Reilly Lowery, Author at Senator Steve Daines

Daines wants timeline for nursing homes action, audits

May 3, 2019

Citing concerns for incidents reported at a state-run nursing home in Montana, Sen. Steve Daines on Friday asked the head of a federal agency overseeing these facilities when a review will be completed of nursing home regulations and guidelines. And the Montana Republican asks Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services (CMS) if her agency will provide a list of audits and findings and what steps the agency is taking to improve its rating system. “I am committed to shedding a light on the current systematic deficiencies that allow substandard care in nursing homes and fail to protect

Daines Fights to Protect Montanans’ Privacy

May 3, 2019

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines reintroduced a bipartisan bill to require U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to remove personally identifiable information (PII), which includes social security and passport numbers, from public disclosure. Currently the PII is disclosed in the CBP manifest disclosure process. “Montanans and the American people need assurance that their private information is safeguarded from all threats,” Daines said. “This commonsense legislation ensures transparency as well as security in protecting our citizens from identity theft and fraud.” Daines introduced the bipartisan bill with Senators Peters, Lankford, Hoeven, and Sullivan. There is companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Daines, Gianforte demand action after Google rejects hunting ad

May 3, 2019

MISSOULA, Mont. — Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Greg Gianforte are reaching out to Google after the company rejected a hunting advertisement for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. A Google representative told the congressmen the advertisement is considered “animal cruelty and deemed inappropriate to be shown on our network.” Daines and Gianforte are demanding Google reverse its decision on the prohibition of hunting advertising. You can read their full letter and Google’s response below:

Daines, Tester Fight for First Responders

May 2, 2019

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester reintroduced the bipartisan Putting First Responders First Act to clarify the current tax code to ensure injured first responders do not have to pay taxes on injury-related compensation. Daines and Tester introduced the bill ahead of National Police Week. “Montana’s first responders risk their lives every day to protect our communities,” Daines said. “This legislation will ensure these brave men and women will no longer endure unfair taxes or audits from the IRS as a result of the sacrifices they have made for our safety.” “Montana’s first responders put themselves in

Daines, Tester & Gianforte Introduce Bill to Invest in Critical Milk River Infrastructure Project

May 2, 2019

U.S. Congress – U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines, and Congressman Greg Gianforte today introduced legislation to increase critical investments in the Milk River Infrastructure Project that thousands of Montana farmers rely on for access to reliable irrigation water in northcentral Montana. The St. Mary’s Reinvestment Act, will ensure that the federal government picks up 75 percent of the costs for upgrades to the century-old water project. Currently, the federal government only funds 26 percent of the project, leaving local users with the responsibility to pay the rest of the tab. “The Milk River Project is about protecting jobs and our way of life in Montana,” Daines said. “This project would lift the

Daines Introduces Bill to Increase Veterans’ Access to Outdoors

May 1, 2019

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced a bipartisan bill to expand opportunities for veterans recovering from trauma to access public lands for outdoor therapy and rehabilitation treatments. “In Big Sky Country, we know how important our outdoor heritage is to our Montana way of life,” Daines said. “This bill will help ensure our veterans are able to take full advantage of Montana’s and our nation’s outdoors as they recover from the trauma and injuries they experienced in combat. The therapeutic benefits the great outdoors can have on our veterans will help aide in their recovery and showcase the beauty of the

Daines Introduces Bill to Prevent Child Predators from Receiving Government Pensions

May 1, 2019

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced a bill to prevent convicted pedophiles from receiving a federal government pension. Daines discussed the bill, the Denying Pensions to Convicted Child Molesters Act, in a U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing with Rear Admiral Michael Weahkee, the Principal Deputy Director of the Indian Health Service (IHS). Download video HERE “Despite numerous reported suspicions of Weber’s inappropriate behavior, IHS turned a blind eye and enabled Weber to continue his unspeakable actions for years,” Daines said. “It’s shocking that a government employee can still receive a pension after being convicted of sexually

Bill Would Deny U.S. Pensions to Convicted Child Molesters

May 1, 2019

A U.S. senator is seeking to ban convicted child molesters from receiving government pensions after a U.S. Indian Health Service doctor was revealed to be drawing a six-figure retirement income following his conviction for sexually abusing patients. The Wall Street Journal and the PBS series Frontline reported in March that the doctor, longtime Indian Health Service pediatrician Stanley Patrick Weber, stood to get more than $1.8 million in U.S. pension payments during his prison sentence, which began in September. Sen. Steve Daines (R., Mont.) disclosed the legislative proposal at a Senate hearing Wednesday at which lawmakers again questioned the IHS’s

Daines: No pensions for federal workers convicted of child sexual assault

May 1, 2019

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines pushed ahead Wednesday an attempt to cut retirement benefits to Indian Health Service pediatrician Stanley Patrick Weber, who sexually assaulted Blackfeet children. The Republican senator for Montana questioned Assistant Surgeon General Michael D. Weahkee on Wednesday about Indian Health Service’s handling of reports against Weber. The questions came as the assistant surgeon general appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee to make his case for the IHS 2020 budget. After the hearing Daines introduced a bill to cut off retirement benefits for federal workers convicted of on-the-job child sexual assault. “Despite numerous reported suspicions of Weber’s inappropriate

Daines, Tester Introduce Bill to Fix Burdensome Regulations on Livestock Haulers

May 1, 2019

U.S. Senate – U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester today introduced a bill that will ease burdensome regulations on livestock haulers. The bipartisan Transporting Livestock Across America Safely Act changes a Department of Transportation rule that requires drivers who haul live animals to adhere to strict time constraints monitored by Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs), exempting them from some road time requirements and allowing them to better care for the live animals they are transporting. “Our ranchers and livestock haulers don’t need some burdensome government mandate telling them how to do their jobs,” Daines said. “This legislation is about strengthening

Author: Reilly Lowery