Daines, Leahy Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Big Health Insurance Companies from Price Fixing, Collusion
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (Mont.) and Patrick Leahy (Vt) today introduced legislation to ensure that health insurance companies are held accountable for pricing drugs. The bill, the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act amends McCarran-Ferguson, which exempted insurance companies from federal antitrust laws. “For far too long, health insurance companies have gotten away with taking advantage of consumers and charging them outrageous prices for their health care,” Daines said. “It’s time we look into these companies practices by demanding transparency in order to hold them accountable.” “There’s simply no justification for exempting health insurance companies from laws prohibiting price fixing. Applying our federal
Daines to VA: Our Veterans Deserve Better
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today during a hearing in the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies, told leaders of the United States Department of Veterans’ Affairs that their plan for the Electronic Health Record Modernization is a recipe for disaster, and veterans deserve better. Download video HERE “Enterprise solutions with a 10-year timeline and a $16 billion price tag – that is a recipe for disaster. That is a recipe for not spending tax dollars wisely. But the people who are hurt most by that are our veterans,” Daines stated. The hearing was
Daines Announces Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee Assignments
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that he has been selected to serve on three subcommittees within the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. For the second consecutive Congress, Daines will serve as chair of the National Parks Subcommittee. “The Energy and Natural Resources Committee is important to Montana and oversees policies that directly impact the people of Montana,” Daines said. “I will continue to fight for greater access to our public lands, to address our National Parks maintenance backlog, to unlock our nation’s energy potential, and to implement commonsense forest management reforms. These issues are vital in protecting our
Daines: We Must Protect All Life
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines yesterday took the floor of the U.S. Senate to urge his colleagues to support the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. The bill would make it federal law that born-alive babies who survive abortions must be treated the same as every other living baby. Download the video HERE “If we can’t agree on something so fundamental that babies born alive deserve the right to life, I fear deeply for the direction some are taking our country,”Daines said. Click HERE to read the bill text. At the March for Life Rally last month, Daines announced the start of the first ever Pro-Life
Sen. Daines outlines upcoming priorities in Congress
HELENA – Drug prices was one of the topics U.S. Senator Steve Daines discussed with lawmakers on Friday. The Republican addressed the legislature and spoke briefly with reporters about his priorities for Congress. When asked what solution he would like to see for border security — and keeping the government open, in two weeks — Sen. Daines said he still thinks a partial wall along the Southern border is a reasonable request. But, above all, he wants both sides to compromise. “The right answer is to come up with a bipartisan solution,” Daines said. “Nancy Pelosi said we’re not going to negotiate until the
Legislation including mineral withdrawal north of Yellowstone, LWCF to get vote in U.S. Senate next week
Permanently banning new mining claims north of Yellowstone National Park and renewing a popular conservation fund are closer to reality, as the U.S. Senate plans to take up a broad lands bill including the two measures next week. The bill, S. 47, contains a variety of public lands legislation across the country including two measures that have been important to the Montana congressional delegation — the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act and the reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Representatives from the offices of Montana’s two senators have told the Chronicle the bill will hit the Senate floor early
Daines says Montanans want less government
HELENA – Sen. Steve Daines told state lawmakers Friday that Montanans don’t want a government that reaches “deeper” into their pockets and wanted courts with judges without political agendas. The Montana Republican spoke to state House members during a 30-minute speech in which he discussed topics such as the honor of public service, a memorial being approved for a slain Broadwater County deputy, job creation, term limits, lower prescription drug prices and the Keystone XL Pipeline. “I will not stop fighting for common sense solutions on issues that mean the most to Montanans,” he said. Democratic Sen. Jon Tester spoke
Daines Secures Vote on Bipartisan Public Lands Package
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today secured a vote on a landmark bipartisan public lands package, which includes permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act. The public lands package moves forward to the floor of the United States Senate just one day after Daines urged Senate Leadership to bring the package up for a vote. “I’m pleased Senate Leadership is bringing this critical bill for Montana to the floor for a vote,” Daines said. “From permanent reauthorization of LWCF to the passage of the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, it’s
Daines cosponsors bill to repeal death tax
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R.Mont., has announced that he is cosponsoring the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2019. The bill would fully repeal the federal estate tax, also known as “the death tax.” “The death tax hits Montana’s farming and ranch families the hardest and often results in the break-up of family farms,” Daines said. “Families who are dealing with the death of a loved one shouldn’t have to worry about what is going to happen to their land. I’m glad that were able to double the death tax exemption in the last Congress. Now it’s time for full repeal.”