Category: News Article

Law­makers are push­ing ahead with two bills that would tweak cer­tain parts of the Fed­er­al Com­mu­nic­a­tions Com­mis­sion’s con­tro­ver­sial net-neut­ral­ity rules—the sig­na­ture In­ter­net-policy achieve­ment of the Obama ad­min­is­tra­tion. But even as Re­pub­lic­ans try to chip away at the sweep­ing In­ter­net reg­u­la­tions, the real at­ten­tion re­mains fixed on the D.C. Cir­cuit Court of Ap­peals, which is ex­pec­ted to soon rule on the broad­band in­dustry’s law­suit against the FCC. As long as a Demo­crat is in the White House, the courts pose the only real threat to the reg­u­la­tions, which re­quire that In­ter­net traffic be treated equally. Demo­crats con­sider the rules cru­cial for

Senator Steve Daines on Monday applauded the House of Representative’s passage of legislation to ensure the completion of two hydroelectric facilities in Montana. The legislation would provide for the reinstatement and three-year extension of a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license for Clark Canyon Dam Hydro Project in Dillon, Montana and a six-year extension of the FERC license for the Gibson Dam Hydro Project near Augusta, Montana. “The Gibson Dam and Clark Canyon Dam are two projects that are critical for tax revenue and jobs in Montana communities,” Daines stated. “I’m excited to see bipartisan support for the completion of

The Obama administration is reportedly poised to indict the Iranian hackers responsible for infiltrating a New York dam in 2013. The anticipated move is widely seen as an attempt to deter Tehran’s rapidly developing cyber program, and head off concerns that the country will use a new influx of resources from its recently struck nuclear deal to fund cyber warfare efforts. “It’s a pretty big deal,” said Adam Segal, a cyber policy specialist and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign relations.  But conservatives worry it will do little to deter Iran. If the White House publicly blames Iran for

A U.S. Senate hearing has been scheduled for March 17 to consider a bill that would protect East Rosebud Creek in the Beartooth Mountains. The proposal would designate as Wild and Scenic the 13 miles of the creek from its start near Fossil Lake to East Rosebud Lake and the seven-mile stretch from East Rosebud Lake to the Custer National Forest Service boundary. East Rosebud Lake is not included because private property surrounds the lake. Only public land in the National Forest would be part of the Wild and Scenic designation. Leslie Ziegler, of Friends of East Rosebud, said Friday

“It is clear Iran is not a friend to the United States or its allies,” Daines said. “It’s time that President Obama decides what he values more: the friendship of Iran or the security of our homeland.” Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) on Thursday bashed President Obama for taking years to blame Iran for a 2013 cyberattack against a New York dam. “It is downright shameful that it has taken President Obama three years to denounce Iran for a malicious cybersecurity attack on our country while at the same time sitting at a negotiating table with them,” Daines said in a

Senator Steve Daines has recognized Sergeant Tim Lingle of the Roosevelt County Sheriff’s office who was recently named the Montana American Legion Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Through his “Montanan of the Week” initiative, Daines each week will highlight a Montanan by submitting a statement of recognition in the official Congressional Record, the document that reflects the official proceedings of Congress. Daines welcomes anyone to nominate fellow Montanans for Daines’ “Montanan of the Week” program by calling Daines’ office at 202-224-2651 or by filling out the contact form on Daines’ website: http://www.daines.senate.gov/connect/email-steve. Here is a portion of Daine’s statement about

Mining giant Arch Coal on Thursday said it will suspend its work on securing a permit for a new mine in southeastern Montana. In a statement, the company blamed “capital constraints,” a weak coal market and uncertainty in the permitting process for suspending its proposed Otter Creek Mine project.  The company secured the lease rights to 8,300 acres of minerals in Otter Creek in 2010. The permitting process to begin mining, the company said, “has taken longer than anticipated, and further deterioration in coal markets has led to the decision to suspend the permitting effort.” In its statement, the company

A group of Republican senators introduced a resolution Thursday that would express the sense that the United States should detain captured ISIS operatives at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base military prison. The resolution–backed by 15 senators, including two presidential candidates–comes just as President Obama endures criticism from Republicans for his controversial push to close Guantanamo Bay and move current dangerous detainees to prisons in the U.S. Obama sent a plan to close the prison to Congress last month, citing detention facilities in Colorado, Kansas, and South Carolina as possible sites to hold the terrorist detainees. The resolution, introduced by Sen. Steve Daines (R., Mont.), expresses “the sense of Senate that individuals

Over a dozen GOP senators, including presidential candidates Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Ted Cruz(Texas), introduced a resolution Thursday to send detained Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters to Guantánamo Bay.  The resolution comes a day after the Pentagon said it captured an ISIS leader on the battlefield, sparking new questions about how to handle such prisoners. The commander of U.S. Special Operations Command Gen. Joseph Votel said on Tuesday there was a need to detain some terror suspects long-term, but where they would be held was under debate. The Republican senators say the military prison at Guantánamo, which President Obama is working

Montana has plenty of open roads, but some people don’t want to drive long distances. They’d prefer to fly or ride a train. Gordon Oelkers has been the mayor of Culbertson for 18 years. He has seen the town grow and he know it takes time. “It kind of goes in steps. You don’t nothing for six months then you get something going on,” Oelkers said. For last four years, Culbertson has been working on re-establishing an Amtrak stop that disappeared 40 years ago. And he’s optimistic he’ll succeed. “Some people say the oil boom is over and why are