As a member of the Indian Affairs Committee, I’m working to promote economic growth in Indian Country and promote the sovereignty and self-determination of our tribes. Montana is home to seven federally recognized Indian reservations and the state recognized Little Shell Tribe, each of which holds a special role in the formation and character of our great state.
Unfortunately, some Native Americans continue to struggle economically and find it difficult to access quality health care and education. Native tribes also continue to face challenges in addressing violent crime on their reservations. I will continue working to expand economic opportunities for tribes and all Montanans through the responsible development of our natural resources and empowering our tribes to fulfill tribal needs.
State, Local, Tribal Support a Must for Any CMR Bison Proposal
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines is calling for the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services to provide more information on the purpose and scope of what they are considering on the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (CMR) and to hold a more transparent deliberation process that guarantees any proposal on the reintroduction of bison in the CMR has State, local, and tribal support. Daines’ request comes after emails became public showing activists are lobbying the Biden administration to move forward “without Montana’s permission” and concerns from local stakeholders about the public input process
Daines Doubles Down on Biden Admin to Act on MMIW Crisis Following His Efforts to Get GAO Study
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines is once again urging the Biden administration to act to address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis (MMIW). Daines is calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and the Administration to implement his bills, the “Not Invisible Act of 2019” and “Savanna’s Act,” which help address the crisis. This comes after Daines successfully pushed the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a review on efforts to combat the MMIW crisis and GAO released its findings this week. “The recent GAO report found the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of the Interior (DOI) have failed
Daines to Haaland: We Need More Law Enforcement, Resources to Address MMIW Crisis in Montana
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines is urging Secretary of the Interior Debra Haaland to direct the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to hire and transfer more law enforcement personnel to Montana. Increased law enforcement personnel would provide Montana tribal nations with more resources to combat the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis. “As you are aware, Indian Country is fighting an ongoing crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women (MMIW). Tribal members make up 6.7% of Montana’s population, yet are 26% of our missing persons cases,” the letter states. “Our state’s Indian Reservations are hurting, and tribal leadership find themselves desperate
Daines Fights for Montana Indian Country, Urges Treasury Secretary to Establish Office of Tribal Affairs
U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines joined a group of bipartisan senators to urge U.S. Department of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to establish an Office of Tribal Affairs to strengthen the Department’s relationship with Montana’s tribal nations and provide more in-house expertise on matters affecting Indian Country. “The recent tribal consultations and interactions between Treasury and tribal nations underscore the need for sufficient, dedicated, in-house expertise at Treasury on tribal policy matters. The establishment of such an office has support from Indian Country and would improve Treasury’s ability to fulfill its trust responsibilities to respect the nation-to-nation relationship between the federal government
Daines, Klobuchar Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Combat Fraudulent Schemes Impacting Tribal Members
U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) introduced a bipartisan bill to increase awareness and reporting of fraud and scams that target Tribal members. “The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on enough hardships, and now Montana triba lmembers are being targeted by scammers,” Daines said. “This is unacceptable, and we must do more to protect our tribes and bring awareness to these predatory acts.” “For too long fraud and scams have targeted tribal communities, and the pandemic has only made this issue worse,” said Klobuchar. “We must ensure we have policies in place to prevent future schemes and stop bad actors, and this bipartisan legislation will do just
Daines, Tester Bring Awareness to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Crisis
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester’s resolution marking May 5th, 2021, as a National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls passed the U.S. Senate. “It’s important to keep the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis at the forefront of the national conversation. On May 5 we remember Hanna Harris, who would be celebrating her 29th birthday, and the countless other lives that have been lost due to this crisis. Shedding a light on this tragic issue is a way to effectively address and protect our native communities,” Daines said. “I will continue to advocate for public safety as we look
Daines Announces Two Dot, Montana’s Margaret Evelyn Martin Has Accepted Offer of Appointment from U.S. Air Force Academy
U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced academy nominee Margaret Evelyn Martin has accepted an offer of appointment from the United States Air Force Academy. Margaret lives in Two Dot, Montana. “Margaret is an outstanding young Montanan who has a bright future ahead of her. She has displayed true leadership and determination by juggling work, sports, and volunteer and family responsibilities, all while maintaining above average grades in her classes, including her advanced placement courses,” Daines said. “I look forward to following her success at the academy as well as her future career.” Margaret will graduate from Harlowton High School in May. She
What They Are Saying: Montana Leaders Praise Montana Water Rights Protection Act Being Signed into Law
U.S. SENATE – On Sunday, U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester celebrated their bipartisan bill, the “Montana Water Rights Protection Act,” being signed into law by President Trump. The bill permanently settles the century long CSKT water dispute, supports Montana jobs, saves taxpayer dollars, modernizes rural infrastructure and protects the water rights of all Montanans. Several Montana leaders issued statements in support following the President’s signing of this critical legislation. “After years of effort, our bipartisan bill that settles the century long CSKT water dispute is now law. This is a huge win for all Montanans. Our bill protects
Daines, Tester Bipartisan Bill Settling Century Long Montana Water Dispute Signed Into Law
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester today celebrated their bipartisan bill, the “Montana Water Rights Protection Act,” being signed into law by President Trump. The bill permanently settles the century long CSKT water dispute, supports Montana jobs, modernizes rural infrastructure and protects the water rights of all Montanans. “After years of a lot of effort, our bipartisan bill that settles the century long CSKT water dispute is now law,” Daines said. “This is a huge win for all Montanans. Our bill protects the water rights of all Montanans, saves taxpayer dollars, creates jobs, modernizes rural infrastructure, protects Montana