Author: Reilly Lowery

The Senate’s health-care bill could go down in flames any number of ways. And after a nonpartisan congressional report estimated Monday the Senate bill could cause 22 million more people to lose their health insurance over the next decade while raising out-of-pocket costs for elderly and low-income Americans, it’s at risk of death by half a dozen mini fires. Here are the five factions in the Senate that are coalescing against this bill and could make it a very real possibility that it fails, perhaps even before leaders bring it to a vote this week 1) The no-repeal, no-deal faction Think of this group

Reaction to the EPA’s decision to end the ‘Clean Water Rule’ on Tuesday brought quick comments both for and against the move. Montana Senator Steve Daines said the Waters of the US Rule has long been a stone around the neck of private property owners. “Today marks the beginning of restoring private property rights while protecting our environment,” Daines stated. “Out of state D.C. bureaucrats shouldn’t impose regulations that hurt Montana farmers, ranchers and landowners. We can protect Montana’s pristine water without harming our agriculture economy and violating Montanans’ private property rights,” Daines continued. “I’m thrilled President Trump has heeded the

On June 12, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines announced $738,430.00 in critical funding for five Montana airports in Terry, Baker, Superior, Ekalaka and Circle. “These dollars play a critical role in keeping our airports safe and functioning, to continue to connect our state,” Daines stated. Daines secured provisions in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization for Airport Improvement Program (AIP) dollars which build and maintain Montana’s critical aviation infrastructure such as runways. He also has also engaged the FAA to expedite grants to northern states with short construction seasons. The funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mineral County’s

The cuts proposed to Medicaid under the Senate version of a health care bill meant to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act could hit Montana so hard the state would struggle to pay for priorities such as education and infrastructure. That’s according to a report released Tuesday by Manatt Health and commissioned by the Montana Health Care Foundation. Under the Senate’s proposed Better Care Reconciliation Act, Montana would lose $5.3 billion in federal Medicaid funds between fiscal years 2020 and 2026. That’s 40 percent of the state’s current federal Medicaid funding. “We’re putting at risk coverage for 75,000 Montanans

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formally proposed Tuesday to repeal the Obama administration’s controversial regulation that extended the reach of the federal government over small waterways. Under the proposal from the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers, federal officials would go back to enforcing a guidance document from 2008 when deciding whether a waterway is subject to federal oversight for pollution control purposes. It’s the first formal step by the EPA to fulfilling President Trump’s campaign promise to repeal the 2015 “waters of the United States” regulation, which Republicans and numerous industry groups have long argued would have subject farmers, developers

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers released a proposal on Tuesday to repeal the 2015 Clean Water Rule, the latest move by the Trump administration to unwind environmental regulations put in place under former President Barack Obama. The agencies are working to rescind the rule, known as the Waters of the United States rule, and reinstate the language of the rule before it was changed in 2015. The rule updated the federal Clean Water Act to define what waterways – including streams, rivers and other bodies – can be regulated by the federal government, stirring anger

Senate Republicans Tuesday postponed a planned vote on the GOP bill to replace Obamacare until after the July 4th recess.  The move is a blow to Republican leaders who had been pushing for a vote this week out of concern that a delay would only make it more difficult to pass. But it became clear that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not have time to round up enough support in the few days before their desired deadline of Friday. Republican leaders plan to work on a revised version of the bill with the goal of coming to an agreement

Savage High School student Soda Rice doesn’t think she ever wants to be a politician, but she greatly appreciated the trip to the nation’s capital for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Youth Tour earlier this month. Rice, who is entering her junior year, was one of 27 students in Montana who was selected for the trip by their local cooperative after completing an essay. Rice was chosen by the Lower Yellowstone Rural Electric Cooperative. She was encouraged to apply for the trip after seeing students Trey Bloesser and Owen Nelson, each of Savage, benefit from the experience.  “They had