Daines Introduces Bill to Protect Montana Communities, Firefighters from Wildfires 
U.S. SENATE –Today, U.S. Senator Steve Daines introduced the “Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act” to protect firefighters, communities and property in Montana and throughout the West from the devastating impacts of wildfires. The bill ensures the continued use of fire retardant to manage wildfires and protect communities and firefighters. “In recent years, Montana has suffered catastrophic wildfire seasons. We must do everything we can to cut bureaucratic red tape and put an end to frivolous litigation that’s preventing our brave firefighters from using all means necessary to protect our Montana families and communities from these deadly flames,” said Daines. Daines joined Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho),
Daines: Biden Administration’s Medicare Advantage Proposals Risk Care Disruptions, Premium Hikes for Montana Seniors
Senator Urges Against Rushed Implementation of Major Medicare Advantage Changes U.S. SENATE— Senator Daines, along with all Senate Finance Committee Republicans, called on the Biden administration to take steps to prevent adverse outcomes for Montanans who rely on Medicare Advantage (MA) following a recent proposal that includes changes to the diagnostic system for some chronic conditions, including diabetes and congestive heart failure, that could cause disruptions in care and sudden premium increases. “As the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) considers options for moving forward on proposed risk adjustment modifications and other policy shifts for MA, we encourage the agency to take steps to maintain
Weekly Video Release: Montana Small Business Owner Struggles to Keep Up with Bidenflation
Daines Releases Next Video in Series Illustrating Montanans’ Struggles with Inflation U.S. SENATE – As skyrocketing inflation continues to crush Montana families, indicated by the February CPI report released this morning showing a six percent annual increase, U.S. Senator Steve Daines released the next video in a series chronicling its impact on Montanans. This week, Senator Daines is highlighting Charlie Martin, a small business owner in Ravalli County. Biden’s inflation crisis is not only affecting Charlie’s business, but every aspect of his life. This morning’s inflation report showed that prices continue to rise faster than wages. In fact, Montanans paychecks have been slashed over $7,000
Daines, Peters, Marshall’s Bipartisan Bill to Protect the Privacy of Americans Passes U.S. Senate
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Roger Marshall’s (R-Kans.) bipartisan bill to require U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to remove personally identifiable information (PII), which includes Social Security and passport numbers, from cargo manifests before public disclosure passed the U.S. Senate. “Montanans’ private, personal information should never be jeopardized just because they’re moving or traveling abroad. Safeguarding Americans from identity theft and fraud is a top priority of mine. I’m glad to see my commonsense, bipartisan bill pass the U.S. Senate,” Daines said. “Identify theft is costly and disruptive to the lives of people in
Daines Hosts Farming and Forestry Roundtable
BOZEMAN, MT —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today hosted a roundtable discussion with Montana ag and forestry leaders at the Montana State University (MSU) Post Farm to discuss priorities for the upcoming farm bill. Senator Daines also took a tour of the MSU Post Farm with Dr. Sreekala Bajwa, Vice President, Dean and Director of the MSU College of Agriculture to see the exciting work MSU is doing to support ag innovation and teach the next generation of Montana ag leaders. “It was great to have ag and forestry leaders come together today to discuss Montana’s priorities in the upcoming farm bill. USDA and farm programs must work for
Daines, Colleagues Send Letter Urging Against Biden Admin’s Innovation-Stifling Drug Pricing Scheme
U.S. Senate — U.S. Senator Steve Daines joined his colleagues in sending a letter to the Biden Administration urging against the implementation of a drug-pricing scheme selected by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that would stifle innovation and discourage research for new cures. “By bringing groundbreaking therapies to patients years before these products could otherwise reach the market, the FDA’s Accelerated Approval Program (AAP) has saved countless lives while upholding strong safeguards and standards. The Accelerating Clinical Evidence Model recently announced by the Biden Administration, unfortunately, risks undermining or even reversing this trend, triggering access gaps for seniors,
Daines Talks Tribal Safety, Sovereignty, and Ag Priorities at Indian Affairs Hearing
U.S. SENATE—U.S. Senator Steve Daines today at a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs oversight hearing questioned witnesses on important issues facing Montana tribes, including public safety, tribal sovereignty, water settlements, forest management and agriculture. Daines highlighted the importance of helping Montana tribes maintain their own law enforcement instead of relying on Washington, D.C. for solutions. Daines on the Need to Give Tribes More Control Over Their Law Enforcement “Public safety has been a top priority of mine for years and yet I continue to hear the same concerns from our tribes. I’ve written countless letters and nothing changes. The BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) expects us to just provide them more funding and the
Weekly Video Release: Montana Student Struggles to Keep Up with Bidenflation
U.S. SENATE – As skyrocketing inflation continues to crush Montana families, U.S. Senator Steve Daines released the next video in a series chronicling how inflation is impacting Montanans. This week, Senator Daines is sharing Gracie Tooke’s experience with the crushing inflation that affected her ability to live a balanced life while also attending school at MSU. Gracie is a junior Medical Laboratory Science major and is originally from Ekalaka, Montana. She hopes to work in a hospital lab in the future. Each week, Daines will highlight a video on his social media channels of a Montanan talking about how President Biden’s economic policies affect them personally.
Daines: Soaring National Debt Poses National Security Threat
At Senate Leadership Press Conference, Daines Discusses Cost of Servicing National Debt U.S. SENATE –U.S. Senator Steve Daines today delivered the following remarks at the weekly Republican Senate Leadership press conference where he focused on the consequences of President Biden’s runaway inflation, including the fact that over the next ten years, the total amount spent on interest on our national debt will exceed the total amount spent on defense. “When I’m back home in Montana, the top concern I hear about is fentanyl, drugs flooding across the southern border in states like Montana. I also hear a lot about inflation, the