Category: Op-ed

The Roaring Lion Fire, burning over 7,000 acres southwest of Hamilton, has already claimed one life and over 60 homes and structures. As fighters continue to battle the blaze, the destruction only underscores the importance of urgently passing forest reform legislation. Each summer that passes without comprehensive forest management reform is another summer when Mother Nature takes the matter into her own hands, filling our skies with the smoke of catastrophic wildfires. During a visit to the Roaring Lion Fire camp, I was able to visit with many of the men and women battling the fire and speak to them

Some in Washington may tell you that the dust is finally settling after over a decade of war. I would say those folks aren’t seeing the whole picture – and the 80 servicemembers from Montana’s 219th RED HORSE Squadron who recently returned from their deployment to the Middle East might, too. The threats facing our nation are growing – and with it, American servicemembers are more important than ever. Whether it’s engaging the enemy, constructing runways for bombers or manning a Missile Alert Facility in Great Falls – Montana servicemembers are protecting our nation daily. These servicemembers will one day

While it may be difficult to imagine given the destructive power they possess, nuclear weapons are a cornerstone of our national security. In fact, our possession of these weapons helps protect the United States and US allies around the world every single day by deterring our enemies. Regrettably, our nuclear capabilities are facing a readiness crisis and we must act to ensure the United States deterrent remains credible. Quite simply, it is imperative that we ensure our nuclear capabilities are rapidly deployable, flexible to meet varying scenarios, and able to penetrate sophisticated air defense systems. The land, air and sea legs of our

In Montana, the land is our livelihood and provides us our unique way of life. As a fifth-generation Montanan and avid sportsman, I know hunting, fishing and access to public lands is an important treasure for our families. As a kid I hunted in the Bridgers, backpacked in the Beartooths and fished the streams of southwest Montana with my grandfather and my dad — and still do with my own family. Just last week, I pushed through a bipartisan energy bill that modernizes our energy policies: Ensuring access to our public land, helping our local businesses, our mining industry and

Made-in-Montana energy means good Montana jobs that on average pay two to three times more than the state average. Montana’s ability to create more good-paying energy jobs is immense — in fact, our state leads the nation in coal deposits. We are the nation’s fifth-largest producer of hydropower, with 23 hydroelectric dams across our state, and fifth in wind energy potential. Montana is at the center stage of the national energy debate and provides the nation a template of a true all-of-the-above energy portfolio — we have coal, natural gas and oil, as well as renewables such as hydro, wind,

The University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER) just released a study that confirms what many of us feared – President Obama’s Clean Power Plan is a job killer poised to be the “most significant economic event to occur in Montana in more than 30 years.” The full impact of President Obama’s Environmental Protection Agency will be felt the hardest by those who can least afford it – Montana families and small business owners. Families will see a $500 million loss in annual income, and communities will go without $145 million per year in revenue that would

One out of every 10 Montanans is a veteran, which makes Montana home to more veterans per capita than almost any other state in the nation. It is one of my greatest honors to serve Montana’s veterans in Congress. Every one of these men and women have an incredible story to tell from their service – stories that are also part of our nation’s history and our heritage.  That’s why the Veteran’s History Project is so important. My team in Montana is helping to spread awareness of the American Folklife Center’s Veteran’s History Project across the state in a big

If Iran’s ultimate goal is to obtain a nuclear weapon, the deal reached by the Obama administration sets Iran on a course to do so.   From the time this deal is agreed to, Iran has ten years to fill their coffers with tens of billions of dollars from newly unsanctioned oil sales and pursue the research and development of nuclear capabilities.   As the world’s leader of state-sponsored terrorism, it will only be a matter of time before Iran achieves its ultimate goal: obtaining a nuclear weapon.   These are bipartisan concerns.   Top Democrat leaders from both the

Montana’s National Forests and public lands have been a treasured part of our state’s heritage for generations. Growing up in Bozeman, I spent weekends hunting in the Bridgers, backpacking in the Beartooths and fishing the rivers and streams of southwest Montana. Cindy and I were engaged on a 10,000-foot summit in the Gallatin National Forest. The love of the outdoors is a tradition that I, like many Montanans, have been thankful to pass along to my kids. While Montanans recognize the importance of our public lands, memories alone won’t protect these precious resources for future generations. We must work together