Tag: Job Creation and the Economy

U.S. SENATE–U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester are leading a call to include $700 million in funding for financial counseling to help families and small businesses avoid bankruptcy in the next coronavirus relief bill. In a letter to Senate leadership, Daines and Tester, along with a group of their Senate colleagues, urged an expansion of the funding for non-profit credit counseling services to help consumers and small businesses taking on loads of unsecured debt to keep the lights on during the crisis. “Counseling has proven to be an effective way for families to manage existing debt and avoid bankruptcy,”

U.S. SENATE –U.S. Senator Steve Daines today sent a letter urging the Administration to provide relief for the Opportunity Zones Program to support low-income communities during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. “As we work together to ensure the American economy recovers to the historic growth levels it was experiencing just months ago, we must also ensure that our low-income communities are not left behind as we return to business as usual,” Daines wrote. “Relief focused on giving stakeholders, projects, and businesses additional time and flexibility to meet Opportunity Zone requirements, timelines, and thresholds will enable Opportunity Zone businesses to weather the

U.S. SENATE –U.S. Senator Steve Daines is pushing legislation to end the United States’ reliance on China for drug and medical equipment manufacturing and bring those jobs back to the United States. “America cannot continue to rely on foreign countries like China to manufacture our PPE and critical drugs,” Daines said. “China’s lack of transparency and cover up of the virus made this global pandemic much worse—it costs lives and devastated our booming economy. The coronavirus has made it clear that we must bring drug manufacturing and medical equipment jobs back to the United States and strengthen our capacity to respond to

U.S. SENATE –U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced he successfully had the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) guidelines expanded to offer fair relief for Montana seasonal businesses and workers. “This is about ensuring Montana’s seasonal small businesses and workers are eligible for relief during the coronavirus pandemic,” Daines said. “Over 10% of Montana workers are seasonal employees and the way the Paycheck Protection Program was originally written, those workers and small businesses would’ve had a much harder time getting relief. I am thankful to the Trump administration for acting swiftly on my request to expand the program to help Montana workers

U.S. CONGRESS –U.S. Senator Steve Daines and Congressman Greg Gianforte today announced that Montana’s 2,400 bars and taverns which employ 40,000 Montanans are now eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program, which provides $350 billion in 100 percent forgivable loans (grants) to small businesses impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic if they maintain or rehire their employees. “Montana’s 2,400 taverns and bars have been hit hard by the Coronavirus pandemic which has impacted over 40,000 Montana jobs,” Daines said. “I fought hard to ensure Montana’s taverns and bars are eligible for the same relief as other small businesses across the state to keep their workers employed.

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced he was chosen by President Trump to join a bipartisan White House Task Force to provide counsel to President Trump to safely reopen America in the wake of COVID-19. “I am honored to be selected by President Trump to serve on this historic task force to safely reopen America,” Daines said. We can prioritize our public health and our workers, families and small businesses. Let’s get this done for Montana and America.” For an audio statement click, HERE. One of Daines’ top priorities during the coronavirus outbreak has been to accelerate the development and manufacturing of

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines issued the following statement after Senate Democrats refused to come to the table and continued to block new funding to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which would keep Montana small business open and workers employed during the Coronavirus pandemic. “The Paycheck Protection Program which is critical to keep Montana small businesses open and workers employed has officially run out of money,” Daines said. “Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi are holding working folks and their families hostage by blocking funding to the program. Nearly 70,000 working Montanans and over 22 million Americans have lost their

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines announced today a proposal to direct funding for new trail maintenance projects to be carried out by guides and outfitters to provide economic relief amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Outfitters and guides face great uncertainty going into what is typically their peak season and some estimate as many as 70% will be forced to close down. “This is about protecting the jobs of Montanans working in our outdoor recreation industry,” Daines said. “My proposal directs funding for projects that are shovel ready to ensure folks have work this season while also improving our trails. I