{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://zinke.house.gov/media/press-releases/zinke-cosponsors-seven-bills-prevent-dam-removal-save-clean-energy-western", "Zinke cosponsors seven bills to prevent dam removal, save clean energy for western Montana", "2024-05-17", "2024", "2024-05", "Republican", "House", "MT", "Ryan K. Zinke", "Z000018", "zinke.house.gov", "zinke", "https://zinke.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today Congressman Ryan Zinke announced he has cosponsored seven bills to protect four dams in the Columbia River System that supply power to Northwest Montana.\n\n\u201cRemoving the four Lower Snake River dams is one of the worst ideas I've ever heard, both environmentally and economically,\u201d said Zinke. \u201cOur dam systems are not just for a single species; they are multiuse systems that provide power, drought control, flood control, and recreation. These bills reinforce Congresses commitment to protecting the four lower Snake Rivers against radical environmentalists who care more about fish than people.\u201d\n\nThe dams in question are part of the Columbia River System which includes, at its head, Hungry Horse Reservoir in Flathead County, Montana. Between 60-70% of electricity in the Pacific Northwest is supplied by the dams, and more than a third of Montanans receive electricity from the system, according to the federal agencies. Hydro-power is the most abundant, affordable and cleanest source of energy available in Montana, heavily relied upon for baseload power.\n\nZinke sponsored the following bills:\n\nThe Abandoning Inconsistent and Rash Environmental Solutions (ACRES) Act\n\nCosponsors: Reps. Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04),and Matt Rosendale (MT-02).\n\nSupporting organizations: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Port of Benton, and Pacific Northwest Waterways Association.\n\nSummary: Prohibits the breaching of federally operated dams if such breach would result in the replacement energy resource occupying additional acreage of more than 5 percent.\n\nBill text here.\n\nThe Breaking Irresponsible Energy and Commercial Habits (BREACH) Act\n\nCosponsors: Reps. Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04),and Matt Rosendale (MT-02).\n\nSupporting organizations: Public Power Council, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Port of Benton, and Pacific Northwest Waterways Association.\n\nSummary: Prohibits the breaching of federally operated dams if such a breach would result in an increase in carbon emission by more than 10 percent, would make the body of water impacted by the breach less navigable for commercial interests, and would result in an increase of at least 10 percent of the price of products shipped via the body of water.\n\nBill text here.\n\nThe Ratepayer Funding Alternative Act\n\nCosponsors: Reps. Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), and Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04).\n\nSupporting organizations: Public Power Council, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Port of Benton, and Pacific Northwest Waterways Association.\n\nSummary: Directs DOE to develop fish and wildlife program funding alternatives to mitigate the cost to BPA ratepayers and report to Congress within 6 months of enactment on what alternative funding options are available.\n\nBill text here.\n\nThe Pinniped Predator Deterrence Act\n\nCosponsors: Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), and Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04).\n\nSupporting organizations: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Port of Benton, and Pacific Northwest Waterways Association.\n\nSummary: Requires and authorizes USACE to acquire technology that uses acoustic sound technology to deter pinniped predators above and below the Bonneville Dam.\n\nBill text here.\n\nThe QUERIES Act\n\nCosponsors: Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), and Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04).\n\nSupporting organizations: Public Power Council, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Port of Benton, and Pacific Northwest Waterways Association.\n\nSummary: To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to Congress an updated report on the roles, responsibilities, and practices of the Council on Environmental Quality.\n\nBill text here.\n\nResolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that hydropower is a vital component to an all-of-the-above approach to energy development which is critical to U.S. national security\n\nCosponsors: Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), and Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04),\n\nSupporting organizations: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Port of Benton, and Pacific Northwest Waterways Association.\n\nResolution text here.\n\nResolution expressing disapproval of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative entered into by the Biden Administration\n\nCosponsors: Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Russ Fulcher (ID-01), Cliff Bentz (OR-02), and Matt Rosendale (MT-02).\n\nSupporting organizations: Cowlitz PUD, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Port of Benton, and Pacific Northwest Waterways Association.\n\nResolution text here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:12:30Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://zinke.house.gov/media/press-releases/zinke-cosponsors-seven-bills-prevent-dam-removal-save-clean-energy-western"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0210070759057999, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}