Press Releases

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following videos after the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources confirmation hearing for President-elect Donald J. Trump’s Secretary-designee for the U.S. Department of the Interior, Montana’s U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke.  Click here to download Daines’ opening remarks.  Click here to watch Daines’ opening remarks.    Click here to download Daines’ questioning of Zinke. Click here to watch Daines’ questioning of Zinke. Daines is a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, which has jurisdiction for the U.S. Department of the Interior including nominations subject to Senate confirmation. ###

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement after meeting with President-elect Donald J. Trump’s Secretary-designee for the U.S. Department of Defense, General James Mattis. “General Mattis is a leader of conviction and resolve.  His legacy on the battlefield stands as a testament to his character and moral courage,” Daines stated. “I am confident that General Mattis will lead our Armed Forces decisively.”     Daines and Mattis discussed the importance of the mission at Malmstrom Air Force Base and reaffirmed his support for the modernization of the nuclear triad.  ###

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester today congratulated Darby native Miriam Smith and Whitefish High student Travis Catina on their appointments to the U.S. Military Academy.  Daines and Tester both nominated Smith and Catina and called to congratulate them earlier today.  Miriam Smith: Smith’s family is currently stationed in Germany with the U. S. Army and is native of Darby. She is a senior at Stuttgart High School and is captain of her swim team and has set four high school swim records. She has served as a platoon leader and company executive officer for her Army Junior ROTC

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today hailed the bipartisan U.S. Senate passage of U.S. Senator Ben Sasse’s (R-NE) legislation to audit federal programs on behalf of taxpayers. H.R. 72, the GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2017 will ensure that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is able to access the National Directory of New Hires Database to audit key federal programs on behalf of taxpayers.    “Government needs to be accountable to people it serves,” Daines stated. “Today we are removing red tape and allowing the federal watchdog to do its job.” The Department of Health and Human Services has barred GAO’s

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement after meeting with President-elect Donald J. Trump’s Secretary-designee for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Dr. Ben Carson.  “Dr. Carson has a passion for improving the lives of his fellow Americans and will work to make our communities safe,” Daines stated. “I know he will promote policies to revitalize rural and urban communities and be the change-maker that the Department of Housing and Urban Development needs.”     The two discussed ways to improve HUD to create more affordable housing for underprivileged communities including Native American communities, which Daines

U.S. SENATE — Building on efforts from the 114th Congress, U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester today reintroduced a bill to honor the life of renowned Montana conservationist, Alex Diekmann, by naming an unnamed peak in his memory. The bill will name an unnamed 9,765-foot peak as “Alex Diekmann Peak”. “Alex Diekmann brought Montanans together to balance the needs of local landowners, ranchers and foresters, local cities and towns, county commissions, and federal and state interests to protect our public lands,” Daines stated. “I am excited to launch this bill again this Congress and hope for swift consideration and enactment. I look forward

U.S. SENATE —On Religious Freedom Day, U.S. Senator Steve Daines introduced a resolution to celebrate and reaffirm the role of religious freedom as a fundamental human and Constitutional right.  The resolution recognizes the 231st anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom and commemorates January 16, 2017 as Religious Freedom Day by an act of Congress. The Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom was authored by Thomas Jefferson and served as the model for the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.   “Religious Freedom Day reminds the American people that we are free to live and work in accordance

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today recognized Mack Cole of Treasure County, a third generation Montanan and dedicated public servant. 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 the Congressional

U.S. SENATE —U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester today congratulated Sentinel High School student Bekah Joy on her appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy.  Joy was nominated to the U.S. Air Force Academy by Daines and Tester, they both called to congratulate her.   Joy is the goalkeeper on her high school varsity soccer team and she is a recruited soccer goalie in the national premier league “Elite Club National League.” Joy is also Key Club Treasurer and is involved in organizing middle school tutoring, Youth Track Club, a blood drive, among other events. “Bekah exemplifies the best of