Next week, Congress will return to its final three weeks of session before the target adjournment date of September 26^th.  In these final weeks, Congress has a lot to do. 

Chief amongst our responsibilities is finalizing funding for Fiscal Year 2009, which begins on October 1^st.  Compared to previous years, Congress is very far behind in fulfilling this responsibility.  In fact, the House of Representatives has only passed a single bill out of twelve.  And, not a single bill has gone through the required House-Senate reconciliation process that leads to a bill being presented for signature into law by the President.  

Appropriating funds for government operation is a very serious responsibility for the Congress and I am very disappointed that Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and the Congressional leadership have allowed this duty to slip like this.  Approving the budget and appropriating funds require hard choices, but they are important decisions and must be made.

The other matter that I am hopeful Congress will spend some of its 15 days in session working on is energy.  Families across the nation continue to experience real pain as a result of this energy crisis.  The pain at the pump was one thing, but as winter approaches families are becoming increasingly concerned about the high heating bills they anticipate.

One part of the Republican All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy is opening up more domestic resources, including the vast oil and natural gas reserves available offshore on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).  In July, President Bush revoked the executive branch moratorium on tapping these resources.  All that remains as a barrier to accessing these vast reserves is a Congressional moratorium.  Though that prohibition has been in place for more than two decades, it must be renewed annually.  I am hopeful that Congress will allow the current moratorium to expire on September 30^th so that Americans can begin to tap into the oil and natural gas available in these deep sea reserves.  It remains to be seen whether the Congressional leadership, however, will allow this to occur.

Bachmann and Friends of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Host Visit from U.S. Department of Interior

Later this week, Lyle Laverty, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the U.S. Department of Interior, will join Congresswoman Bachmann on a visit to the Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).  During the visit, Congresswoman Bachmann and local volunteers from Friends of Sherburne NWR will present plans for a Discovery Center at the refuge.

Plans include a new visitors center that would make this ecologically unique site accessible to all Minnesotans and create an educational gateway for school kids, many of whom live in urban areas.  As Sue Hix, President of the Friends group says, “This new facility will become a portal to the outdoors for refuge visitors.”

Friends of Sherburne NWR is an all-volunteer organization that helps make this natural treasure really shine.  Their website includes some wonderful pictures of the Refuge, as well as this fantastic description:

Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, encompasses 30,700 acres of land and provides excellent opportunities for wildlife oriented recreation.

The refuge has a gently rolling landscape with a mix of tall grass prairie, oak savanna and wetland habitats. Bald eagles, sandhill cranes, ducks, geese and songbirds all nest in the Refuge and may be visible from the 7.3 mile Wildlife Drive (entrance on County Road 5, two miles north of Orrock).

The Blue Hill and Mahnomen Trails, located on County Road 9, provide 9 miles of good hiking and songbird viewing in the spring and fall, and cross-country skiing in the winter.

Hunting and fishing are permitted in designated areas during state seasons.

Bachmann Office Coming to a Town Near You:

Next week, my staff will hold Mobile Office Hours at the following locations.  Please bring copies of any paperwork that you might have with you when you visit.  Particularly, if you are having a problem with a federal benefit or program and have letters or documents that might help my staff get answers for you quickly.  

And, you can always stop by one of my district offices between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday to talk to my staff as well:

Woodbury                        Waite Park
6043 Hudson Road          110 2nd Street South
Suite 330                         Suite 232
Woodbury, MN 55125      Waite Park, MN 56387
651-731-5400                  320-253-5931

Tuesday, September 9^th

10:00 am to noon

Washington County Library

Hardwood Creek Branch

19955 Forest Road N, Forest Lake

Tuesday, September 9^th

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Andover City Hall

1685 Crosstown Boulevard NW, Andover

Thursday, September 11^th

10:00 am to noon

Howard Lake City Hall

625 8^th Avenue, Howard Lake

Thursday, September 11^th

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

Annandale City Hall

30 Cedar Street E, Annandale

Thursday, September 11^th

4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

St. Michael City Hall

3150 Lander Avenue NE, St. Michael

Note: Please do not respond to this email, as this is an unattended account. If you wish to unsubscribe from this newsletter, you may do so by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of this page. If you wish to contact Congresswoman Michele Bachmann regarding a specific issue, please visit our contact web page at http://bachmann.house.gov/Contact/ .