Category: Press Release

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (Mont.) and Patrick Leahy (Vt) today introduced legislation to ensure that health insurance companies are held accountable for pricing drugs. The bill, the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act amends McCarran-Ferguson, which exempted insurance companies from federal antitrust laws. “For far too long, health insurance companies have gotten away with taking advantage of consumers and charging them outrageous prices for their health care,” Daines said. “It’s time we look into these companies practices by demanding transparency in order to hold them accountable.” “There’s simply no justification for exempting health insurance companies from laws prohibiting price fixing.  Applying our federal

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that he has been selected to serve on three subcommittees within the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. For the second consecutive Congress, Daines will serve as chair of the National Parks Subcommittee. “The Energy and Natural Resources Committee is important to Montana and oversees policies that directly impact the people of Montana,” Daines said. “I will continue to fight for greater access to our public lands, to address our National Parks maintenance backlog, to unlock our nation’s energy potential, and to implement commonsense forest management reforms. These issues are vital in protecting our

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today secured a vote on a landmark bipartisan public lands package, which includes permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act. The public lands package moves forward to the floor of the United States Senate just one day after Daines urged Senate Leadership to bring the package up for a vote. “I’m pleased Senate Leadership is bringing this critical bill for Montana to the floor for a vote,” Daines said. “From permanent reauthorization of LWCF to the passage of the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, it’s

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines yesterday discussed the need to lower prescription drug costs for Montanans and for all Americans at the first official U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing this Congress. Download video HERE “The high cost of prescription drugs is an issue that folks back in Montana call me about frequently and write to me about a lot,” Daines said. “Mr. Chairman I look forward to working with you and Members of this Committee to make sure consumers can afford medications they depend on… I want to ensure that we protect access to critical medications and continue to support

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today applauded the announcement from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of new access standards for community care for veterans. The new standards were required under the VA Mission Act which Senator Daines cosponsored and President Trump signed into law into 2018.  “The VA Choice Program was riddled with mismanagement and bureaucracy. It simply did not work for Montana’s Veteran population, which is why I cosponsored the VA Mission Act,” Daines said. “I’m hopeful that, with these new access standards, veterans will have more certainty about what care they get closer to home and avoid administrative hassles. This should also

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today sent a letter to Senate Leadership to urge a vote on a landmark bipartisan public lands package, which includes permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Last Congress, Daines fought for several Montana conservation and lands priorities to be included in a legislative bipartisan public lands package. At the end of 2018, Daines secured commitment from Senate Leadership that the package would be brought to the floor of the Senate early in the 116th Congress.   “Notably, passage of S.47 would enact permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which will provide certainty to local

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today voted in the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs to advance a variety of priorities for Montana’s tribes, including the federal recognition of the Little Shell tribe, TLOA, and SURVIVE Act, the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians Restoration Act grants the Little Shell Tribe of the Chippewa federal recognition. Daines reintroduced the bill earlier this year. Quote below: “It’s long overdue that the Little Shell Tribe receives federal recognition. I’m pleased with this progress today and I’ll continue to push with my colleagues to finally get this done so the people of Little Shell

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today 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.” The Death