Category: Press Release

U.S. CONGRESS — U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Jon Tester (D-MT) and U.S. Representatives Mike Simpson (R-ID) and Collin Peterson (D-MN) today underscored the urgency in reversing the ruling of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cottonwood Environmental Law Center v. U.S. Forest Service by introducing bipartisan bicameral legislation to do just that.  The bill seeks to codify the position taken by the Obama administration that federal agencies are not required to consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service at a programmatic level when new critical habitat is designated or a new species is listed.  “We need to take action

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today questioned newly sworn-in Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke during a hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. “This is an historic moment for Montana,” Daines stated. “We have before us the first Montanan to ever serve in a President’s cabinet, a Montana tribal chairman testifying on the witness panel, and both of Montana’s senators up on the dais. Now, with Secretary Zinke leading the Department of the Interior, we can truly say: It’s a new day for Indian Country. It’s a new day for tribal sovereignty. And it’s a

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today congratulated Adam Barrie, a senior at Billings West High School on receiving an offer of appointment from the U.S. Air Force Academy, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Daines called Barrie earlier today to congratulate him on his appointment. Barrie has been a varsity cross country runner and track distance runner since his freshman year and is the captain of his cross-country team. He is the senior class president, president of the Key Club and volunteers weekly at the Billings Clinic. “Adam is an outstanding Montana student who has shown a clear passion for service

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today applauded the U.S. Senate passage of a resolution to undo an Obama administration rule that fundamentally changed the land planning process. The rule shifted the planning and decision-making away from those closest to the land, away from Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regional and field offices, and back to BLM headquarters in Washington, D.C. Click HERE to watch Daines’ remarks. Click HERE to download Daines’ floor remarks. “For too long, the Obama administration ignored the commonsense of those who manage the land and our natural resources,” Daines stated. “Now, is the time for

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester today introduced bipartisan legislation that would support Montana’s timber industry, create jobs, and help accelerate research and development of tall wood buildings in the United States.   The Timber Innovation Act will focus on finding innovative ways to use wood in the construction of buildings above 85 feet in height or roughly seven or more stories.   “In Montana, we have an abundance of trees, and through innovative technology we can create new uses and applications for Montana’s natural resources,” Daines stated. “By incentivizing the use of wood in building materials, we

(U.S. Senate) – Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines today congratulated Billings High School student Simon Petsch on his appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy. Tester and Daines nominated Petsch last year. Petsch is a member of the varsity cross-country and track and field teams. The cross-country team named him the Most Valuable Runner in 2016. Petsch is a Student Leader in his youth group and received the President’s Education Award for academic excellence. “Simon has proven to be an exceptional student and athlete who will no doubt do Montana proud,” Tester said. “The Naval Academy will be lucky to

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today urged U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives leadership to protect the residents of Libby by preserving provisions to treat those affected by asbestos. In 2009, Libby was declared a Public Health Emergency after linking years of asbestos exposure to the now closed W.R. Grace & Co. mine.   Daines’ letter is available to download HERE and below.  Dear Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell: Thank you for your leadership in developing legislation to repeal the core elements of Obamacare and replace that disastrous law with reforms that reduce health costs, provide access to affordable

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement:  “The safety and security of Americans must and should be our number one priority. Until we can secure our borders, we need to take the necessary precautions, including slowing down the refugee program. We are at war with radical Islamic extremism and we must protect our citizens from terrorists.” The President’s executive order includes Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.  Iraq has since been removed since they will “increase cooperation with the US government on the vetting of its citizens applying for a visa to travel to the United

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today recognized Ty Lantis, a distinguished Montana craftsman with deep roots along the Yellowstone Valley.    Daines’ recognition in the Congressional Record is available here.  Through his “Montanan of the Week” initiative, Daines each week will highlight a Montanan by submitting a statement of recognition in the official Congressional Record, the document that reflects the official proceedings of Congress. Daines welcomes anyone to nominate fellow Montanans for Daines’ “Montanan of the Week” program by calling Daines’ office at 202-224-2651 or by filling out the contact form on Daines’ website: http://www.daines.senate.gov/connect/email-steve The following is the statement submitted to the

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today wrote to the General Services Administration (GSA) highlighting the clear deficiency in GSA’s operations regarding foreign-owned buildings.  In a letter to GSA Acting Administrator Timothy Horne, the Senators expressed concern with GSA’s practice of leasing high-security space from foreign owners and the cybersecurity risks created by conducting high-security operations in foreign-owned buildings. Daines also requested a response by March 31, 2017 as to how GSA will address these issues. “Federal agencies are among the top targets for cyber criminals, with many agencies experiencing thousands of attempted attacks daily,” Daines and