New Plymouth farmer at the presidential address

Washington, D.C. – Galen Lee last visited our nation’s capital city in 1982 as a high-school student attending a Future Farmers of America conference.

Tomorrow he will sit in the gallery above the U.S. House of Representatives chambers and watch President Barack Obama deliver an address to the nation.

“This is an honor,” said Lee, who turns 44 on Wednesday.

Lee is from New Plymouth, Idaho, about an hour west of Boise near the Oregon border. He and his father grow sugar beets, peppermint, asparagus, hay, grain and corn, and have herds of dairy and beef cows. Lee serves as president of the Nyssa-Nampa Beet Growers Association, and sits on the Idaho Mint Growers Board and the Payette County Farm Bureau Board. Lee and his wife Cindy have a blended family of eight, and they’ll all be watching televised address for a glimpse of their dad.

“It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Lee said.

Lee was invited to the event by Idaho Congressman Walt Minnick, who serves on the House Agriculture Committee.

“It was a pleasure to meet with Galen earlier today,” Minnick said. “I’m delighted he is able to attend the address, and will join him in watching with great interest to see what the president proposes for agriculture and for Idaho.

Special Olympics athlete from Idaho attends Congressional address

Washington, D.C. – Sarah Patterson is in Washington, D.C., this week to share her story as a Special Olympics athlete. She’s there as part of “Capitol Hill Day,” where athletes and families from around the country meet with elected officials to talk about the success of the 2004 Sport Empowerment Act.

During her visit, Patterson met with Congressman Walt Minnick, who represents Idaho’s First District. Minnick offered Patterson a rare treat: His extra seat in the gallery during a special joint session of Congress to hear an address from British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

“She’s thrilled to be here today,” said Steve Patterson, Sarah’s father. “She loves being up here in front of a crowd and she’s a great advocate for the Games.”

Laurie LaFollette is the CEO of the Special Olympics in Idaho. She said Patterson is was excited to attend the special address.

“Sarah is absolutely obsessed with celebrities - she loves American idol,” LaFollette said. “She’s very excited about today because she’s surrounded by famous people and she gets the chance to meet Representative Minnick.”

Patterson is a 23-year-old Boise resident plays floor hockey, basketball and softball in the Special Olympics. She also attends classes at Boise State University and works in town at a local coffee shop. She competed in last month’s Special Olympics World Winter Games, and also served as one of 12 “Global Messengers,” volunteering her time to speak to community leaders, students and citizens about the Games.

“She’s gone through training to learn how to be a representative of the Special Olympics for Idaho and has done a great job,” LaFollette said. “She has been a fantastic global messenger.

Patterson is returning to Idaho this week, where the Idaho State Special Olympics is happening in McCall. LaFollette said there are 2,500 Special Olympics athletes in Idaho alone.

Walt makes federal government pay back Idahoans

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick promised to fight for Idahoans when he took office, making it his top priority to hold federal government accountable. He fought to get Idahoans all they were owed from their government. He directed his staff to work hard for constituents and to get results.

Minnick keeps promises.

In 2009, Minnick’s offices put more than $2.5 million back into the pockets of individual Idahoans. That was money the federal government owed or was trying to take from businesses, seniors, veterans, and families. On top of that, Minnick’s offices ran lean enough to return $100,000 from his $1.5 million congressional budget to taxpayers. That budget covers the costs of staffing and running four offices in Idaho and one in Washington, DC.

“Fighting for constituents is the most important work that a Congressional office should do,” said Minnick. “I am proud that my staff has been able to cut through red tape to help Idahoans obtain money that was owed to them from our federal agencies.”

Minnick helped Bill Martin of Boise, owner of Metro Express Car Wash, get back money unjustly taken by the IRS. As a businessman, Martin is impressed with how efficiently Minnick runs his offices, calling $2.5 million a “great” return on investment.

“That’s a pretty good use of taxpayer dollars,” Martin said.

Work a congressional office does for individual Idahoans gets little publicity (work on legislation makes the headlines), but it makes a big difference. Minnick’s team closed 1663 cases last year, 802 of which involved veterans.

The $2,507,420.15 Minnick’s caseworkers fought to give back to Idahoans does not include monetary value associated with helping farmers get Conservation Reserve Program payments through the Farm Service Agency; or helping businesses to get HUBZone certification so they can bid on federal contracts; or helping get IRS penalties waived; or helping to get SSI overpayments waived; or helping veterans collect GI benefits; or helping people who struggle to repay student loans; or helping with home loan modifications; or in some cases helping people find jobs.

The following people have agreed to share their stories with the wider public:

Adoption—Scott and Abby Hoefer of Boise still had a year’s worth of paperwork to process to adopt Alex, a Haitian orphan. When the terrible earthquake hit, they contacted the Minnick team to help. Alex is now an Idahoan living in a loving family.
Medicare—After a lifetime of being healthy and independent, Todd Sorensen of Middleton, suffered a spinal injury. He couldn’t work and lost his insurance. A clerical error from 1994 kept him from getting his Medicare benefits. Frustrated, Todd contacted the Minnick team. He began receiving monthly payments within a month.
IRS—When Metro Express Car Wash owner Bill Martin of Boise was wrongly fined a late fee on his taxes, he went to Walt Minnick. The IRS agreed to return money he’d paid.
FAA—Bob Barnhart’s business, EC Power Systems of Boise, was not paid for work for the Federal Aviation Administration. The Minnick team got him paid.
Medicare—Lynda Bayford of Meridian needed medical equipment approved by Medicare. Minnick’s team stepped in and discovered that the doctor’s office was using the wrong billing code. Lynda now can afford the medical equipment she needs.

Walt praised by NFIB

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Brad Close, Director of Federal Public Policy of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), issued the following statement in reaction to Congressman Walt Minnick’s vote on H.R. 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:

“NFIB appreciates Congressman Minnick’s concerns for how small businesses have been impacted by the recession, and his recognition that the bill voted on today did not contain the kind of immediate relief to help small businesses weather this economic storm and begin to create new jobs.

“Congressman Minnick understands that to be effective, we need an economic stimulus that can be implemented immediately and that does not keep spending federal taxpayer dollars for years to come.  We appreciate Congressman Minnick’s willingness to put aside politics and work in the best interest of America’s job creators.

“America’s small businesses are the risk taker and job creators in our economy—they created 60-80 percent of the net new jobs over the last decade.  But in the current economic environment, small businesses, like the rest of the country, are struggling.  With the right relief and incentives small business can play a major role in creating a strong and lasting economic recovery.  NFIB is concerned that with the limited relief and assistance in the economic recovery legislation, the bill will do little more than spend a generation’s of taxpayer dollars on programs that have no significant connection to economic growth or job creation.

“NFIB looks forward to working with Congressman Minnick on implementing the kind of economic stimulus that small business needs.”

Walt addresses Idaho Legislature: calls for bi-partisan solutions

Boise, Idaho – U.S. Representative Walt Minnick addressed both houses of the Idaho Legislature today. Minnick highlighted the cooperation he values with Republicans and Democrats on the national level. He urged his fellow Idaho leaders to build bridges over partisan divides and be a model for Congress.

The speech:

For the House:
Speaker Denney, Majority Leader Moyle, Minority Leader Rusche.
For the Senate:
President Pro-Tem Geddes, Majority Leader Davis, Minority Leader Kelly.

I very much appreciate the opportunity to stand before you today and offer this report from that other Capitol, the one in the East whose decisions so often seem foreign, but whose money we rarely refuse. I must admit it’s a bit strange going there after a career as a businessman from the West.  And it has not always been smooth sailing.  Like those before me have said, Washington is not at all like Idaho.
After all, in Idaho we do know how to handle snow!

In fact, we in Idaho know how to handle a lot of things better than do the folks in Washington.  Those who get elected to the Legislature and other offices in Idaho tend to be proud and independent, not easily intimidated, and determined to stick up for what they believe.  (Too determined, the Governor might add!)  Idaho legislators are willing to stand up against their own leadership, are skeptical of big government, are determined to spend only what comes in and are anxious to make friends from across the aisle.

This determination to think things through and do what’s best for the people, regardless of which party proposes it, is too often lacking in our nation’s capital. While the vast majority of my colleagues are very bright, work hard, and care deeply for the districts they represent, they way too often let leadership do their thinking for them.
That’s unfortunate.  Because in Congress today, the leadership of both parties is very sharply partisan.  So partisan that blaming the other side has become more important than solving problems.  This doesn’t sit well with me.  Nor with most Idahoans.

Partisan battles have left our nation in a perilous place. Its legacy includes an out of control budget deficit that, ironically, both parties helped to create.  And runaway entitlements which will soon self destruct unless radically reformed.  The decisions required to solve these fiscal issues are so hard that they can’t be made unless both parties agree.  How to get this done before China stops buying our debt is the biggest single issue we in Washington must face.

But whether it is jump starting the economy and putting people back to work, reforming health care, rescuing Social Security or protecting our citizens from terrorism , Congress has defaulted to the partisan and too often failed to solve the problem . Those of us who have tried to stand firmly in the middle, focused on finding cost effective solutions, have had to duck the grenades hurled from both the left and the right.
To be honest, when I went to Washington a year ago I expected more statesmen—and fewer people acting like children.

But there is hope.

One of your former colleagues and my good friend, Congressman Mike Simpson, happens to be one of the most respected members of the House of Representatives.  Mike has applied the lessons he learned here in the Idaho Legislature – forging consensus, working across the aisle, getting things done– to become one of the select group of Congressmen who are deeply respected by their peers in both parties and across the political spectrum.

Mike’s given me valuable advice, and we have worked very effectively together.  Our partnership mirrors the work of many others in this Congress, from the two friends who serve as the chair and ranking minority member of the House Agriculture Committee to the kind words offered by Senator Orrin Hatch when his close friend Senator Ted Kennedy passed away last year.
Now it’s true Mike and I sometimes disagree. After all, we are members of different political parties, we have different backgrounds and we approach issues in different ways. But far from being a cause for friction, it is a source of strength for Idaho.  We learn from each other—and we work both sides of the political street.  When we run into each other on yet another uncomfortable flight back home,  suitcases at our feet and bags under our eyes, it is not about Republican or Democrat. It is not about who won and who lost. It’s about getting things done and what’s best for our state.
Staring, yelling and posturing at each other from across a chasm of political divide has gotten our country nowhere. It has grown so dysfunctional that the leaders of both parties now taunt each other, daring them to show “bipartisanship” by jumping in front of that freight train, by leaping into the abyss.

This must change.

The only way to deal with the chasm that has disrupted our political discourse is not to ask people to jump, but to ask for their help in building a bridge.
Here in Idaho there are many areas where we can agree.

One example is the importance of education.  For our kids to earn a decent living in the 21st century and for us to succeed as a nation, education must get better and be delivered in a more cost effective fashion.  Most of us agree it needs to start earlier, become more robust in K-12 and continue on through college or other technical specialized training.
As a businessman who looked carefully at the costs and the benefits, I came to believe firmly that our local school systems should be given the right to establish formal pre-k classes so that all kids start school equally prepared to learn.  And as a conservative who believed that the best government is that which is closest to the people, I also thought that local school districts and local governments should be given the authority to make and fund these decisions for themselves.  Now, as an elected official, I understand better why such change, which I still believe is critical if Idaho is to compete in the information age, must be achieved through bi-partisan consensus.

I also think we must beef up the requirements for high school graduation, especially in math and science, and give our schools the ability to access local sources of funding when, as now, state revenue is so limited.
Access to higher education must become universal by increasing scholarship assistance, expanding certificate programs and relying on enhanced broadband technology for delivery of content.  All of these changes, which I hope you will continue to evaluate, will require input and buy in from both political parties.

I know that times are tough, and that you face very difficult choices.  I will do what I can to help backstop your efforts by providing federal assistance where it is available.
There are other areas in which you can show the way for this Congress and our nation.  For example, your mandate to balance Idaho’s budget gives you ample reason to try some of the ideas that Congress is only just talking about.

For example, while we in Washington wait to implement a special commission to make recommendations on reforming out of control entitlement spending—an idea I very much support—you can act on this idea.  I suggest you might consider creating such a bipartisan commission of experts, appointed by the Governor and the Legislature, who would be tasked with offering ideas for closing next year’s budget deficit by taking a fresh look at both spending and our state’s sales tax structure.

Unlike the Congress, where we recoil at the idea of giving such groups real authority, you could specify that you will give the Commission’s recommendations a straight up “yes or no” vote in the next legislature.
So to the Majority running this legislature, I say to you exactly the same thing I do to the Democratic leaders in Congress: Reach across the aisle and bring your colleagues to the table.  Good ideas come from both Republicans and Democrats.  The loyal opposition may have different views and occasionally a different approach, but their constituents have the same needs as yours.

And, like you, your fellow legislators across the aisle love this state and have put their lives on hold to help make Idaho a better place.  And to my fellow Democrats, become part of the process, recognize that compromises have to be made in these tough times, and be constructive in your public comments.

The Idaho Legislature can show the rest of the nation the way.  Not through partisan bickering or headline-grabbing bills, but through the kind of quiet, colleague-to-colleague hard work that can effect real change for a community, a legislature, and a state.

So I ask for your help. I ask you to stand together and to work with the four us in the federal delegation to show the rest of our nation that while we may sometimes disagree, we share common values and can get things done.

We run as Republicans and Democrats, but we must govern as Idahoans.

It has been an honor and a privilege to speak to you today. Thank you for all you do for Idaho.