U.S. Congresswoman Harriet Hageman from Wyoming addressed significant legislative updates on the Weekday Wake-Up, including funding cuts to public broadcasting, the rescissions bill, and ongoing efforts related to public lands and wildlife management.

Hageman highlighted a controversial aspect of the $9 billion rescissions package currently under discussion in the Senate, which aims to rescind previously approved spending. A notable point of contention is the proposed defunding of National Public Radio (NPR) and other public broadcasting services.

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“I support it for a variety of reasons,” Hageman stated, emphasizing the nation’s staggering $37 trillion debt. She argued that while public broadcasting may have been essential in the past, the landscape has changed dramatically. “We have access to the internet, news sources that way, TV, streaming, Netflix, Prime, stations that are dedicated solely to the arts, solely to news, that sort of thing. I just don’t think that it’s necessary,” she added.

Hageman also criticized the spending practices of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), citing examples of what she described as wasteful expenditures, including funds allocated for advancing atheism in Tibet and supporting Iraqi Sesame Street. “We don’t need to be spending our hard-earned tax money on these kinds of programs,” she asserted.

Turning to the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill, Hageman expressed her support for maintaining the 2017 Trump tax cuts to prevent a potential 22% tax increase. She also discussed immigration reforms aimed at funding additional ICE agents and improving the border wall.

On energy policy, Hageman mentioned significant provisions for Wyoming, including reduced royalty rates for coal and oil producers, which she believes will stimulate economic growth in the state.

When discussing public lands, Hageman addressed misinformation surrounding proposed legislation related to the sale of public land parcels. She clarified that the intent was to enable local communities to collaborate with the Bureau of Land Management to identify land that could be developed for housing, particularly in areas like Kemmerer, which is currently landlocked.

“We have a shortage of about 2.8 million housing units in the Western United States,” she explained. Hageman emphasized the need for effective land management to address the housing crisis, asserting that misinformation has hindered constructive dialogue on the issue.

In a notable development, Hageman announced the advancement of the Grizzly Bear State Recovery Plan Act, which aims to delist the grizzly bear from the endangered species list in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. “This is an Endangered Species Act success story,” she stated, highlighting Wyoming’s investment in grizzly recovery efforts.

Despite the successes, Hageman noted that legal challenges have stalled the delisting process. “We’ve done this before with the gray wolves… and it works very, very well,” she said, expressing optimism for future progress.

As Congresswoman Hageman continues to navigate complex legislative issues, her insights shed light on the challenges and opportunities facing Wyoming and the nation. Her commitment to fiscal responsibility and local empowerment remains a focal point of her agenda, as she engages with constituents on these pressing matters.