Sidney Herald: Sidney ARS Wins a Round in the Senate
A successful haymaker has just been thrown in the funding fight for the Sidney ARS unit. The 2017 Ag Appropriations Bill is headed to the floor of the U.S. Senate for a vote with language that ensures the Northern Plains Research Lab in Sidney will remain fully staffed and operational. Senator Jon Tester, who is a member of the subcommittee that authored the bill, said the language should guarantee that the lab in Sidney can continue to research the impact of the wheat stem sawfly, which annually causes more than $250 million in crop damage every year across the nation,
Daines Announces over $400,000 for Rural Hospitals
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that Montana State University was awarded $428,617 for the Montana Office of Rural Health and Area Health Education Center to improve services at small rural hospitals in Montana – all but one are Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). “Ensuring rural hospitals have the tools and training they need will provide a better healthcare system and better care for all Montanans,” Daines stated. There are forty-eight rural hospitals in Montana which meet the requirements for participation in the Small Rural Hospital Improvement Grant Program (SHIP), forty-seven of which are CAHs. Montana is one of the
KPAX: Polson Hospital Picks Up Grant
Montana U.S. Senator Steve Daines has announced today a Polson hospital will be awarded nearly $100,000 to address healthcare needs in rural areas. The grant will be used by St. Joseph Hospital to engage a network of hospitals serving rural communities through development of a Western Montana Rural Nursing Collaborative (WMRNC). WMRNC hopes to expand, enhance and improve access to services in rural communities and allow patients to receive high-quality care closer to home. “This is a collaborative project and a made-in-Montana solution that supports our nurses, helps lower healthcare costs and maintains high-quality care for Montanans in rural communities across the
Daines Introduces Bill to Temporarily Stop Gitmo Transfers
Nearly Two Dozen Detainees Reportedly Set for Release This Summer U.S. SENATE –U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced legislation to temporarily ban the transfer or release of detainees from Guantanamo Bay. The administration reportedly is set to release nearly two dozen Gitmo detainees to several different countries this summer amid efforts to close the prison before the end of the president’s term. Daines’ bill, S. 2999 would prohibit these transfers until either the end of this year or enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2017. “Terrorists captured by U.S. forces belong in Guantanamo period,” Daines stated.“President Obama is prioritizing
Daines Prioritizes National Security and Secures Air Support for Nuclear Weapons
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today worked to bolster aviation security, cybersecurity and nuclear security. The Senate Committee on Appropriations today marked up and passed the Fiscal Year 2017 Defense Appropriations Bill and Fiscal Year 2017 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. “It’s unconscionable to imagine that our nuclear warheads do not have adequate air security,” Daines stated. “With my provisions and additional funding, we will have the needed air support for our nuclear weapons until the permanent solution of an expedited procurement is complete.” Daines secured the following provisions in the Defense Appropriations Bill: Upgrading UH-1Ns: $75 million in the bill for the Air
Indian Country Today: Coal Terminal Proponent ‘Looking At Options’ After Denial of Permit
The proponent of a rejected coal shipping terminal in Lummi Nation’s historical territory is “looking at all its options” and “will decide shortly how we plan to proceed,” the company’s vice president wrote in a letter to ICTMN. Bob Watters of SSA Marine said the Army Corps of Engineers’ denial of his company’s permit based on the project’s potential impacts to Lummi’s historical fishing areas is “a political decision rather than a regulatory decision.” Col. John Buck, commander of the Army Corps’ Seattle District, ruled on May 9 that the potential impacts of the coal shipping terminal to Lummi’s usual
Daines Announces over $99,000 for Polson Hospital
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that St. Joseph Hospital in Polson will receive $99,023 to address healthcare needs in rural areas. The grant will be used by St. Joseph Hospital to engage a network of hospitals serving rural communities through development of a Western Montana Rural Nursing Collaborative (WMRNC). WMRNC provides a unique partnership of hospitals that seek to expand, enhance and improve access to services in rural communities and allow patients to receive high-quality care closer to home. “This is a collaborative project and a made-in-Montana solution that supports our nurses, helps lower healthcare costs and
Daines Named ‘Hero of Main Street’
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that he has received the “Hero of Main Street” award from the National Retail Federation for his support of legislation critical to the retail industry. Daines is part of a bipartisan group honored for their support of a wide range of issues including international trade, infrastructure investment, tax reform and labor issues. “I’m proud to be recognized for my efforts supporting local Montana business owners that create good-paying jobs,” Daines stated. “Senator Daines has shown through his support that he cares about retailers big and small, and values the role these businesses play