In The News

Daines’ bill on breastfeeding signed by president

President Donald Trump signed the Fairness for Breastfeeding Mothers Act on Friday, a bipartisan piece of legislation introduced by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., which requires designated breastfeeding rooms in federal buildings. The law requires federal buildings that are open to the public and contain a public restroom provide a lactation room, other than a bathroom, that is hygienic and is available for use by federal employees or members of the public who are breastfeeding, Daines said. The lactation room must be shielded from view, be free from intrusion, and contain a chair, a working surface, and (if the building is

Prescription drug pricing reform bill shows bipartisan support

BILLINGS, Mont. — Senator Daines announced in a press conference this morning that the U.S. Senate Finance Committee passed a bill that could potentially lower the cost of prescription drugs. Daines says months of work with the U.S. Senate Finance Committee have turned into the passing of a major bipartisan prescription drug reform package, “What we saw today is that bipartisan compromise isn’t dead. Today was about making life easier for Montanans.  It’s about cutting out of pocket costs and lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, for hardworking moms and dads, for grandmas and grandpas, frankly for Montanans in every

Senators, state AARP praise advance of prescription drug bill

Sen. Steve Daines said a prescription drug pricing bill passed Thursday by the Senate Finance Committee will save Montanans and other taxpayers in the United States more than $100 billion for their medications. The Montana Republican spoke to reporters shortly after the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019 moved out of the committee, where it is now headed to the Senate floor. He was joined by Tim Summers, state director of AARP Montana. Daines, who sits on the committee, said lawmakers had just passed a major, bipartisan, prescription drug pricing package. “Today was about making life easier for Montanans,”

Major prescription drug cut earns early vote, Daines support

A bipartisan attempt to cut prescription drug costs more than $100 billion passed out of Senate Finance Committee with the support of the U.S. Sen. Steve Daines. The bill intended to save the Medicare program $85 billion and individuals $27 billion over 10 years passed on a 19-9 vote. Much of the savings comes from drug price caps. The savings estimate comes from the Congressional Budget Office. The bill is known as the “Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019.” “What we saw today is that bipartisan compromise isn’t dead. Today was about making life easier for Montanans,” Daines said

It’s a great scam’: Montana hotel owners push Daines to revive bill to regulate phony booking sites

About every five days, a traveler shows up at the counter of Best Western Clocktower Inn in downtown Billings, insisting reservations have been made and prices agreed upon, but owner Steve Wahrlich will know nothing of it. The traveler will insist he’s been to the hotel’s website, or seems to have been on it. There will have been photos of the hotel, photos of the rooms, and the illusion of booking with the actual hotel. The website won’t be Wahrlich’s. There are five different booking sites with domain names that begin with Best Western Clocktower Inn that appear before Wahrlich’s site

Daines secures funds for asbestos research in Libby

LIBBY – Although the primary phase of federal cleanup is completed, health concerns continue in Libby, where residents continue to deal with the aftereffects of asbestos contamination. The US Environmental Protection Agency completed its major cleanup operations at properties around Libby and Troy last year. EPA removes a portion of Libby from the federal Superfund site Now, cleanup responsibilities have transitioned to state and local agencies to deal with the remaining contamination in business and residential areas from the old vermiculite mining operations at the WR Grace mine. But the health concerns over asbestosis continue, with research at the Center

Daines honors Miles City 2-Star General

Senator Steve Daines is honoring one Montana native for her achievements in our armed forces. Major General Barbara Holcomb is the first female commanding general at the US Army Medical Research and Development Command at Fort Detrick. She’s also the chief of the US Army Nurse Corps. Major General Holcomb grew up in Miles City. She first joined the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps following her first year of nursing school. Senator Daines is calling her a trailblazer and a Montana leader. “She’s set the example for so many young women to follow her path to break these barriers as

Daines says Lewistown worker faced retaliation

Sen. Steve Daines told a Senate panel Tuesday that at worker at a state-run nursing home in Lewistown told him she resigned after believing her supervisors retaliated against her for raising questions about quality issues. Daines, a member of the Senate Committee on Finance, made his comments about the Montana Mental Health Nursing Care Center during a discussion the panel had on “Promoting elder justice: A call for reform.” It was a discussion on the quality of care and safety for Medicare and Medicaid recipients. He said when the former employee brought concerns to leadership she was excluded from meetings and ultimately

Sen. Daines: Trump Has Constitutional Authority to Enforce Immigration Laws

— When it comes to the Constitution and illegal immigration into this country, Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) said President Donald Trump has the constitutional authority “to enforce the law.” Daines added that he is “very concerned” about the “radical leftists” in the House of Representatives. At the U.S. Capitol on July 16, CNSNews.com asked Sen. Daines,  “Article 2 section 3 of the Constitution says that the president must make sure that laws are faithfully enforced. Do you believe that the president has the constitutional responsibility to enforce immigration laws?” The senator said, “This is a president who believes in the rule