Daines, Gillibrand Call on Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to Act on Their Bill to Help Thousands of “Blue Water” Vietnam Vets
Senators’ Call Follows VA Officials’ Refusal to Reverse Ruling to Extend VA Benefits to “Blue Water” Vets WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today called on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee to immediately take up their legislation to ensure “Blue Water” Navy veterans are made eligible for service-connected disability Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits and health care as a result of Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War. Daines’ and Gillibrand’s call follows a request urging the VA to reverse a 2002 rule excluding “Blue Water” veterans from the VA benefits to which they should be entitled.
Daines, Zinke Fight Latest Effort to Terminate Port of Raymond 24-Hour Operating Status
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Montana Senator Steve Daines and Representative Ryan Zinke today urged U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials to reverse their latest plans to reduce operating hours at the Port of Raymond and terminate the northeastern Montana border crossing’s 24-hour operating status. CBP recently announced new plans to implement a pilot program closing the Port of Raymond for six hours per day, between 1:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. In a letter to CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske, Daines and Zinke criticized CBP for their short-sighted efforts to once again reduce operating hours following their failed efforts to do so last November. “Past
Daines Slams President Obama’s Plan to Raise Energy Taxes on Montana Families
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today slammed President Obama’s proposal to place a $10 tax on every barrel of oil—marking a 30 percent tax on oil at current prices. “This is yet another step in President Obama’s anti-energy agenda and further proof that he’s more concerned about cementing his failed legacy than standing with the hardworking Montana families who will be directly hit by these senseless policies,” Daines stated. “We should be encouraging American innovation and energy independence—not placing more regulatory barriers and financial obstacles to it. I have no doubt that this 30 percent tax will face tough bipartisan opposition in
Daines Honors Montanans of the Week: Super Bowl Competitors Dwan Edwards and Brock Osweiler
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl 50 matchup of the Carolina Panthers versus the Denver Broncos, Senator Steve Daines today recognized two Montana natives playing on the competing teams: Panthers defensive tackle Dwan Edwards and Broncos backup quarterback Brock Osweiler. Daines wished the two men luck in this Sunday’s game and thanked them for being strong role models for young Montanans. Dwan, a Columbus native, graduated in 1999 from Columbus High School. Brock, a Kalispell native, graduated in 2009 from Flathead High School. Through his “Montanan of the Week” initiative, Daines each week will highlight a Montanan by submitting a statement
Daines Introduces Legislation to Protect Montanans’ Second Amendment Rights from Bureaucratic Overreach
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today introduced legislation to stop bureaucratic attempts to strip Social Security beneficiaries of their Second Amendment rights. S.2495, which Daines cosponsored with nine other senators, would prevent information gathered by the Social Security Administration regarding the management and payment of an individual’s benefits from being used to prevent an individual from purchasing a firearm. “The Obama administration is once again infringing on the rights of law-abiding gun owners,” Daines stated. “This is a violation of both Americans’ Second Amendment rights and our right to due process. It’s deplorable that government bureaucrats can strip Americans of their constitutional
Daines, Zinke Congratulate Rob McCarvel of Helena on Receiving West Point Academy Appointment
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines and Representative Ryan Zinke today congratulated Helena student Rob McCarvel on his appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Daines and Zinke spoke to McCarvel this morning to personally congratulate him on his appointment. McCarvel, a senior at Capital High School in Helena, played American Legion Baseball and is on his high school’s varsity football team. He is a member of the National Honor Society, Green Club and He-Man Book Club. He earned a First Degree Taekwondo Black Belt and volunteers his time mentoring freshman students as part of the Link Crew.
Daines: Systemic Failures at Indian Health Service are Unacceptable
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today pushed Indian Health Service (IHS) officials on the agency’s persistent shortcomings in providing quality reliable access to health care services for tribal members across the nation and called on IHS to urgently implement much-needed reforms to address the deficiencies plaguing the agency. During a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on the substandard quality of Indian health care in the Great Plains, Daines condemned the systemic failures at IHS that have led to inadequate care for tribal members across Montana. Click here to download Daines’ remarks. Click here to watch Daines’ remarks. “Problems like this have been happening for
Tester, Daines push Blackfeet Water Compact to Senate floor
After years of negotiations, Senators lead charge to pass historic water rights agreement (U.S. Senate)—Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines today led the charge to push the Blackfeet Water Compact through the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and onto the Senate floor. This decades-in-the-making agreement will resolve water rights claims on the Blackfeet Reservation and ensure access to reliable and clean water for the communities within the Reservation, as well as farms, ranches, and businesses in the surrounding area. This compact will save taxpayers millions by avoiding costly litigation between the Blackfeet Tribe and the federal government. “Reliable access to clean
Daines, Sullivan Introduce Measures to Split the Ninth Circuit Court
Senators author bills to promote equal access to justice, restructure the most populous circuit court to better serve the American people WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) have introduced two bills to address failures in America’s system of justice by restructuring the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which, because of its size and scope, denies citizens in its jurisdiction equal access to justice. The Circuit Court of Appeals Restructuring and Modernization Act would split the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals into two circuits: the Ninth and the Twelfth Circuits. The reconfigured Ninth Circuit would then be comprised