Author: Reilly Lowery

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Sen. Steve Daines hosted a roundtable discussion at Ascent Vision to highlight leaders in the optics and photonics industry on Thursday.   Photonics is the science and technology of generating, detecting and controlling light. The industry is made up of companies that use, create and research light-based technologies.   Daines says the optics and photonics industry is growing and there are 35 businesses around the state.   He says the industry employs over 800 Montanans.   Businesses range from quantum computing, healthcare and energy to precision agriculture, manufacturing and transportation.   Daines says this industry is crucial

As Congress prepares to debate another stimulus package to prop up the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, farmers and ranchers are lobbying for more help.   Inside a farm shop southeast of Great Falls Wednesday industry representatives met with federal agriculture department Under Secretary Bill Northey and U.S. Sen. Steve Daines to voice their concerns.   Brett DeBruycker farms and ranches in Teton County. He says the assistance he got from the United States Department of Agriculture Coronavirus Food Assistance Program was miniscule compared to his actual need.   “There are some glaring holes that were left behind that really

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) is requesting more funding for potential COVID-19 vaccines in any new coronavirus relief package.   “As you continue your work on critical legislation to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, I write to you today to urge your support for robust funding that will help accelerate the development, manufacturing, and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments,” Daines wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “Finding a cure to this virus will help save lives, restore confidence in our communities to safely reopen, and jumpstart our economy

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) on July 13 continued efforts to fix Montana’s St. Mary Milk River Project and protect stateside jobs and agricultural operations. According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Milk River Project in north-central Montana furnishes water for the irrigation of about 121,000 acres of land. Project features include Lake Sherburne, numerous dams, the Dodson Pumping Plant, 200 miles of canals, 219 miles of laterals, and 295 miles of drains. In May, Drop 5 of the Milk River Project experienced a catastrophic failure that stopped the river’s water flows for land irrigation, water users and municipalities

On Wednesday morning, U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) joined USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey and a number of farmers, ranchers and organization representatives from across Montana to discuss the state of the Agriculture industry in the Treasure State, as well as the impact that COVID-19 has had on the industry, and the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program “Nothing beats having an Undersecretary of Agriculture leave Washington D.C. and come to Montana and literally hear directly from our farmers and ranchers across Montana,” said Daines after the roundtable discussion wrapped up. “Some have driven seven hours to be here today, to hear

Note: This was provided by the Office of Sen Steve Daines U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont, called Tuesday for more robust funding for the development and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines and drugs in any upcoming coronavirus relief package in Congress. This request for funding follows Daines successfully securing $10 billion in the CARES Act to accelerate the manufacturing and development of drugs to treat and prevent COVID-19. “As you continue your work on critical legislation to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, I write to you today to urge your support for robust funding that will help accelerate the development, manufacturing,

CASCADE COUNTY – The Coronavirus pandemic has also had a major impact on Montana’s farmers and ranchers, as Congress starts looking at a second round of food assistance programs for the industry. With agriculture affecting many aspects of everyday life, including the food you cook and eat, those in the field met with the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) Wednesday to share their concerns in the midst of this pandemic. “I was glad we were able to have enough conversations to be able to figure out what we should do, because there are huge losses,” said Bill Northey, the USDA

US lawmakers have re-introduced a bipartisan bill intended to create a national online “lost and found” for Americans to track down lost retirement accounts as they move between jobs. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, and Steve Daines, R-Montana, are sponsoring the Retirement Savings Lost and Found Act in the Senate, while Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Oregon, and Jim Banks, R-Indiana, have introduced the bill in the House of Representatives. “Millions of Americans lose thousands in savings each year because of lost retirement plans from previous employers and other roadblocks to tracking multiple accounts,” Warren said in a statement. “Our bipartisan Retirement Savings