U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman told the Wyoming Legislature on Friday afternoon that “it’s a very exciting time” to be on Capitol Hill two weeks into a second Donald Trump administration.
Hageman spoke to both the Wyoming Senate and House in an unscheduled stop by the Capitol in Cheyenne.
She commended Trump’s work during his first two weeks in office, saying it would be an understatement to say he hit the ground running.
Hageman believes America is on the brink of “a new awakening” with a strong understanding of issues like inflation, but also new hope they will be resolved.
As one of the largest energy producers in the nation, Hageman believes Wyoming should be at the forefront of policy discussions in Washington, D.C.
“Because, we really are the engine that drives this country,” she told the House.
Hageman also said she’s interested in the regulatory reforms Trump has made, including cutting the size and scope of federal bureaucracy. It’s a topic she’s familiar with as a member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government.
“Taking power away from unelected bureaucrats, returning it to the legislative body where it belongs so that those of us who have to be elected or reelected are accountable to the people they actually serve,” she said.
What’s The Latest?
Congress is now working on the reconciliation bill, a budget mechanism that would allow the GOP’s ambitious border, energy and tax agenda to pass the Senate with only 50 votes instead of a 60-vote supermajority. This process requires the adoption of an identical budget resolution by the House and Senate.
Typically, before a vote on final passage can even take place, a vote of three-fifths of the Senate is required to invoke cloture and end debate.
Hageman is also for the second term in a row serving as a member of the House Judiciary and Natural Resources committees and Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, among others.
“Energy security is national security and it’s important we protect these interests,” she told the state Senate on Friday.
She was also selected as the chairman of the subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries, a body that oversees National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act reforms.
“It will be an exciting two years because those are some of the issues that are high on our priority list,” she said in the House.
And although she’s not a member of the board, Hageman said she also works closely with the Subcommittee on Federal Lands, a group that routinely questions the head of the U.S. Forest Service.
She’s also been putting a focus on ensuring the Department of Interior follows the Federal Land Management Policy Act and the Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act.
Message To Legislators
Hageman also implored the members of the House to stay in touch with her and bring issues that need to be addressed on a federal level to her attention.
She offered her services for issues constituents may be having with the Internal Revenue Service, Veterans Administration and Social Security Administration.
Hageman said her staff has been able to produce passports in less than 48 hours in emergency situations and help people recover hundreds of thousands of dollars from the IRS being wrongfully withheld. In total, she said her staff has returned more than $4 million to Wyoming residents that federal agencies were wrongfully withholding.
“That’s the kind of work we do,” she said, receiving applause.
Despite her father being in the Legislature for 24 years, Hageman said she only made it on the House floor fewer than five times. Since taking office, she’s tripled that number, speaking during each session.
She also commended the legislators in their upcoming work on the supplemental budget.
“I know you guys are going to make the right decisions,” she said. “I’m very proud of the work that you’re doing. I’m very proud of your dedication to the state of Wyoming, and I’m very proud to serve you.
House Speaker Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, thanked Hageman for coming and joked that she showed great courage by showing up in the Wyoming House, where flu and cold viruses are running rampant throughout the body.
“I think she hugged everybody so right there is a woman that is fearless,” Neiman said.
Leo Wolfson can be reached at leo@cowboystatedaily.com.
