Category: Press Release

BOZEMAN, Mont. — This week, U.S. Senator Steve Daines traveled 648 miles across Eastern Montana with stops in Malta, Glasgow, Scobey, Westby, Plentywood, Culbertson, Sidney, Glendive, Wibaux, Baker, Ekalaka, Broadus and Ashland. Malta: Daines discussed critical issues facing Phillips County in Malta at breakfast with the Rotary Club and local elected officials at the Great Northern. During the breakfast, the conversation focused on developing Montana’s vast natural resources and the good-paying jobs it supports, ensuring Montanans voices are heard in any future national monument designations and the development of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Glasgow: Daines spoke with local leaders, business owners, farmers and

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester today urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to approve T-Mobile’s waiver application to allow them to expand broadband access in rural Montana. In a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, Daines and Tester underscored the importance of ensuring that underserved, rural areas have access to broadband and that T-Mobile has a proven track record building facilities to serve this part of the country.  This transaction will provide wireless competition in the state and will enable T-Mobile to provide 4G LTE service to unserved areas covering over 1 million people in Montana

SIDNEY, Mont. — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today held a roundtable discussion to discuss law enforcement needs, coordination and approaches to combating the continuing criminal activity in the Bakken region, as well as the need for the temporary Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent presence in Sidney to be made permanent.  During the roundtable, Daines presented John Dynneson, Richland County Sheriff with a letter he sent today to FBI Director James Comey requesting a meeting to discuss the need to maintain a permanent FBI presence in Sidney.   “I heard loud and clear the need to maintain the FBI presence in Sidney to protect

SIDNEY, Mont. — U.S. Senator Steve Daines and U.S. Representive Ryan Zinke today announced that they have introduced legislation to encourage carbon sequestration. The CO2 Regulatory Certainty Act of 2016 aligns tax guidelines with existing federal regulations to ensure taxpayers are better able to utilize the Section 45Q carbon sequestration tax credit. By accelerating work on carbon sequestration projects, this bill is helping to provide one of the energy technologies needed to utilize America’s abundant coal resources. Currently, project developers can claim credit for CO2 sequestration, however, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance does not reflect differences between the two existing sequestration methods, permanent or geological

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today called on on Energy Bill Conferees to accelerate forest management reforms and fix wildfire funding. Daines and Feinstein penned a letter to the leadership of the conference committee for S.2012, the Energy Policy Modernization Act.  “As cosponsors of the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, we urge you to include reforms in the final energy bill to enable the Forest Service to pay for fighting extraordinary wildfires similarly to how other agencies pay for disaster responses – through funding that is unconstrained by stringent spending caps,” Daines and Feinstein wrote. “We also recognize that

BOZEMAN, Mont. — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced $138,878 in funding to maintain the safety of emergency personnel and the public when responding to hazardous materials related emergencies. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA) grant will train emergency responders to respond to pipeline, rail and other surface accidents that cause a release of hazardous materials.  This was authorized by the FAST Act. Further, safe transportation of Montana’s energy resources is critically important to Daines. Daines’ PIPES Act that was signed into law on June 22, 2016, authorized the Pipeline Safety programs of PHMSA.   “In addition to needing a safe, secure and efficient pipeline infrastructure we

BOZEMAN, Mont. — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today recognized Alan Charles of Miles City for his tireless work at Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Alan served in the agency’s Helena office for the last twenty years, helping maintain Montanans’ access to quality hunting grounds: an integral part of our way of life.   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

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced $198,506.00 in funding for Fort Peck Community College to help train new farmers and ranchers and building on their existing curriculum, especially tailoring it to the Fort Peck community.  “Our ag industry is of critical importance to our state, and our farmers play a key role in feeding not only Montana, but the world,” Daines stated.  “It’s important that we support the next generation of Montana farmers and ranchers and I’m glad to see the Fort Peck community have the opportunity to utilize these resources.”  Haven Gourneau, President, Fort Peck Community College: “Fort Peck Community College

BOZEMAN, Mont. — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced legislation to better the way entrepreneurs raise funds through crowdfunding, a way that prevents expensive regulatory red tape from keeping startups from getting off the ground. Crowdfunding is the basic idea of raising money by relatively small contributions from a large number of people – combining the best of microfinance and crowdsourcing.  The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a rule last October to give entrepreneurs an important tool in their belt to get their dreams up and running. As a result, the crowdfunding rule allows entrepreneurs to raise up to $1

Proposed Regulations Would Have Severe Chilling Effect on Family Farms and Businesses  BOZEMAN, Mont. — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today wrote to Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew encouraging the Treasury Department to abandon proposed regulations that would significantly increase the estate tax burden on family farms and businesses. The proposed regulations, if finalized, would contradict long-standing legal precedent and greatly discourage families from continuing to operate and grow their farms and businesses for eventual transfer to future generations.  “Treasury should pursue policies that encourage the creation and growth of family businesses and not propose regulatory changes that make it more difficult and