Tag: Farmers

Daines Fights for Farmers and Ranchers, Prioritizes Montana Ag

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines this week cosponsored bipartisan bills to increase transparency in the cattle market and cut red tape for Montana’s ag and livestock haulers.   To download the video statement, click HERE. “Montana agriculture is part of our way of life. These bills will help ensure Montana farmers and ranchers can compete on a level playing field in the marketplace by improving transparency in cattle markets and removing unworkable and burdensome regulations to transporting agriculture and livestock in a timely manner,” Daines stated. Daines cosponsored the following bills: HAULS Act: This bipartisan legislation will ensure federal law does not prevent ag and livestock haulers from

Daines Reintroduces Bipartisan Legislation Allowing Montana Meat and Poultry Products to be Sold Across State Lines

U.S. SENATE— U.S. Senator Steve Daines today reintroduced his bipartisan “New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act” which would allow Montana meat and poultry products inspected by the state’s Meat and Poultry Inspection (MPI) program to be sold across state lines. “Montana farmers and ranchers work hard to produce high quality products for our state’s consumers. It’s absurd that meat products that have already been inspected and approved at federal standards can’t be sold across state lines,” Daines said. “This bipartisan legislation will reduce these burdensome barriers and make it easier for Montana’s ranchers to sell into new markets in surrounding

USDA Announces Financial Assistance for Montana Producers Impacted by Natural Disasters

U.S. SENATE—U.S. Senator Steve Daines shared that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that Montana’s farmers affected by natural disasters in 2018 and 2019 will be eligible to apply for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program to receive funds that will help alleviate financial loss due to severe weather incidents.  “This is long overdue for our farmers in Northeast Montana who have faced excessive rain and substantial flooding in the past few years,” Daines said. “I am thankful that the USDA has granted access to this vital program that will help our producers get back on their feet after devastating

Daines Announces Grant for Grizzly Bear Management

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) renewed a $250,000 grant to help reduce grizzly bear and human conflicts in Montana. “This funding is critical to help reduce grizzly-human conflicts in Montana as we continue working to delist the grizzly bear and return management to the state,” Daines said. The USFWS grant to the Montana Wildlife Services will include: Additional support through the Wildlife Services contract to address bear and human conflict. Leveraging existing Federal programs, such as grants provided under the Pittman-Robertson Act, to restore, conserve, and manage animals and their habitat.

Daines, Stabenow, Grassley, Wyden Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to End Abuse of Conservation Easements

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) reintroduced a bipartisan bill, the “Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act,” to stop the abuse of conservation easements, save taxpayers billions of dollars and promote conservation in the U.S. “Our bipartisan bill will promote conservation in Montana, save taxpayers billions of dollars and stop scam artists from abusing a critical conservation program used across the country,” Daines said. “This will help protect Montana farmers and ranchers who want to conserve our lands, and hold individuals accountable who are looking to game the system and pad their

Daines Fights for Montana Ag, Pushes for Permanent ELD Solution

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today in a U.S. Senate Appropriations Hearing pressed U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao on finding a permanent solution to the harmful Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate that impacts Montana. In the hearing, Daines stressed that in every corner of Montana, from Great Falls to Miles City, he hears concerns from farmers and ranchers on the burdensome ELD mandate. Daines questioned Chao on what measures she is taking to find a workable, permanent solution for Montana’s farmers and ranchers. Click HERE to download “This one size fits all regulation has had harmful effects on Montana’s farmers and ranchers and across the trucking and agriculture industries,” Daines

Daines Rejects Disastrous Green New Deal

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today voted against the disastrous Green New Deal. Daines dismissed the radical proposal as nothing more than a vehicle for socialist policies that would destroy Montana’s economy. “The Green New Deal is a radical, top-down idea that disregards the impacts on hard working Montanans and Americans across our country. Plain and simple, it’s a socialist wish list that has nothing to do with conservation or the environment,” Daines said. “This so called trillion plus dollar “deal” would kill Montana jobs, hurt Montana families, and destroy Montana’s economy. We should be working towards an all of the above energy agenda focused

Daines to Lighthizer: Montana Farmers and Ranchers Need Access to New Markets

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today in a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing urged United States Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer to advance and finalize trade agreements with Japan and China to put Montana farmers and ranchers on a level playing field in the global stage.   Click HERE to download “We’re now behind in Japan, because our other allies have signed agreements…and they are going to receive the benefits of the tariff reductions. My malt barley folks were in talking to me yesterday, and they literally showed me the contracts they’ve lost in Japan,” Daines said. Yesterday, Daines met with Montana barley

Daines Fights for Certainty for Montana Ranchers

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines introduced the Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act to provide Montana ranchers with certainty in delaying the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate and reforming Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. “Montana’s ranchers and livestock haulers drive Montana’s economy,” Daines said. “We must find a solution that keeps our roads safe and allows Montana’s agricultural commodities to get to market humanely and on time. I’ll continue pushing to provide our ranchers and livestock haulers with certainty and remove undue burdens from their businesses.” The legislation indefinitely delays the ELD mandate for ag haulers and requires the Department

Daines Makes Important Gains for Montana Farmers and Ranchers

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today secured key provisions for Montana farmers and ranchers.  “As a steadfast champion of our state’s number one industry, I work everyday to ensure that our farmers and ranchers are being heard and well represented,” Daines stated. “I was able to secure important provisions to sustain funding for initiatives to help farmers and ranchers with loans, help stop diseases that are encroaching our forests and expand employment opportunities for veterans in agriculture.”  “The Montana Grain Growers Association thanks Sen. Daines’ for protecting the ARS Insect Research Unit in Sidney and for his efforts to secure increased funding for the