Press Releases

  U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that at his urging, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will hold two of its tribal listening sessions in Montana as part of the process of updating its tribal consultation policy.   In a letter to FEMA head Robert Fenton on April 11, Daines noted that Montana tribal leaders and homeland security directors have expressed a strong desire to provide their input on the FEMA consultation policy and requested that the agency hold a listening session in Montana to ensure their voices are heard.   FEMA is scheduled to meet with the Blackfeet

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke about the the tragic loss of two wildland firefighters in Montana and the need to drastically increase active forest management during the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources’ hearing.  Daines also discussed the widespread fires currently occurring throughout Montana, and voiced frustration with litigation that has blocked the Stonewall Vegetation project. This Project was designed to reduce hazardous fuels in the very areas currently burning near Lincoln.   “My thoughts and prayers go to their families and to all the brave men and women who are protecting our lives and property

Gianforte, Daines Announce $1.7 Million Grant for Libby Cleanup, Restoration   U.S. CONGRESS – Congressman Greg Gianforte and U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has been awarded a $1,672,106 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).   “The work continues to provide the people of Libby with a clean, healthy place to live, work, and raise a family,” Gianforte said. “This grant from the EPA will help the community in this ongoing effort.”   “The community of Libby deserves a clean environment and this grant will help achieve that,” Daines stated. “I applaud EPA for prioritizing

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO), co-chairs of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, along with Sens. Ron Wyden (D-WA) and Steve Daines (R-MT) today introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the cybersecurity of Internet-connected devices. The Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2017 would require that devices purchased by the U.S. government meet certain minimum security requirements. Under the terms of the bill, vendors who supply the U.S. government with IoT devices would have to ensure that their devices are patchable, do not include hard-coded passwords that can’t be changed, and are free of known security vulnerabilities, among other basic requirements. The bill, drafted

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced two Montana airports have received $2,099,654 in funding for critical upgrades and maintenance.   “The Great Falls and Deer Lodge airports play critical roles in our state’s connectivity and economy,” Daines stated. “I’m excited to secure these funds to keep these airports operational and growing for both Montanans and folks who want to visit our great state.”   The funding is provided through the U.S. Department of Transportation. Details on each grant are below:   Great Falls International Airport: $1,896,964.00 This grant will provide federal funding for the Great Falls International Airport associated with

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize our nation’s privacy laws and update warrant requirements for electronic communications to reflect the technological realities of the 21st century.   The current law that governs protections afforded to electronic communications was passed in 1986, a time when Congress could not have anticipated the prevalence of email and digital communication.     The Email Privacy Act updates this law and shows how outdated laws can be improved through bipartisan, commonsense reforms. The bill protects Americans’ email and other data by requiring law enforcement agencies to obtain a search warrant based

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today recognized Skip Walters of Great Falls for a tremendous radio broadcasting career.   Daines’ recognition in the Congressional Record is available here.   Through his “Montanan of the Week” initiative, Daines each week will highlight a Montanan by submitting a statement of recognition in the official Congressional Record, the document that reflects the official proceedings of Congress.   Daines welcomes anyone to nominate fellow Montanans for Daines’ “Montanan of the Week” program by calling Daines’ office at 202-224-2651 or by filling out the contact form on Daines’ website: http://www.daines.senate.gov/connect/email-steve The following is the statement submitted to

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement after the Senate fell short of advancing the effort to repeal Obamacare: “Montanans have made it clear in election after election, they want Obamacare to be repealed and replaced,” Daines stated. “These families have paid far too much and have faced an increase of 133 percent in their premiums over the past five years. We must help these families and not let them suffer under this broken law anymore.” ###