Press Releases

Daines Introduces Legislation Authorizing Move of BLM Headquarters to the West

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines this week introduced the Bureau of Land Management Headquarters Relocation Act, legislation that would authorize the move of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) headquarters from Washington, D.C. to one of the following Western states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming. “The folks who make decisions about our land should have a solid understanding of what it means to have the federal government as your largest neighbor,” Daines stated. “In the West, federal land makes up a lot of our states but those who make decisions

Daines Calls for Funding for State Veterans Homes

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues in a letter to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies urging them to support robust funding for State Veterans Homes that help provide long-term care to our nation’s veterans. Federal funds provided by the State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program allow states to make critical facility upgrades or construct new facilities to serve aging veteran populations. For fiscal year 2017, only 10 of the 57 highest priority projects were funded, resulting in a backlog of facilities requiring upgrades or

Daines: We Need to Remove Uncertainty from SRS & PILT

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today remarked about the uncertainty in the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) programs and the need to provide certainty for Montana counties. Daines today participated in a U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing on federal payments to local governments provided through SRS and PILT, and the need to provide greater fiscal certainty for resource-dependent communities with tax-exempt federal lands. Click HERE to watch Daines’ questioning. Click HERE to download Daines’ questioning. “I hear from Montana counties every year about their frustration with the uncertainty

Daines: Perdue Coming to Montana

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today took to the Senate floor to highlight Montana Ag Summit 2017 that will take place May 31-June 1 in Great Falls.   Click HERE to watch. Click HERE to download. Daines’ remarks as prepared are below:  “I have good news for Montana – a week ago yesterday, the Senate voted to confirm former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue as our next Secretary of Agriculture.  “Secretary Perdue and I discussed Montana ag and the need to expand agricultural access to foreign markets when we met prior to his confirmation hearing.   “I believe that he will

Daines, Peters Introduce Bill to Protect Americans’ Personally Identifiable Information

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced legislation to require U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to remove personally identifiable information (PII) from vessel manifest sheets before making them available for public disclosure.  The Moving Americans Privacy Protection Act would simply amend the manifest disclosure process to explicitly require the removal of individuals’ PII, such as, residential addresses, social security numbers, and passport numbers. The bill retains the original intent of manifest disclosures and protects PII.  “We need to protect Americans’ privacy and automatically remove this personal information, rather than requiring folks to make a request

Ag Secretary Perdue to Keynote Montana Ag Summit 2017

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will deliver a keynote address at the Montana Ag Summit 2017. The summit, co-sponsored by Daines, will take place in Great Falls on May 31 and June 1, 2017. The Montana Ag Summit will bring the nation’s agricultural leaders to Montana’s Golden Triangle. The summit will focus on strengthening international relationships for Montana agriculture, showcasing technological advancements, promoting the next generation of farmers and ranchers, and discussing the challenges of federal policies and regulations.  “I’m excited to host Secretary Perdue in Montana for

Daines Honors Montanan of the Week: Emma Homer of Ashland

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today recognized Emma Homer of Ashland for the many years she has helped children in eastern Montana.    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

Daines, Tester Introduce Bill to Make Indian Coal Production Tax Credit Permanent

U.S. SENATE —Montana’s U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester today introduced legislation to permanently extend the Indian Coal Production Tax Credit (ICPTC).  The ICPTC provides a crucial tax incentive to level the playing field for future development of tribal coal resources that are currently subject to more regulatory requirements than comparable development on private, state or federal lands. ICPTC credit protects the economic viability of existing tribal coal mining projects, which support much-needed tribal jobs and provide a major source of non-federal revenue for coal-producing tribes.  “The Crow Tribe in Montana has the potential to develop 10 billion tons

Daines, Klobuchar Introduce Legislation to Encourage Cross Boundary Management of Forests to Protect Water Resources, Enhance Wildlife Habitat, Restore Forest Health, and Strengthen Local Economies

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) have introduced legislation to encourage cross boundary management of forests to protect water resources, enhance wildlife habitat, restore forest health, and strengthen local economies. The bipartisan Empowering State Forestry to Improve Forest Health Act of 2017 would encourage a landscape approach to forest management. The bill has been endorsed by the American Forest Foundation and the National Association of State Foresters.  “I’ve been working closely with Montanans to make sure that we have locally-driven management of our forests,” said Daines. “This bipartisan solution will maintain healthy forests, increase the role of