In The News

Daines introduces bill to increase pay for people with disabilities

Wages grew in Montana during the pandemic, but a group of workers in the state — and across the country — are still being paid below minimum wage. A decades-old federal law allows businesses to legally pay people with disabilities below the federal minimum wage, which is $7.25 an hour. There are 16 businesses in Montana — including one in Bozeman — that pay below minimum wage, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. That standard could change. Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines introduced a billon Thursday that would phase out a certificate program created by the Fair Labor Standards Act, enacted in

Guest view: Working Montanans can’t afford ‘Build Back Broke’ plan

Montana families across the state are feeling the pain in their pocketbooks from inflation and higher prices on everything from gas to groceries to heating their homes. What’s causing this? President Biden and Congressional Democrats’ wasteful spending problems, and their multitrillion-dollar reckless tax and spending spree bill will only make matters worse. Last week, inflation hit a nearly 40-year high, backing estimates that families will spend an extra $4,600 more this year alone. In fact, according to a recent report by the Wall Street Journal, Montana faces one of the highest inflation rates in the country. This year, Montanans will

Daines offers alternative to Biden’s 30×30 land plan

A group of GOP Congress members released an alternative to President Joe Biden’s 30×30 land conservation initiative on Tuesday, pushing for more attention to productive management of working lands. “Conservation is part of our Montana way of life — we know how to be good stewards of our lands,” Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, wrote of the proposal.  “I believe it’s a conservative principle to conserve,” Daines wrote. “That’s why I’m pushing a new ‘Western Conservation Principles’ initiative that uses science-based, time-tested, locally driven practices to bring about meaningful conservation outcomes, unlike President Biden’s vague 30×30 initiative.” Daines co-authored the 9-page document with Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington. The version released

Senate Republicans, led by Daines, move to block reported $450k payments to illegal immigrants

Senate Republicans, led by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., on Wednesday moved an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, which would bar a reported plan by the Biden administration to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to illegal immigrants who were separated at the border – just as President Biden strongly denied the report. The amendment would prohibit cash settlements resulting from the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy — which in some cases led to children and their parents or guardians being separated. The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services

Daines: Working to protect Montanans from Democrats’ tax and spend

Democrats, led by President Biden, Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders and Nancy Pelosi, are rushing a reckless $3.5 trillion tax and spending spree bill through Congress that would reshape the very foundation of America and push the U.S. down the path of socialism. The Democrats’ massive bill is the largest spending bill in our nation’s history and will create all sorts of new entitlement programs. To pay for it, Democrats plan to hike taxes across the board, making this bill the largest tax increase in over 50 years. In fact, according to the Tax Foundation, it would reduce take home pay

Stefanik and Daines demand Pelosi, Schumer advance bill to reopen Canadian border as Biden keeps it closed

FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Elise Stefanik are urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to call votes on a bill that would force the Biden administration to open the Canadian border, citing economic harm to their constituents who rely on cross-border commerce to make a living. Daines, R-Mont., and Stefanik, R-N.Y., said they “urge immediate action” on the bill “to reopen the U.S.–Canada border for nonessential travel and revitalize American jobs and tourism.” “It is past time for Congress to act and bring long-overdue relief to families and businesses in northern border communities, who have suffered nearly 18 months of hardship and uncertainty due to

Vets to Daines: U.S. withdrawal needs accountability; Afghan nationals need security

A panel of veterans on Monday expressed dismay over the handling of the U.S. withdrawal in Afghanistan and urged Sen. Steve Daines to hold commanders accountable. They also urged the senator, who spent the afternoon in Missoula, to ensure those left behind are brought home, including the Afghan nationals who served alongside American forces. “There’s going to be accountability,” Daines told members of the panel. “We’ll find out what decisions were made, why they were made and heads will roll. I’ll demand that.” Veterans, including several who served in a combat theater over the past 50 years, said they’ve been

From the ‘Middle of Nowhere’ to the ‘Heart of the Nation’

In what could be considered a once in a lifetime experience, Dalton Sand of Glasgow and Cole Taylor of Larslan recently found themselves touring the halls of Congress With Senator Steve Daines (R-MT). “I don’t think it would be as cool as it was being there without Senator Steve Daines,” Sand told The Courier, recounting his time in the United States Capitol rotunda, surrounded by larger than life statues of great American statesman. “It was just us, [Daines] and his staff. It was amazing because we got to be with the senator. He showed us around and showed us all

Republican senator calls on Biden to reappoint Powell to top Fed job

Aug 19 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden should keep Jerome Powell at the helm of the Federal Reserve for another four years to build confidence in an improving economy that still faces significant risks, Senator Steve Daines said in a letter to the president on Thursday. “Changing the top leadership at this sensitive time could foster uncertainty across the financial system and undermine our economic recovery,” Daines, a Montana Republican, wrote. His letter was the first formal call for Powell’s reappointment from a member of the Senate Banking Committee, which votes on U.S. central bank nominees before they are considered