When I took the oath of office as a member of the United States Senate, I swore to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” It is unquestionably my highest duty and responsibility. Unfortunately, Congress has too often exceeded the limited powers granted to it in Article I of the Constitution. Our Presidents have sometimes overreached their power as well. I will work to restore limited government whereby the Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary Branches operate within their constitutional boundaries. This effort starts by limiting the growth of government spending and providing oversight to agencies that expand beyond their congressionally prescribed missions.
Daines to Biden: COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates will Make Labor Shortage Worse, Hurt Montana Businesses
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines is urging President Biden to rescind COVID-19 vaccine mandates which will hurt Montana businesses and threaten the livelihoods of Montana workers. “While the Supreme Court has upheld the ability of states to mandate vaccines during a pandemic, there is no precedent for the federal government to mandate vaccines for contractors, private employers, or individual Americans. Vaccines are important in slowing the spread of the coronavirus and we have all received vaccines and have encouraged others to do so after consulting with their doctors,” the letter states. “However, the decision on whether or not to get vaccinated is a personal
Daines Cosponsors Bill to Protect Montana Workers, Small Businesses from Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today cosponsored a bill that would prevent the federal government from imposing fines, fees or taxes on Montana small businesses that do not adhere to President Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate. “While I’m pro-vaccine, I’m anti-mandate,” Daines said. “President Biden’s overreaching vaccine mandates will hurt Montana small businesses and workers. As Montana small businesses across the state are still struggling to fill job openings, the last thing they need is the federal government forcing Montanans to quit their jobs because of top-down mandates. While I will continue to encourage Montanans to talk with their doctor and get the
Daines Slams Biden for Top-Down Vaccine Mandate, Questions Constitutionality
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today issued the following statement on President Biden’s vaccine mandates. “I’m strongly opposed to mandating COVID-19 vaccines, including for federal workers and private businesses in Montana. President Biden’s mandate is Washington at its worst and I have serious concerns with the constitutionality and lawfulness of this big government overreach. Top-down government mandates are simply not the way to get more people vaccinated,” Daines said. #### Contact: Katherine McKeogh, Katie Schoettler
Daines Urges CDC to Listen to Local Montana Leaders & Parents, Reverse Mask Mandate on School Buses
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines is urging the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to withdraw the mask mandate on school buses that infringes on the authority of Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to make their own decisions regarding the safety and health of their students. “This fall, a significant proportion of Montana students will return to their classrooms without masks. Forcing young children to wear masks on the school bus, only to arrive at school and remove them makes no sense. Furthermore, it exposes an intrusion of the federal government into the daily operation of local school districts. I am not alone in my concern over this latest
Daines Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Stop the Sale of Montanans’ Personal Information
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced the bipartisan “The Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act,” which would stop the government from circumventing the 4th Amendment by buying Montanans’ personal information from data brokers. “It’s simple, Montanans’ private information is not for sale. We must close the loopholes that allow the federal government to circumvent the 4th Amendment and buy Americans’ personal data,” Daines said. “The Fourth Amendment is Not for Sale Act” closes the legal loophole that allows data brokers to sell Americans’ personal information to law enforcement and intelligence agencies without any court oversight – in contrast to the strict
Daines Introduces Resolution Condemning Court Packing
U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced a resolution to condemn a Democratic proposal to increase the number of Supreme Court Justices on the bench from nine to thirteen. “The Left’s attempt to pack the Supreme Court is a blatant partisan power grab,” Daines said. “Our founding fathers created a judiciary insulated from political pressures, in part to prevent one group from having absolute power. Now, Democrats are jumping at the opportunity to pack the Supreme Court with liberal justices that will fundamentally change our country for generations. We cannot let this happen.” To read the full text, click HERE. Daines’ resolution
Daines Rejects Calls for Impeachment of President Trump
U.S. SENATE—U.S. Senator Steve Daines today issued the following statement: “Now is the time to stand united, move forward together and have a peaceful transition of power. Pushing partisan driven articles of impeachment through Congress days before the inauguration will further divide our country.”
Daines Cybersecurity Bill Signed Into Law
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines announced that his bipartisan bill requiring commonsense cybersecurity standards for internet connected devices bought by the U.S. government has been signed into law by President Trump. “After years of bipartisan work and strong support, my commonsense bill to increase cybersecurity standards for internet connected devices has been signed into law,” Daines said. “As more and more products have internet connectivity, we must guarantee we have basic safeguards and protections in place to ensure our national security is safe from cyber threats.” Specifically, the “Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act” would: · Require the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to issue recommendations addressing, at a minimum, secure
Daines Fights to Protect Montanans from Government Spy Programs
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced he will be introducing bipartisan legislation to protect the civil liberties and privacy of Montanans from government spying programs. Daines’ bipartisan bill reforms Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act which the National Security Agency has used to create a secret mass surveillance program that swept up millions of Americans’ phone calls. “Montanans want their privacy protected. That’s why I’m fighting to protect our civil liberties and stop the federal government from interfering into our lives,” Daines said. Daines’ bipartisan Safeguarding Americans’ Private Records Act reforms Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act