In The News

Montana Sen. Steve Daines, a Republican, is joining with 10 other senators in a move aimed to dismiss impeachment against President Donald Trump. In a resolution to be introduced Monday, Daines and 10 other senators propose to alter Senate rules on handling the impeachment trial. Under the resolution, if the House does not send articles of impeachment to the Senate within 25 days of adoption, a senator could move to dismiss the articles with a simple majority vote.  The House voted to impeach the president Dec. 18, voting on two articles largely along party lines. Since then, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi,

There was no debate among Montana’s Congressional delegation Friday about Qassem Soleimani being an enemy of the state. But, there is a split over whether lawmakers should have been consulted about the drone strike killing the Iran general. A U.S. air strike in Iraq killed Soleimani Thursday night. Iran called the general’s death an act of war and vowed revenge. Only a few lawmakers learned ahead of time that President Donald Trump had ordered the air strike. “Soleimani was an evil terrorist who killed hundreds of Americans. Iran’s Quds Force was mistaken not to take warnings from the President seriously,”

A bill to name a ridge on the east side of the Paradise Valley for an Air Force bomber that crashed there in 1962 has advanced in the U.S. Senate. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee unanimously backed S. 490, which would name the southwestern arm of Emigrant Peak B-47 Ridge. With the vote Thursday, the bill advances to the Senate Floor. Naming the ridge is meant to honor the four pilots who died in the crash — Capt. Bill Faulconer, Lt. Fred Hixenbaugh, Lt. David Sutton and Lt. Lloyd Sawyers.  The bill is backed by Montana’s entire congressional

The Little Shell Tribe of the Chippewa Indians is once again on the verge of winning a generations-long battle to be recognized by the federal government. Legislation granting the Great Falls-based tribe federal recognition is attached to the National Defense Authorization Act. Federal recognition is required for the tribe and its 5,400 members in order for them to be eligible for federal resources for economic development, health, and education. The journey to federal recognition for the Little Shell Tribe has been difficult and faced roadblocks over the years. It came closest to passing in the closing days of the 115th Congress, but U.S. Senator Mike

The National Defense Authorization Act, which contains an amendment giving federal recognition for the Little Shell Chippewa Tribe, cleared a congressional conference committee Monday, bringing optimism from Montana’s federal delegation that the bill will finally pass. Reuters reported the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate Armed Services Committees said they reached an agreement on the $738-billion spending bill for the Department of Defense, considered a must-pass piece of legislation, after months of negotiations.  “I am almost without words — the magnitude of this moment,” Little Shell Chair Gerald Gray said Monday night. He said he had been told the news by Montana’s GOP

WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Steve Daines says a newly-developed settlement would bring a permanent solution to the dispute over tribal water rights claims in Western Montana, in a deal worth upwards of $2 billion.  The settlement, which forms the framework of a new agreement with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, would replace the pending Flathead Water Compact . News of the agreement came Thursday after recent statements from Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and US Attorney General William Barr gave new indications of movement in the dispute, which had been stalled at the federal level for the past four years. Sen. Daines

Bipartisan legislation introduced on Dec. 4 by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) would prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in America’s western waters, including in his home state of Montana. “Empowering our local communities with the resources they need to ensure our waterways, rivers and lakes remain free from these invasive species is critical to our Montana way of life,” Sen. Daines said. The Stop the Spread of Invasive Mussels Act of 2019, S. 2975, offered by lead original cosponsor Sen. Daines and bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), would authorize funding to prevent invasive species from negatively

An agreement between the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the federal government over long-disputed water rights took a major step forward Thursday when Montana Sen. Steve Daines said he plans to introduce a bill that would implement a new settlement framework. “Today is a really important step. We’ve reached a historic compromise on a century-old dispute that protects the water rights of all Montanans,” Daines said Thursday in a telephone interview from Washington, D.C. “We’ve reached a new agreement that addressed my concerns, that addressed those of many others in the agriculture community, and attempts to address the concerns

Montana’s congressional delegation this week joined a growing list of officials urging Major League Baseball to reconsider its plans to slash a number of minor league teams, including those in Montana – home to the Pioneer League. Under the proposal, MLB would reduce its affiliated teams from 160 to 120. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines each sent letters to MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred on Tuesday opposing the plan. “Our communities are deeply invested in our minor league teams,” Tester wrote. “These teams keep Montanans connected to (MLB), provide affordable family entertainment, and spur economic development and job growth across