Daines Announces over $1 Million in Funding for Bighorn, Lincoln, Yellowstone County Health Centers
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced $1,050,000 in funding for community health centers in Bighorn, Lincoln and Yellowstone Counties to provide improved access to quality healthcare services. “This grant gives community health centers in Montana resources they need to better serve Montanans and provide quality care in our communities,” Daines stated. Grants awarded today include: Bighorn County – Bighorn Valley Health Center (Hardin): $350,000 Lincoln County –Northwest Community Health Center (Libby): $350,000 Yellowstone County – RiverStone Health Center (Billings): $350,000 ###
Daines Secures Much-Needed Reform to Address Failures in America’s Justice System
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today secured provisions to improve access to broadband on tribal lands, increase transparency and reform America’s judicial system. “When our courts are overburdened and overworked, Americans are left underserved and waiting too long for justice. I’m pleased that my colleagues are taking this important step to modernize the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, ” Daines stated. “I’m also proud to secure numerous reforms that work to increase transparency, improve broadband on tribal lands and ensure Americans’ have the access to justice they deserve. ” Daines joined the Senate Appropriations Committee today in approving the FY2017 Financial
Daines Strengthens Access to Public Lands, Stops Obama’s Regulatory Overreach
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today secured many important resources for Montana to fully fund wildfire suppression, prohibit President Obama’s overreaching Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, promote responsible public lands policies and honors Indian trust responsibilities. The Senate Committee on Appropriations today passed the bipartisan FY2017 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill which funds the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. Forest Service, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and other agencies. “As a fifth generation Montanan and avid outdoorsman, I value Montana’s vast natural resources and our way of life –
Daines Secures Reinstatement of Royalty Policy Committee
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today secured passage of his amendment to help protect Montana coal jobs from the Obama administration’s recent moratorium on new federal coal leases and ensure that states and tribes have a significant voice in any changes to federal coal, oil, gas royalties or leasing policy. The Senate Committee on Appropriations today unanimously passed Daines’ amendment in the FY2017 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill which would reestablish the Royalty Policy Committee to ensure greater transparency in creating royalty and leasing policy for mineral production from federal and tribal lands. “Those most impacted by
Great Falls Tribune:Daines sets up hearing on coal program
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., will hold a public meeting Tuesday in Billings to ensure that the Department of Interior hears Montana voices regarding review of a federal coal program. The meeting is 11:45 a.m. at Montana State University – Billings, library room 148, 1500 University Drive, Billings. Montana cities are not among the locations selected by the DOI for public meetings on the new coal program, even though the state has more than one-fourth of the nation’s estimated recoverable coal reserves, Daines said. The DOI has public meetings planned during May and June in Casper, Wyo.; Grand Junction, Colo.;
The Hill: Senate panel approves net neutrality exemption bill for small providers
The Senate Commerce Committee on Wednesday approved a bill to exempt small internet service providers from rules included in sweeping net neutrality regulations approved last year. The legislation would exempt providers with 250,000 or fewer subscribers from transparency rules that are part of the regulations, which were approved by the Federal Communications Commission last February A version of the law passed the House without objection in March. More broadly, the rules are meant to protect net neutrality — the idea that all traffic on the web should be treated in the same way. The agency banned internet providers from blocking
Lawmakers split on gun control after Orlando mass shooting
Montana’s congressional delegation is split on whether gun control is needed after Sunday’s mass shooting in Orlando, Fla., the worst in U.S. history. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., told The Gazette it was past time to stop selling weapons to people on terrorist watch lists, as well as people who have been declared mentally ill by a court of law. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., disagreed, telling Senate colleagues the focus needed to be on radical Islam and ISIS, not the Second Amendment. It was the same focus Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., called for Sunday. Given that Sunday’s gunman, 29-year-old
Daines to Listen to Montanans, After Snubbed by Interior
On the same day, BLM is hosting an official meeting in Seattle, Washington with no plan to hear Montanans’ voices U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that he will hold a public meeting on June 21, 2016 in Billings, Montana to ensure that the Department of Interior (DOI) hears the voices that will be most impacted by their review of the federal coal program. While the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) claims that they are “particularly interested in gathering public input on the issues and policies that should be outlined in the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement” on June 21 they are holding
Daines’ Bill to Protect Small Businesses Passes Commerce Committee
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today applauded the overwhelming bipartisan passage of his legislation to protect Montana small businesses from burdensome regulations found in the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) 317-page “net neutrality” rules. The Small Business Broadband Deployment Act of 2015 passed the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee this morning. It extends a temporary exemption from the FCC’s new so-called “enhanced transparency requirements,” which would require internet service providers to disclose an excess of information about their network performance, some of which may require investing in new equipment and hiring an engineer. “Too many small businesses have suffered due