Daines Honors Montanan of the Week: Sanders County Sheriff Tom Rummel
GREAT FALLS, Mont. — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today recognized Sanders County Sheriff Tom Rummel. Thanks to Sheriff Rummel’s initiative and hard work, Montanans affected by the Copper King Fire have been kept safe and up to speed on the latest fire activity. Daines’ recognition in the Congressional Record is available here. 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
Billings Gazette: Zinke bill to end coal leasing ban, add community input, advances
A bill to overturn a temporary ban on federal coal leases — while also giving state and local governments a bigger say in leasing — was approved Thursday by the House Natural Resources Committee. Western lawmakers have been demanding for months that federal officials end the coal-leasing ban, which Department of Interior officials imposed last spring while they tried to determine whether the public is getting a fair royalty payment on federal coal. U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., authored the bill, which added a twist to the leasing ban debate by creating a royalty policy committee from which state, tribal and energy
Great Falls Tribune: Mont. Indian tribe closer to recognition by federal govt
WASHINGTON – A House panel approved legislation Thursday that would grant Montana’s Little Shell Tribe recognition by the federal government. The House Committee on Natural Resources voted 23-13 to approve legislation that includes the Little Shell federal recognition bill, bringing the tribe headquartered in Great Falls one step closer to receiving the designation it has spent more than 35 years trying to obtain. The Little Shell recognition was introduced by Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont. If the legislation is eventually signed into law, the Little Shell would become the last tribe in Montana to be federally recognized. Instead of being an
Montana Delegation Formally Requests Hearing to Name Peak in Alex Diekmann’s Honor
U.S. CONGRESS — U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester and U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke today worked to move their bill to honor the life of renowned Montana conservationist, Alex Diekmann by naming an unnamed peak in his memory through the legislative process. The delegation wrote to the leaders of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources urging them to hold a legislative hearing on their bill. “We respectfully request that S. 3192 and H.R. 5778, the Alex Diekmann Peak Designation Act of 2016, be included in a legislative hearing before your respective Committees
KLYQ: Hamilton’s Community Health Clinic Receives More Funds
The Bitterroot Valley’s Sapphire Community Health Clinic has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The funding was announced by U.S. Senator Steve Daines of Montana this week. The funding is part of over a million dollars awarded to 17 Montana community health centers. Other centers included facilities in Billings, Livingston, Chinook, Miles City, Shelby and Hardin. The Sapphire health center is at 303 North 3rd Street in Hamilton and has recently added mental health services. They also offer many medical services including: acute care for minor illnesses and injuries, urgent care, DOT
Great Falls Tribune: Shelby to get funds for Amtrak improvements
The Amtrak stop in Shelby will get $953,954 from the Federal Railroad Administration for safety improvements, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., announced Wednesday. This project will upgrade two pedestrian and motor vehicle crossings in Shelby, by extending the existing Amtrak platform and installing fencing, signage, two quadrant gates and a wayside horn advance warning systems. The project is located along Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway’s east-west mainline with 45 to 50 BNSF freight trains and two Amtrak trains — the Empire Builder — operating through Shelby. “Improving the safety and reliability of Montana’s rail network is critical to connecting people
Daines Announces $200,000 to Improve Healthcare in Lewistown
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced $200,000.00 in funding for Central Montana Medical Facilities, Inc. to improve healthcare services in Lewistown. “I want to congratulate Central Montana Medical Center on earning this funding for their delivery of quality healthcare,” Daines stated. “This funding will help them to continue to improve as one of the top Critical Access Hospitals not only in Montana, but the nation.” The Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement Grant Program provides three years of funding support to rural primary care providers for implementation of quality improvement activities. The program is administered by the Health Resources and
Daines Demands Obama Administration Stop Paying Ransoms
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today demanded that that the federal government stop paying ransoms, to enemy states or state sponsors of terror. Following reports of the Obama administration paying a $1.7 billion settlement to Iran shortly after Iran released unjustly detained US citizens, Daines helped introduce the No Ransom Payments Act. This legislation would prohibit any future settlement payments to Iran until it returns the ransom money it received and pays the American victims of Iranian terrorism what they are owed. Additionally, this legislation would impose sanctions on Iranians involved in the detention of US citizens and prohibits the President or U.S. officials from paying a
Daines Announces $953,954 for Amtrak Safety Improvement in Shelby
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced $953,954.00 in funding to make needed safety improvements at the Amtrak stop in Shelby. “Improving the safety and reliability of Montana’s rail network is critical to connecting people in our communities,” Daines stated. “Folks depend on public transportation and these funds will go a long way towards ensuring that Shelby is able to maintain their Amtrak stop.” Daines authored a letter of support for this critical project on June 9, 2016. The letter is available HERE. This project will upgrade two pedestrian and motor vehicle crossings in Shelby, by extending the existing Amtrak platform and installing