Tag: Regulations

KULR-8: Senator Steve Daines Talks Jobs and Coal in Indian Country

CROW AGENCY – Senator Steve Daines emphasized unemployment, the coal industry and jobs in Indian Country as part of a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs field hearing in Crow Agency on Wednesday. The hearing at the Little Big Horn College Health and Wellness Center lasted nearly two hours, and Attorney general Tim Fox and Crow Tribe Chairman Darrin Old Coyote were among the speakers. Sen. Daines discussed the importance of passing a permanent Indian coal tax credit. The temporary tax credit, which provides millions of dollars for the Crow’s economy, expired in December 2013. Daines and Old Coyote both testified

Daines Slams New Fracking Rule As Direct Attack on American Jobs, Energy

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today blasted the Department of Interior’s new regulations on hydraulic fracturing on federally-owned lands as a direct attack on American jobs and American energy. “The Obama administration is at it again. States like Montana have successfully overseen hydraulic fracturing for years, but once again, the Obama administration seems more set on overregulating our energy industry than promoting the responsible development of our nation’s vast energy resources,” Daines stated. “This top-down regulation is duplicative, burdensome and ultimately, a direct attack on American energy production, critical tax revenue for our schools and communities, and thousands of good-paying jobs across

Daines Introduces Bill to Increase Government Accountability, Rein in Outdated Regulations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today introduced legislation to ease the regulatory burden facing Montanans by bringing much-needed accountability and transparency to the regulatory process. Daines’ bill, S. 826 the Regulatory Examination Vital for Improving and Evaluating Working Solutions (REVIEWS) Act, implements a decennial review of all federal rules to ensure that the American people aren’t subjected to regulations that are outdated, unworkable or simply no longer make sense. The bill requires federal agencies to subject all existing regulations to the Administrative Procedure Act’s Notice and Comment process every 10 years – allowing the American people to review and provide feedback on

Daines Calls for Increased Accountability and Transparency at FCC

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today pressed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase transparency and accountability in the rule-making process and questioned the FCC’s routine practice of granting staff broad “editorial privileges” to make changes to rules previously voted on by FCC Commissioners. During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing held today with all five FCC commissioners in attendance, Daines repeatedly called on the FCC to release the original text of their rule regulating the Internet as a utility under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934. Despite Daines’ calls, Chairman Tom Wheeler refused to answer if he would release

Daines Slams Obama Administration’s Doublespeak on Internet Regulation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today slammed the Obama administration’s empty rhetoric on job creation and innovation following the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) recent move to impose unprecedented regulations on the Internet. During today’s Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on the Fiscal Year 2016 budget request for the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Daines stressed the importance of a free and open Internet and shed light on the severe contradictions between President Obama’s stated mission and the recent actions taken by his administration. “The Internet is unconstrained innovation. However, I think many of

Daines Statement on Closing of Corette Power Plant

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement in response to PPL Montana’s announcement that it will permanently close the J.E. Corette coal-fired power plant in Billings, Montana. “Once again, good-paying American jobs are falling ruin to the Obama administration’s war on American energy. The closing of the Corette power plant isn’t just a blow to Montana’s economy – it’s devastating news to the Montana families who rely on the plant for a stable income,” Daines stated. “The EPA’s misguided agenda doesn’t just hurt Montana’s coal industry— it directly affects thousands of Montana families, union workers and

Daines Blasts Costly EPA Wood Stove Regs

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today blasted the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new regulations on wood burning stoves as a direct threat to Montanans’ access to affordable energy. This afternoon, the EPA rolled out its final regulations on residential wood heaters, pellet stoves and other wood burning stoves. The new regulations are projected to have a $45.7 million annualized compliance cost, which could lead to higher costs or decreased access to stoves for Montana consumers. “The EPA’s shortsighted regulatory overreach is once again hitting hardworking Montanans in their pocketbooks,” Daines stated. “Thousands of Montanans rely on wood burning stoves

Daines Statement on Obama’s Budget Proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement in response to President Obama’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2016: “It’s no coincidence that the President is releasing his budget on Groundhog Day – it’s yet another budget that never balances, bursting with massive big government spending and burdensome taxes and regulations that have become the unfortunate trademark of the Obama administration. Instead of repeating the same failed agenda that has proven to be wrong for Montana, the President should join the Senate in balancing the budget and working toward commonsense solutions that encourage economic opportunity, grow good-paying

Daines Renews Commitment to Repealing Obamacare

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today announced that he has joined his fellow Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to fully repeal Obamacare— a failed law that has raised healthcare costs for thousands of Montanans, harmed Montana jobs and small businesses and limited many Montanans’ access to the healthcare plans and doctors they want.   “We need to ensure health care is affordable and accessible for all Montanans, and that starts with repealing Obamacare and its costly mandates, burdensome taxes and senseless regulations,” Daines stated. “Obamacare is a misguided, poorly written law that has forced thousands of hardworking Montanans to