In The News

Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) intends to promote the president’s energy policies next Thursday, when he gathers hundreds of energy industry leaders, policymakers and regulators for his biennial Montana Energy Summit in Billings.

It is said there are decades where nothing happens. And there are weeks where decades happen. Congress has a version of this. It’s a month called “August.” Crazy congressional things happen in August. This is ironic because, well, Congress is supposed to be on recess in August. But the biggest question buzzing around Capitol Hill now is whether the Senate will cancel or shorten that recess – and meet anyway. President Trump initiated this year’s fretting over a canceled recess with a tweet: “The Senate should get funding done before the August break, or NOT GO HOME. Wall and Border

Time to reschedule those vacation plans: The Senate’s traditional August recess is likely to be trimmed or possibly scrapped entirely, according to four Republican senators. Senate Republicans expect that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will soon announce plans to gut the four-week recess as his caucus and President Donald Trump clamor for more action in Washington. McConnell discussed the matter privately with his leadership team on Monday evening in a members-only meeting, according to two GOP senators. No final decision has been made, senators said, and the caucus is still debating how many weeks of the recess to slash. But McConnell,

  Pat Spoonheim, better known as Piano Pat, plays on a recent Wednesday night at the Sip ‘n’ Dip. She has played piano at the bar since 1963. Two Montanans were cast into the national spotlight Friday when two federal lawmakers honored a famed Great Falls piano player and a Fort Benton coffee shop owner for making differences in their communities.  Patricia Spoonheim, better known as “Piano Pat,” was honored by Rep. Greg Gianforte with his Spirit of Montana award for “entertaining countless patrons from Montana and across the globe at the Sip ‘n Dip Lounge since 1963.” The iconic Tiki bar

During a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) urged Amtrak officials to reconsider cutting ticket agent jobs at Amtrak’s Havre and Shelby stations and to take action to ensure the transportation needs of rural Montanans are met, including adding a stop in Culbertson. “The Empire Builder is critically important to keeping our rural communities connected, transporting out-of-state visitors to some of Montana’s pristine landscapes and supporting local economies,” said Daines. “Amtrak must take action to ensure the needs of Montanans and rural travelers are met.” During

     Sen. Steve Daines is urging U.S. Air Force officials to consider Malmstrom Air Force Base as a future site for the B-21 bomber. The Montana Republican made his suggestion Thursday to U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on the Air Force budget. He said Gen. David Goldfein spoke in September about the strategic advantages and budgetary efficiencies of having Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) assets and long-range bombers both located at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. “I find that argument very compelling and believe the same advantages could be

During a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on  Senator Steve Daines urged Amtrak officials to reconsider cutting ticket agent jobs at Amtrak’s Havre and Shelby stations. He asked them to take action to ensure the transportation needs of rural Montanans are met. “The Empire Builder is critically important to keeping our rural communities connected, transporting out-of-state visitors to some of Montana’s pristine landscapes and supporting local economies,” said Daines. “Amtrak must take action to ensure the needs of Montanans and rural travelers are met.” During the hearing, Daines worried about the loss of ticketing agent jobs at the Havre

During a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies, U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) urged Amtrak officials to reconsider cutting ticket agent jobs at Amtrak’s Havre and Shelby stations and to take action to ensure the transportation needs of rural Montanans are met, including adding a stop in Culbertson. “The Empire Builder is critically important to keeping our rural communities connected, transporting out-of-state visitors to some of Montana’s pristine landscapes and supporting local economies,” said Daines. “Amtrak must take action to ensure the needs of Montanans and rural travelers are met.” During the

    Daines looking for new airline after Delta ends NRA discount Montana GOP Sen. Steve Daines is among a group of senators calling on Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to cancel the five-week August recess in order to get what he called a backlog of work done before the Sept. 30 budget deadline. “If we are complicit, we are on track for another last-minute spending battle come September,” the 16 senators wrote in their May 10 letter to McConnell, R-Kentucky. “However, if we take action now, we can break the cycle of continuing resolutions and omnibus spending deals.” In a