Daines Urges President Trump to Support Funding for the National Guard in Montana Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today sent a letter to President Trump urging the administration to fully fund National Guard operations in Montana amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Restoring the one hundred percent Federal cost-share for all National Guard units will allow it to continue to execute the numerous tasks required for our nation’s response to the threat COVID-19 poses,” Daines wrote. “The National Guard has lessened the impacts of the virus in many ways including support to community-based testing sites, distributing millions of meals to Americans in need, as well as aiding our front line health workers that provide
Daines: We Must Work Together on Targeted COVID-19 Relief for Montana
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today highlighted several Montana priorities in the Senate COVID-19 relief package which will be voted on this week. The relief package will provide relief for Montana workers, families, schools, small businesses as well as expand access to testing and promote vaccine development. “This targeted relief package will help Montana families, workers and small businesses bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as provide funding for Montana schools to keep students and teachers safe and advance vaccine development to help us get back to normal,” Daines said. “I encourage my colleagues on both sides
Sen. Daines leads push against minimum insurance increase
A contingent of U.S. Senators are standing up against a push to significantly increase the minimum insurance requirement for motor carriers. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and six of his colleagues sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in response to a provision added to House Democrats’ version of a highway bill that would increase the liability insurance coverage requirement from $750,000 to $2 million per truck. “We ask that you refrain from including any increase in the existing minimum liability coverage for motor carriers,” the letter stated. “An increase in insurance requirements is both
Daines backs grizzly delisting bill
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines has co-sponsored a bill to remove Endangered Species Act protection from grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and prevent any court challenge. The bill gets its first hearing before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Wednesday morning. Fellow Republican Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming authored the 80-word Grizzly Bear Management Act of 2019, which would reissue the Department of Interior’s 2017 delisting rule for Greater Yellowstone grizzlies “without regard to any other provision of statute or regulation that applies to the issuance of such rule. Such reissuance (including this section) shall not be
Officials hope weather will help slow Bridger Foothills fire, but say work isn’t over
A fire that blew up over the weekend and burned 7,100 acres in the Bridgers continued growing slowly to the north on Sunday, and fire officials said there’s a lot of unburned fuel there. The Bridger Foothills fire laid down Saturday night as cooler temperatures moved into Bozeman. But Sunday was another day with weather favorable for fire growth, and officials said helicopters were attacking a fire that picked up in the northwest corner of the burned area. Corey Lewellen, Bozeman district ranger with Custer Gallatin Gallatin National Forest, said at a virtual public meeting Sunday afternoon that fire officials
Washington Briefs
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines cosponsored legislation encouraging the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to work with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to recruit medical personnel and professionals currently employed across military medical departments to work for the VA, providing jobs for Montana veterans. The VA reportedly has over 45,000 open positions. “Veterans serving veterans makes sense. My bill will help ensure Montanans making the transition from warrior to veteran have a job available where they can support their fellow veterans,” said Daines. U.S. Sen. Daines announced that President Trump signed his bipartisan legislation that would guarantee benefits for
Daines Secures Over $4 Million to Bolster Montana Housing Infrastructure, Community Development Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that $4,039,203 will be directed to Montana through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to support housing needs and infrastructure development for Montana communities during the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. “This critical funding is about supporting Montana’s housing infrastructure needs and community development during the ongoing COVD-19 pandemic,” Daines said. “I’m glad to have worked to secure this critical support for our communities and I will continue working to ensure the needs of Montana are met during these challenging times.” Daines fought to secure $5 billion for the CDBG in the
Daines Secures $516,000 Towards Boosting Manufacturing Jobs Through the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will be directing $516,000 to Montana State University for the operation of the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center through the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. “This critical funding will help continue to boost and promote manufacturing in Big Sky Country,” Daines said. “I will continue working to prioritize programs that support made in Montana manufacturing and that create good paying jobs for our communities.” Daines has been a strong supporter of MEP programs and Montana manufacturing, voting to secure funding for this public-private partnership.
Sen. Daines visits Missoula school to view new sanitizing technology
(KPAX) Sen. Steve Daines was in Missoula on Friday to test and demonstrate how a new mobile sanitizing unit might be used in schools. Hellgate middle school played host to the event and students from the school put their backpacks and contents through the Kart Kleen UV disinfecting machines to show how it works. Kart Kleen is based in Missoula. Daines praised the efforts of a Montana company to come up with a Montana solution to the safe school’s dilemma. He also said this is a great tool and loves how non invasive the process is. “What I like about