State Senator Ben McAdams Nominates Congressman Jim Matheson at the 2010 Convention

Video by Donald Lewin Nelson

Utah's Congressman, Congressman Jim Matheson, addresses Utah Democrats at State Convention

Video by Donald Lewin Nelson

Utah State Senator Gene Davis endorses Congressman Jim Matheson

mathesonforcongress.com

The Utah Amicus endorses...

Norma's son, Congressman Jim Matheson. Jim's constituency trusts him as do our next governor and senator.

With every best wish,

The Utah Amicus and Friends.

Amicus Afternoon Edition - Can You Hear Me Now?

With less than 24 hours to go on the Senate vote for/against granting immunity to the phone companies, this edition is dedicated to the Fourth Amendment. We will miss you, big guy.

• How a Congressman Should Act: Morgan Bowen Takes on Hatch, Bennett, and yes (gasp!) even Matheson over Telecom Immunity. (Show him some love for coming out on the right side of this one)


• Getting FISA Right: Bloggers Respond to Senator Obama.


• Telecom Campaign Donations Tied Directly to Reps Voting in Favor of Immunity.


• The Rule of Law: 1974 vs. 2008


• Stand up and Deliver on FISA (They work for us!)


• Full Page Ad Against Retro-Active Immunity in Today's Washington Post.


• Democrats Capitulate to President, Call it Compromise.


• There's Still Time. Call Your Senator.

Ethical Leadership: Utah Congressman Jim Matheson (D) advocating for Utahns in a open and honsest manner

Congressional earmarks
Lawmakers tight-lipped on pet projects
Jim Matheson only one in Utah delegation to make funding requests available to the public

By Matt Canham
The Salt Lake Tribune

WASHINGTON - Congressional budget leaders are sifting through tens of thousands of requests submitted this week by House members seeking taxpayer money for projects back home.

These earmark requests are conducted in secret, reaching the light of day only when they are likely to get funded.

But a growing group of lawmakers and the three major presidential contenders are making earmark reform a campaign issue. More than 40 members of Congress have rejected these parochial projects outright, while at least 66 are voluntarily divulging what earmarks they are fighting for.

In Utah, only Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson released his earmark requests when asked by The Salt Lake Tribune. He is seeking more than $100 million to fund nearly 50 projects ranging from military technology to road construction.

Utah's other two House members refused to identify the earmarks they endorsed, but Republican Reps. Chris Cannon and Rob Bishop did release basic lists of every request their offices received from Utah groups. Somewhere on that long list are the items they have submitted for funding.

Utah's senators, Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett, will release information only on earmarks that are successful.

The congressional offices gave a variety of reasons for refusing to disclose their earmark requests. One cited privacy concerns for those seeking federal funds, most of whom are local government leaders. More than one lawmaker didn't want to deal with organizations upset that their requests were denied.

Watchdog groups bristle at such comments.

That sounds like "politicians wanting to preserve the possibility of talking out of both sides of their mouth," said Steve Ellis, of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonprofit group that tracks earmarks.

Groups like Taxpayers for Common Sense and the Sunlight Foundation argue for more transparency in the earmarking process, which has come under increased scrutiny in recent years, especially after a California congressman was sent to prison in a bribery scandal.

Some earmarks have been tagged as wasteful spending, while others have gone to big time campaign contributors.

Members of Congress say almost every project is aboveboard and good for their home state, but the secrecy surrounding their choice of earmarks makes it difficult for voters to verify that, said Bill Allison, a senior fellow at the Sunlight Foundation, a nonpartisan group fighting for government transparency.

"They have to make choices," he said. "By keeping it secret, they are not accountable for those choices."

This is the first time Matheson has released his earmark requests. No one has asked for the information before, said Alyson Heyrend, his spokeswoman.

"Congressman Matheson has said from day one that his requests are based on the merits of the project and the overall benefits to Utahns," she said. "He's comfortable sharing that with the public."

But he is alone among Utah's federal officeholders.

Bennett and Hatch voted against a one-year moratorium on earmarks recently, touting their knowledge of Utah's needs over that of federal bureaucrats.

After the vote, Bennett said: "I will continue efforts to see that this practice is done in a responsible and transparent manner."

But during a meeting with The Tribune's editorial board last week, Bennett said he declined to disclose earmark requests because he wants to avoid angry calls from proponents of projects rejected by his office.

"It does make life a little easier," Bennett said. "Out of fairness for those who ask and don't get, it is a logical thing to do."

Bennett secures more earmarks than any other Utahn because of his position on the Senate Appropriations Committee. He also discloses less information than others in Utah's delegation.
He refuses to identify requests to his office, the ones he endorses and the intended recipients of the earmarks he ultimately gets funded.

He does release the dollar amount and a one paragraph description of the projects that receive funding, as required. Bennett said he is simply following the lead of the Senate ranking member on the appropriations committee.

"This is the way we have always done it," he said.

Cannon also has decided against disclosing the projects he is fighting to fund because it would upset those who didn't get money.

"Releasing what is requested, while it would make for good gossip, would cause nothing but trouble in the district he is sworn to serve," said Cannon spokesman Fred Piccolo. He called such requests "a media-driven game of pitting worthy project versus worthy project for the joy of editorial writers."

Hatch also refused to release his requests because he didn't want to see the items "appear in the newspaper," according to spokeswoman Heather Barney.

"Due to concerns for constituents' privacy, our office does not release requests that are not included on final appropriation lists," Barney said. "This allows Utah's organizations and citizens to retain the opportunity to make requests in future Congresses, without any prior biases or publicity."

Bishop doesn't want to release his project requests because of what he considers a flawed appropriations system.

"It's an internal process but with a lot of external factors that affect it, so it makes more sense to disclose what we're actually successful in getting funding for," said Scott Parker, Bishop's chief of staff.

Watchdog groups complain that the lack of information stifles debate and bolsters a system where political muscle is often more important than merit.

Matheson not only released his requests, he also identified his top priorities.

He wants $200,000 for the Uintah County Drug Court, $7.3 million for a Utah National Guard surveillance program, $320,000 for bison habitat on the Henry Mountains, and nearly $2 million to purchase electronic health-record software, among others.

Matheson will most likely secure only a fraction of the money he is asking for once congressional leaders pare down the requests.

Last year, House members asked for 32,000 earmarks and 11,234 were funded.
House Appropriation staffers could not say how many requests were made this week.


Matheson earmark request
mcanham@sltrib.com

They have to make choices. By keeping it secret, they are not accountable for those choices.
-This is the attribution, with the name set in a Bill Allison,a senior fellow at the Sunlight Foundation, a non-partisan group that fights for government transparency.

Congressman Jim Matheson: Say No to Foreign Waste

Dear Robert,

Utah should not be viewed as the dumping ground for nuclear waste. I particularly object to foreign countries viewing this state as a convenient place to dispose of their waste.

That is why I wrote to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), opposing a license application to import 20,000 tons of waste from decommissioned nuclear power plants in Italy, process it in Tennessee and put the final product--approximately 1,600 tons of Class A waste--in the Tooele County disposal facility. This month I introduced bipartisan legislation to ban the NRC from authorizing importation of foreign-generated waste. The legislative record on waste storage shows that Congress never meant to enable the NRC to openly accept foreign-generated radioactive waste.

I am concerned that efforts to import waste from international sites come at a time when the U.S. is still struggling to meet its own nuclear waste storage needs, which are projected to grow to 15 million cubic feet of low-level nuclear waste annually.

The Utah Radiation Control Board has adopted a resolution urging federal regulators to deny the import license application as well.

All waste streams raise concerns about risks suffered by local communities. Adding new streams of waste from international sites would serve only to compound the risks. This proposal does not serve Utah's nor America's interests.

Sincerely,

U.S. Representative
2nd District of Utah

Photo: Congressman Jim Matheson- Reach Out and Read with St. George Preschoolers

Congressman Jim Matheson: Telephone Town Hall Meeting

Dear Robert,

As you may be aware, I frequently convene town hall meetings throughout the cities and towns of Utah's Second Congressional District. The purpose of these town hall meetings is for you to tell me about issues that are affecting you, your family and our community and for me to update you on some of the work that I have been doing in Utah and in Washington, D.C.

In order to be accessible to more Utahns, I have begun holding telephone versions of town meetings, with me on the phone from my office in Washington D.C. and you from the comfort and convenience of your home. The telephone town hall operates like a large conference call among you, me and other Utahns in the Congressional District.

My next telephone town hall meeting is Wednesday, March 5, at 7 p.m. (Utah time). To join in, please call 1-866-447-5149 at 7 p.m. and enter the pin number 13304. I make an effort to take as many questions as possible in the one-hour call. I look forward to having your participation for whatever portion of that hour works for you.

Sincerely,

U.S. Representative
2nd District of Utah

From Congressman Jim Matheson: Caring for children is always the right thing to do

Dear Robert,

Congress adjourned this week. Before returning home, we passed a bill that maintains coverage under the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for children currently enrolled, which will provide access to health insurance for an estimated 6 million kids nationally for another 14 months. I worked hard over the past year on a more expansive proposal. So I feel the bill we just passed falls short of our moral obligation--to provide enough money to enroll the estimated 10 million children who meet the criteria.

SCHIP is a highly successful, bipartisan program that provides a safety net for children in families whose parents work, but either are not offered or can't afford health insurance for their children. The program is a public-private partnership that has given states tremendous flexibility to design a solution that meets the needs of their citizens.

Since it began, more than 110,000 Utah children in low-income families have benefited. I have met some of them. Ask any worried parent what it means to be able to get care for a sick child--it makes all the difference. We know that children who get preventive care cost the system much less than those who wind up in the emergency room as a last resort.,

Twice, President Bush vetoed bipartisan legislation to renew and expand health care for kids. The original 10-year program expired in September, but stop-gap funding has been included in temporary spending bills approved this fall.

An estimated 45,000 Utah kids qualify under the program, but are not enrolled because of a lack of funds. After working very hard to provide access to health care to these children, I am disappointed that partisan politics interfered.

Caring for children is always the right thing to do. Recent studies show that the percentage of children who are uninsured is larger in Utah than in any other state except Vermont. As a parent of young boys, I know how important good health is to their future. My goal is to provide the same opportunity to every deserving Utah child.

Sincerely,

U.S. Representative
2nd District of Utah

Above Photo: Congressman Matheson adds his print to those of children at the Iron County Children's Justice Center

Congressman Jim Matheson speaks at the 2007 Utah State Democratic Convention

Rep Jim Matheson speaks at the 2007 Utah State Democratic Convention

Check out other convention speakers by clicking here!

Hate Crimes

Recently, there have been a flurry of letters to the Editor (The Spectrum, Deseret News) complaining about Congressman Jim Matheson's recent support of Hate Crimes legislation.

It *really* bugs me when people don't pay attention. Putting aside that support of hate crimes legislation is the *right* thing to do (and I'll talk about that in a minute), the people who are so inflamed by his vote aren't even paying attention to what the legislation says.

So, I asked Matheson's people about it. The legislation in question only does one thing: it authorizes the U.S. Attorney General to award grants to local, state and Indian law enforcement agencies to help defray the costs of upholding the law, and authorizes the US Department of Justice to provide technical, forensic, prosecutorial or other assistance upon request from state, local, or tribal officials who are dealing with a hate crime. Period. I repeat: It provides technical, forensic, prosecutorial or other assistance upon request from state, local or tribal officials.

Big deal. This legislation imposes nothing on the states, and doesn't give anybody anything extra.

And yet, the letters continue. By the tone of these letters, it is apparent to me why hate crimes legislation is even necessary in the first place.

But isn't it somewhat ironic that when the Rev. Al Sharpton makes bigoted statements against Mitt Romney, people are outraged, calling his comments “wrong and un-American.” But when we talk about hate crimes legislation, singling out other Americans who are different in other ways is somehow OK.

For the record, I'm proud of my Congressman for supporting what is right. We should all take bold stands and is speak out against hate. Always.

And also for the record, Cannon and Bishop voted against the legislation (I guess they don't think local organizations deserve technical support or help in defraying costs. I'm gonna remember that the next time they vote for something that does just that. )

Utah needs America

As Bob Aagard mentioned on his blog, The World, According To ME, I was on NIGHTSIDE last night where I fully endorsed Senator Orrin Hatch for his campaign to replace current US Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales.

When Michael Castner asked who I thought Governor Huntsman should appoint my immediate response was Utah Democratic Chairman, Wayne Holland Jr (after all, he is the chair).

Michael laughed and then asked who I really thought would be the Governor's choice. Ethan Millard suggested that Governor Huntsman should appoint himself (which isn't a bad idea at all), but in the 0.25 seconds I had to answer I mention that if it had to be a Republican that President John Valentine would be a good pick for the Republicans as I feel he is a true statesman.

Today JM Bell e-mailed me and lovingly scolded me by reminding me that President Valentine was the guy who killed all day Kindergarten because of a joke that Governor Huntsman made about the Utah legislature at a dinner in Washington DC. What I haven't shared with Jeff or anyone else until now is that I actually have a great candidate for that seat if President Valentine were to suddenly move on.

Unfortunately due to time restraints I was unable to give Michael my best recommendation. If Senator Hatch is nominated by President Bush I think that it would be in Utah's best interest to appoint Congressman Jim Matheson as our next senator. Jim is Utah's best congressman with the highest approval ratings from our federal delegation, and quite frankly, Utah needs America, especially now that both the House and Senate are under Democratic control.

I want to thank Michael Castner and Ethan Millard for taking my call last night; Bob Aagard for not losing that loving feeling (to understand you need to check out Bob's blog), and to Congressman Jim Matheson and Jeff Bell for inspiring this post.

With every best wish,

The Utah Amicus

Nick Holland mentioned in The Spectrum

Nick Holland, son of Utah Democratic Chair Wayne Holland Jr., is currently serving as an aide to Congressman Jim Matheson in Washington D.C. Nick was a great inspiration during his father's campaign for state chair and he is young man who is on track towards building a great Democratic future.

Spectrum Editor Todd Seifert went to Washinton D.C. recently and mentions Nick Holland,

"Perhaps even more so than the White House, the U.S. Capitol exudes history. We were lucky enough to have one of Rep. Matheson's aides, Nick Holland, serve as our tour guide. His knowledge of the history of the building certainly added to our tour."

Way to go Nick, keep up the great work!

Observing history
Children provide different perspective on nation's capital