In The News

Republican Montana Sen. Steve Daines introduced a bill on the Senate floor Thursday that would withhold the pay of members of Congress during future government shutdowns. Daines’ introduction of the bill, sponsored by Republican Texas Sen. John Cornyn, comes hours after Daines announced he sent a letter requesting the secretary of the U.S. Senate withhold his pay during the ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government. “Members of Congress are sent to Washington, D.C., to represent the great people of their state and keep the federal government open, working, and funded. So it’s simple. If they can’t do that, they

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines will do something no senator has done in 75 years: serve on both the Senate Finance and Appropriations committees, a move expected to give Montana unusual clout and gird Daines for the 2020 elections. The assignment gives Montana a seat at the table on the committee responsible for prescription drug prices, Medicaid, Medicare, taxes and trade. It also puts Daines on two of the Senate’s most powerful “juice committees,” which boost a lawmaker’s ability to leverage campaign funds. By being on the two committees, Daines will have a first vote on every federal dollar raised and

An unprecedented move by the National Park Service could free up millions of dollars for staffing and cleaning-up trash and restrooms at Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks during the partial federal government shutdown. Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt says many of the burdens facing the two iconic parks in Montana as a result of the shutdown should be addressed within the coming days. The agency says it will tap into the entrance fees park visitors pay to cover staffing during the shutdown. On Saturday Republican Senator Steve Daines wrote Burnhardt requesting to restart lapsed work in national parks, including the

The National Park Service, faced with overflowing garbage and toilets as the government shutdown enters its third week, plans to tap entrance fees to pay for expanded operations at its most popular sites, the Washington Post reported Sunday. The move came as Sen. Steve Daines urged the Park Service to find a way to ease pressure on communities surrounding the parks, which have pitched in with volunteers at popular places like Yellowstone National Park. Daines wrote acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt on Saturday, advising him to allow some federal spending to supplement volunteer maintenance efforts. President Donald Trump shut down

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., released the following statement after President Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill on Thursday. Daines secured critical priorities for Montana farmers and ranchers and strong forestry provisions to help prevent catastrophic wildfire.   “As Montana’s lone voice on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, I fought hard to ensure Montana ag priorities and forest management reforms were included in the 2018 Farm Bill,” Daines said. “I’m pleased President Trump signed this critical bill into law today — which will give certainty to Montana farmers and ranchers, and help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.” The 2018

Despite its failure Wednesday night, Montana’s two U.S. senators and conservationists are optimistic about pushing a public lands package through Congress in early January that includes a ban on new public land mining claims north of Yellowstone National Park and renewal of a popular conservation fund. Republican Sen. Steve Daines and Democratic Sen. Jon Tester were part of a group of western lawmakers trying to attach a suite of public lands legislation to the spending bill the Senate passed Wednesday night. The package included the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act and permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Daines

BILLINGS- Two pieces of key legislation in a massive lands package will not be addressed in Congress before 2018 is up. The bipartisan Land and Water Conservation Fund will not be reauthorized for funding this year and neither will the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act,  two bills near and dear to Montanans. According to Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines’ office, Congress refused to bring the lands issue to the Senate floor Wednesday night. Daines is a leader on the lands package along with other senators from western states . Also failing to advance was Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester’s Yellowstone Gateway

Montana’s congressional delegation offered comment Thursday about the farm bill signed by President Donald J. Trump. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who said he was Montana’s lone voice on the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee, said he ensured Montana agriculture priorities and forest management reforms were included in the bill. “I’m pleased President Trump signed this critical bill into law today – which will give certainty to Montana farmers and ranchers, and help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire,” he said. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said he met with farmers and ranchers across the state. He said he worked hard to make sure this

The MonDak’s Republican legislators have joined forces with several other Republican legislators for a full-court press urging President Donald Trump to take whatever immediate actions he can to get construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline moving again. The pipeline’s construction ground to a halt in November, after a Montana District Court ruling that found certain portions of the Trump administration’s analysis were wanting and that certain aspects of the Environmental Impact Study were outdated. Judge Brian Morris, out of Great Falls, said the Trump administration could not simply ignore the Obama administration’s rationale in changing policies. It had to provide