Whatever it Takes: Wyoming Congresswoman Discusses Her Commitment to Ag

Serving Wyoming has been a tremendous honor. I have taken great pride in fighting for our Western way of life over the past six years including protecting our ag industry and making sure our natural resources were treated like the national treasures they are.

Because so many of our citizens rely on both our land and our resources to make a living, the interests and concerns of ranchers and farmers have always been a top focus of mine. I’ve worked tirelessly to fight federal mandates from Washington, D.C., burdening hardworking Wyomingites. 

My first piece of legislation repealed the disastrous Bureau of Land Management Planning 2.0 rule which would have given the federal government and radical environmental groups control over land use and resource planning in our state, at the expense of local officials and stakeholders.   

In addition to getting this bill to the president’s desk, I also introduced legislation like the Undoing National Environmental Policy Act’s (NEPA) Substantial Harm by Advancing Concepts that Kickstart the Liberation of the Economy Act, otherwise known as the UNSHACKLE Act, which would provide much needed reform to the broken NEPA process by giving states and communities more control. 

I also worked to remove regulatory red tape and as a part of this, I put forward proposals to update the Endangered Species Act in a way to keep local stakeholders at the forefront of the conversation. I’ve also fought to delist the grizzly bear from the endangered species list and protect the ability of Wyoming to manage our wolf population.

My efforts to push back against the federal government’s overreach extended to water policy. The repeal of the Waters of the U.S. rule and implementation of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule were key steps in the right direction and we must continue to fight against any attempts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to infringe on Wyoming’s water rights. 

I’m proud I was able to work across the aisle with Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) on legislation which would increase pay and benefits for our wildland firefighters. The bill honors Tim Hart, a Cody wildland firefighter who tragically lost his life last year battling the Eicks Fire. 

On top of increasing wildland firefighters’ pay and benefits, we have a responsibility to them, along with other stakeholders, to have more effective forest management practices. I’ve put forward numerous bills to address the ongoing crisis in our national forests.

The livestock Wyoming raises is second to none. Ensuring our ag industry cannot only survive, but thrive, is critical for our state and I’m very pleased we were able to do so much on this front. 

Whether it was my bill allowing for the sale of state-inspected meat across state lines, which would open new markets for our meat producers while helping to reduce costs for consumers; legislation I co-sponsored which would require U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish a contract library for cattle contracts; and the push to make sure beef produced in the U.S. is labeled as such to help boost domestic beef consumption were all crucial efforts I was proud to have been a part of.

I will always be an advocate for Wyoming’s natural resources, agriculture industry and citizens. I know when our lands are protected from the federal government’s heavy hand and when farmers and ranchers are given the tools to succeed, Wyoming is strong. 

For our state to be strong, we must remain committed to the Constitution. We will never have the opportunity to defend our land or support our ranchers and farmers if we are not faithful to the rule of law and to the institutions which are the foundation of our democracy. I will continue to work every day to ensure our exceptional nation long endures. 

My children and your children must grow up in an America where we have honorable and peaceful transitions of power. Nothing in our public life is more important than the preservation of the miracle given to us by God and our Founding Fathers, and I will fight to defend that miracle no matter what.

Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) serves as Wyoming’s lone member of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives. She can be reached at cheney.house.gov.