KULR8: Montana senator pushes for rural broadband
BILLINGS – Today Senator Steve Daines pressed the FCC to close the gap between rural and urban communities and to expand connectivity in rural areas to make broadband service more accessible to all Montanans. Daines pushed the USDA last week for quicker action to provide broadband for thousands of Montanans currently without service. Earlier this year, he worked with the federal government to make sure this issue was a top priority. He is now pushing for bringing connectivity to unserved communities rather than those that already have access. Both Senator Daines and Senator Jon Tester are pushing for broadband initiatives that
Montana Congressional Delegation Works to Remove Trade Barriers for Montana Pulse Producers
Senator Steve Daines, Senator Jon Tester and Congressman Ryan Zinke are actively working to resolve regulatory barriers that threaten Montana pulse crop producers’ access to international markets. The Montana Congressional delegation sent a letter urging Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Department of Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker to resolve issues surrounding India’s recent regulatory changes that will negatively affect Montana pulse producers’ ability to export peas, lentils and chickpeas to Indian markets. The delegation is working to preempt the economic hardships that pulse producers may face as a result of reduced access to critical markets abroad. “Montana produces more
Daines Pushes to Expand Rural Broadband
Click here to watch Daines’ remarks. Click here to download Daines’ remarks. Senator Steve Daines today pushed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to close the gap in connectivity between rural and urban areas. Daines called on the FCC to expand connectivity in rural regions to minimize the divide that currently exists in delivery of broadband service. “Access to technology removes geography as a constraint and allows Montanans to start and grow world-class companies,” Daines stated. “But we still have a lot of issues to overcome to connect our unserved communities and the FCC plays a big role.” Last week, Daines
Daines: CISA Fails to Protect Americans’ Personal Privacy
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today expressed his disappointment after the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) passed the United States Senate and reaffirmed his concerns that the legislation failed to sufficiently protect Americans’ privacy and civil liberties: “I have serious concerns that this legislation fails to fully protect Montanans’ right to privacy from government overreach. As someone who spent nearly 13 years in the technology sector, I know firsthand the cybersecurity risks facing Montanans and agree that we must adopt real reforms that better protect Americans from these threats. But these reforms must not come at the expense of Montanans’
Daines Fights to Protect Montana Coal Jobs
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today went to bat for Montana coal jobs by formally introducing measures to block implementation of new rules on coal-fired power plants and calling the Obama administration’s myriad of anti-coal regulations a direct attack on Montana energy. This afternoon, Daines and 48 other Senators introduced two bipartisan resolutions disapproving of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Clean Power Plan regulations on new and existing power sources. The Congressional Review Act resolutions of disapproval will block the Obama administration’s regulations on new and existing coal-fired power plants. Daines joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues including, Majority
Daily Inter Lake: U.S. pushes for new lumber deal
Following the Oct. 12 expiration of a major trade agreement between the United States and Canada, American timber companies are pushing for a new deal that will limit the flow of cheap lumber into the states from their neighbors to the north. The softwood trade agreement was finalized by the two countries in 2006 after decades of trade grievances arising from two starkly different styles of timber harvesting. Prior to 2006, Canadian producers would respond to declining lumber prices by ramping up production to compensate, and cheap Canadian timber would flood the U.S. market, to the detriment of American producers.
NBC Montana: Kalispell receives $10 million TIGER grant
KALISPELL, Mont. – Kalispell received word Monday morning that it received a $10 million transportation grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant, nicknamed TIGER grant, will partially fund a $21 million project the city has been planning for the last five years. “This is transformational for the city of Kalispell,” said Kalispell City Planner Tom Jentz. The project includes the construction of an industrial rail park at the site of the former McElroy & Wilkin gravel pit in Evergreen. Kalispell city planners say the Flathead County Economic Development Authority will build the rail park. They
Daines Helps Introduce Bill to Rein in Regulatory Authority
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines has introduced legislation to rein in out of control executive agencies that interpret laws inappropriately to grant themselves more regulatory authority than Congress intended. The Regulatory Authority Clarification Act would allow Congress to provide additional clarification on what regulatory authority has or hasn’t been granted by passing concurrent resolutions. “Montanans know far too well the cost of Washington’s top-down, unchecked ability to issue broad and burdensome regulations,” Daines stated. “This legislation is a good step towards reducing the costly red-tape that hinders the growth and stability of hardworking Montana businesses. It’s far past time
Daines Announces $10 Million in Funding for Infrastructure Improvements in Kalispell
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today announced that the city of Kalispell has been awarded $10 million in Transportation, Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant funds for critical infrastructure improvements in downtown Kalispell. The Glacier Rail Park/Kalispell Core Area Development and Trail Project will construct rail and road infrastructure at Glacier Rail Park to accommodate existing and prospective customers and remove rail from downtown Kalispell. The project will also increase pedestrian and cyclist access to streets, as well as construct a trail system and parks stretching across the community. “This long-overdue grant is great news for the city of Kalispell and will