U.S. Rep Denny Rehberg
U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (left) talks with Dr. Brad Black at the CARD clinic. Photo by Kootenai Valley Record.
|
Kootenai Valley Record
U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg (left) talks with Dr. Brad Black at the CARD clinic. Photo by Kootenai Valley Record.
|
|
Rehberg visits CARD clinic
by Brent Shrum, Kootenai Valley Record
February 25, 2009
U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg visited Libby’s Center for Asbestos Related Disease last week to offer his support in finding funding to keep the clinic open.
Rehberg’s stop in Libby came as part of a whirlwind tour of Montana that included visits to Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Kalispell, Great Falls, Havre and Chinook. He said he’s sharing the same message in other communities around the state regarding a "new way of doing business" under an administration that campaigned against congressional spending earmarks.
With earmarks – which allocate funds for specific projects – being cut back, organizations like the CARD clinic need to be able to present their cases directly to the federal agencies that will be making spending decisions, Rehberg said. He offered to help facilitate that process.
"I’m just kind of shocked that the executive branch of the federal government hasn’t made the determination that this matters," Rehberg said. "I’m going to help make them understand that it does matter."
Rehberg met with CARD board members and staff for a briefing on CARD services and funding needs. Board secretary C.J. Johnson explained to Rehberg that the clinic relies on fees for services to fund its operations. The clinic has been dependent on W.R. Grace’s health plan for asbestos victims, which has cut back on reimbursements, and on the Libby Asbestos Medical Plan, which was initially funded by a $2.75 million settlement between Grace and the Environmental Protection Agency. The LAMP program is currently seeking a $3.25 million appropriation from the Montana Legislature to remain afloat for the next two years.
Positioning the CARD clinic as the center for asbestos research in the United States will help "keep the doors open and the lights on," Johnson said.
Rehberg pointed out that he is currently the second-ranking Republican on the House appropriations subcommittee for Health and Human Services. He asked the CARD board and staff to help identify contacts in federal agencies as well as potential partnerships with other members of Congress who represent constituencies affected by Libby asbestos.
______________________________________
Editor’s Note: See the February 24, 2009 edition of the Kootenai Valley Record for the printed version of this story. The Kootenai Valley Record publishes once a week, now on Tuesday, in Libby, Montana. They are a locally owned community newspaper, located at 403 Mineral Avenue in Libby. For in-county and out-of-county subscription information, call 406-293-2424, or e-mail kvrecord@gmail.com.
|
