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Senate Republicans Tuesday postponed a planned vote on the GOP bill to replace Obamacare until after the July 4th recess.  The move is a blow to Republican leaders who had been pushing for a vote this week out of concern that a delay would only make it more difficult to pass. But it became clear that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not have time to round up enough support in the few days before their desired deadline of Friday. Republican leaders plan to work on a revised version of the bill with the goal of coming to an agreement

Savage High School student Soda Rice doesn’t think she ever wants to be a politician, but she greatly appreciated the trip to the nation’s capital for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Youth Tour earlier this month. Rice, who is entering her junior year, was one of 27 students in Montana who was selected for the trip by their local cooperative after completing an essay. Rice was chosen by the Lower Yellowstone Rural Electric Cooperative. She was encouraged to apply for the trip after seeing students Trey Bloesser and Owen Nelson, each of Savage, benefit from the experience.  “They had

BIG SKY – Big Sky is world famous for its outdoor recreation, and on Sunday night Senator Steve Daines spoke at the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce Awards and Dinner about how those popular outdoor activities continue to the economic success of the area. The Keynote speaker addressed members and guests after the chamber presented its economic outlook for the next year, elected new board members, presented awards to community leaders and recapped the successes of the past year. Daines also spoke about how the federal government can help communities like Big Sky and Bozeman as their populations continue to

BILLINGS — Montana’s Republican U.S. senator, Steve Daines, says he’ll decide whether to support his party’s health care bill after hearing from constituents. The Billings Gazette reported Saturday that Daines will host a telephone town hall next Wednesday on the Senate Republican proposal. At least five GOP senators have declared their opposition to the party’s legislation to undo much of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul — more than enough to defeat the measure. Daines criticized the U.S. House GOP’s health care proposal after the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported that 14 million Americans would lose their coverage next year under

Both of Montana’s senators will host virtual town halls this week ahead of the U.S. Senate vote on its version of a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Democratic Senator Jon Tester will hold a Facebook Live Town Hall Tuesday, June 27 at 6:00 p.m. Tester hosted an in-person town hall to talk about healthcare in Great Falls over the weekend. Republican Senator Steve Daines will host a “tele-townhall” over the phone on Wednesday night at 6:15. To register for the call, text  “SenatorDaines” as one word to 82-82-82 or call any of Daines’ offices. Senate leaders hope to vote on

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana isn’t saying how he’ll vote for the latest Republican plan to replace former President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the Senate Republican health care bill would leave 22 million more people uninsured in 2026 compared to Obama’s law. Daines, a Republican, isn’t expected to take a position before he holds a constituent teleconference on Wednesday. He said in a statement Monday he’s heard from thousands of residents on the importance of repealing and replacing Obamacare, and the question is how to do it. Fifty of

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M) reintroduced Wedensday the bipartisan Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony (STOP) Act, a bill to prohibit the exporting of sacred Native American items and increase penalties for stealing and illegally trafficking tribal cultural patrimony.    U.S. Senators Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) are cosponsors of the bill.   To announce the legislation, Heinrich hosted a meeting with students from the Santa Fe Indian School Leadership Institute’s Summer Policy Academy (SPA) in his office in Washington, D.C. The students

State and national leaders continue to weigh timber restrictions alongside the future of communities in Northwest Montana. Reporter Nicole Miller learned more about some efforts that are underway to make good on past promises while President Trump’s recently released budget threatens funding for conservation and public lands in Montana and across the country. During Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s first hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) spoke with him about the lack of revenue in economically pressed timber-rich counties due to the restrictions on the timber industry on federally owned lands. “We have counties in Montana that have over 90% owned by the federal government and of course there is no tax base there because the federal