Senate: Critical Sportsmen's Package

[Khunter]

Get the word out and contact your senators.

Senate to Consider Critical Sportsmen's Package

The Bull Moose Sportsmen’s Alliance is urging hunters and anglers across the country to voice their support for important legislation being considered in the nation's capital. Senators Kay Hagan and Lisa Murkowski’s Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2014 (S. 2363) is scheduled to reach the floor of the Senate next week immediately after the Independence Day recess. This critical legislation is comprised of several bills supported by the Bull Moose Sportsmen’s Alliance that will help maintain and support American hunting and fishing traditions for decades to come.

This package of the pro-sportsmen bills include the following important conservation measures:
-Guarantee that a percentage of Land and Water Conservation Fund spending would go towards improving sportsmen’s access to public lands.
-Allow proceeds from the sale of some federal public lands to be directed towards critical conservation priorities on other public lands.
-Protect and restore important wetlands by funding grants that incentivize conservation partnerships.

The package also includes the following pro-sportsmen regulatory reforms:
-Allow the Secretary of the Interior to issue electronic federal duck stamps.
-Protect traditional hunting ammunition and fishing tackle.
-Allow states to use Pittman-Robertson funds to establish public shooting ranges.
-Clarify the right of Americans to practice hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on public lands.

Individually, these bills represent important stand-alone pieces of sportsmen-friendly legislation. Together, they are part of a total sportsmen’s package that will help maintain our hunting and angling traditions for generations to come. These bills will increase access to public lands, provide more opportunities for recreational shooting, and fund important wildlife conservation programs.

The Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2014 needs the support of the hunting and angling community in order to be passed in the U.S. Senate! Time is running out before the August recess and the Senate will move on this bill this week.

Contact both of your senators and ask them to pass S.2363, the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of

This message was sent to khunter from:
Bull Moose Sportsmen's Alliance | [email protected] | Bull Moose Sportsmen | 747 Sheridan Avenue 1E | Lakewood, CO 80214

 

[Big Fin]

Yes, please share and please make contact with your Senators to make sure they understand the importance of this legislation. It is a great bill that has died partisan political deaths in two prior Congresses.

Thanks for sharing, KHunter.

 

[What Map]

I sent emails this morning to both Montana senators from the Headwaters Sportsman Association asking that they work together to move this bill out of the Senate.

 

[Khunter]

1st procedural step cleared. Real likelihood that the ugly side of politics (is there a pretty side?) will make it a real challenge to get this bill passed. Recall very similar/related bills have been killed the last coupe years.



PUBLIC LANDS:
Senate votes to advance sportsmen's package, but future is uncertain
Manuel Quiñones, E&E reporter
Published: Tuesday, July 8, 2014
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The Senate voted yesterday evening to move forward with considering the "Bipartisan Sportsmen Act," a measure meant to expand hunting, fishing and shooting opportunities on public lands.

Even though the 82-12 vote ensured that the bill overcame its first procedural hurdle, advocates worry that the legislation could get stuck in Senate gridlock if certain senators insist on votes for amendments to either dramatically alter the bill or roll back Obama administration priorities.

"There's a good chance I'll introduce some amendments, but we haven't nailed which ones yet," Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) said in an interview. "I support the sportsmen bill; I think there is a lot of support in our caucus for it, but you need to have an open process."

It remains unclear whether Republicans will seek to include proposals that could jeopardize the legislation's passage, such as targeting Clean Water Act rulemaking or power plant emission rules, or approving the Keystone XL pipeline. Advocates likewise have been wondering what environmental hawks in the Senate will do.

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Environment and Public Works Committee chairwoman, voted against advancing the bill but said she would support the legislation with changes. "With an amendment, I will. With an amendment," she said, not specifying its content. She has opposed previous sportsmen's packages due to lead ammunition provisions.

The bill's main backer, Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), said she looked forward to open debate and votes "on sportsmen-related amendments."

Louisiana Sen. David Vitter, top Republican on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said he had pushed for several provisions to be included in the broader bill, including a Migratory Bird Treaty Act exemption for hunting on lands affected by natural disasters.

"Louisiana, the sportsman's paradise, is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, which is why it is so important to find the balance between conserving them and also protecting public access," Vitter said. "I'll continue pushing to get my initiatives that will better protect and enhance fish and wildlife, wetlands and recreational hunting access."

Colorado Democratic Sen. Mark Udall said, "The U.S. Senate should swiftly pass this common-sense bill, which includes my bipartisan plan to create new, safe and well-managed areas where sportsmen can responsibly practice, promoting responsible gun use and hunting for future generations."

More specifically, the legislation, S. 2363, would reauthorize programs meant to conserve wetlands and allow the federal government to use land-sale proceeds to acquire properties with more conservation value (E&E Daily, July 7). It would also ensure that land agencies promote hunting and angling.

Even with strong bipartisan support, including more than 40 co-sponsors, the legislation includes controversial provisions. It would, for example, clarify that U.S. EPA may not regulate substances such as lead in ammunition or fishing tackle under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

"The provision won't actually benefit sportsmen or anyone else," Daniel Rosenberg, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, wrote in a blog post. "Instead it could reduce the EPA's ability to identify, assess and prevent public exposure to a large number of toxic chemicals used in numerous types of munitions, including those which we already know pose widespread problems, such as lead and perchlorate."

Another controversial provision would allow hunters to import several dozen carcasses of polar bears they shot outside the United States before the bears were federally protected. Plus, some lawmakers say the Senate should be focusing on gun control rather than making the use of guns easier.

"The Senate has appropriations bills to consider, and it's got a raft of strong animal protection bills it can take up," said Wayne Pacelle, CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. "It is a shame that it's filling its docket as a purely political act for vulnerable Democrats, to throw a bone to the extremist segment of the trophy hunting lobby. Rank-and-file hunters won't know the difference, but millionaire trophy hunters will be the ones who benefit from this shameful legislation."

Some senators are mulling an amendment to approve legislation by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) to overhaul how the nation pays to fight wildfires, which may draw opposition from fiscal hawks.

Advocates are also hoping for inclusion of Maryland Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin and Idaho Republican Sen. Mike Crapo's "National Fish Habitat Conservation Act," which would push a national partnership aimed at fish habitat protection and restoration.

 

[Big Fin]

Progess, for sure. Hope the whiners and snivelers can be held at bay and some of this can finally see the light of day. Imagine any other piece of legislation that has 40 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle. That doesn't happen, with this bill being an exception.

Thanks to you and Ben Lamb for the updates.

 

[Southwind]

done

 

[Khunter]

A view into the (distasteful?) world of legislative politics...

Amid growing list of possible amendments, 'tough votes' on sportsmen's bill expected
Emily Yehle and Manuel Quiñones, E&E reporters
Published: Wednesday, July 9, 2014
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Senators are working on crafting a path forward for the bipartisan sportsmen's legislation amid a growing number of proposed amendments.

And Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said yesterday that he was still "cautiously optimistic" about the bill passing with a simple up or down vote.

The Senate is expected to hold a voice vote on a motion to proceed with the bill this afternoon. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are preparing to push measures to tweak the bill or to roll back the Obama administration's environmental agenda.

An amendment by Wyoming Republican Sen. John Barrasso would block U.S. EPA's proposal to clarify the Clean Water Act's reach. Another would block the Forest Service's proposed groundwater protection directive.

"If we don't get a vote on my amendment, I can't imagine voting to advance the bill," Barrasso said during a brief interview yesterday.

The sportsmen's bill, S. 2363, includes provisions to extend conservation programs and protect hunting and angling on public lands.

Asked whether he was willing to consider amendments to the legislation, Reid said he would follow what he characterized as the normal legislative procedure: accepting a list of amendments from both sides of the aisle.

"Republicans can't even agree to a list among themselves," he told reporters. "Of course we will have amendments if they can agree on a list of amendments."

Meanwhile, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said, "I hope we will have an amendment process that's reasonable and we'll be able to get the bill off the floor."

But Reid's definition of a fair list of amendments has failed to coincide with McConnell's numerous times before, especially on controversial language like Barrasso's Clean Water Act proposal -- which environmental critics say is not germane to the sportsmen's package.

"I think it's absolutely connected to what's happening with that bill, and we'll see what Senator Reid does," Barrasso said. "If he doesn't want his members to take tough votes, then they shouldn't run for the Senate if they're not willing to vote."

The bill's main co-sponsor, Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, noted that amendments were still incoming. "We're trying to figure out what our universe is," she said.

"What I would like to do is figure out how to build a good, fair amendment process and move a bill that enjoys really broad bipartisan support," Murkowski said.

One pending amendment by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) would prevent the Army Corps of Engineers from barring guns from land and water within its jurisdiction.

Another would prevent regulators from restricting the use of dogs in deer-hunting activities in Louisiana's Kisatchie National Forest. Louisiana Sens. David Vitter (R) and Mary Landrieu (D) are pushing for greater state control of the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico.

And yesterday, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) introduced an amendment to prohibit the Fish and Wildlife Service from restricting interstate commerce of legal ivory in the wake of the administration's announcement earlier this year that it would enact a near-complete ban to combat a growing illicit trade.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Why let a good bill get in the way of fear mongering?

Hit 'em hard guys. They need to hear from real Americans that the bs needs to stop and they need to pass the bill.

FYI - Barasso was on the committee that voted the bill to the floor. If this was a burning issue for him then, why not get the bill amended in committee, where this kind of crap is supposed to happen?

 

[Oak]

FYI - Barasso was on the committee that voted the bill to the floor. If this was a burning issue for him then, why not get the bill amended in committee, where this kind of crap is supposed to happen?

Because the stage is not as big?

 

[Ben Lamb]

Because the stage is not as big?

Nor the donations.

 

[jryoung]

What a bunch of assholes.

 

[noharleyyet]

I am reminded of Reid's sterling legacy of sausage making parlor skills as well.

 

[BigRack]

Here is another article.

https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/07/the-bipartisan-sportsmens-act-or-hunting-for-cover-on-guns/

 

[Ben Lamb]

Here is another article.

https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2014/07/the-bipartisan-sportsmens-act-or-hunting-for-cover-on-guns/

CBD can pound sand. The TOSCA provision is clean up language. Both the Bush & Obama administration as well as the courts agree that the EPA does not have jurisdiction. USFWS & the states do.

 

[jryoung]

Ted Cruz has offered up an amendment to limit states to 50% of federal land ownership.

http://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1502

Cruz Amendment #3456: Limit Federal Ownership of State Lands

Prevents the federal government from owning more than 50 percent of the land in any state

 

[BigRack]

I hope these two make it.

Cruz Amendment #3457: Firearm Commerce Modernization

Allows interstate firearms sales—by permitting out-of-state dealers to sell in a state if they comply with all state laws in which they are selling
Allows military members to buy a gun in their state of residence or where stationed

Cruz Amendment #3458: Interstate Transportation of Firearms or Ammunition

Allows interstate transportation if firearms or ammunition are in vehicles, subject to certain conditions

 

[Oak]

Doesn't sound good...

Chances fade for sportsmen's bill amid amendment battle

Emily Yehle and Manuel Quinones, E&E reporters
Published: Wednesday, July 9, 2014

A bipartisan bill to expand hunting on public lands is on the brink of failure, after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) used a procedural maneuver that could stiffen Republican opposition.

Today, the Senate passed by voice vote a motion to proceed to S. 2363, known as the "Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act." The package has broad support, boasting 45 co-sponsors and the backing of both sportsmen's and conservation groups.
But faced with a flurry of controversial amendments -- including ones that would force politically difficult votes on gun rights -- Reid "filled the amendment tree."

The move enables him to block unwanted amendments, though it does not preclude Democratic and Republican leaders from hammering out an agreement on amendments in the coming days. But if such a deal is not made, Republicans may withdraw support, killing the bill.

Reid set a cloture vote that would require 60 votes for Friday, though it could come as early as tomorrow.

If the past is any indication, the bill's chances are diminished. Previous impasses over amendments have tanked several bills, including a popular energy efficiency bill by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio).

On the floor today, Reid argued that the ball was in Republicans' court. He called on them to offer a list of germane amendments.

"We need to start with a list of amendments with which we can work," he said. "If you want an amendment process, bring me a list."

Republicans immediately pounced on Reid for what they characterized as a move to silence debate.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), whose amendment would block U.S. EPA's proposal to clarify the Clean Water Act's reach, said Reid has "essentially shut down the Senate and refuses to allow us to vote on new ideas that would actually solve challenges like this one."

If allowed to come to a vote, his amendment would pass, he argued.

"But under Senator Reid's command-and-control style of leadership, I don't think we'll ever know," Barrasso said. "I don't think we'll have that vote, and I think that Senator Reid will block it."

Earlier in the day, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), the bill's main co-sponsor, asserted that amendments "relevant" to the bill should be allowed to come to a vote.

"Let's get moving on these relevant amendments, these amendments that are tied to the bill itself," she said, later adding: "Why would we not want to have the opportunity to advance some of these provisions that members feel would enhance a bill that already has good strong support?"

She went on to list some narrowly tailored Democratic amendments, including one from Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) to transfer management of the red snapper fishery to Gulf Coast states.

But the most controversial amendments are those related to guns, which would set up politically difficult votes for vulnerable Democrats. Other controversial measures include ones like Barrasso's that seek to roll back federal regulatory authority.

Democrats are also pushing for amendments that could jeopardize support for the broader bill. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, has filed an amendment to strike a provision relating to Toxic Substances Control Act exemptions for lead bullets and fishing equipment.

 

[TLC]

nicely done Harry.........moron.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid blocked a parade of campaign-season votes on gun rights on Wednesday that could have been a political thorn for Democrats seeking to retain control of the chamber in this fall's elections.

The Nevada Democrat used Senate procedures to prevent votes on any amendments to a bipartisan measure expanding hunters' access to public lands and renewing land conservation programs. The dozens of thwarted amendments included proposals by Republicans expanding gun owners' rights and by Democrats toughening firearms restrictions.

The wide-ranging bill would open up more federal lands to sportsmen, let hunters return 41 polar bear carcasses to the U.S. that they shot in Canada and head off government curbs against lead bullets and fishing equipment. It would also renew a program letting the Bureau of Land Management sell some land and let federal agencies use the funds to buy other properties.

The underlying legislation was seen as a political boon to Democratic senators from GOP-leaning states facing competitive re-election races this November. That included the chief Democratic sponsor, Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina, plus Sens. Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Mark Begich of Alaska, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Mark Udall of Colorado.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is the bill's leading Republican author.

Reid said he was blocking amendment votes because Republicans could not agree on which amendments they wanted to vote on. Republicans said Reid's move was the latest in which he refused to give GOP senators a chance to reshape legislation.

Republicans are expected to derail the overall legislation in a vote this later week or next.

 

[jryoung]

Seems like there is plenty of blame on this one, why was it necessary to attach a series of amendments and not just pass a clean bill.

Now, the voters will get caught up in the rhetoric instead of getting a win and having this legislation passed.

WE (the people), just got bent over by politics....again.

 

[noharleyyet]

Seems like there is plenty of blame on this one, why was it necessary to attach a series of amendments and not just pass a clean bill.

Now, the voters will get caught up in the rhetoric instead of getting a win and having this legislation passed.

WE (the people), just got bent over by politics....again.

Because jockeying for poll/pol narratives never ends.