Daines Announces $25 Billion in Funding for Safety-Net Hospitals, Assisted Living Facilities, Providers of Home and Community-Based Services
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), is distributing additional relief funds to assist our most vulnerable Montanans. Specifically, HHS will distribute approximately $15 billion to eligible providers that participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs and have not received a payment from the Provider Relief Fund General Allocation. HHS is also distributing $10 billion in Provider Relief Funds for safety net hospitals. “I’m glad to have helped secure these funds which are critical for our providers serving our most vulnerable
Parks, LWCF package on the move
PUBLIC LANDS PACKAGE ON THE MOVE: The Senate can formally begin debate over a massive public lands package, H.R. 1957 (116), after the measure cleared a key procedural hurdle Monday evening, 80-17. The bill, championed by Sens. Cory Gardner, Steve Daines and Joe Manchin, would permanently provide hundreds of millions of dollars annually for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and billions for the nation to repair its crumbling public lands. Amendment suspense: Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hasn’t revealed whether the chamber will consider amendments to the package, even as backers ask for a clean up-or-down vote. But he praised the bill in floor remarks Monday. “This bill has unusually broad,
Daines working to protect Montana’s public lands
If there’s one thing that unites Montanans, it’s our two iconic national parks, countless public lands, recreational sites and historical landmarks. It’s our duty to protect our state’s natural beauty. In Montana and all over the country, our national parks have fallen into disrepair. The National Parks Service has a deferred maintenance backlog of almost $12 billion, and in Montana specifically, has a backlog of more than $325 million. When our parks suffer, our environment does too. As of 2019, Glacier National Park alone brings in $484 million in local economic benefits, and Yellowstone keeps towns like Cooke City and
Montana senators push for LWCF, national parks’ funding bill
Montana’s two U.S. Senators were among lawmakers who took to the floor of the U.S. Capitol Tuesday to urge passage of a bill to fully and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund and to partially fund maintenance backlogs at national parks and other federal lands. On Monday the Senate voted 80-17 to proceed with consideration of the Great American Outdoors Act. The bill, which has 59 co-sponsors, would fund LWCF at $900 million annually and remove it from the annual appropriation debate which has consistently seen if fund far below that number since enacted in the 1960s. The
Daines Honors Montanan of the Week: Layla Eichler of Jefferson County
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines recognized Layla Eichler of Jefferson County for her passion for helping others build better lives. 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: HERE. The following is a statement submitted to the Congressional Record: TRIBUTE TO LAYLA EICHLER Mr.
Daines Advances the Bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act in the Senate
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today secured a successful vote to advance his bipartisan bill, the “Great American Outdoors Act,” in the U.S. Senate. This is the first procedural vote needed to get the legislation passed out of the Senate. The bipartisan bill provides full, mandatory funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and addresses the maintenance backlog facing the nation’s public lands and national parks. For a video statement from the Senator click, HERE. Ahead of the vote, Daines also spoke on the Senate floor to highlight this historic moment for conservation. To download Daines’ full remarks,
Justice Department looks at competition in beef industry
The U.S. Department of Justice wants information about cattle market competition from the four largest meat packers in the country. Last month President Trump, U.S. Senators, State Attorneys General and the U.S. Department of Agriculture asked for an investigation. The Justice Department issued subpoenas to the four largest meat packers concerning allegations of price fixing livestock markets, according to the office of Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont. Four companies control more than 80 percent of the processed beef market. A fire at the Tyson Beef plant in Holcomb, Kan. last August and more recently, COVID-19 have illustrated the concerns. “That revealed
Daines Urges Congress to Provide Additional Funding for Community Health Centers in Next COVID-19 Package
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today sent a bipartisan letter to Senate Leadership to provide additional funding for Community Health Centers in the next COVID-19 funding package. “We write to express our support for additional emergency funding for community health centers in the next COVID-19 relief package. Community health centers are vital to our response to the coronavirus pandemic and need appropriate funding to continue their front-line health care work,” wrote Daines. “Community health centers provide affordable care to more than 29 million patients, including 385,000 veterans and 8.7 million children nationwide. These centers play a critical role in responding to the
President Trump Signs Daines’ Bipartisan Bill for Greater PPP Flexibility to Support MT Small Businesses, Workers Into Law
U.S. SENATE – Today, President Trump signed Senator Daines’ bipartisan bill giving greater flexibility under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to support and provide more relief for Montana’s small businesses and workers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. “The Paycheck Protection Program has already been very effective in Montana, and now with President Trump signing my bipartisan bill increasing flexibility for small business owners and workers under the program, it’ll be even better,” Daines said. “Under the PPP program, Montana small businesses will now have greater access to relief they need to stay open, support our workers and protect jobs. I’m