Tester, Daines announce $13M grant to ‘kickstart’ Mullan area infrastructure project
Missoula County and its partners will receive roughly $13 million to launch the first phase of a major infrastructure project west of Reserve Street, Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester announced on Wednesday. Daines said the funding will kickstart the project, which looks to lay the groundwork for current and future development between Mullan Road and West Broadway. “This funding is a big first step for the Missoula BUILD grant project and the community,” Daines said in a statement issued with Wednesday morning’s announcement. “This project is important for infrastructure in Missoula as it helps in continuing to develop the city, as well
Daines Urges Key Interior Department Positions to be Filled
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines wrote a letter to President Donald J. Trump urging him to fill key leadership positions at the Department of the Interior by individuals with strong western values. “President Trump your Administration has made great steps to increase public access of public lands, conserve and protect species and responsibly develop our natural resources,” Daines wrote. “To ensure that the Department of the Interior continues to protect and enhance public access to public lands, increase revenue to the treasury and support American jobs, I urge you to nominate qualified individuals who have strong western values to
A fully funded LWCF good for Montana
Montana Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines are applauded for introducing legislation to make permanent full funding for the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. Now Rep. Greg Gianforte needs to get on board. When the state’s delegation speaks with unanimity, it wields much more influence in the halls of Congress. Democrat Tester and Republican Daines introduced a measure recently that would allocate $900 million – the maximum – every year for the LCWF. The fund is fed by royalties paid on offshore drilling and it helps pay for a variety of outdoor amenities – from city parks to fishing
Daines Honors Montanan of the Week: Dottie Wilson of Hill County
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines recognized Dottie Wilson of Hill County for her tremendous impact on the state of Montana. 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: Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, this
Daines, Klobuchar to Commerce Committee: Act on Bipartisan Stop Online Booking Scams Bill
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Amy Klobuchar sent a bipartisan letter to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation urging him to act and include their bipartisan bill, the Stop Online Booking Scams Act of 2019, in the Committee’s next Executive Session. “With the rise of online bookings has come an increase in online booking scams. Fraudulent websites give the appearance of being connected to a hotel, but actually have no relationship with them,” Daines and Klobuchar wrote. “We believe that the Stop Online Booking Scams Act is a balanced, narrow and needed solution
Daines Continues Fight for LWCF Funding
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines secured and advanced a $30 million increase in funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) out of the U.S. Senate, which would bring the fund to $465 million. “LWCF is a critical tool that helps increase public access to public lands and preserve our Montana way of life,” Daines said. “While I am glad to see a $30 million dollar increase in funding for LWCF advance through the U.S. Senate, I remain committed and will not stop fighting until we get full funding.” The last time LWCF funding was at $465 million
Daines Secures, Advances Major Montana Priorities Out of U.S. Senate
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today voted to advance four appropriations bills out of the U.S. Senate supporting major Montana priorities including the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), law enforcement and meth prevention, wildfire prevention, Montana agriculture, addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis, superfund cleanup and more. “This is about securing funding for critical priorities that are important to our Montana way of life,” Daines said. “I am honored to bring the issues that Montanans care about most to the center of the appropriations negotiations.” As a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, Daines
Fight moves to funding on Land and Water Conservation Fund
With the backing of Montana’s Congressional delegation, the Land and Water Conservation Fund saw permanent reauthorization earlier this year – a significant victory for conservation groups and lawmakers who spent years advocating for the program. Now the funder of major public access projects to municipal parks is in the midst of another debate: How much money it will receive this year and into the future? LWCF uses a portion of offshore oil and gas royalties to fund a variety of conservation and recreation projects across the country. While the program may be most recognized for federal land purchases, state grants go to
Daines criticizes Montana for Medicaid fraud
Sen. Steve Daines criticized the state of Montana on Wednesday during a Senate subcommittee hearing, saying its policies on Medicaid has made it more at risk to abuse and fraud compared to other states. He made his comments after noting the U.S. government improperly spent $36 billion in Fiscal Year 2018. “The sad reality is that for every dollar that is lost to waste, fraud and abuse means a lost investment in improving the health and well-being of vulnerable Montanans,” the Montana Republican said. He noted a 2018 report from the Montana Legislative Audit Division that he said found Montana