Press Release Archives - Senator Steve Daines

Daines in Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee: We Need to Build Nuclear Energy in Montana

March 19, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke with Theodore Garrish, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the Department of Energy and Dr. John Wagner, Director at the Idaho National Lab, in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing. They discussed how Montana can play a role in the Trump administration’s plans to reinvigorate America’s nuclear capacity. Watch Daines’ opening remarks HERE. Daines’ opening remarks: Chairman Risch, thank you. And with your foreign relations hat on here and your nuclear hat for a moment, just to pile on that earlier conversation on microreactors, where this might all head. And as we

Daines on Fox Business: “We Should Not Allow Democrats to Use a Shutdown to Put Pain on the American People”

March 18, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke with Larry Kudlow on Fox Business to discuss Senator Markwayne Mullin’s hearing to be DHS Secretary and the effects of the DHS shutdown across the nation. Watch the full interview HERE. Daines on the DHS shutdown: It’s nuts, Larry. I call this “reindeer games” up here on Capitol Hill. This is now day 33. The Democrats decided to shut down DHS at a time when our nation needs those kind of resources on the front lines. Look what’s going on in TSA. I understand right now the Houston airport, three to four hour

Daines Urges Colleagues to Support His Bills Protecting Montana’s Water Security and Infrastructure

March 17, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing and urged his colleagues to support four of his bills: the “Lower Yellowstone River Native Fish Conservation Act,” the “Fort Peck Water System Reauthorization Act,” the “Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act,” and the “Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act.” Watch Daines’ opening remarks HERE. Daines’ opening remarks: Included in today’s agenda are four of my bills, including the Lower Yellowstone River Native Fish Conservation Act, the Fort Peck Water System Reauthorization Act, the Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act, as well as the Hydropower Licensing Transparency Act, with my colleague Senator

Daines, Hickenlooper Introduce Bill to Protect Water Access, Reauthorize CWMP

March 17, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) today introduced the “Cooperative Watershed Management Program Reauthorization Act.” The bill reauthorizes the Cooperative Watershed Management Program (CWMP) for four years, which will help address water management for Montana’s local communities and tribal lands. Representative Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06) introduced the companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives. “Reliable access to clean water is a basic necessity for Montanans. This bipartisan bill provides a common sense solution to water management needs by funding CWMP and will help ensure our communities are equipped to face drought, wildfires, or other natural disasters,”

Daines in Senate Indian Affairs Committee: Complete the Fort Belknap Water Settlement, Support Montana’s Hi-Line

March 12, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke with the Department of the Interior Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Scott Cameron in a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing. The two discussed the necessity of completing the Fort Belknap water rights settlement and supporting irrigation and infrastructure on the Milk River. Watch the full exchange HERE. Daines on the importance of the Fort Belknap water rights settlement: Daines: The Fort Belknap have waited over a century to settle their water rights. In fact, they are the original tribe that led to the Winters Doctrine. They completed their settlement negotiations decades ago and have been waiting

Daines, Sheehy, Zinke Send Letter Urging FAA to Include Bozeman Airport in New Pilot Program

March 10, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, as well as Representative Ryan Zinke (MT-01), today sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to express support for the inclusion of Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in the Federal Contract Tower to FAA tower transition program. “As you know, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 directs the FAA to establish the pilot program no later than 18 months after enactment and to prioritize contract towers that meet specific tower operations and passenger enplanement criteria. The Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, which

ICYMI: Daines Op-Ed in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle: “Thanks to President Trump, We’re Protecting Montana’s Mines”

March 10, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines penned an op-ed in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle about the Trump administration’s actions to protect Montana mining. Read it below. Sen. Steve Daines: Thanks to President Trump, we’re protecting Montana’s mines Bozeman Daily Chronicle March 6th, 2026 Montana’s mining industry is critically important to not only our state but the country. Hard rock mining for critical minerals like copper, platinum, palladium, and silver provides more than 18,000 good-paying jobs for Montanans, adds nearly $430 million to the state’s economy, and provides an essential tax base for our local communities. In addition, Montana’s coal mines employ

Daines Bill to Increase Access to Public Lands Passes Senate Committee

March 4, 2026

Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act One Step Closer to Becoming Law WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that his bill, the “Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act,” passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and is one step closer to becoming law. “As a lifelong sportsman, increasing access to Montana’s beautiful public lands is one of my top priorities. This bill is common sense: it unlocks land that’s overdue for release from restrictive Wilderness Study Area status to increase access for outdoor recreation, forest management, and wildfire mitigation. I am glad to see it pass committee and I’ll keep fighting to

Daines Joins Newsmax: “Trump is Giving the Iranian People a Chance for a Better, Brighter Future”

March 3, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today joined Newsmax to discuss “Operation Epic Fury.” Watch the full interview HERE. Daines on President Trump’s bold leadership: “These are the same critics that went after President Trump during his first administration when he took out Soleimani. President Trump has been decisive; he has moral clarity on the situation, not only in the Middle East, but around the world. Keep in mind what’s happened just in the last five days is remarkable. Forty-seven years of a reign of terror and tyranny in Iran, the greatest single destabilizing force in the Middle East and the

ICYMI: Daines Joins Interior Secretary Burgum and Congressman Zinke for Exclusive Interview on KBZK

March 2, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines joined Montana This Morning last Friday in an exclusive interview with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum alongside U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke to discuss the Stillwater Mine and Made-in-Montana energy. Watch the full interview HERE. Daines on Stillwater Mine visit: “We wrap up here this morning. The Secretary and the Congressman are going to head west to Butte. I’m heading east to Columbus. We’ve got a great story of a win by the Trump administration. What was happening is the Russians were dumping palladium in the country below market price. It forced the layoff

Category: Press Release