Daines, Tester, Zinke Introduce Legislation to Reverse Disastrous Court Ruling
U.S. CONGRESS —U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester and U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke 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 Obama administration’s position 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. “Congress needs to take urgent action to reverse the disastrous activist court ruling for the sake of
Daines Highlights Importance of Consolidated Tribal Land Ownership at Senate Hearing
U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today highlighted the importance of reducing divided land ownership on Indian reservations. During a hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Daines questioned two Montana tribal leaders testifying at the hearing, Chairman Floyd Azure of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes and Vice Chairman Terry Tatsey of the Blackfeet Tribe, on the value of the U.S. Department of the Interior Land Buy-Back Program to their communities and how they would want to see the program improved. “Montana is home to Indian reservations with some of the most divided ownership in the nation
Great Falls Tribune: CMR student nominated for military and naval academy
Max Sechena, a C.M. Russell High senior, was one of 25 Montana students nominated by Sen. Steve Daines for enrollment in a U.S. military academy. Sechena is applying for enrollment in both the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. “I wanted to find meaningful work, and I thought the military was the way to do that,” Sechena said. “You know that soldier phase that I think every little kid goes through? That never really ended for me.” Sechena’s nomination is just one step in the lengthy journey to enrollment. Through the
Flathead Beacon: With Unified Task Force, Montana Expedites Invasive Mussel Testing
Leaders of a statewide interagency strike team tasked with combatting the threat of invasive mussels announced Thursday they have expedited a five-month backlog of water samples and will have complete results by Dec. 19, while state lawmakers have voiced concern about the initial response. The Montana Mussel Incident Response Team was formed earlier this month in response to the recent discovery of mussel larvae in Tiber and Canyon Ferry reservoirs east of the Continental Divide, as well as in the Milk River near Malta and the Missouri River near York. Further analysis is underway to determine whether a full adult population
Helena Independent Record: Fort Harrison gets 2 of 5 stars in secret VA quality ratings
The VA Montana Healthcare System at Fort Harrison received two out of five stars on a secret rating system used by the Department of Veteran Affairs. USA Today obtained the rankings of 146 medical centers, which had previously been kept private for internal use, and published it on Dec. 7. Medical centers are rated each quarter, and USA Today’s data initially included the fourth quarter of 2015. Veteran Affairs subsequently released which medical centers received a one or five star rating in the quarter that ended on June 30, but excluded facilities rated two through four. Fort Harrison was not included
Daines Discusses Montana Transportation Priorities with Secretary of Transportation Nominee Elaine Chao
U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on President-elect Donald J. Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Elaine Chao. “Secretary Chao has the proven experience that the Department of Transportation needs to implement bold policies that reinvigorate our roads, bridges, railroads and pipelines,” Daines stated. “After speaking with Secretary Chao, I am excited to support her confirmation and look forward to working with her to empower states to create new construction and manufacturing jobs.” Daines and Chao discussed the importance of prioritizing rural America, specifically the need to ensure equity between urban and rural infrastructure development. They
Daines Meets Todd Ricketts, Looks Forward to Confirming Nomination
U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on Todd Ricketts, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s nominee for Deputy Secretary of Commerce following their meeting in his Washington, D.C. office. “Mr. Ricketts knows how to win and will get the job done at Commerce,” Daines stated. “I look forward to watching him bring his decades of proven business experience to the government to create more good-paying American jobs.” ###
Daines: Pruitt Will Support Coal Jobs
U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, President-elect Donald J. Trump’s nominee for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator: “I greatly appreciate the leadership Attorney General Pruitt has shown in suing to stop the EPA’s Clean Power Plan and look forward to watching him dismantle it piece by piece as EPA Administrator.” A University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research study found the Clean Power Plan would lead to the biggest economic disaster in Montana in 30 years—including the closure of the Colstrip plant, the reduction of over 7,000
Daines Secures Important Defense Priorities for Montana
U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today applauded the bipartisan agreement for final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA): “The NDAA provides critical support and security for our servicemembers in uniform to carry out their missions,” Daines stated. “It’s great to see Congress prioritize the needs of our servicemembers, while protecting the important role that Montana holds in our national defense.” The bill now heads to President Obama’s desk for his signature. Daines secured the following priorities for Montana: Cyber Command: Daines’ amendment to elevate U.S. Cyber Command to a Combatant Command was included in the NDAA. U.S. Cyber Command it is currently