Category: News Article

As details about a fourth round of the federal COVID-19 relief spending surface in the Senate, Montana lawmakers are putting forth what they would like to see in the bill. U.S. Sens. Steve Daines, a Republican, and Democrat Jon Tester are focused on several proposals ranging from a replacement for the Paycheck Protection Program to getting relief to local governments. Time is expiring on key programs created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act passed by Congress in late March. Better known as the CARES Act, the March bill was a $2 trillion response to a pandemic, which

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler visited with Kalispell city officials and EPA Region 8 Administrator Gregory Sopkin on June 24 to tour several Brownfields sites, which are now part of the Kalispell Core and Rail Redevelopment project. The project, which has paved the way for the Glacier Rail Park and the future Parkline Trail in downtown Kalispell, is a result of a Brownfields Area-Wide Planning grant in combination with a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant and public and private funds. The Rail Park, former CHS Country Store, CHS Agronomy Center and

MISSOULA — The Missoula Urban Transit District will receive nearly $6 million in funding to help cover software upgrades to keep buses running on schedule and to increase messaging for Paratransit services. The funding was announced on Wednesday by U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and followed Thursday by Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines, who called public transit a key piece of the nation’s transportation infrastructure. “These funds are a critical investment that will help hard hit workers and state agencies keep the wolf away from the door and make sure infrastructure in rural America is not cast aside during

KALISPELL — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler joined Montana Sen. Steve Daines on Friday for a tour of Brownfields grant sites in Kalispell. “This is an example of how we work together with our communities and the EPA to restore, reclaim and redevelop lands that previously weren’t able to be used for anything that’s economically viable,” said Sen. Daines. Administrator Wheeler and Senator Daines toured the Glacier Rail Park, the CHS-Agronomy Center and SunRift Brewery and Restaurant. The EPA’s Brownfields Program provides direct funding for assessment, cleanup, environmental job training and more. Since 2010, Kalispell has received more

Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler were in Kalispell Friday visiting multiple brownfields sites. Brownfield land is any previously developed land that may potentially be contaminated or land that was previously used for industrial or commercial purposes with suspected pollution due to hazardous waste. The tour included Glacier Rail Park, the former CHS Country Store, the CHS Agronomy Center and finished at the SunRift Beer Company in downtown. According to a press release, The EPA’s Brownfields Program provides direct funding for brownfields assessment, cleanup, revolving loans, environmental job training, technical assistance, training and research. “What

Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines July 22 reiterated the federal government’s intention to deliver a COVID-19 vaccine within the calendar year during a roundtable with a U.S. Food and Drug Administration official and nearly a dozen hospital and public health experts across the Treasure State. Daines struck an urgent tone while discussing progress on domestic vaccine production. “Because as you know, every day matters. We’re seeing hospitalizations spike, COVID-19 positive tests. Time is of the essence,” he said. The roundtable followed Wednesday’s announcement that the Trump administration plans to buy 100 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by

HELENA- A bill that includes a number of important provisions that will strengthen military bases across the U.S. passed the Senate Thursday, July 23. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) will expand services for servicemembers, veterans and military families and includes investments into Malmstrom Air Force Base and the Montana Air National Guard. The 2021 NDAA sets funding levels and policies for the Department of Defense, and in addition to providing a 3.1 present pay raise to service members, the bill will also provide hazard pay and 180 days of medical care for National Guard and Reserve Servicemembers deployed to

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) on Tuesday unveiled legislation to promote workforce recovery through the provision of additional training services and workforce investment activities via $3.5 billion in funding for fiscal years 2020 through 2022. “As our nation continues to respond to the impacts of COVID-19, we must ensure our workers have the support they need to get back to work,” Sen. Daines said. “My bill will boost our economic recovery by connecting unemployed Montanans with local career training programs that can help them find a new job.” Sen. Daines sponsored the Workforce Recovery and Training Services Act of 2020,

Congress has finally approved a permanent source of money for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) after years of struggle. The US House gave approval on Wednesday to the Great American Outdoors Act, which provides a permanent allocation to cover a variety of recreation projects, from building fishing access sites to paying for trails and campground improvements. The vote comes a month after the US Senate gave it’s approval to the Act, which saw Montana Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester help to build bi-partisan support for the sweeping legislation. Both have called the Act a measure steps forward

The U.S. House made a significant investment in public lands on Wednesday by passing the Great American Outdoors Act. The bill is now headed to President Donald Trump who has said he will sign it into law. Trump tweeted his support for the act on Wednesday and thanked Montana Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican up for reelection, for his work on the bill. The Great American Outdoors Act provides $9.5 billion for the maintenance backlog on public lands and sets aside $900 million annually for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Rep. Greg Gianforte, a Republican running for governor, voted