Daines, Tester Continue Fight for First Responders
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) reintroduced their bipartisan bill, the “Putting First Responders First Act,” to clarify the current tax code to ensure first responders do not have to pay taxes on injury-related compensation when hurt in the line of duty. Daines and Tester reintroduced the bill during National Police Week. “Montana’s first responders risk their lives every day while serving our communities,” Daines said. “The last thing our first responders should have to worry about is paying taxes or burdensome audits after suffering an injury in the line of duty. I will always Back the Blue and work to support the brave men
Montana’s senators reintroduce “Putting First Responders First Act”
HELENA, Mont. – Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) reintroduced a bill that looks to clarify the current tax code to ensure first responders do not have to pay taxes on injury-related compensation when hurt in the line of duty. According to a release, the “Putting First Responders First Act,” was inspired by the story of Ladd Paulson, a Billings police officer who is now retired. “In 2002, Mr. Paulson was hit by an impaired driver while he was conducting a routine traffic stop on his motorcycle,” the release says. “He survived the near-death experience, but was left
Daines Leads Senate Hearing on Mental Health, Addiction Challenges Facing Montana
U.S. SENATE — As the top Republican on the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee on Heath Care, Senator Steve Daines today led a hearing on improving mental health and addiction services in our communities, where he highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Montana. Click HERE to watch and download the Senator’s opening remarks. “May is Mental Health Awareness Month – an issue at the top of my mind and many others following a year of isolation for Montanans and Americans across the country,” Daines said. “Since the pandemic, lockdowns, economic hardships, and social isolation have only helped intensify what we already know – we need
Daines Presses Biden’s Trade Rep on Waiving Vaccine Patents, Trade Issues Impacting MT
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines challenged the United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai on President Biden’s proposal to waive vaccine patents and called on the Biden administration to re-engage with the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) for the benefit of Montana. To watch the exchange, click HERE. “China has long been a serial abuser of IP, and the China Phase One deal made progress in that space. Our focus needs to be on fully and aggressively enforcing that deal. We need to strengthen and enforce our IP protections, not weaken or waive them,” Daines said. “I am very concerned that the recent decision
Sen. Daines leads senate hearing on mental health, addiction challenges
U.S. SENATE – Senator Steve Daines led a hearing Wednesday on improving mental health and addiction services in our communities, where he highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Montana. May is Mental Health Awareness Month – an issue at the top of my mind and many others following a year of isolation for Montanans and Americans across the country,” Sen. Daines said. “Since the pandemic, lockdowns, economic hardships and social isolation have only helped intensify what we already know – we need mental health services in our communities, and we need to make it a priority. You can
Sen. Daines Urges Biden Administration to Withdraw Support for COVID-19 IP Waiver
Yesterday, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) wrote to President Joseph Biden to share his concerns regarding the Biden Administration’s support for waiving intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines and urge the President to reconsider his position on the proposed waiver. In his letter, Sen. Daines (at right) asserted that “[s]uspending World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations to protect IP on COVID-19 vaccines would not only fail to significantly speed up vaccine distribution to the rest of the world, but it would set a dangerous precedent on IP protection at the international level and undermine American innovation.” Sen. Daines also argued that the
Daines Helping Lead Effort in U.S. Senate to End Workforce Shortage
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines is leading efforts in the U.S. Senate to help incentivize getting Montanans back to work as the state continues to recover from the pandemic. Daines cosponsored the “Back to Work Bonus Act,” which would give currently unemployed workers who return to work a one-time payment similar to a hiring bonus, and he introduced the “Get Americans Back to Work Act,” which would end the federal unemployment pandemic enhancement payments. “Businesses across Montana and the country are struggling to find workers and some are even being forced to close,” Daines said. “We are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of this pandemic and Montanans can safely return to work. We need to be
Daines to Biden: Waiving COVID-19 Vaccine Patents, IP Protections Undermines American Innovation
U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines is calling on President Biden to protect American innovation and not give away COVID-19 vaccine patents and IP protections to foreign countries that were made possible because of American science and ingenuity. Daines’ request comes after the Biden administration announced its support for waiving IP protections for COVID-19 vaccines earlier this month. “Suspending World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations to protect IP on COVID-19 vaccines would not only fail to significantly speed up vaccine distribution to the rest of the world, but it would set a dangerous precedent on IP protection at the international level and undermine American innovation,” the letter states. “IP protections
GOP senator urges Biden to withdraw support for COVID vaccine patent waiver
GOP opposition is building to the Biden administration’s move to support waiving World Trade Organization patent protections for COVID-19 vaccines. Ahead of a Wednesday Senate Finance Committee hearing with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) sent a letter to Tai and President Biden, urging the administration to withdraw its support. “Waiving IP protections under this proposal runs counter to long standing American values and will not enable faster vaccination globally,” the senator wrote. He also expressed concern that countries like China and Russia would take the protected data and undermine the market for U.S. vaccine manufacturing. “Moreover,