Category: News Article

Daines cosponsors bill to repeal death tax

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R.Mont., has  announced that he is cosponsoring the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2019. The bill would fully repeal the federal estate tax, also known as “the death tax.” “The death tax hits Montana’s farming and ranch families the hardest and often results in the break-up of family farms,” Daines said. “Families who are dealing with the death of a loved one shouldn’t have to worry about what is going to happen to their land. I’m glad that were able to double the death tax exemption in the last Congress. Now it’s time for full repeal.”

Slain deputy’s wife to be Daines’ guest at Trump speech

The wife of a Broadwater County deputy slain in the line of duty in 2017 will be Sen. Steve Daines’ guest at President Donald J. Trump’s State of the Union address. Jodi Moore, wife of Broadwater County Deputy Sheriff Mason Moore, will join Daines Feb. 5.  Deputy Mason Moore was shot and killed while on duty in May 2017. He left behind three children and his wife.  “No spouse should ever have to go through the pain she and her family did when Mason was tragically killed. And because of that, she has been a tireless advocate for Montana’s first

Daines requests field hearing in Montana over growing MMIW movement

Sen. Steve Daines is requesting a field hearing in Montana to explore the growing issue of missing and murdered indigenous people.  The Republican from Montana wrote to the chairman and vice chairman of the Committee on Indian Affairs Tuesday asking for the meeting.  He noted that May 5th is marked as a national day of awareness to shed light on the number of native women who go missing or are murdered.  His letter lists several women by name who have made headlines for years in Montana. Cases like Henny Scott who was found dead on December 28 near Lodge Grass,

Daines bill would block conservation easement abuse

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican, has teamed up with Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat, to block a loophole abusing the conservation easement tax benefit. The pair reintroduced the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act of 2019 on Thursday. It would limit tax deductions on conservation easements to 2.5 times the owners original cost for the property. An Internal Revenue Service report to Congress noted that abuses of the benefit totaled $20 billion between 2010 and 2016, with some owners claiming 20 times their original purchase price on the easement deduction. “The conservation easement tax incentive is meant to

Day in the life in Washington, D.C., with Sen. Steve Daines

WASHINGTON — As Wednesday rounds out the 26th day of the government shutdown, it continued to dominate conversations in Washington, D.C., including ours with Republican Sen. Steve Daines. We had a bright and early start when we shadowed him Wednesday, just as we did with Sen. Jon Tester Tuesday. He took us on a personal tour of the Capitol building and even to the Senate floor, where no cameras are allowed. From there, the Montana Coffee, where Daines was joined by Tester and Rep. Greg Gianforte, a one-stop delegation event held every Wednesday for Montana constituents. “It’s a unique Montana

Sen. Steve Daines Introduces Bill Withholding Pay From Congressmen During Government Shutdowns, Others Join

Republican Montana Sen. Steve Daines introduced a bill on the Senate floor Thursday that would withhold the pay of members of Congress during future government shutdowns. Daines’ introduction of the bill, sponsored by Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn, comes hours after Daines announced he sent a letter requesting the secretary of the U.S. Senate withhold his pay during the ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government. “Members of Congress are sent to Washington, D.C., to represent the great people of their state and keep the federal government open, working, and funded. So it’s simple. If they can’t do that, they

Montana’s Sen. Steve Daines lands rare committee appointments, political clout

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines will do something no senator has done in 75 years: serve on both the Senate Finance and Appropriations committees, a move expected to give Montana unusual clout and gird Daines for the 2020 elections. The assignment gives Montana a seat at the table on the committee responsible for prescription drug prices, Medicaid, Medicare, taxes and trade. It also puts Daines on two of the Senate’s most powerful “juice committees,” which boost a lawmaker’s ability to leverage campaign funds. By being on the two committees, Daines will have a first vote on every federal dollar raised and

Park Service Plan Would Fund Maintenance During Government Shutdown

An unprecedented move by the National Park Service could free up millions of dollars for staffing and cleaning-up trash and restrooms at Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks during the partial federal government shutdown. Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt says many of the burdens facing the two iconic parks in Montana as a result of the shutdown should be addressed within the coming days. The agency says it will tap into the entrance fees park visitors pay to cover staffing during the shutdown. On Saturday Republican Senator Steve Daines wrote Burnhardt requesting to restart lapsed work in national parks, including the

Interior Department approves emergency aid for cleaning national parks in Montana

The National Park Service, faced with overflowing garbage and toilets as the government shutdown enters its third week, plans to tap entrance fees to pay for expanded operations at its most popular sites, the Washington Post reported Sunday. The move came as Sen. Steve Daines urged the Park Service to find a way to ease pressure on communities surrounding the parks, which have pitched in with volunteers at popular places like Yellowstone National Park. Daines wrote acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Saturday, advising him to allow some federal spending to supplement volunteer maintenance efforts. President Donald Trump shut down

President signs Farm Bill

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., released the following statement after President Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill on Thursday. Daines secured critical priorities for Montana farmers and ranchers and strong forestry provisions to help prevent catastrophic wildfire.   “As Montana’s lone voice on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, I fought hard to ensure Montana ag priorities and forest management reforms were included in the 2018 Farm Bill,” Daines said. “I’m pleased President Trump signed this critical bill into law today — which will give certainty to Montana farmers and ranchers, and help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.” The 2018