In The News

As United States senator from Montana, and as a rancher from Miles City serving as the president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, we took a major step forward last week for Montana ag. Together, we worked to accomplish a historic trade deal between the U.S. and Japan — one that will benefit Montana’s farmers and ranchers for generations to come. Farming and ranching is tough enough as it is. Agriculture isn’t for the faint of heart and making a profit only gets harder if access to critical export markets is restricted and our foreign competitors are given an advantage. This trade

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed by unanimous voice vote a bill to name Missoula’s main post office building in honor of Jeannette Rankin. The approval came Wednesday afternoon after it was introduced in March by Rep. Greg Gianforte of Montana. U.S. Senator Steve Daines presented a similar bill on the same day in the Senate. In a press release from Gianforte’s office, Daines hailed the bill’s passage in the House and said he will continue working to advance S. 953 in that Senate. Gianforte and Daines are Republicans, as was Rankin when she was elected to Congress in

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) recently requested prompt federal financial support for Montana farmers who have lost their crops due to excessive regional rainfall. “As you know, Montana farmers and the agriculture economy overall are facing significant challenges, whether it be low commodity prices, weather or market access issues,” Sen. Daines wrote in an Oct. 7 letter sent to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue. “This rainfall has occurred during harvest and has resulted in losses due to high yields yet very low quality which renders crop insurance ineffective and has dramatically reduced the value and market for their crop.” Sen.

A Fort Belknap council member briefed the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Wednesday about roadblocks to homeownership. Three years. That’s how long Nathaniel Mount, council member for the Fort Belknap Indian Community, says it takes for families to get off of the waiting list for tribal housing. Access to safe and affordable housing is a problem across Indian country. Tribal members looking for housing have to deal with complications over land ownership, barriers to private mortgages and lots and lots of waiting. Here’s how Mount told the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs about how the lack of housing has

Farmers and ranchers are cautiously optimistic about a trade agreement between the U.S. and China. President Donald Trump says China will immediately start buying very large quantities of American agricultural products, even though the agreement won’t be signed for another three weeks. Although the White House has not given specifics, the president says China will purchase between $40 and $50 billion worth of ag products. In the past, China topped out around $25 billion. Several agriculture trade analysts are skeptical. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines was in China in September working on the trade agreement. Daines’ office released this statement about

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) this week urged the bosses at two national parks in Montana to help improve visitation at some of the state’s smaller parks. “As we continue to see record-breaking visitation numbers, encouraging visitation to smaller parks in Montana is imperative to both reduce stress on larger parks and promote healthy gateway economies in other regions,” Sen. Daines wrote in an Oct. 9 letter sent to Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cameron Sholly and Glacier National Park Superintendent Jeff Mow. “Tourism is one of Montana’s leading economic drivers, which is why I am committed to increasing visitation to

A Great Falls resident was finally recognized after being nominated and awarded the Bronze Star Award more than 40 years ago.  Alfred E. Shryer received the Bronze Star Award at an event hosted at the VFW Post 1087 on Wednesday for his service in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War from 1971-1972. Shryer first found out he had won the award about a year ago.  “Considering I didn’t know it was in the making for 48 years, I only learned about it about a year ago, but it feels really cool that it happened and that they were able to do

Farmers and ranchers are applauding a new trade agreement signed Monday between the United States and Japan that they say will keep American agricultural products flowing into this lucrative Asian market. During a White House signing ceremony Monday, President Trump said the new trade agreement will be significant for U.S. farmers and ranchers. Japan is the U.S. beef cattle industry’s number one export market valued at more than $2 billion. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., attended the signing ceremony along with Fred Wacker, a rancher from Miles City and president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. Wacker says the new agreement

The U.S.-Japan trade agreement signed Monday by President Donald Trump should deliver several million dollars in beef prices for Montana, the Montana Stockgrowers Association said. Fred Wacker, MSGA president, who was at the White House for the signing ceremony, said cattle prices had already increased on news that the deal would be signed. Trade organizations, like the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association noted that beef appeared to be the big winner among agriculture interests included in the limited agreement. Japan’s tariff on U.S. beef is 38.5%, which will decrease gradually to 9% by 2033. The reduction is on track with tariff