Author: rachel_dumke@daines.senate.gov

Daines Warns Biden Admin that One-Sided Dam Breaching Effort Doomed to Fail Chastises Effort to Usurp Congressional Authority, Ignore Science and Community Opinions

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines, along with Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), sent a letter to President Biden regarding severe concerns over the administration’s efforts to breach the lower Snake River dams.  The effort, outlined in September in the “Memorandum on Restoring Healthy and Abundant Salmon, Steelhead, and Other Native Fish Populations in the Columbia River Basin,” highlighted the goal of salmon restoration. However, the memo ignores Congressional authority over the dams, scientific data that supports the current state of the dams, the views of regional partners and the affects it will have on Montanans.  “Congress – and Congress alone – can

Daines on Fox Business’ Kudlow Slams Biden’s Weakness on the World Stage

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business’ Kudlow slamming Biden’s weakness on the world stage as he focuses on appeasement and climate instead of securing the southern border. Watch the interview HERE. Daines on Biden’s Skewed Priorities Larry, just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, it did in the last 24 hours when the Biden administration lifts the sanctions so the Iraqis can buy another $10 billion of Iranian oil. Larry, you can’t make this up. As I was watching what happened today, watching that meeting in San Francisco between Xi and Biden, as he was flying across the country, he should

Daines on Fox News’s America Reports: “President Biden is Weak and it Emboldens the Chinese, the Iranians and the Russians”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today joined Fox New’s America Reports to discuss the ongoing fight against terrorism in Israel and Daines’ first-hand experience in the Hezbollah terror tunnels. He also discussed President Biden’s meeting with Xi Jinping and called out the President for his weakness on the world stage. Watch the interview HERE. Daines on Terror Tunnels You take a look at Hamas and the tunnels in Gaza, I’ve seen those before several years ago. What’s not being talked enough about are the tunnels dug by Hezbollah – another Iranian terror group. These are right near the Lebanon border; these are 80

Daines Requests Update from Biden Administration on Spy Balloon Investigation

Ahead of Biden-Xi Meeting, Says American People Need Answers U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray today requesting an update on the investigation into how China used U.S. technology on the spy balloon that flew over Montana and the rest of the United States in February. The FBI was tasked with investigating how U.S. technology ended up on the spy balloon but so far has not provided an update to Congress. The letter states in part: “As President Biden prepares to meet Xi Jinping in San Francisco, it is imperative that the administration prioritize the safety and security

Daines Pushes for Expanded Telehealth Services at Senate Hearing

Montana Witness Says Telehealth Services Help Address Workforce Shortages U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines at a Senate Finance Health Care Subcommittee hearing discussed the importance of expanding telehealth services, especially for rural states like Montana. Watch Daines’ opening remarks HERE. “In rural states like Montana…telehealth has completely changed the game in terms of health care access. At our rural health care hearing earlier this year, I highlighted that two of the most challenging barriers to accessing care in rural states are distance and transportation, we might add weather at times with our Montana winters. With the ability to receive care virtually

At Senate Banking Hearing, Daines Presses Regulators on New Anti-Small Business Rule

New Regulation Would Hurt Montana Small Businesses U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today at a Senate Banking hearing pressed the Federal Reserve (Fed) Vice Chairman Michael Barr about the new Basel III Endgame proposal that would limit credit availability to Montana small businesses and Montana farmers and ranchers. Earlier this week, Daines joined his Republican colleagues in urging the Fed to immediately withdraw this proposal. Watch Daines’ opening remarks HERE. “This proposal will limit credit availability to small businesses. I’m hearing it in both ears from our businesses back home across Montana. We had four Montana small business owners in the office this

Daines Calls Attention to Rise in Criminals Crossing the Southern Border at Senate Leadership Press Conference

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today delivered remarks at the weekly Republican Senate Leadership press conference highlighting the drastic increase in criminals coming across President Biden’s wide-open southern border. To watch Daines’ remarks, click HERE. “It’s not lost on the American people, the irony, the fact that President Biden is travelling all the way out to the Bay Area, San Francisco, to meet with Xi Jinping. I’m just asking could he perhaps make a diversion and stop at the southern border on the way home to see what’s going on and the disaster that’s happening as we speak, where many, many

Daines Pushes Biden Admin to Commit to Keeping Montana Mines Open

Bull Mountains, Rosebud, Spring Creek Mines Set to Close Because Admin Dragging Feet on Environmental Reviews U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing pushed President Biden’s Deputy Director of the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) on the delayed environmental reviews for three Montana coal mines Watch Daines’ full remarks and questioning HERE. “Deputy Director Owens, the Office of Surface Mining is required by a court order to complete environmental reviews for three major Montana coal mines. For all three mines, OSM set deadlines for the completion of the environmental reviews and in each

Daines, Lankford Introduce Bill to Streamline Ability to Hire Wildland Firefighters

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and James Lankford (R-Okla.) introduced the “Direct Hire to Fight Fires Act” that would provide the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior (DOI) permanent Direct Hire Authority to streamline the hiring process for skilled personnel in the firefighting or firefighting support capacity. The bill also directs the Forest Service and DOI to identify policies and propose changes to reduce the time and complexity of hiring wildland firefighters and support personnel. “Year after year, our Montana communities are devastated by wildfires and our brave firefighters’ response to these fires protects lives and our public

Daines Introduces Bill to Honor Montana’s Last Pearl Harbor Survivor

Bill will rename Butte VA Clinic after Charlie Dowd U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced a bill that would designate the clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Butte, Montana, as the Charlie A. Dowd VA Clinic. Charlie Dowd passed away in March 2023 and was Montana’s last survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Dowd was an advocate for his fellow veterans and dedicated to preserving the memory of the events of World War II and those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country.  Dowd was an active member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and spoke for