The Upper Mississippi River Basin Congressional Task Force

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The Upper Mississippi River Basin Congressional
Task Force

• Ben Proctor
• Legislative Assistant
• U.S. Representative Ron Kind (WI-03)

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108th Congress of the United State

• 2002 Elections!
• 108th Congress Begins January 2003

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Members Focus

• Constituents and regional, political, and
  personal interests and pressures
• Roll of staff
• Congressional Task Forces and Caucuses

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Why the Upper Mississippi River Basin (UMRB)?

• Unique multi-use natural resource
• Over 30 million people live and work in region
• Balance economic and environmental needs

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Upper Mississippi River Basin Congressional Task
Force

• Fairly new Established 1998
• Bipartisan with 28 members
• 16 Democrats,
• 12 Republicans

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Upper Mississippi River Basin Congressional Task
Force Members

• Wisconsin Baldwin (D), Kind (D), Barrett (D),
  Green (R)
• Minnesota Gutknecht (R), Kennedy (R), Oberstar
  (D), Luther(D), Ramstad (R), Sabo (D), McCollum
  (D)
• Illinois Costello (D), Evans (D), LaHood (R),
  Lipinski (D), Phelps (D), Rush (D), Manzullo (R),
  Blagojevich (D), Shimkus (R)
• Iowa Boswell (D), Lathan (R), Leach (R),
  Nussle (R), Ganske (R)
• Missouri Hulshof (R), Clay (D), McCarthy (D)

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Purpose

• Organizing tool - economic, environment,
  recreation
• Preserve uniqueness of UMRB - look at big picture
• Coordinate efforts and look for balanced
  solutions
• Help provide funding to specific programs in the
  region

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Input

• Federal resource managers, State and Local
  governments.
• Private interest groups, businesses, conservation
  and recreation orgs
• Formulate funding and policy recommendations

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Output

• Address issues
• Authorizing Legislation
• Appropriations
• Administration Budget Request

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Authorizing legislation

• Major Legislation
• UMRB specific
• Example H.R. 3480 vs. H.R. 1800
• Committee Jurisdiction

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Appropriations

• UMRB programs and operations
• success and failures

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Administration Budget Request

• OMB
• Task Force letters

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108th Congress

• Educate Congress on importance of UMRB
• Continue outreach efforts in region.
• Continue to address regional concerns with
  security and terrorism
• Perspective Legislative Issues - Big years for
  UMRB

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Take away

• Two basic points on Congress
• Leadership and process
• High turnover among congressional staff
• Overall purpose of UMRB Congressional Task Force
• MNRG