Press Releases

Washington, D.C. (April 10, 2013) – Congressmen Steve Pearce and Cynthia Lummis, Co-Chairs of the Congressional Western Caucus, announced Wednesday that they would be introducing an educational component to the Western Caucus. Western Caucus University will cover a variety of issues that are critical to the West, such as energy development, modernizing the Endangered Species Act, and forest management best practices, among others. The first topic to be covered will be public lands, and the impact of federally owned land on the West. Co-Chairs Steve Pearce and Cynthia Lummis released the following statements regarding the launch:

“One of the hurdles we face as Westerners in Washington is educating those who may not be as familiar with the issues that have a tremendous impact on our way of life,” said Co-Chair Steve Pearce. “The idea behindWestern Caucus University is to give us the tools to help understand and explain important Western issues to our friends in Washington and back home. I believe that adding an educational platform to the Western Caucus will be a great asset to our members and those interested in learning more about the West. ”

“There is widespread misunderstanding among my House colleagues about what it means to live and work in the West.  In many cases it is not malice, it is an honest case of the inability or unwillingness to walk in someone else’s boots,” added Co-Chairman  Cynthia Lummis.  “Western Caucus University is an effort to consolidate and coordinate our efforts to make the West something real to people here in Washington, not an abstraction or an idyllic playground.  Decisions made in Congress have consequences in the West most folks never see, it is our job to help them see.”

The mission of the Western Caucus, which is in its twentieth year, is to enhance, sustain, and preserve the West’s dynamic and unique culture, and to find innovative solutions that address the distinctive concerns facing western and rural communities. The Western Caucus is also committed to protecting private property, strengthening local control, promoting economic growth, and increasing energy independence.

For more information about the Congressional Western Caucus, please visitwww.westerncaucus.pearce.house.gov.