Daines Hails Passage of Bill to Support Montana Hydropower Projects
Bill Extends Hydropower Licenses U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today praised Senate passage of his bill, S.3373, to allow for the extension FERC hydropower projects licensed before March of 2020 for an additional four years. As projects in Montana and throughout the United States struggle to meet deadlines due to supply chain shortages, Daines’ bill will give the needed time to start construction and increase energy production in the United States. “Montanans know that an all-of-the-above energy portfolio is best, and that includes hydropower. Supporting Montana hydropower projects is essential to our energy security, helps create Montana jobs and keeps costs low
Daines Slams Held v. Montana Ruling
U.S. Senator Steve Daines issued the following statement today on the Montana Supreme Court’s ruling in Held v. Montana: “Today’s ruling by the Montana Supreme Court is egregious. The Court is once again legislating from the bench. This decision will gut Governor Gianforte’s made-in-Montana energy policy, crush energy production and stifle economic development in Montana,”said Daines.
Daines Secures Major Montana Wins in NDAA
Bill Includes Pay Raise for Troops, Travel Reimbursement for National Guard and Reserve Servicemembers, Support for the Mission at Malmstrom, Funding for Tech Hubs, Rip and Replace Program U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that several of his legislative priorities passed out of the Senate in the “National Defense Authorization Act” (NDAA), including a pay raise for troops, Daines’ effort to reimburse Reserve and National Guard troops for travel expenses, critical funding for the mission at Malmstrom, construction authorizations for the Montana National Guard, and additional funds for Daines’ bill to support Tech Hubs and Daines’ bill to fully fund the
Daines Bill to Prevent Loss of Cell Service, Strengthen National Security Passes Senate
Today, U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) along with Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss), and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) announced that their bill to fully fund the “Rip and Replace” program has passed the U.S. Senate. The legislation was included in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is expected to be signed into law. This bill will ensure providers in rural areas have the resources they need to implement the congressional directive to replace Chinese manufactured infrastructure in our telecommunications industry, helping protect Americans from espionage and service blackouts. Download Daines’ video statement HERE. “I am glad to see this commonsense legislation included
Daines, Kim Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Pension Benefits for Veteran Families
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.) today introduced a bill to prohibit the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) from retroactively collecting pre-approved pension benefits from a veterans’ family following the death of the beneficiary. “Our veterans have served our country at the highest level and deserve our full support. Their families should not be concerned about VA collections calls in their time of grieving because of the VA’s bureaucracy. I am proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to improve the pension benefits payments process and ensure that our veteran families are not encumbered with
Daines Announces Service Academy Nominees
U.S. Senator Steve Daines today officially nominated six Montana students applying for enrollment into U.S. military academies. “Montana has a long legacy of service, and it’s one of my greatest honors to nominate the next generation of servicemembers for enrollment into our nation’s great military academies. These young Montanans have earned remarkable grades, exhibited leadership skills and have a passion for giving back to their country, and I wish them the best as they embark on the next step toward their bright future of service,” said Daines. A congressional nomination is a critical step in the process for Montanans seeking admission
Daines Thanks Senator Tester for Years of Service to Montana
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today issued the following statement thanking Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) for his service to Montana. “I’d like to thank Senator Tester for his 25 years of public service to the people of Montana. Jon’s career is an illustration of what makes America so special. Big Sandy is a small town of less than a thousand people in northern Montana, and it was there that Senator Tester got his start on the Big Sandy School Board. He was elected to the Montana Senate in 1998, became Montana Senate president and then ran and won his
Daines, Smith Introduce Bill to Combat Drug Trafficking in Tribal Communities
U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) today announced the bipartisan “Protection for Reservation Occupants Against Trafficking and Evasive Communications Today (PROTECT) Act” to combat drug trafficking in tribal communities. The “PROTECT Act” would expand the Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction (STCJ) program to allow tribal nations to prosecute non-Native offenders for drug crimes and gun crimes in furtherance of STCJ covered crimes. The “PROTECT Act” would also allow tribal courts to execute warrants for electronic material to better combat drug traffickers and other criminals. “As deadly drugs like fentanyl and opioids flow across our open southern border,
Daines Blasts Biden Admin for Killing Montana Mining, Slashing Jobs
Will Introduce Legislation to Reverse Biden Prohibition on New Coal Leasing in Powder River Basin U.S. Senator Steve Daines today issued the following statement after the Biden administration published their Miles City Resource Management Plan (RMP) Record of Decision which will prohibit any new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin of Montana. “At every turn the Biden administration has launched attack after attack on made in Montana energy and the people of Montana and the rest of the country rebuked the administration for it at the ballot box. Yet the Biden administration still did not get the message, issuing