In The News

MISSOULA, Mont. — A groundbreaking ceremony will take place Friday, for the new Missoula Veterans’ Affairs Clinic. The Community-Based Outpatient Clinic will be built on a vacant lot at Mary Jane Boulevard and West Broadway. It received federal funding in the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017. Both U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester will attend the groundbreaking. The CBOC will have an estimated 52,557 energy efficient net usable square feet and serve approximately 47,000 area veterans with Primary Care, Mental Health, and Specialty Care services. The following was sent out by U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs:

Service veterans across western Montana will say goodbye to the cramped confines of the Department of Veterans Affairs current Missoula medical clinic next winter when a new integrated care center opens on West Broadway. VA officials joined veterans, Native Americans and members of Montana’s congressional delegation on Friday to break ground on that new $31 million facility, which will double the size of the antiquated clinic off Palmer Street. “Today marks our first next step forward for Montana veterans, both those with us today and future veterans,” said Dr. Judy Hayman, director of the VA Montana Healthcare System. “This new

MISSOULA — A crowd gathered on Friday to celebrate the start of construction on the new David J. Thatcher Veterans Affairs clinic. The event brought together Montana’s U.S. senators, veterans, the Salish-Kootenai tribe and more. The facility will be 60,000 square feet, covering eight acres. That’s about a 40,000 square foot increase from the current clinic. The $48 million dollar clinic is named after Montana veteran, David J. Thatcher, who received the silver star for his service in the Doolittle Raid. The facility will have tele-medicine technology. Health care professionals will be able to treat patients virtually, who are unable

Critics have complained that Western Montana’s veterans have had to make do with an undersized clinic, but that’s about to change. Friday in Missoula was the groundbreaking for a vastly updated outpatient veteran’s clinic in Missoula. At over 52,000 energy efficient square feet, Missoula’s brand-new VA facility will be a much larger upgrade over the existing Community Based Outpatient Clinic, or CBOC. The new David J. Thatcher VA Clinic, named for the decorated Montanan who participated in the 1942 Doolittle Raid on Japan, will have 154 percent more space than the existing clinic. When it opens late next year, the

U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Steve Daines (R-MT) on July 2 introduced a bill that would streamline regulations for federal government agencies. “While some regulation is necessary, there is too much red tape that is outdated, redundant and irrelevant to the task at hand,” Sen. Tillis said. “This bill will create a more conducive environment for small businesses, companies and organizations across the country to succeed by streamlining agencies and organizing a more effective process.” Sens. Tillis and Daines are original cosponsors of the Unnecessary Agency Regulations Reduction Act, S. 4196, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) to

Two thirds of Montana’s Congressional delegation, along with the Lieutenant Governor were all in Missoula on Friday for the groundbreaking ceremony of the David J. Thatcher VA Clinic on West Broadway near the Missoula International Airport. Dr. Judy Haman is the Executive Director of the VA Montana Healthcare System. Dr. Haman said this clinic will offer state of the art care for Western Montana’s veterans. “We’re very excited to announce our new, expanded David J. Thatcher VA Clinic,” said Dr. Haman. “It’s going to be state of the art, technologically savvy, with more space for our wonderful staff and it

U.S. Senator Steve Daines, R-Montana, this week sponsored the “Ending Taxpayer Funding of Anarchy Act,” which would restrict federal funding to cities and states that allow “anarchist jurisdictions” when local or city governments give up their duty to protect its citizens from non-governmental actors and protesters and no longer provide police, fire or emergency medical services. “We cannot let mob rule dominate our cities and communities,” Daines said. “Our tax dollars should go towards restoring public safety, not enabling chaos and destruction.” This legislation follows the shooting and killing of a 16 year old minor in the Seattle anarchist jurisdiction,

With repairs ongoing on parts of the St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance Works that supplies much of the water in the Milk River, the water users found out they are getting a break on the repairs. Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., announced Wednesday that U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees operation of the system, has determined the repairs qualify as emergency work, reducing the cost to the users. Tester and Daines each had sent letters requesting the designation. The system is part of the Milk River Project irrigation system and normally has 75 percent of the cost

A trio of Republican U.S. senators, including Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, introduced a bill this week that would establish regional strike teams to respond to outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities and extend reporting requirements related to COVID-19 — both for the rest of the year and retrospective to the start of 2020. The Emergency Support for Nursing Homes and Elder Justice Reform Act of 2020 was introduced by Sens. Grassley of Iowa, Steve Daines of Montana, and Martha McSally of Arizona. In addition to the strike teams and reporting mandates, the bill would renew and reauthorize funding for