Daines set on saving Keystone XL Pipeline
On Jan. 19, Sen. Steve Daines wrote a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to support the completion of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Daines states that the project will provide 11,000 direct high-paying jobs and 60,000 indirect jobs, generate tax revenue, increase renewable-energy demand, reduce emissions and strengthen North American energy independence. He says the completion of the pipeline is critical to rural, energy producing states like Montana.
USFWS to end harmful regulations
News from Senator Daines U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today applauded the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on their proposed rule to strike down a burdensome requirement resulting from the Cottonwood decision that yields no conservation benefit and has delayed forest projects while killing Montana timber jobs. The change comes as a result of Daines’ work and efforts. “This is a great step in reducing unnecessary red tape that has tied the hands of our land managers and diverted resources for a paperwork exercise that has no real conservation benefits,” Daines said. “This change will help improve the
Daines: New law prevents health insurance price-rigging
Health insurers no longer will be immune from federal antitrust laws that prohibit collusion and price-rigging under a bill that President Donald Trump signed into law last week. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, was among a bipartisan group of lawmakers who backed the legislation, known as the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act. It removes a 75-year-old exemption for health insurance carriers in federal antitrust laws that apply to nearly all other sectors of the economy. Supporters say it will deter anticompetitive practices that lead to artificially high premiums and harmful policy exclusions, saving Americans potentially billions of dollars in health-care
Congressional delegation weighs in on inauguration, moving forward
MISSOULA, Mont. — All three members of Montana’s Congressional delegation attended the inauguration of President Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States, and Vice President Kamala Harris, the nation’s first woman and first person of color elected to that position. “You know, as Joe (Biden) said — don’t tell me things can’t change, because things have changed. And hopefully this is the first of many women that will be in the executive branch, whether it’s vice president or president,” Sen. Jon Tester said. “I just think it’s a great sign for the country.” “Kamala Harris was also —
Sen. Daines tweets: “Biden has already started his attack on American energy projects”
HELENA, Mont. – Senator Steve Daines took to Twitter Wednesday, speaking out on President Joe Biden’s actions on day one. Sen. Daines tweeted this thread: On day one, @JoeBiden has already started his attack on American energy projects. — Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) January 20, 2021 First, his disastrous Paris Climate Agreement action. Now his decision to kill the Keystone XL pipeline which will jeopardize American energy security & destroy American JOBS. We must do everything we can to keep construction of the pipeline going. — Steve Daines (@SteveDaines) January 20, 2021 That’s why I’m introducing legislation to reverse
Western Senators Demand Biden Reverse Course On Keystone Pipeline
A delegation of Republican western senators are warning Joe Biden against his decision to axe the Trump administration’s permit for the Keystone Pipeline on his first day in office Wednesday. The pipeline, currently running oil from the Canadian province of Alberta to Illinois and Texas, has consistently been a hot political issue since it was proposed more than a decade ago. Its construction was initially blocked by the Obama-Biden White House. Biden, according to CNN, now appears poised to reverse Trump’s approval and bring an end to the project, costing upwards of 11,000 jobs, 8,000 of which are union, and
Second round of Paycheck Protection Program funds now available
News from the office of Senator Daines U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that beginning this week, Montana small businesses heavily impacted by the pandemic are able to apply for the second round of Paycheck Protection Program loans. “This PPP funding is critical for Montana small businesses who have been hit hard due to the pandemic,” Daines said. “This funding will help keep Montana small businesses open and their workers employed. I’m glad I was able to help secure it.” Montana’s hardest hit businesses can begin applying for their first draw PPP loans, and beginning Jan. 13,
Republicans call for Senate review before U.S. re-enters Paris climate deal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A group of Republican senators on Wednesday called on newly sworn-in President Joe Biden to submit his plan to re-engage the United States in the Paris climate agreement to lawmakers for “review and consideration,” moments after Biden signed an executive order to rejoin the accord. Biden’s announcement that he would seek to return the United States to the agreement was the centerpiece of a raft of day-one executive orders aimed at restoring U.S. leadership in combating global warming. However, the senators’ move reflects the deep-seated political divisions over global warming policy that are likely to dog Democrat