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U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement upon the completion of the Kalispell Bypass. “Downtown Kalispell is an economic engine for northwest Montana and the whole state,” Daines stated.  “This engine runs on our transportation network, allowing residents, visitors, freight and natural resources to traverse the state.  It’s great to see infrastructure growing in Kalispell.  This bypass may only add seven miles of road, but it will increase safety downtown and generate efficiency gains impacting the region.  Not only will it enable downtown Kalispell to further flourish, it will support the local and regional economy that relies on moving

U.S. CONGRESS —U.S. Senator Steve Daines and U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke today worked to ensure equitable healthcare delivery for rural Montanans.  In a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt, Daines and Zinke seek to clarify why certain Montana zip codes are not designate as rural for ground ambulances despite meeting qualifications and having rural designations for most other Medicare programs.  There are currently 16 zip codes throughout Montana, which meet criteria, but have not been designated as rural for purposes of ground ambulance reimbursement.  “With lower population density and increased travel times, it is

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester today stood up for Montanans’ right to privacy and pressed Attorney General Loretta Lynch to provide Congress with more information about a proposed expansion of government hacking and surveillance powers. In the letter to AG Lynch, Daines and Tester ask for more information about how the government would use the new hacking authority, formally known as amendments to Rule 41 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Unless Congress acts, these new amendments are scheduled to go into effect on December 1. “We are concerned about the full scope of the new

(U.S. Senate)—Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines are pushing the Obama Administration to take steps forward and update the ICBM fleet at Malmstrom Air Force Base.  In a letter to President Obama, Montana’s Senators reiterated their support for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, which is scheduled to replace the Minuteman III fleet and provide a next generation land component of the U.S. nuclear triad for decades to come.  Tester and Daines both agree that modernizing Malmstrom’s ICBM fleet is the best way to ensure that we are able to maintain a safe, reliable, and cost-effective deterrent that contributes to

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement after the Obama administration announced that premiums for Obamacare will increase by an average of 25 percent next year.  “Montanans are stuck with insurance rate hikes that are more than the jaw dropping 25 percent national average for next year,” Daines stated. “Obamacare isn’t affordable and needs to be replaced with state-driven solutions that puts patients at the center of the healthcare equation.”  Average increases for Montana’s top three insurance providers range from 27 to 58 percent, with the highest increase for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana policies. ###

Moratorium on litigation related to U.S. – Canada softwood lumber trade lapsed at midnight, October 12, 2016  U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today joined 26 Senators in urging President Obama to prioritize ongoing negotiations to obtain a new softwood lumber trade agreement with Canada.   In a letter to President Obama, Daines underscored the need to reach a new deal to prioritize American jobs and help forested counties.  “We are disappointed that Canada appears reluctant to follow through on this commitment which has significantly undermined USTR’s efforts to reach a final agreement,” Daines wrote. “We urge you to encourage Canada to fulfill Prime