Montana’s U.S. representative, Republican Denny Rehberg, is among the founding members of a new caucus in the U.S. House, the tea party caucus formed by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.
Comments from Rehberg were not available by deadline this morning.
During a Washington press conference Wednesday following the first meeting of the caucus, Bachmann said the purpose of the caucus is not to act as a mouthpiece for the tea party movement.
“The people are the head of the tea party. We are here to listen, to be a receptacle,” she said.
In a release on her website, Bachmann said she called for the tea party caucus after hearing people say they “felt discouraged because no one in Washington, D.C., seemed willing to listen.”
Many Americans are seeking a return in Washington to principles based on the U.S. Constitution, she wrote.
“Americans from all locations and backgrounds have united through Tea Parties to spread the timeless message of fiscal responsibility and limited government,” Bachmann wrote.
On her website this morning, she listed 37 representatives — all Republicans — who have joined the caucus. That includes Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, the third-ranking Republican in the House.
Rehberg, who is running for re-election against Democratic challenger Dennis McDonald, has been an increasingly vocal critic of the Democratic House leadership and the policies pushed forward by President Barack Obama.
Rehberg is seeking his sixth term as Montana’s sole member of the House.
He opposed the passage of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, and since it was signed into law last year, has criticized it — including during a listening session he held in Havre Saturday — as bolstering spending on federal programs rather than addressing the causes and effects of the recession that began in 2007.
Rehberg also opposed and has criticized the Wall Street reform act Obama signed into law Wednesday, saying it will lead to taxpayers having to fund bailouts of the financial industry while not addressing the true cause of the collapse of the financial industry, which he says was the actions of the federal mortgage agencies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
He has sponsored legislation to limit the Antiquities Act, which allows the president to declare areas national monuments, after a memo from the U.S. Department of the Interior discussing possible monument designations was leaked.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has said repeatedly that the memo was discussing possible options, but no plan of actions to create monuments is in place.
Rehberg also has been critical of the health care reform passed this year, including sponsoring a bill to repeal the act, and the deficits caused by spending of the Obama administration.
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Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.
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2 comments so far (post your own)July 22nd, 2010 at 22:11pm
Just Say No, Follow Rush or is it Rash? and try to make our country's econemy fail so we can take power again! Dang good job they did last time. Do you think.
July 23rd, 2010 at 12:56pm
Great campaign article for Rehberg !! However, you forget to mention that yes he opposed the recovery act then the hypocrite then takes credit for projects funded by the act just like he does all the time . Saying one thing and taking credit in Montana for things he votes against and does the opposite in congress. He says he is against the wall street reform act because it will lead to funding bailouts when in fact it is putting regulations on to prevent such bailouts in the future that his votes during the eight years of the bush administration put this country in. He now wants to control spending (which many people agree with) but where was he for 8 years when he voted to fund two wars , a trillion dollar prescription drug program, tax cuts for the rich (which he is one) all put on the taxpayers credit card without paying for any of it. Now he votes against extending unemployment benefits unless it is paid for yet he also wants to continue and not let the bush tax cuts expire (hundreds of billions in tax losses ) and doesnt think it is necessary to pay for them.
Finally, as to the tea party caucus, all one needs to no here is who started the caucus. Michele Bachmann, an extreme right wing lunatic who is the butt of jokes on national tv almost weekly. Does it really surprise anyone that rehberg would join such a group! I could go on and on but bottom line is when is the news media going to wake up and see what a hypocrite and dishonest person he is and quit letting him get away with it. I am convinced that he believes the people in Montana are stupid enough to not understand he says one thing to us and does the opposite in washington, makes unfounded statements in his press releases knowing the press runs with it without question. He has always does a photo op and takes credit for getting federal funding for projects such as the Missoula childrens shelter yet he voted against the funding in congress !! Is that a dishonest claim or not?
Finally,the man sues the fire fighters that saved his property. This man is a real piece of work that has continued to pull the wool over the eyes of the press in this state. Its time for it to stop.