House and Senate Western Caucuses to Hold “War on Western Jobs” Hearing

Chairmen Rep. Bishop and Senator Barrasso Invite Secretary Salazar to Explain Administration’s Policies

Senate Western Caucus Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) and Congressional Western Caucus Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) will host a bicameral House and Senate Caucus hearing entitled “The War on Western Jobs” on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. The hearing will examine the Administration’s policies and their negative impact on jobs and communities throughout the West. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the West has maintained the highest regional unemployment for over 12 months.

Today, Senator Barrasso and Congressman Bishop sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. They invited him to attend the hearing and answer questions about the economic impact of the Administration’s policies.

Excerpts of the letter:

“The purpose of this hearing is to examine the negative economic impacts on western jobs and communities from policies currently being pursued by this Administration.

“As Secretary of Interior and former Senator from Colorado, you know firsthand what is happening on the ground in the West. Many western communities are facing extremely complex and diverse problems- population growth and development, water supply and quality, housing, overlapping federal bureaucracies and conflicting regulations, and immigration. However, the most pressing issue of the day is jobs for all Americans. Unfortunately, many of these challenges are exacerbated, not alleviated, by federal policies emerging from Washington. Too often, federal policies stand in the way of real job creation and economic growth.”

Hearing Details:

WHAT: Joint House and Senate Western Caucus hearing on “The War on Western Jobs”

WHERE: Dirksen Senate Office Building
Room 406
Washington, D.C.

WHO: The hearing with feature notable guests such as, Utah Governor Gary Herbert, Bill Kovacs- Chamber of Commerce, author Chris Horner-Competitive Enterprise Institute, Congressman Devin Nunes (CA-21) who represents much of California’s Central Valley, and others from western states and industries.

DATE: Tuesday, July 13, 2010

TIME: 2:30 p.m. EDT

Press Release