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Representatives in the News

Governor Scott Walker

Governor Scott Walker issued Executive Order #168 allowing Wisconsin National Guard members to carry weapons while on duty. “Safety must be our top priority, especially in light of the horrific attack in Chattanooga,” Governor Walker said. “Allowing our National Guard members to carry weapons while on duty gives them the tools they need to serve and protect our citizens, as well as themselves. I am also directing Adjutant General Donald Dunbar to evaluate longer-term plans to ensure the safety of our service members.” Walker referred to the shooting at two military facilities in Chattanooga, Tenn. resulting in the death of four Marines and one Navy petty officer.

Source: Walker press release

Representative Reid Ribble

Ribble pushed forward in his campaign to save Green Bay by sponsoring H.R. 3120, the Great Lakes Assurance Program Verification Act of 2015. “Green Bay and the Great Lakes are an amazing natural resource, and we have a responsibility to preserve them for our children and grandchildren. Right now, excess phosphorus and other nutrients in the water are causing algae blooms that are causing unsafe water quality during the summer. As a source of some of these excess nutrients, farmers have made great strides in reducing their ecological impact, but there is still more work to be done. This bill would help equip them with the tools and information they need to continue to improve our food supplies, our community, and our future.” H.R. 3120 would create an initiative for states in the Great Lakes Basin to establish innovative programs that help farms of all sizes and all commodities to prevent or minimize agricultural pollution risks. Modeled after the longstanding Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP), this bill seeks to replicate MAEAP’s success to other states in the Great Lakes in an effort to protect our shared waterways. This conservation program would be voluntary and state developed, but it also encourages the collaboration with entities that have agricultural or environmental expertise, including academic and nonprofit organizations.

Source: Ribble press release

Senator Tammy Baldwin

Baldwin met with Randy W. Berry, United States Department of State’s first-ever Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTI Persons, for a debrief after his extensive travel around the world, visiting 15 countries in six weeks. On July 9, Baldwin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, successfully included language in the committee report accompanying the FY16 State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations bill that affirms the United States’ foreign policy commitment to protect vulnerable LGBT populations around the world. The spending bill passed through the committee by a vote of 27-3 and now heads to the full Senate for consideration. “Despite the advances we have seen for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the United States, this community faces enormous challenges in many nations around the world, including discrimination, violence and even the threat of the death penalty – all simply because of who they are or who they love,” said Baldwin. “The United States has a moral responsibility to speak out against the oppression of vulnerable peoples, be they racial and religious minorities, women or LGBT people. I was pleased to meet with Mr. Berry today and discuss our shared commitment to human rights abroad and my focus on directing foreign affairs resources towards the places where the needs of the LGBT community are most dire.”

Source: Baldwin press release

President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama reiterated his message of optimism for Kenya during an address at a stadium in the capital Nairobi. Obama talked about women’s rights and stamping out corruption but stressed that the future was in the hands of the country’s young people. “And when it comes to the people of Kenya, particularly the youth, I believe there is no limit to what you can achieve. A young ambitious Kenyan today should not have to do what my grandfather did and serve a foreign master. You don’t need to do what my father did and leave your home to get a good education and access to opportunity. Because of Kenya’s progress, because of your potential, you can build your future right here, right now.” Later Sunday, Obama will travel to Ethiopia as he continues his trip across the continent. Unlike in Kenya, where American flags and billboards welcomed the U.S. President, enthusiasm for the visit here is more subdued.

Source: Reuters