Press Releases

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on President Donald J. Trump’s executive action to institute a federal government wide hiring freeze. “We know public union bosses are going to do everything they can to fight this, but Montanans know that we don’t need a larger federal government with more bureaucracy.  We don’t need more federal employees with less accountability,” Daines stated. “The federal government must become more efficient and accountable to taxpayers. Everything should be on the table.”         According to the White House, department heads can exempt any hiring for national security or public safety, plus an Office

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines this week introduced two measures to empower local control of schools and education.   Daines’ Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success (A-PLUS) Act allows educational dollars to go where they are needed to best fit students’ unique needs, frees states from burdensome federal regulations and better ensures academic achievement in schools.  Additionally, Daines introduced a U.S. Senate resolution recognizing the importance of providing parents and families with more flexibility and choice in educating their children and designating the week of January 22, 2017 as National School Choice Week. The resolution passed the Senate unanimously on January

(U.S. Senate) – U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines have introduced legislation that will expand the VA’s outpatient clinic in Missoula to provide better care for Montana veterans. The bipartisan Providing Veterans Overdue Care Act will authorize the VA to move forward with leasing space in Missoula to expand the VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) by 24 percent.  That expansion will allow the VA to serve more patients, provide more privacy to veterans seeking care, and better ensure doctors, nurses and medical personnel have the space they need to effectively do their jobs.  “I’ve toured the crowded facility in Missoula and heard from area veterans and medical providers that we need

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) today reintroduced bipartisan legislation to protect Montana and West Virginia small businesses from the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) burdensome regulations.  The Small Business Broadband Deployment Act would extend a temporary exemption from the FCC’s “enhanced transparency requirements,” which would require Internet service providers to disclose an excess of information about their network performance, some of which may require hiring an engineer. The bill extends the temporary exemption so that small businesses don’t have to comply with unnecessary and burdensome regulations that would cost small businesses time and money.   “Building

As Compliance Deadline Looms, Senators Stand Up for Citizens’ Right to Privacy (U.S. Senate)-U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines today are asking U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary John Kelly to grant the state of Montana an emergency waiver for compliance with the REAL ID Act, a law that sets a federal standard for ID compliance.  Starting January 30, Montanans without a compliant federal ID—such as an American passport—will not be able to access Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls as well as other secure federal government facilities in other states.  Beginning in 2018, Montanans would also be prohibited

Students from Bozeman and Glendive among only 104 nationwide chosen for weeklong convention (U.S. Senate) – Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines announced today that two young Montanans have been chosen to participate in the 55th annual U.S. Senate Youth Program in Washington, D.C..  Tester and Daines announced Allison Reinhardt of Bozeman and Mason Hutchinson of Glendive will be representing the state of Montana as delegates at the weeklong convention in Washington, D.C., from March 4-11.  “These young Montanans are exceptionally bright and I look forward to seeing their continued successes,” Tester said. “Allison and Mason will no doubt make us all proud

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm President Donald J. Trump’s nominee for United Nations Ambassador, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. “Ambassador Haley will work to restore the relationships between the United States, Israel and our allies around the globe that have been severely fractured by the Obama administration,” Daines stated. “I am excited for Ambassador Haley’s leadership at the U.N. to once again represent American values.”  Immediately following Haley’s confirmation Daines authored a letter to Haley, noting that he looks forward to working with her “to advance U.S. interests in the U.N. and

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today questioned President Donald J. Trump’s nominee for Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) U.S. Representative Mick Mulvaney during the nomination hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.  In the hearing, Daines explicitly asked Mulvaney if he supports Daines’ bill, the Balanced Budget Accountability Act. The bill requires that Congress passes a balanced budget – or members won’t get paid.  “We spoke in my office Congress, I know you know the importance of balancing a budget, but unlike hardworking families in this country, Congress isn’t required to pass a