wing environmental groups seeking to remove four hydroelectric dams in Washington to protect salmon.\n\nThe House Natural Resources Committee's Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee will hold a hearing next week, on Dec. 12, where it will review efforts to effectively dismantle the dams \u2014 which are a key source of clean energy and which enable agricultural transport \u2014 and related litigation. Experts and industry groups will speak at the hearing about the importance of the four federally-managed dams.\n\n\"Pacific Northwest residents should be extremely concerned,\" Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., who chairs the subcommittee, told Fox News Digital in an interview. \"It's exactly what we've been saying for years \u2014 that we have unelected folks, bureaucrats, especially in the [Council on Environmental Quality], dramatically exceeding their authority and basically stepping outside the description of what they have the power to do reflected in National Environmental Protection Act.\"\n\nBentz said that he hopes witnesses will be able to highlight how removing, or breaching, the dams will impact electricity rates consumers pay and farmers who transport hundreds of thousands of tons of food, especially wheat, aided by the dams. The four dams are located on the lower Snake River, which winds through Idaho and Washington before feeding into the Columbia River and then into the Pacific Ocean.\n\nThe hearing next week is set to feature Scott Simms, the CEO and executive director of the Public Power Council; Neil Maunu, the executive director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association; and Humaria Falkenberg, the power resources manager at the Pacific County Public Utility District in Raymond, Washington.\n\nNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Richard Spinrad and White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chairwoman Brenda Mallory both declined to attend the hearing. John Hairston, the administrator and CEO of the Bonneville Power Administration in Portland, Oregon, also declined to attend.\n\nThe four dams on the lower Snake River have been thrust into the spotlight in recent months and years as environmental organizations and some Democrats have argued the dams have decimated salmon and Steelhead populations, According to Columbia Riverkeeper, an Oregon eco group, the dams transformed the river into \"a series of warm, shallow lakes where predators, dam turbines and hot water kill too many migrating salmon.\"\n\nIn addition, such groups have filed litigation against the federal government in an effort to force the dams to be breached. In November, though, environmental plaintiffs agreed to pause litigation through mid-December after a mediation was crafted with federal defendants that states action must be taken to save fish in the Snake River.\n\n\"We agree that business as usual \u2014 and the consequential disappearance of salmon and other native fish populations in the Columbia River Basin \u2014 is unacceptable,\" the mediation, which was confidential until it was leaked last week, states. \"And while there is still time to save these fish, there is no time to waste.\"\n\nThe mediation notes that Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., released recommendations last year to quickly deploy green energy in the region to account for lost power were the four dams to be torn down. The document later notes the region must account for power to replace energy services currently provided by the dams.\n\n\"Instead of working with all interests, the U.S. Government chose for months to hold secret negotiations and refused to share any details with us, let alone allow our participation,\" said the executive directors of Northwest RiverPartners, the Public Power Council, and the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, which collectively represent power utilities, ports, agriculture companies and other businesses dependent on the dams.\n\n\"It is not surprising, then, that this proposal turns its back on over three million electricity customers as well as the farming, transportation, navigation, and economic needs of the region,\" they continued. \"By purposely excluding our respective organizations from the negotiations, literally millions of Northwest residents were deprived of fair representation in this process.\"\n\nThe American Public Power Association and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association also blasted the leaked mediation last week, saying \"it would jeopardize electric reliability and increase costs for millions of Americans throughout the Pacific Northwest.\"\n\nAfter the mediation was leaked last week, the White House CEQ told Fox News Digital that breaching the lower Snake River dams would require congressional authorization \"and is therefore not an action that could be agreed to through the mediation.\"\n\nHowever, Bentz said while the federal government isn't able to breach the dams without congressional action, it could \"operationally neuter\" the dams under a legal order.\n\n\"They're not talking about breaching,\" Bentz told Fox News Digital. \"They're talking about operating them in a fashion that doesn't generate power and doesn't allow navigation. They will just be a big block of concrete in the river, around which the water will run.\"\n\nThe dams were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers primarily to ensure the Snake River was passable for barge transportation. However, since then, the main benefit has been their reliable clean energy output. They still provide about 8% of the state's electricity, enough to serve millions of residents, and have a large total capacity of 3,000 megawatts.\n\nRemoving the dams would also likely chip away at U.S. climate goals since their energy production would likely need to be replaced by fossil fuel alternatives. According to federal data, replacing hydropower generated by the dams with natural gas generation would increase carbon emissions by up to 2.6 million metric tons per year, the equivalent of 421,000 passenger cars.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-bentz-lead-water-wildlife-and-fisheries-hearing-examining-biden", "Chairman Bentz to Lead Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Hearing Examining the Biden Administration\u2019s Efforts to Eliminate the Pacific Northwest\u2019s Clean Energy Production.", "2023-12-06", "2023", "2023-12", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington DC \u2013 Congressman Cliff Bentz (R-OR) announced that on Tuesday, December 12th, the Congressional Subcommittee of Natural Resources on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries will hold a hearing on the Biden Administration's destructive, politicized, unfair, and deceptive scheme to ultimately remove the four lower Snake River Dams.\n\nThe Biden Administration's scheme is a direct attack on clean energy production and navigation in the Northwest. These four dams are essential to energy production, navigation on the Snake River into Idaho, and the Northwest\u2019s agricultural industry. Removing or adjusting their operations to negate power generation and river commerce would be devastating. This hearing will expose this Administration's reckless and destructive policies and give the people most impacted by them an opportunity to be heard.\n\nThe hearing will feature expert testimony on the economic, environmental, legal, and inequitable impacts that would occur if these dams were removed or operationally destroyed. Witnesses will also discuss the Biden Administration's overreach and abuse of power as shown by its perversion of the court process by use of \u201csue and settle\u201d tactics.\n\nWhen: December 12th, 2:00 pm ET\n\nWhere to Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@NaturalResourcesGOP", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/bentz-and-colleagues-demand-transparency-access-secret-package-columbia-river", "Bentz and Colleagues Demand Transparency, Access to Secret Package in Columbia River System Operations Mediation", "2023-11-21", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Oregon Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-02) joined Representatives Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), and Russ Fulcher (ID-01) in demanding the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) grant immediate access to the \u201cpackage of actions and commitments\u201d recently negotiated in the mediation concerning the Columbia River System Operations.\n\nOn October 31, 2023, the legal stay in the long-running court litigation related to the Columbia River System Operations expired. A 45-day stay extension was approved to allow federal mediation to continue. Shortly thereafter, federal defendants and plaintiffs filed a report to the court regarding the future of the litigation. In the status update report, the document noted the following:\n\n\"During the extended stay, representatives from the United States, and staff teams for the National Wildlife Federation et al. Plaintiffs, the State of Oregon, the State of Washington, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and the Nez Perce Tribe (collectively, \u201cParties\u201d), have developed a package of actions and commitments that they intend to discuss with the other regional sovereigns and litigation parties and, following conferral, present to the Parties\u2019 decision-makers for final review and approval. If approved, the Parties intend to ask this Court to enter a multi-year stay of the litigation to allow the Parties to implement this package of actions and commitments.\"\n\nIn a letter to Brenda Mallory, Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality, the lawmakers wrote:\n\n\"In addition to expecting the immediate transmittal of the proposed USG commitments, we find it necessary to remind you Congress alone has the authority not only to order the breach of the Lower Snake River Dams, but also exclusive authority to direct the study of breaching or to authorize replacement resources.\"\n\n\"This is statutory fact, and we warn the administration not to attempt to circumvent that fact through clever wordsmithing.\"\n\nThe letter is supported by stakeholders directly affected by the results of the mediation including TRIDEC, Washington Wheat Association, Public Power Council, and Pacific Northwest Waterways Association.\n\n\"The four lower Snake River dams, along with the energy, navigation, and irrigation benefits they provide, are critically important to the Tri-Cities and the entire Pacific Northwest,\" Karl Dye, President & CEO, TRIDEC stated. \"The many stakeholders who stand to be impacted by the outcome of this mediation deserve a seat at the table and to have their voices heard. This is a basic tenet of our system of government, and it is fundamentally unfair for select groups to be left out of the decision-making process on an issue that affects them directly. We sincerely appreciate Representatives Newhouse, McMorris Rodgers, Fulcher, and Bentz for their work to address this concern, and we hope that in the future all impacted parties will have an opportunity to participate.\"\n\n\"We are appreciative of the efforts of these Representatives, demanding transparency in federal processes that have broad-reaching impacts on stakeholder communities including, the Washington wheat industry,\" said Michelle Hennings, Executive Director, Washington Wheat Association. \"We have said all along that healthy salmon and dams can coexist, but this can only happen through cooperative work and the ability for all stakeholders to come together in a productive way. Lack of clear direction and transparency from the Federal government only hinders the ability of that progress.\"\n\nScott Simms, CEO & Executive Director, Public Power Council (PPC) stated, \"the people of the Pacific Northwest have really been let down by this so-called process being run by the Council on Environmental Quality. Our non-profit, community-owned member utilities and their customers were never given a real chance from the get-go, as we just recently learned a few parties in the litigation were working secretly with the federal government for more than six months on a \u2018package of actions and commitments.\u2019 We can\u2019t wait for the day when the current confidentiality gag order is lifted on those proposed actions and commitments and everyone gets to see for themselves the level of uncertainty and prospective new costs that are being proposed for Northwest citizens as a result of these secret dealings.\"\n\n\"We are deeply disappointed in the flawed process that resulted in the creation of the USG Actions and Commitments document, Neil Maunu, Executive Director, Pacific Northwest Waterways Association stated. \"Despite our organization\u2019s extensive efforts to contribute as industry and subject matter experts, our input was overlooked for months while the plaintiffs engaged in secretive negotiations with the Council on Environmental Quality. This failure to consider the expertise and perspective of our members who rely on the critical navigation services provided by the system has left us with grave concerns about the credibility and fairness of the resulting package of actions and commitments. We urge transparency and fairness in this process and call on this administration to do so.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bentzs-statement-praising-speaker-johnsons-efforts-avert", "Congressman Bentz's Statement Praising Speaker Johnson's Efforts to Avert a Government Shutdown", "2023-11-17", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington D.C. \u2013 This week, Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-02) voted for Speaker Mike Johnson\u2019s plan to fund the government and avert a shutdown.\n\n\u201cI voted with Speaker Johnson because I support his short-term funding plan which will give us the time we need to keep working on reductions in spending. As the Speaker knows, a shutdown would cause serious hardships to many who work in the military, the TSA, agencies charged with issuing permits, and even agencies who send out government entitlement payments,\u201d said Congressman Bentz. \u201cAdditionally, a government shutdown would be damaging to our economy and to our national security. I am fully committed to working with my colleagues to reduce spending while at the same time keeping the government open and operating.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-cliff-bentz-statement-israel", "Congressman Cliff Bentz Statement on Israel", "2023-11-16", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "I have long been a supporter of Israel and its people. The United States has consistently supported Israel, and I am proud to have been a part of that effort. Over the past three years, I have voted for a significant number of bills that help and support Israel. These bills include:\n\nH.R. 5323 - Iron Dome Supplemental Appropriations Act 2022\n\nH.Con.Res.57 - Expressing the sense of Congress supporting the State of Israel.\n\nH.R.3099 - Special Envoy for the Abraham Accords Act\n\nH.Res.771 - Standing with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists.\n\nH.Res.793 - Calling on Hamas to immediately release hostages taken during October 2023 attack on Israel.\n\nI believe that supporting Israel is not only the right thing to do, but it is also in America\u2019s national interest. Israel is the only democratic nation in the Middle East, and it shares our values of freedom, democracy, and human rights while being a vital ally. We have a long history of cooperation on a wide range of issues, including security, counterterrorism, and economic development.\n\nThe recent attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians are horrifying and have no place in a civilized world. Hamas is a terrorist organization that has repeatedly launched attacks against Israeli civilians, and I condemn these attacks in the strongest possible terms. Israel has the right to defend itself, and I stand with Israel. Sadly, there are thousands of innocent victims in both Israel and Gaza who are being impacted by this senseless war started and perpetuated by Hamas and we must do what we can to help them.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bentz-releases-statement-secretary-mayorkas-impeachment-vote", "Congressman Bentz Releases Statement on Secretary Mayorkas Impeachment Vote", "2023-11-14", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "There is no question that Secretary Mayorkas has failed to carry out his duties as cabinet secretary, putting the American people at serious and decades-long risk. His implementation of the Biden border policies has resulted in the worst mass illegal migration into the United States that we have ever experienced. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I have twice had the opportunity to personally question Secretary Mayorkas regarding his failure to protect our country.\n\nThe bottom line is this: if we actually want to impeach AND convict Secretary Mayorkas, we must proceed correctly, and go through \u201cregular order.\u201d \u201cRegular order\u201d means using the committee process to reach a solution.\n\nThe United States House of Representatives has the power to impeach, but not the power to convict. Articles of Impeachment are the equivalent of an indictment. To be removed from office, the impeachment resolution, once passed by the House, must be taken up by the Senate, a trial held, and then if there is a two-thirds affirmative vote in the Senate, the person is \u201cconvicted\u201d and only then would he be removed from office. The Senate is not obligated to take up articles of impeachment, and I can guarantee you that the current Senate would never take up a resolution that had not gone through committee (regular order). This failure to follow \u201cregular order\u201d is one of the reasons that the second Trump impeachment was flawed, and a reason, among others, that many of us used to justify our votes objecting to that impeachment effort. Mayorkas is currently the focus of an impeachment inquiry in our Republican Homeland Security Oversight Committee, and we are told that this committee will act soon. (This is the committee to which the resolution was referred).\n\nI will continue to do all that I can to hold Secretary Mayorkas responsible for his absolute failure to protect the American People. I will support conducting the impeachment process in a manner that maximizes our opportunity to have Mayorkas face trial in the Senate and prevents the Democrats from arguing that we failed to follow the Constitution, failed to follow regular order, and failed to properly develop the facts.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-bentz-and-chairman-massie-send-letter-environmental-quality-chair", "Chairman Bentz and Chairman Massie Send Letter to Environmental Quality Chair Demanding Answers on Lower Snake River Dams Interference", "2023-11-08", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington D.C. \u2013 Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust Committee on the Judiciary, Thomas Massie (KY-04) joined Chairman of the Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee, Cliff Bentz (OR-02) in sending a letter to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Brenda Mallory requesting documents related to the CEQ's role in mediation and settlement discussions regarding the Lower Snake River Dams.\n\nThe letter expresses concern that the CEQ has exceeded its authority by actively participating in these discussions, favoring certain parties, and potentially violating the Administrative Procedure Act.\n\n\u201cThe Council on Environmental Quality appears to have dramatically overstepped its authority by interfering in ongoing litigation concerning operation of the Snake River Dams,\u201d said Congressman Bentz. \u201cThe CEQ is supposed to act as an advisory board to Federal agencies concerning process and not policy. Instead, it has become the environmental arm of the Biden Administration. This interference is a misuse of the CEQ\u2019s time and resources, extending far beyond its original mandate.\u201d\n\nRead the letter here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-bentz-secures-amendment-prohibiting-funding-establishment-monument", "Congressman Bentz Secures Amendment Prohibiting Funding for Establishment of Monument", "2023-11-03", "2023", "2023-11", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-02) announced that his amendment to H.R. 4821, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, was adopted and included in the bill which passed out of the House of Representatives on November 3rd. The amendment prohibits the use of funds approved in the bill for the establishment of any National Monument in Malheur County, Oregon.\n\n\u201cWe don\u2019t want a 2.5-million-acre monument promoted by Portland-based environmental groups making decisions for land they have never seen and frankly, only care about in the abstract. We must have a land management process that is based on the people who live, work, appreciate and recreate in Malheur County,\u201d Congressman Bentz stated. \u201cThe Bureau of Land Management already controls 67% of our county, and a national monument designation would be damaging to the land and communities in Malheur. Our amendment sends a clear message to the President that we oppose a National Monument and that this would undermine the hard work that local groups have been doing for the better part of six years to protect this land.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:01:09Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/bentz-colleagues-host-field-hearing-lower-snake-river-dam-removal", "Bentz, Colleagues to Host Field Hearing on Lower Snake River Dam Removal", "2023-06-21", "2023", "2023-06", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-02) announced that the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries is hosting a field hearing in Richland, Washington this Monday, June 26th, at 1:00 PM PT. The hearing is titled \"The Northwest at Risk: The Environmentalist's Effort to Destroy Navigation, Transportation, and Access to Reliable Power.\"\n\n\u201cI\u2019m happy to have the opportunity to hold a Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Congressional field hearing in Richland, Washington focusing on the future of the four Lower Snake River dams. These multi-billion-dollar energy and transportation facilities provide irreplaceable benefits not only to the citizens of Washington and Idaho, but to the entire western United States. The hearing will highlight how the Biden Administration, through abuse of the administrative process, use of \u201csue and settle\u201d tactics, failure to defend the interests of the Northwest, and selective use of science to achieve political rather than biologically sound solutions, is advancing an agenda of economic and community destruction while doing nothing for our fish. My Congressional colleagues and I look forward to the hearing this Monday, June 26th, at the Richland High School auditorium.\u201d - Rep. Bentz", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:15:57Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/bentz-announces-kingsley-field-will-receive-f-35a-lightning-ii-jet", "Bentz Announces Kingsley Field Will Receive F-35A Lightning II Jet", "2023-05-31", "2023", "2023-05", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-02) released the following statement regarding the future of Kinglsey Field in Klamath Falls, Oregon.\n\n\u201cI am extremely pleased to say that I have just been informed by General David Allvin, Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, that Kingsley Field will have a next mission, and it will be training pilots to fly the F-35A Lightning II jet. For nearly seventy years, Kingsley\u2019s missions have been absolutely essential to our country\u2019s air superiority and the Klamath Falls community. Since day one in Congress, I have made Kingsley Field\u2019s future missions a top priority, including securing the F-35 mission. I was very happy last year to have had an amendment included in the FY23 NDAA that requires the United States Air Force to submit public plans for the future of bases operating with the F-15 Strike Eagle, like Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls. The Air Force\u2019s decision to provide Kingsley with the F-35 is great news for our country, Oregon, and Klamath Falls, and I look forward to seeing the amazing work of the 173rd Fighter Wing in continuing to train the best air-to-air combat pilots in the world.\u201d\n\nKingsley Field is named after Lt. David R. Kingsley, an Oregon World War II hero killed in action in June of 1944. In 1954, the United States Air Force selected Klamath Falls for the establishment of an all-weather-fighter-interceptor-squadron and an aircraft control and warning squadron. Kingsley is now home to the 173rd Fighter Wing, which was activated on June 27, 1996.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:55:44Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/bentz-supports-historic-debt-ceiling-deal-largest-spending-cut-us-history", "Bentz Supports Historic Debt Ceiling Deal, Largest Spending Cut in U.S. History", "2023-05-31", "2023", "2023-05", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-02) issued a statement on his vote in favor of the \"Fiscal Responsibility Act.\"\n\n\u201cThis bill, H.R. 3746, the \u201cFiscal Responsibility Act,\u201d is the result of Speaker McCarthy forcing President Biden to the bargaining table, where our team was able to negotiate a truly meaningful deal, giving me \u2013 and the entire House of Representatives \u2013 the opportunity to vote for the largest spending cut in U.S. history. We blocked new taxes proposed by President Biden, capped discretionary spending at a 1% increase per year, reformed NEPA for the first time in 40 years, rescinded billions in COVID money, adjusted welfare requirements to incentivize individuals to seek employment, restarted $5 billion a month in student loan payments, protected Veterans, and maintained defense spending. Perhaps the best part of this deal is that if Congress fails to properly fund the government via the 12 appropriations bills passed by the Senate, all budgets will be automatically cut by 1% thus forcing everyone to the table. Moreover, Speaker McCarthy and his negotiators were able to do this while only looking at 11% of the entire budget (89% of the budget \u2013 Social Security, Medicare, the military, and Veterans were off the table). This deal represents a monumental achievement by House Republicans, and it is a much-needed step in the right direction in getting our fiscal house back in order.\" - Rep. Cliff Bentz", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:55:44Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/bentz-announces-winner-2023-congressional-art-competition", "Bentz Announces Winner of 2023 Congressional Art Competition", "2023-05-15", "2023", "2023-05", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-O2) announced that Cali Lees, a sophomore from Phoenix High School, has been selected as the winner of OR-02\u2019s 2023 Congressional Art Competition out of a record number of 43 talented submissions! Cali\u2019s painting, entitled Cumulus Clouds, was selected by a panel of three judges who praised the piece as a \"lovely, straight-forward composition with good use of color relationships\u201d. Cali will travel to Washington, D.C. to see her artwork displayed in the national student art exhibit in the U.S. Capitol and attend a reception in her honor.\n\n\"I am extremely happy to congratulate Cali on this terrific achievement. I look forward to seeing Cumulus Clouds each day as I walk to and from the House Chamber. I want to thank her for this incredible piece \u2013 Congratulations, Cali!\" - Rep. Bentz.\n\nBentz also announced three regional winners from Oregon\u2019s Second District. Each regional winner will have his or her art displayed in one of Congressman Bentz\u2019s offices in Medford, OR, Ontario, OR, or Washington, D.C.\n\n1) The Seeds of Growth by Shayna Giron-Lopez, Phoenix High School, grade 11\n\n2) Lily Cat by Rowen Wiley, Phoenix High School, grade 10\n\n3) Slow Your Roll by Brissa Bauer, Phoenix High School, grade 11\n\nCongressman Bentz also thanked the judges for the 2023 competition. \u201cI am very thankful to the judges who volunteered their time and expertise to our district's art competition,\u201d Bentz said. \u201cThey helped make this year's competition not just memorable but also a great success.\u201d The judges for the 2023 Congressional Art Competition in Oregon\u2019s Second Congressional District were:\n\n1) Kim Hearon, Executive Director, Rogue Gallery & Art Center, Medford\n\n2) Cody Bustamante, Professor of Painting and Drawing, Southern Oregon University, Ashland\n\n3) Michael Sell, Associate Professor of Art, Eastern Oregon University, La Grande\n\nThe Congressional Art Competition is a nationwide program for students to showcase their artistic abilities and highlight the importance of art education. Since its start in 1982, more than 700,000 high school students from around the country have participated. More information on the competition can be found via Rep. Bentz\u2019s website at https://bentz.house.gov/services/art-competition.\n\nSee Cali\u2019s beautiful piece below!", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:55:44Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/lummis-bentz-lead-colleagues-introducing-congressional-review-act-overturn", "Lummis, Bentz lead Colleagues in Introducing Congressional Review Act to Overturn Biden Rule on the Endangered Species Act", "2023-03-31", "2023", "2023-03", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) led 17 of her colleagues in introducing a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to retain the regulatory definition of habitat within the Endangered Species Act (ESA). By defining habitat, this CRA will provide clarity and transparency to landowners and businesses in Wyoming and throughout the west.\n\n\u201cThere is an important distinction between \u2018habitat\u2019 and \u2018critical habitat\u2019 for an endangered species,\u201d said Lummis. \u201cBy scrapping the definition of habitat within the ESA, the Biden administration is causing chaos and confusion among private property owners throughout Wyoming and the west. Two-thirds of all endangered species are located on private lands, so private property owners need to be partners in species recover, not the enemy. This CRA will ensure that Wyoming landowners are not unfairly targeted by the administration and that habitat designations are based on science, not on politics.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Biden administration is once again burdening Wyoming farmers, ranchers and landowners with regulations that hurt our agriculture producers and reduces land value,\u201d said Barrasso. \u201cI\u2019m proud to join Sen. Lummis\u2019 effort to reinstate the Trump administration\u2019s rule to clearly define habitats under the Endangered Species Act.\u201d\n\n\u201cBy finalizing a new critical habitat designation, the Biden administration is once again increasing costs, creating more red tape, and ultimately making it more difficult to build here in America. We should be making it easier to achieve our conservation goals through clear definitions, but the Biden designation would only drive more uncertainty for landowners across our country. I appreciate Senator Lummis for her leadership in challenging this new rule, and will continue to support commonsense checks on this administration\u2019s misguided policies,\u201d Capito said.\n\n\u201cThe Biden administration has cast a net so broad that nearly anywhere could qualify as a critical habitat. This misguided definition will have far reaching effects on Idaho\u2019s farming, ranching, land management, and mining projects, and it will delay numerous projects vital to our rural communities. This resolution of disapproval provides the Senate with an opportunity to return some much needed common sense to critical habitat designation,\u201d said Risch.\n\n\u201cProviding an exact definition for \u2018habitat\u2019 is necessary for transparency and clarity as stakeholders make decisions regarding wildlife and proper management practices,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cThe Biden Administration\u2019s rollback of the definition of \u2018habitat\u2019 is unnecessary and only adds confusion when dealing with important wildlife issues.\u201d\n\n\u201cOnce again, President Biden has attempted to take a common-sense law intended to protect endangered species and use it to expand the power of executive bureaucrats to intrude on the lives of North Carolina\u2019s builders and job creators. I\u2019m proud to join Senator Lummis\u2019s CRA to stop this latest power grab,\u201d said Budd.\n\n\u201cOklahomans are more than willing to do their part to protect species on the endangered species list, but more and more often the rules and regulations for the Endangered Species Act are not rational,\u201d said Lankford. \u201cThe Critical Habitat rule gives the Biden Administration free rein to interpret any geographic area across the country\u2014not just the one a listed species currently occupies\u2014as a \u2018critical habitat\u2019 in need of federal protection under the ESA. This radical environmentalist proposal potentially impacts landowners, a variety of industries crucial to Oklahoma, jobs, and existing wildlife recovery efforts nationwide. Oklahomans are tired of the federal government picking animals and plants over people, especially when the ESA only has about a two percent success rate of species recovery since the 1970s. I want to protect our plants and wildlife, but I stand firmly against this rule.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis CRA is about pushing back on the overreaching Biden rule that doesn\u2019t respect private property rights and would lead to uncertainty for landowners when it comes to whether their property may be designated as critical habitat,\u201d said Hoeven.\n\n\u201cWe can all agree that safeguarding our environment and ensuring wildlife habitat is protected for future generations is important. There are commonsense measures we can take to support conservation without trampling on the rights of landowners. I\u2019m pleased to support this effort to block this overreaching regulation,\u201d said Boozman.\n\n\u201cFarmers and ranchers must be left to manage their land how they see fit,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cAs the original conservationists, who have worked for centuries to leave the world better than they found it and maintain our land for the enjoyment of their kids and grandkids, we cannot let overreaching and fluctuating habitat definitions undermine the great work our producers are doing. This Administration\u2019s regulatory overhaul of the ESA undermines our landowners and leaves them with a lot of uncertainty. That is why I am fully supporting this CRA that rolls back burdensome limitations on land use and costly mitigation requirements.\u201c\n\nSens. John Barrasso (R-WY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Katie Britt (R-AL), Ted Budd (R-NC), James Lankford (R-OK), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Jim Risch (R-ID), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), John Boozman (R-AR), John Hoeven (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) cosponsored the CRA.\n\nRep. Cliff Bentz (R-OR) introduced a companion CRA in the U.S. House of Representatives alongside Reps. Rob Wittman (R-VA), Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Tom Tiffany (R-WI), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), David Valadao (R-CA) and Ryan Zinke (R-MT).\n\n\u201cThe Endangered Species Act (ESA) is being misused, abused, and misapplied, and it is time to get to work on fixing this. If the ESA is to work properly, without bankrupting all businesses and the USA, federal agencies must follow the science and narrowly target their efforts in ways best suited for the species, while not destroying communities. The Biden Administration, when it rescinded the Trump Critical Habitat Rule, gave Washington bureaucrats the green light to designate critical habitat where the species in question had not been seen in decades. This action by the Biden Administration was not about conserving or protecting at risk species. It was about preventing human activities that the Biden Administration disagrees with, like forest management, livestock grazing, and other multiple uses of our public lands and waters in and upon millions of acres of public land. The Trump Administration\u2019s definition of habitat is scientifically based and meets the needs of both our environment and the people living within it. This measure will help to restore sanity to the implementation of the ESA and will provide at least some certainty to millions of Americans who are impacted by at risk species,\u201d said Rep. Bentz.\n\nThe CRA is supported by the American Farm Bureau, the National Cattleman\u2019s Beef Association, the Public Lands Council, the National Mining Association, the Western Energy Alliance, the Independent Petroleum Association of America, Property and Environmental Policy Research Center (PERC) and the Dallas Safari Club.\n\n\u201cWestern Energy Alliance urges Congress to pass the CRA resolution to overturn the Biden Administration\u2019s Critical Habitat Rule. The Supreme Court very clearly ruled that in order to be designated as critical habitat, lands must be just that, habitat. The Trump rule defined critical habitat accordingly. Now the Biden Administration would have us go back to a time before that unanimous Supreme Court decision and designate lands as critical habitat where not only is the species not even present, but doesn\u2019t even contain the conditions for the species to survive. Such a policy is about controlling land and stopping useful human activities, not about protecting species,\u201d said Kathleen Sgamma, President of the Western Energy Alliance.\n\n\u201cEach time an area is designated as critical habitat, ranchers and landowners bear the brunt of the regulatory burden. These decisions have real impacts on rural communities and landscape management \u2013 it is imperative that they be rooted in scientific reality, not hypotheticals. Restoring the 2020 definition of habitat is a commonsense step to reduce the delays and drawn-out, speculative analyses that are so often standing in the way of important wildlife conservation work on the ground,\u201d said Public Lands Council Director Sigrid Johannes.\n\n\"Conserving and restoring habitat is essential to recovering species. Yet the Biden administration has opted to have no definition of habitat to guide its decisions. It would be appropriate to have a definition that reflects current science and the need for better incentives for private landowners to conserve and restore habitat,\" said Jonathan Wood, PERC Vice President of Law and Policy.\n\nA critical habitat designation has major impacts on landowners, as it reduces the value of any private property within a designation because prospective landowners recognize the burdens that accompany a designation. It also greatly impacts any land with a federal nexus through permits or funding, as a critical habitat triggers significant scrutiny, resulting in burdensome limitations on land use and costly mitigation requirements.\n\nIn December 2020, citing Weyerhaeuser Co. v. U.S. FWS, the Trump administration finalized a rule that defined the term \u201chabitat\u201d as \u201cthe abiotic and biotic setting that currently or periodically contains the resources and conditions necessary to support one or more life processes of a species.\u201d\n\nOn June 24, 2022, the Biden administration finalized a rule that rescinded the 2020 rule, eliminating the habitat distinction, leaving regulated parties in the dark and undermining the ESA\u2019s purpose of protecting endangered or threatened species.\n\nThe Endangered Species Act directs the Secretary of Interior through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and/or the Secretary of Commerce through the National Marine Fisheries Services to designate critical habitat for listed species.\n\nThe following species found in Wyoming are currently listed as endangered: the grizzly bear, whooping crane, black-footed ferret, gray wolf, yellow-billed cuckoo, Wyoming toad, northern long-eared bat, Kendall warm springs dace, Preble\u2019s meadow jumping mouse, Canada lynx, blowout penstemon, Colorado butterfly plant, desert yellowhead and Ute ladies\u2019-tresses.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:30:02Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/bentz-announces-2023-congressional-art-competition-high-school-students", "Bentz Announces 2023 Congressional Art Competition for High School Students", "2023-03-13", "2023", "2023-03", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Rep. Cliff Bentz (OR-02) announced that his office is now accepting submissions for the annual Congressional Art Competition. High school students from across Oregon\u2019s Second District are invited to compete for a chance to showcase their art in the U.S. Capitol Building where it will be seen by Members of Congress and countless visitors from around the world.\n\nSubmissions for the Congressional Art Competition will be reviewed by a panel of experts which includes local artists and art professors. One winner and several runners-up will be selected.\n\nIn addition to a coveted spot in the 2023 national student art exhibit in the Capitol, the winner could receive complimentary round-trip airfare for two to visit Washington, D.C., a chance to see their artwork on display, and an invitation to a reception held in their honor. Runners-up will receive local recognition, and their artwork will be displayed in one of Bentz\u2019s district offices.\n\nTo enter this contest, students should submit no more than two pieces of two-dimensional artwork and the Student Information & Release Form by April 23, 2023. Please email photos of the artwork (as a .jpeg), along with the student release form to Wyndess James at wyndess.james@mail.house.gov.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:30:02Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/chairman-bentz-holds-first-water-wildlife-and-fisheries-subcommittee-hearing", "Chairman Bentz Holds First Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee Hearing", "2023-03-08", "2023", "2023-03", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Chairman Cliff Bentz (OR-02) held the Subcommittee\u2019s first hearing of the 118th Congress on \u201cBenefits and Access: The Necessity for Multiple Use of Water Resources.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt was an honor to gavel in and chair, for the first time, the Natural Resource Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries. Today\u2019s hearing focused on water and oceans as essential elements of all aspects of life, and the serious damage the Biden Administration\u2019s agencies, in dealing with matters concerning water, are causing to economies, the environment, and rural America. The hearing called out, among other issues, the Administration\u2019s failure to identify and address barriers to water storage, its taking of vast amounts of water away from farmers without measurable benefit to fish, the selection of politically correct rather than biologically appropriate science, and the failure to incorporate peer reviewed private data regarding fish populations into agency analysis. As this Subcommittee and the 118th Congress progresses, we will remain focused on improving our use of diminishing water resources, protecting our fishermen and the fisheries that sustain them, and balancing protection of species while protecting communities.\u201d \u2013 Chairman Cliff Bentz.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:30:02Z"], ["https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases/bentz-named-chairman-water-wildlife-and-fisheries-subcommittee", "Bentz Named Chairman of Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee", "2023-02-01", "2023", "2023-02", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Cliff Bentz", "B000668", "bentz.house.gov", "bentz", "https://bentz.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Rep. Cliff Bentz (OR-02) announced that he has been named Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries.\n\n\u201cIt is an honor to be selected as Chairman of the Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee of the Natural Resources Committee, and I thank Chairman Westerman for this opportunity. This subcommittee is tasked with the immensely important responsibility of overseeing and improving the federal policies and laws that so significantly affect America\u2019s use and protection of our freshwater, our oceans, and our wildlife. Our subcommittee will improve the federal response to the crippling drought that is challenging the future of the west so that everyone\u2014farmers, ranchers, homeowners, businesses, and tribes\u2014can continue to live in and produce food and fiber, essential to our nation\u2019s security, on our lands. Yes, we will be advocating for the storage of more water. Additionally, the Biden Administration, during this drought, has repeatedly perverted the application of the Endangered Species Act for the Administration\u2019s political ends, wrongfully taking water away from those to whom water was promised, more than 100 years ago, by this same government. This subcommittee will conduct serious oversight of such heavy handed, wrongheaded, and scientifically unbalanced federal agency actions taken over the past two years. Finally, we will ensure that recreational and commercial fishermen and women have fair access to fishing in the oceans. I am eager to get to work with my colleagues on behalf of the people of our United States of America.\u201d Rep. Bentz said.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m so pleased to welcome back Congressman Bentz as the leader of our Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee. From western drought\u2019s impact on food prices to the weaponized Endangered Species Act, America desperately needs innovation and transformation of the federal government\u2019s approach to these issues. Given his professional background and work as the subcommittee\u2019s ranking member last Congress, I\u2019m confident Mr. Bentz will once again be a valuable advocate for modernizing our nation\u2019s water infrastructure, drought-proofing parts of the West and modernizing outdated wildlife laws. Let's get to work!\u201d - Rep. 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