In The News

Zhengzhou, China – A spokesperson for Senator Steve Daines says they are working with the Chinese government to free a University of Montana student who was detained in China earlier this week. Guthrie McLean is accused of assaulting a cab driver on June 10 in Zhengzhou, China.  Daines’ press secretary Katie Waldman says the senator is “Working at all levels of the Chinese Government to free McLean.” Waldman confirmed that the US Consulate in Wuhan will meet with McLean. She says that the US Embassy, Chinese Embassy and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs are all coordinating with police in Henan and Zhengzhou to expedite the

HELENA – Minutes before the Senate Republicans’ health-care bill went down in flames Monday night, Montana’s Republican U.S. senator, Steve Daines, dined at the White House with President Trump – but says they didn’t talk exclusively about health care. “There really wasn’t an agenda,” Daines told MTN News Tuesday morning. “It was a 90-minute strategy about, `How do we get more results in Washington, D.C’ – how do we get things accomplished?” The discussion included health care, tax reform, the federal debt ceiling and the nation’s $20 trillion federal debt, he said. Daines said he has one idea on how

It’s a museum of national scope geared to start telling a very national story — the history of the United States Forest Service. On Thursday it opens to the public right here in River City, or rather 6.5 miles outside of it. The National Museum of Forest Service History will hail the opening of its new visitor center and interpretive trail a mile west of the Missoula International Airport with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. There’ll be cake and coffee, the mayor, and representatives from the offices of Gov. Steve Bullock and U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines.

HELENA – As U.S. Senate Republicans’ latest plan to repeal and replace “Obamacare” crashed and burned, two of the state’s top GOP officeholders said Tuesday they support a straight repeal of the health-care law – with a delayed effective date. Both U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and state Auditor Matt Rosendale, whose office regulates insurance, told MTN News that the Affordable Care Act should simply be repealed, without a replacement. The repeal can be delayed for two years while Congress works on a replacement, they said. “I think ultimately we have got to have (health) insurance regulation turned back over to

A new amendment aims to lift the current gag order that prevents VA doctors from discussing medical cannabis with their patients.  Whether U.S. military veterans should have access to medical cannabis is up for debate again—for the treatment of pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more.  Last Thursday (July 13), the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 24-7 to adopt an amendment in a budget bill allowing vets to obtain medical cannabis recommendations from VA physicians.  Tom Angell at MassRoots notes that the committee adopted a similar measure in last year’s budget bill, which outlines funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Proponents of the measure say

— The National Indian Gaming Association is in town this week for their summer legislative summit. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) and Reps. Todd Rokita (R-Ind.), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Tom Cole (R-Okla.),Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Norma Torres (D-Calif.), Rob Bishop(R-Utah), Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) and Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) all plan to address the group.

President Donald Trump will host a dinner at the White House on Monday night with Republican senators for a discussion on the health care bill, which has been delayed while Sen. John McCain recovers this week from a surgery. So far CNN has confirmed that at least seven GOP senators will be at the dinner: Lamar Alexander of Tennessee James Lankford of Oklahoma John Thune of South Dakota Roy Blunt of Missouri Steve Daines of Montana John Cornyn of Texas Richard Shelby of Alabama White House press secretary Sean Spicer said during Monday’s press briefing that the President “is going to

The Republican Party’s efforts to gut former President Barack Obama’s legacy health care law came to an abrupt — if temporary — halt Monday night. Just hours after the Senate was gaveled back into session, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was handed two more public defections on his health care bill to overhaul Obamacare. The dramatic and simultaneous announcement from Sens. Jerry Moran of Kansas and Mike Lee of Utah means McConnell officially does not have the votes to even begin debate on his legislation to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. The development deals a devastating blow not only to

President Trump plans to host a group of Republican senators at the White House on Monday night as he seeks to persuade them to back the Senate’s new healthcare bill.  White House press secretary Sean Spicer announced the meeting but declined to provide a list of senators expected to attend.  Later in the evening, a White House official said the following GOP senators were attending: No. 2 Senate Republican John Cornyn (Texas), Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Roy Blunt (Mo.), Steve Daines (Mont.), James Lankford (Okla.), Richard Shelby (Ala.), and John Thune (S.D.). Senate leaders face a tough task in generating momentum for their plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare.    Two Republicans, Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Susan