rachel_dumke@daines.senate.gov, Author at Senator Steve Daines

Daines Calls Attention to Fentanyl Crisis Wreaking Havoc on Montana Tribes

November 9, 2023

At Senate Hearing, Fort Peck Councilman Shares Testimony of Losing Loved One to Fentanyl U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines spoke at a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing about the fentanyl coming across the open southern border and harming Montana tribes. Watch and download Daines’ opening remarks HERE. “The ongoing fentanyl crisis is devastating. It’s destroying communities, families, and Montana’s tribal communities are ground zero for this destruction. “The Montana State Crime Lab has reported a 1,000 percent increase in fentanyl-related overdoses since 2017, and Native Americans are suffering the highest overdose death rate by a massive margin—it’s not even close. In Montana, Native Americans are

Daines Bills to Bolster Mental Health Workforce One Step Closer to Becoming Law

November 8, 2023

Two of Daines’ Bills Passed Out of the Senate Finance Committee with Bipartisan Support U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke at a Senate Finance Committee meeting about the importance of mental health services, especially in rural states like Montana. The committee passed the “Better Act” with bipartisan support which included Daines’ bipartisan “Expand the Behavioral Health Workforce Now Act” and the “More Behavioral Health Providers Act.” The legislation Daines helped pass today specifically targets lack of access in several ways, including bolstering telehealth services, addressing coverage gaps, and strengthening the mental and behavioral health workforce. Watch Daines’ remarks HERE. “In

Daines Calls out Senate Democrats and Trial Lawyers for Blocking Veterans’ Benefits

November 8, 2023

“This is a Scandal in Plain Sight” WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Veterans Day approaches, U.S. Senator Steve Daines today called out Senate Democrats and their trial lawyer allies for blocking veterans’ benefits, specifically for Marines who were exposed to chemicals at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Senate Democrats continue to block Daines’ “Protect Camp Lejeune VETS Act,” which would close a loophole that allows trial lawyers to charge veterans 40 percent or more to process veterans’ claims. Current law will cost taxpayers $200 billion and leave Marine veterans without benefits. To watch Daines’ remarks, click HERE. “I’m not a Marine, but I’m the

Daines Helps Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Reauthorize and Reform Key Surveillance Law, Secure Protections for Montanans’ Rights

November 8, 2023

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines helped introduce the “Government Surveillance Reform Act” to establish new safeguards for government surveillance and accountability for abuse, reauthorize and reform FISA section 702, and establish protections for Montanans whose private information is collected under other intelligence authorities. “Americans have a constitutional right to be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures that is nonnegotiable,” said Daines. “As the federal government is increasingly sticking it’s nose into Americans’ private conversations and records, we must put an end to illegitimate searches and protect this fundamental right.” The bill’s reforms include: A one-page summary of the bill is HERE.

Daines Sounds Alarm on Possible Terror Threats in the U.S.

November 7, 2023

“Think what’s happened in the Middle East can’t happen here? Think again.” U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today delivered remarks at the weekly Republican Senate Leadership press conference where he highlighted the increased risk of terror attacks on U.S. soil partly due to the wide-open southern border that has seen a spike in illegal crossings from countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism. To watch Daines’ remarks, click HERE. “The idea of a potential terror attack occurring in the United States is no longer just a what if — it is a when. With a war in the Middle East emboldening violent extremists and a wide-open

At Senate Hearing, Daines Slams Biden Anti-Energy Policies for Killing Montana Jobs, Hurting Rural Communities

November 3, 2023

Calls Out Administration for Radical Rules That Would Shut Down Colstrip Power Plant U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines at a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing slammed the Biden administration for their anti-energy policies that are hurting America’s national security and devastating Montana jobs. Daines called attention to Biden administration rules that would force Colstrip Power Plant to close and asked a Biden official about Montana’s grid reliability. Watch Daines’ full remarks HERE. Senator Daines on the Biden administration’s attack on made-in-America energy: Watch Daines’ opening remarks HERE. Senator Daines: Chairman, thank you. Ranking Member Brasso, thank you as well. Since taking

Daines Introduces Bill to Increase Penalties for Illegally Sharing Americans’ Tax Information

November 3, 2023

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines introduced the “Increasing Rightful Sentences Act” or the “IRS Act,” to increase penalties for future unauthorized disclosures of confidential tax information. Introduction follows the news that after a more than two-year-long investigation, a former IRS contractor, Charles Littlejohn, pleaded guilty to stealing and leaking thousands of individuals’ private IRS tax records, including those of a former President, and sharing them with news outlets. Littlejohn was charged with a single count of unauthorized disclosure of tax information through a plea deal negotiated with the Department of Justice despite illegally obtaining and sharing thousands of individuals’ information. “A mere slap-on-the-wrist for illegally releasing Americans’ private tax

Daines Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Raise Overtime Pay Cap for Wildland Firefighters

November 2, 2023

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines helped introduce bipartisan legislation to permanently raise the caps on overtime premium pay for federal wildland firefighters. The “Wildland Firefighter Fair Pay Act” would increase these overtime pay caps to appropriately compensate Forest Service and Department of the Interior wildland firefighters for the work they do. Despite risking their lives and traveling cross-country for months at a time to protect American communities and forests from catastrophic wildfires, many of the more than 11,000 wildland firefighters live paycheck to paycheck. This has contributed to a firefighter workforce shortage — already, 20 percent of Forest Service permanent firefighter positions are

Daines, Lankford Lead Colleagues in Condemning Biden Admin for Funding Abortions for Minors at the Border

November 2, 2023

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (Mont.) and James Lankford (Okla.) led seven of their Republican colleagues in submitting a comment letter to the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) condemning the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s (ORR) proposed “Unaccompanied Children Program Foundational Rule,” which blatantly violates prohibitions on the use of taxpayer funds to facilitate abortions on unaccompanied minors at the border. “Instead of adhering to the law, responding to Congressional inquiry, heeding Congress’ warning, and treating unaccompanied minors with the dignity and respect they deserve as young mothers, HHS ORR has decided to codify these flagrant violations of the Hyde Amendment through the proposed rule,” the Senators

Daines Introduces Bill to Redesignate Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

November 1, 2023

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced the “Standing Against Houthi Aggression Act” to redesignate Ansarallah, more commonly known as the Houthis, as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) given their actions to destabilize the region, the security threat they pose to the U.S. and most recently, their involvement in the ongoing conflict in Israel, including attacks on Israel this week. Today, Daines also joined a letter led by Senator Hagerty to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the administration re-designate the Houthis as a FTO. “The Biden administration needs to send a strong, decisive message to the Iranian regime that the U.S. will

Author: rachel_dumke@daines.senate.gov