Press
Daines Fights to Ensure Readiness of Montana Military Missions
Senator Steve Daines today called on the U.S. Air Force to prioritize the readiness of Montana's military missions by ensuring the modernization of aircraft at Montana's Malmstrom Air Force Base. During this morning's Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on the proposed FY 2017 U.S. Air Force budget, Daines pressed Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff General Mark A. Welsh about the Air Force's plan to ensure top security for the transport of nuclear weapons by rep… Continue Reading
02.10.16
Daines Statement on Inexcusable IRS Security Breach
Senator Steve Daines slammed President Obama's failure to expeditiously inform Congress after yet another security breach occurred at the Internal Revenue Service in January. "The President has a duty to inform Congress of cyber attacks on federal infrastructure, yet once again has tried to sweep this under the rug," Daines stated. "It's no coincidence that on President Obama's watch, two federal agencies within the past year have suffered large-scale and inexcusable breaches in security. He h… Continue Reading
02.10.16
Daines, Blumenthal Resolution Recognizes February 17 as Digital Learning Day
Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) today sought to affirm the importance of student data privacy by recognizing February 17, 2016 as Digital Learning Day. Last night, Daines and Blumenthal successfully passed a bipartisan resolution recognizing February 17 as Digital Learning Day. The senators' resolution, which passed by unanimous consent, highlights the many ways in which technology can enhance the classroom experience while striking the right balance in protecting the… Continue Reading
02.09.16
Daines Applauds U.S. Supreme Court Decision to Issue Nationwide Stay on Clean Power Plan
Senator Steve Daines today applauded the U.S. Supreme Court decision to issue a nationwide stay on the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Power Plan - successfully blocking implementation of the plan while it's being challenged in court. "The Supreme Court decision to issue a nationwide stay on the Obama administration's misguided, job-killing rule is great news for Montana. The so-called Clean Power Plan will kill Montana jobs and leads our country in the wrong direction-away from… Continue Reading
02.09.16
Daines Statement on President Obama’s Budget Proposal
Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on President Obama's budget proposal that once again fails to balance: "President Obama's budget is full of the same failed policies that has led our country down a path of reckless bloated spending, burdensome regulations and higher taxes. This is President Obama's eighth consecutive unbalanced budget that only serves to bolster his liberal agenda instead of lifting up hardworking American families. The American people deserve real so… Continue Reading
02.09.16
Daines Reaffirms Importance of Splitting the Ninth Circuit
"We need to ensure all Americans have access to the justice they deserve. It's time to split the Ninth." WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Steve Daines recently took to the Senate floor to bring to light the crushing caseload of the Ninth Circuit and reaffirm the need to split the Ninth Circuit to provide quality service and expeditious justice for the American people. Click here to download Daines' remarks. Click here to watch Daines' remarks. Daines joined Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) last… Continue Reading
02.08.16
Daines Marks Beginning of National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week
Senator Steve Daines today marked the beginning of "National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week" by recognizing the critical role these institutions hold in providing access to high-quality postsecondary educational opportunities for Montana tribal members. Montana is home to seven Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Daines is an original cosponsor of the bipartisan "National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week" resolution that unanimously passed the Senate last week. On Wednesday, D… Continue Reading
02.08.16
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' … Continue Reading
02.05.16
Daines, Zinke Fight Latest Effort to Terminate Port of Raymond 24-Hour Operating Status
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 c… Continue Reading
02.05.16
Daines Slams President Obama’s Plan to Raise Energy Taxes on Montana Families
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 plac… Continue Reading
02.05.16
Daines Honors Montanans of the Week: Super Bowl Competitors Dwan Edwards and Brock Osweiler
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… Continue Reading
02.04.16
Daines Introduces Legislation to Protect Montanans’ Second Amendment Rights from Bureaucratic Overreach
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… Continue Reading
02.04.16
Daines, Zinke Congratulate Rob McCarvel of Helena on Receiving West Point Academy Appointment
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 F… Continue Reading
02.03.16
Daines: Systemic Failures at Indian Health Service are Unacceptable
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 … Continue Reading
02.03.16
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 busines… Continue Reading
02.03.16
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 Rest… Continue Reading
02.01.16
Daines Applauds United Airlines Expansion to Great Falls International Airport
Senator Steve Daines today applauded the announcement that United Airlines will begin a summer route from Great Falls International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport. "Increasing reliable and convenient air service for the Great Falls community is great news for our state and will help generate more economic opportunity throughout Cascade County," Daines stated. "This new route will help increase access to new markets for central Montana and Hi-Line communities -in turn creating … Continue Reading
01.29.16
Daines Honors Montanan of the Week: Bruce Bramlette of Fort Benton
Senator Steve Daines today recognized former Brigadier General Bruce Bramlette of Fort Benton, Montana, on behalf of his lifetime of dedication to the United States and his selfless service on Congressional U.S. Military Academy nomination boards. Bruce has tirelessly served on nomination boards for 25 years, both as a member and board chairman, and has interviewed more than 1,000 young Montana students seeking a nomination to one of our nation's service academies. Through his "Montanan of th… Continue Reading
01.28.16
Daines Highlights Key Reforms in Major Senate Energy Legislation
"We can't fully discuss our nation's energy future without also addressing the President's moratorium on new federal coal leases and royalty increase attempts for federal coal, oil and natural gas." WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Steve Daines took to the Senate floor to highlight important provisions contained in the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016, the first major energy policy legislation debated in the Senate since 2007. This key legislation will help expand Montana energy production,… Continue Reading
01.27.16
Daines Leads Bipartisan Effort Urging VA Officials to Allow Discussion of Medical Marijuana with Patients Where it is Legal
Senator Steve Daines today urged the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to change its current policy to allow VA doctors to discuss and recommend marijuana as a treatment option in states where medical marijuana has been legalized, like Montana. Daines led a bipartisan group of 21 Senators and Representatives in sending a letter to VA Secretary Bob McDonald urging the VA to permit doctors to discuss and recommend marijuana as a treatment option in states where it's legal. Under the curren… Continue Reading
