Tester to FDA: Protect women from lipstick lead

Senator demands agency clarify toxin’s dangers in makeup

 

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester is raising concerns about the rising levels of lead in lipstick, and wants the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ramp up efforts to protect women and children from lead exposure.

 

Testing recently revealed that the maximum level of lead found in lipstick more than doubled between 2009 and 2011. 

 

The FDA says lipstick lead levels are safe, but Tester points out that numerous factors could threaten women’s health.  Lead is a neurotoxin that builds up in the body over time, and Tester noted that lipstick is often used throughout the day and comes into contact with food.  Tester also noted that there are no warnings or guidance for pregnant women about using lipstick.

 

“Our constituents deserve to know what is contained in, and to be protected from, toxic chemicals in the products they use daily,” Tester wrote FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg.  “We urge you to continue to look into these very serious concerns regarding lead content of lipstick and take action accordingly.”

 

The maximum allowable lead level for drinking water is 15 parts per billion, but a 2011 study by the FDA found a maximum lead level nearly 470 times higher in some lipsticks. 

 

Tester is asking the FDA to determine how much lead from lipstick is ingested and absorbed by the body.  Tester also wants the agency to set a maximum lead level for all lipsticks, and to require manufacturers to identify beauty products that contain lead.

 

Tester is also concerned because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says any level of lead exposure for children is unsafe.  Lead exposure can affect developing brains, resulting in lower IQ and behavioral problems for children who may play with their mother’s lipstick.       

 

Tester’s work to improve women’s health most recently included his support for legislation making it easier for Montana women to access life-saving breast cancer screenings.  He also joined a new effort to strengthen laws that prevent violence against women.

 

Tester’s letter to the FDA Commissioner Hamburg is available online HERE.

 

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Contact:          Andrea Helling or Dan Malessa – (202) 228-0371

Military Officers Association of America Praises Rehberg’s Keep America’s Promises Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As he continues seeking feedback from Montana and around the country, Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, today thanked the Military Officers Association of America for their support his legislation, the Keep America’s Promises Act.  This legislation would restore pensions and other earned benefits currently being denied to 157 Air Force officers who were honorably released from service as a consequence of the Obama Administration’s Reduction in Forces Policy.

Rehberg has championed this issue in Congress, last month sending a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley asking him to restore the officers to active duty in order to restore their benefits.

Their letter of support is below:

Dear Congressman Rehberg:

On behalf of the over 377,000 members of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), I am writing to express our support for H.R. 3904, the “Keep America’s Promises Act.”

Last year, the United States Air Force involuntarily separated 157 officers who were twice deferred from promotion to 0-5.  At the time, I wrote the Secretary of the Air Force (with a copy to the Secretary of Defense) to urge reconsideration of this insensitive action.

In the past, such officers have been continued until retirement eligibility at 20 years, or at least have been offered voluntary incentives to accept early separation or retirement.

MOAA believes based on the precedent of the drawdown of the 1990s that officers with at least 15 years of service should not be subject to involuntary separation during a drawdown period – and it appears Congress fully agrees with the recent reauthorization of Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA).

Your bill would correct the Air Force’s injustice by retroactively authorizing TERA to qualifying service members subjected to last year’s drawdown efforts.  

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta recently said, “We have a volunteer force that is the heart and soul of our military strength, and we have to do everything possible to protect that volunteer force.”

Your bill does exactly that.  Thank you for introducing this important legislation and for your continued support of our men and women who serve and have served their country.   We pledge our strong support to win prompt passage of the “Keep America’s Promises Act.”

Sincerely,

# # #

Rehberg Comments on Mail Processing Closures in Wolf Point, Helena & Butte

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg,  today released the following statement after the announcement that the United States Postal Service intends to end mail processing in Wolf Point, Helena and Butte, and that they are still looking for a reason to close Kalispell as well.

“It looks like the Postal Service worked really hard to find excuses to close these facilities instead of working to find a way to keep them open.  I can’t help but think the folks who made these decisions have probably never been to Montana in the middle of the winter when driving between places like Missoula and Helena is harder than it looks on a map.  Everyone knows these changes will hurt Montana communities, but they will also hurt the Postal Service because as their ability to serve is reduced, so is the likelihood that they’ll remain a viable option for time-sensitive delivery.  I’ll keep fighting to get them to do the right thing.”

# # #

Tester saves Missoula mail processing facility

Goal now is to keep as many postal facilities open as possible, Senator says

 

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester today announced that the U.S. Postal Service’s mail processing facility in Missoula will remain open–a move that will save 28 jobs and result in more timely mail service across Montana.

 

The Postal Service had considered closing the facility and moving operations to Spokane.  But Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe called Tester today to say that based on the Senator’s concerns and feedback from Montanans, the facility will stay open.

 

“Today’s news is a victory for all of us and a reminder that public input goes a long way in making responsible decisions that are right for Montana,” Tester said, noting that many Montanans wroteand attended meetings to express concerns about closing the Missoula facility.

 

The Postal Service recently recommended consolidating other mail processing facilities in Kalispell, Butte, Helena, and Wolf Point.

 

The organization said today it has not yet reached a decision about the future Kalispell’s mail processing facility, but it will move forward with closures in Butte, Helena, and Wolf Point.

 

“Like most Montanans, I’m disappointed by any move to weaken standards for the Postal Service, whose mission is to provide reliable and efficient service across Montana,” Tester said.  “Our goal now is to keep pressuring them to keep open as many of its processing centers and post offices as possible in the months ahead because these processing centers and post offices are critical for rural Montana’s economy.”

 

At Tester’s request, the Postal Service recently delayed plans to close 85 post offices and the remaining processing facilities in Montana until at least May 15.  The delay gives Congress time to work on a long-term reform of the financially-strapped organization.

 

Tester is a member of the Senate committee that oversees the U.S. Postal Service.

 

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Contact:          Andrea Helling or Dan Malessa – (202) 228-0371

 

EXTREME REPUBLICAN BILLIONAIRE TO HELP REPUBLICANS LIKE JOSH MANDEL & DENNIS REHBERG ADVANCE ASPIRIN AGENDA

EXTREME REPUBLICAN BILLIONAIRE TO HELP REPUBLICANS LIKE JOSH MANDEL & DENNIS REHBERG ADVANCE ASPIRIN AGENDA Billionaire Who Suggested Women Use Aspirin “Between Their Knees” Says He’ll Prop Up Republicans That Will Push His Extreme Social Agenda The same far right ideologue who suggested that women should put aspirin “between their knees” as a form of contraception is now saying he’ll spend big bucks to prop up Republicans like Josh Mandel and Dennis Rehberg, who in turn will push his radical social agenda.  Foster Friess, the ideologue billionaire bankrolling a pro-Rick Santorum Super PAC told The New Republic that he’s a big fan of Josh Mandel and Dennis Rehberg and plans to spend heavily in 8 to 10 Senate races next year.  “The Wall Street billionaires who bankroll Josh Mandel and Dennis Rehberg are pushing an extreme agenda that’s straight out of the 1950s,” said Shripal Shah, spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. “Why are special interest ideologues like Foster Friess spending millions to get Republicans like Josh Mandel and Dennis Rehberg elected? Because these special interest billionaires know that Mandel, Rehberg and other Republicans will be lackeys for their far right social agenda while also fighting to preserve their special interest tax breaks. ” Friess’ announcement is just the latest example of how deep-pocketed special interests are propping up the Senate bids of Josh Mandel, Dennis Rehberg and other Republicans in order to advance their extreme agenda that hurts everyday Americans.  Other Republican special interest groups like the US Chamber of Commerce and Karl Rove’s American Crossroads have already spent millions to prop up Republicans who will push an anti-middle class agenda in Washington. Foster Friess gained national attention last week after suggesting to MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell  that women put Aspirin between their legs in order to prevent pregnancy.  “You know, back in my days, they’d use Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees, and it wasn’t that costly,“ Friess told Mitchell.  Now, Republicans like Mandel and Rehberg will be forced to explain why special interest ideologues intent on advancing an extreme social agenda intend to spend millions to send them to the U.S. Senate. Meanwhile, Republicans across the country have been under fire for advancing an extreme Republican social agenda that aims to distract from the GOP’s reckless economic policies.  Democratic Senate candidates are hammering their Republican opponents on social issues, echoing a trend in the presidential race. In Virginia, Tim Kaine has aggressively gone after George Allen and his fellow Virginia Republicans for neglecting important economic issues to instead push a far right social agenda, including a “personhood” bill that declares life begins at conception that could limit women’s access to contraception.  In Nevada, Dean Heller is facing criticism for supporting measures that would block access to basic health care for women and lifesaving cancer treatments instead of focusing on creating jobs.  And in Massachusetts, Elizabeth Warren is up with a radio ad attacking the Republican culture war, including the controversial Blunt Amendment that would allow employers to use moral objections to prevent access to any life-saving healthcare.      ###

 

Paid for by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, dscc.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Tester announces more details of next Small Business Opportunity Workshop

Senator’s March 12 workshop in Great Falls to expand opportunities for farmers

 

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester today announced new details about his upcoming Small Business Opportunity Workshop in Great Falls, an event designed to connect Montana farmers with valuable resources to help them succeed.

 

Tester, the Senate’s only farmer, will hold his March 12 event in the Missouri Room of the Mansfield Civic Center.  There will be panel discussions on strategic marketing, risk management and finance, and beginning farmers and ranchers.

 

Montana participants scheduled to take part in Tester’s workshop include:

• Jeff Van Pevanage, Columbia Grain
• Bob Quinn, Kamut International
• Dick Deschamps and Dave Pitts, USDA Farm Service Agency
• Susan Cunningham, Cunningham Crop Insurance
• Paul Nelson, Northwest Farm Credit Service
• Kristen Gustafson Juras, University of Montana School of Law
• Gary Brester, Montana State University
• Jacob and Courtney Cowgill, Prairie Heritage Farm

 

Tester’s workshop is free and open to the public.  Montanans interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP at tester.senate.gov/agworkshop.

 

Tester’s Great Falls workshop, which runs from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., builds on the success of his agriculture jobs workshop held last spring in Bozeman.  The Great Falls Small Business Opportunity Workshop will follow Tester’s Women’s Small Business Opportunity Workshop in Missoula on February 21.

 

More than 2,000 Montana companies and individuals have attended Tester’s ten previous small business workshops in Great Falls, Bozeman, Kalispell, Billings, Butte and Missoula. 

Tester protecting veterans’ health care from budget cuts

Senator introduces bill to safeguard VA health care

 

 

(U.S. SENATE) – Senator Jon Tester is making sure that veterans’ health care is protected in the face of potential budget cuts.

 

Tester recently introduced a bill clarifying that VA health care is exempt from any upcoming reductions in the federal budget.  Under a bipartisan measure approved last year, the federal budget is scheduled to automatically shrink by $1.2 trillion over the next decade.

 

“America’s veterans made huge sacrifices for this country and it’s our responsibility to honor them by improving their access to the quality health care they earned,” Tester said.  “With more and more veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan back home in Montana, we need to fiercely defend veterans’ services, not cut them.”

 

The Budget Control Act of 2011 requires automatic budget cuts for 10 years totaling $1.2 trillion beginning in 2013 unless Congress passes specific deficit reduction measures.  Although the law was meant to protect veterans’ health care, it is currently unclear whether veterans’ health care could be part of the automatic cuts.  Tester’s bill clarifies that veterans’ health care will not be cut.

 

Veterans pension and disability compensation benefits are exempt from the automatic cuts.

 

Tester’s bill is supported by the VFW, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans, and AMVETS, who say that thanks to Tester’s efforts “veterans will not have to worry about whether or not critical services will be available.”

 

Since taking office, Tester successfully boosted the VA’s budget in order to improve access to health care for all veterans – especially those in rural states like Montana. 

 

Tester, Montana’s only member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, most recently helped speed up the claims process for Montana veterans at Fort Harrison.  He has also helped put Yellowstone County Veterans Cemetery on the path to national designation and established the Senate Veterans Jobs Caucus in the past month.

 

Tester’s bill is cosponsored by Senators Mark Begich (D-Alaska) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.).  It is available online HERE.

 

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As Tester Files For Re-Election, Montanans Reminded Of His Hypocrisy, Broken Promises

Promised One Thing To Montanans, Then Did Opposite In Washington With Pres. Obama

MISSOULA, Mont. — As liberal Senator Jon Tester officially files for re-election today, Montanans are reminded of his record of hypocritical rhetoric, broken promises, and 95 percent support for President Barack Obama’s unpopular agenda in Washington.

“Senator Tester has a long record of saying one thing in Montana, but doing the exact opposite back in Washington with President Obama,” said Rehberg spokesman Chris Bond.  “Jon Tester votes with President Obama 95 percent of the time, including his job-killing tax hikes, his health care law, and his plan to give taxpayer-funded bailout bonuses to executives at insurance giant AIG, and now he wants Montanans to send them both back for another term.  But folks in Montana aren’t going to be fooled by Tester and Obama’s hypocritical campaign promises.”

Here are just a few examples of Senator Tester’s harmful record, and the mile-wide gap between his words and his deeds…

Tester Words…

• Tester promised to make Washington “look a little more like Montana.”

Tester Deeds…

• But instead, Tester has been a loyal ally to President Obama and his Washington Democrat party leaders, siding with Obama 95 percent of the time in the U.S. Senate and casting the deciding 60th vote to pass the Obama health care overhaul.

 

Tester Words…

• Tester promised to “lead efforts to balance the federal budget,” and said “I’m not about to put my kids’ future and opportunity on the line so I can spend money like a drunken sailor. I am going to be fiscally responsible.”

Tester Deeds…

• But it’s been over 1,000 days since Tester and his fellow Senate Democrats have passed any budget at all, much less a balanced budget.  Meanwhile, our national debt has nearly doubled since Tester and the Democrats took over the Senate, from $8.6 trillion to $15.3 trillion.

 

Tester Words… 

• After helping President Obama pass his $800 billion “stimulus” spending bill into law, Tester claimed it would create “millions of new jobs,” and told Montanans “I think you’re going to see job creation out of this bill within 90 days,” while his allies in the Obama Administration predicted their deficit-spending binge would hold unemployment below 8 percent.

 Tester Deeds… 

• But instead, America has lost 1.1 million jobs since President Obama took office and Senator Tester began rubber-stamping his big-spending agenda, and America is in its 36th consecutive month of above-8-percent unemployment.

Tester Words…

• Tester claims to support Montanans’ Second Amendment rights, calling himself “one of the Senate’s leading pro-gun rights members.”

Tester Deeds…

• But instead, Tester voted to grant both of President Obama’s anti-gun liberal activist judges lifetime appointments to the Supreme Court, including Sonia Sotomayor, who is of the opinion that “the Framers did not write the Second Amendment in order to protect a private right of armed self defense” and “I can find nothing in the Second Amendment’s text, history, or underlying rationale that could warrant characterizing it as ‘fundamental’ insofar as it seeks to protect the keeping and bearing of arms for private self-defense purposes.”  The NRA has called Tester and Obama’s Supreme Court picks “two of the most rabid anti-gun justices in history.”

  Tester Words…   

• Tester “blasted” insurance giant AIG for awarding $165 million in bonuses to its executives after accepting a $173 billion taxpayer-funded bailout.

  Tester Deeds…  
 

• But Tester voted to allow these taxpayer-funded bailout bonuses when he rubber-stamped President Obama’s failed $800 billion “stimulus” debacle.

Tester Words…

• Tester said he would provide Montana with representation “not encumbered by high-dollared lobbyists,” and promised, “I won’t sell Montana down the road by cutting deals with K Street lobbyists.”

Tester Deeds…

• But as the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics shows, Tester is in fact the #1 recipient of lobbyist campaign cash of all 535 members of Congress during this election cycle.  Tester falsely denied this fact to Montanans in a radio interview, saying “well, I mean, that’s, that’s not true.”

Tester Words…

• Tester promised to “shut [his] door to former members and staff who try to cash in on their connections” as lobbyists.

Tester Deeds…

• But as the Asssociate Press reports, “That promise was tested in early 2010 when a top staffer, Jason Rosenberg, left for lobbying and wrote in a goodbye email that he looked forward to working with his old colleagues.”  Meanwhile, the Washington Examiner’s    Tim Carney wrote that “Rosenberg was Jon Tester’s ‘Senior Economic Policy Advisor’ until last year when he cashed out to K Street, becoming a lobbyist at the Glover Park Group… Presumably Rosenberg, who lobbies for the American Bankers’ Association, has worked with his former colleagues. He’s also given $250 to Tester and $500 to Sen. Chuck Schumer. Now, Tester is pushing legislation favored by the ABA.“

   

Tester Words…

• Tester promised to stand up for Malmstrom Air Force Base, calling it a “vital part of Montana’s economy and security.”

 Tester Deeds…

• But Tester voted to ratify President Obama’s New START treaty and voted to cause across-the-board “sequestration cuts,” both of which now threaten Malmstrom AFB and the Great Falls economy.  Obama Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said Tester’s “sequestration” cuts would be “devastating” to our national defense.

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Commissioner Gail Gutsche files for re-election to the Public Service Commission

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Gail Gutsche 406.360.9932                               February 21, 2012

 

 

Missoula– Current Public Service Commissioner Gail Gutsche (D-Missoula) has filed for

re-election to the Public Service Commission (PSC), District 4. Gutsche, who serves as Vice Chair of the 5-member Commission, is finishing her first four-year term on the Commission.

 

Gutsche cited the Commission vote last week as a key reason for running. The Commission voted 3-2 to pre-approve the 40 MW Spion Kop wind farm, inJudithBasinCounty. “Time and again, Montanans have demonstrated that they want to develop our renewable energy resources. I was proud to join a bi-partisan majority in authorizing NorthWestern Energy to own this asset,” says Gutsche. “This is a huge step forward for Montanans, who will benefit from the addition of clean, renewable energy at a lower cost than electricity produced by Colstrip.”

 

During her tenure as Commissioner, Gutsche has prioritized energy conservation and renewable energy development, as sustainable strategies towards energy independence. She has also worked to ensure that taxis charge reasonable fees, and to protect low-income members of our community. Gutsche was recently elected vice chair of the Northern Tier Transmission Group Steering Committee, and is actively involved with the Energy Resources and Environment Committee of the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners.

 

Gutsche has been endorsed by Missoula Mayor John Engen, Commissioner John Vincent (D-Bozeman), former Public Service Commissioner Ken Toole (D-Helena), the Montana Conservation Voters, and numerous Missoula legislators including Senators Cliff Larsen, Dave Wanzenried and Carol Williams.

 

“Thanks to the courageous leadership and thorough work of Commissioner Gutsche, our community is a giant step closer to owning its own water system,” says Mayor John Engen. “Now, more than ever, we need intelligent, tough, hard-working folks on the Montana Public Service Commission; Gail Gutsche is that person.”

 

In addition to her term on thePSC, Gutsche, 57, served four terms in the Montana House of Representatives (1999-2005). She was elected Democratic Whip (2005); sat on the Judiciary and Fish, Wildlife and Parks committees; and served as vice chair of the Natural Resources Committee (2001, 2003). She sponsored numerous successful bills to protectMontana’s quality of life, clean air and water, and wildlife habitat.

 

PSCDistrict 4 spans seven counties: Granite, Powell, Ravalli, Sanders, Mineral,LincolnandMissoula. The five-memberPSCregulates utilities including electricity, gas, water, and telephone, as well as taxi, limousine and solid waste hauling permits.

 

Gutsche is a 20-year resident, former business owner, and homeowner inMissoula. A graduate ofGustavusAdolphusCollegeinSt. Peter,Minn., she has lengthy experience as a journalist, editor, grant writer and development director, and has served on numerous non-profit boards.      

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Tester’s Small Business Opportunity Workshop to be broadcast live online

All Montanans can watch Tuesday event in Missoula on Senator’s website

 

(BIG SANDY, Mont.) – Senator Jon Tester announced today that Montanans will be able to watch his Small Business Opportunity Workshop online Tuesday, in real time.

 

The February 21 event will be broadcast live on Tester’s website, tester.senate.gov/workshop, from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.  The workshop, which takes place at the University Center Theater in Missoula, focuses on helping Montana women get a jump-start on opening their own small business and creating jobs.

 

Video highlights from the workshop will also be available on the website at a later date.

 

“With this technology, folks who can’t make it in person will be able to watch online and hopefully learn a few things about creating jobs and strengthening their businesses,” Tester said. “It allows us to shorten the distances across Montana, allowing people from all over the state to benefit.”

 

Tester’s event will feature a discussion with some of Montana’s leading female small business owners and highlight avenues women can take to get their business up-and-running. 

 

Hundreds of Montanans have signed up so far to attend Tester’s workshop, which is free and open to the public.  Montanans interested in attending are encouraged to RSVP on Tester’s website.

 

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