In The News

When Sen. Steven Daines, R-Mont., traveled to China last week, he took with him a special gift from northeastern Montana. That gift was four steaks from the ranch of Fred Wacker of Miles City, Montana, packed inside a cooler, hand-carried by the senator.    These were ultimately presented to Chinese Premier Li Keqiang as part of efforts to seal a deal to open Chinese markets to American beef. China closed its markets to U.S. beef after a Washington dairy cow was identified in 2003 with bovine spongiform encephalopathy, more commonly referred to as mad cow disease, and they have been

The express goal of the congressional delegation’s trip to the Far East was to open U.S. export opportunities in China, Tibet, Hong Kong and Japan. But recent global events have largely overtaken that agenda, with an intensifying confrontation between the U.S. and North Korea over missile launches and nuclear testing grabbing the world’s attention. On Monday, Montana Sen. Steve Daines hosted a telephone news conference with more than a dozen regional news outlets to discuss his, and a host of other export-hungry congressmen’s efforts to expand U.S. trade opportunities in the Pacific Rim. “I’ve just returned from a congressional delegation

Montana Senator Steve Daines says he thinks Asia respects President Donald Trump’s recent hardline stances in North Korea and Syria. “In other words, the peace through strength doctrine of Ronald Reagan is starting to be heard a bit more over in Asia,” says Daines. “We have a president now that I think is regaining the respect of the world to its leadership.” Daines is fresh off a congressional delegation trip to China, Tibet, Hong Kong and Japan. Last fall, China announced it would end its 13-year ban on U.S. beef imports after a Mad Cow disease scare. Daines, a Republican, says he

U.S. Senator Steve Daines recently returned from a trip to Asia, where he discussed trade, in particular—beef. Daines is hopeful China will soon resume U.S. beef imports the Republican announced during a press call with Reporters.   China banned U.S. beef in 2003 after an incident with mad-cow disease in Washington State. Mad cow disease or BSE, short for bovine spongiform encephalopathy, was responsible for significant losses in U.S. international beef trade.   Daines said that while China has agreed in principal to lift the U.S. ban, there’s been a delay over details of making sure there’s a tracking system

U.S. Senator Steve Daines says he thinks American beef is almost back on the menu in China.   “We’re now engaged at the highest levels in their government and telling them this is a very important issue for the United States,” Daines says.   Last September, China announced it was ending its 13-year ban on U.S. beef imports after a 2003 Mad Cow disease scare in Washington State. Since then, trade reps have been working on an agreement that would get U.S. beef back in Chinese markets.    Daines, Montana’s Republican Senator, says he thinks the final details are about

BOZEMAN -Senator Steve Daines toured the new Universal Athletics headquarters Monday, a new facility in Midtown Bozeman, that was made possible through the New Markets Tax Credit Program.   Universal Athletics is the third business that the New Markets Tax Credit Program, or NMTC along with the Montana and Idaho Community Development Corporation has financed in Bozeman. Universal Athletics was originally located on East Main in downtown Bozeman, but as the company expanded they were running out of room. Instead of having to move to a location where the costs would be lower, NMTC allowed universal athletics the opportunity to

U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) is urging the Transportation Security Administration to fulfill Glacier Park International Airport’s request for a third X-ray machine. Nearly 500,000 passengers flew in and out of GPIA in 2016 as the airport say a record number of travelers fifth consecutive year. Also, all-time monthly passenger records were set in 10 of the 12 months for the airport last year. Sen. Daines noted the spike in tourism across the region and notable ridership through GPIA in a letter to the TSA. “G-P-I provides reliable air service for nearly 250-thousand passengers per year, enabling economic growth and allowing thousands of

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has reversed course on plans to hand management of the National Bison Range to the Bureau of Indian Affairs.   His move casts doubt on the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ plans to take control of the wildlife sanctuary in the middle of the Flathead Indian Reservation.   Saying he was committed to not selling or transferring public land, Zinke said Wednesday that the tribes “would play a pivotal role in our discussions about the best path forward.”   “I took a hard look at the current proposal suggesting a new direction for the National Bison

Federal investigators say there is credible evidence of unwelcome conduct toward female workers in Yellowstone National Park. Alcohol, inappropriate contact and remarks that female employees said made them feel “uncomfortable and degraded” were revealed during a seven-month investigation into Yellowstone’s maintenance division. The report was issued Wednesday by Interior’s inspector general, who concluded that harassing workplace behavior by male employees had gone on for years because of actions or inactions of men in charge of the maintenance division. “We found credible evidence that male supervisors and staff in the Maintenance Division unit created a work environment that included unwelcome and