Press Releases

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) today worked to ensure that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is held accountable for commitments it made following last year’s data breach. It has been one year since OPM announced it suffered a major cyber breach, affecting more than 22 million current and former federal employees, including Daines.  Following the breach, OPM initiated an Infrastructure Improvement Project aimed at better securing information. Over the past year, OPM has refused to implement several recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG).  “The success of the project is critical to

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today sent a letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell calling on the Department of the Interior (DOI) to suspend its review of the federal coal program and its moratorium on new coal-lease sales.  In the letter, Daines expresses concern over a recent report titled, “The Economics of Coal Leasing on Federal Lands: Ensuring a Fair Return to Taxpayers,” published by the President’s Council of Economic Advisers on June 22, 2016. Daines explains that by publishing this report, the White House has short-circuited DOI’s ongoing review of the coal program in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Under federal

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today called on Senate Democrats to stop blocking legislation that funds the military and supports Montana’s military missions. Earlier today, Senate Democrats blocked consideration of the FY2017 Defense Appropriations Bill. This legislation passed unanimously out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations on May 26, 2016 with not one Democrat voting in opposition.  “To say our troops won’t get a paycheck unless we increase funding for bloated government programs like the IRS is an affront to the hardworking men and women who are fighting ISIS and putting their lives on the line everyday to protect our

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today applauded passage of the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction & Recovery Act (CARA) conference report, which works to combat the epidemic of opioid addiction. “We must ensure that Montanans dealing with drug abuse and addiction have resources they need to get necessary treatment and care close to home,” Daines stated. “This bill provides needed resources for our healthcare providers, emergency responders and treatment courts to help treat and stop this epidemic.”  “Prescription drug abuse is a national epidemic that destroys lives, shatters families, and harms our communities,” said Montana Attorney General Tim Fox. “I applaud the passage of this

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester and U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke today introduced legislation to honor the life of renowned Montana conservationist, Alex Diekmann by naming an unnamed peak in his memory.  The delegation’s bill will name an unnamed 9,765-foot peak as “Alex Diekmann Peak”. It is located 2.2 miles west-northwest of Finger Mountain on the western boundary of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, Montana (UTM coordinates Zone 12, 457966 E., 4982589 N.).  “As someone who went from kindergarten through college in Bozeman, I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Alex’s life and memory than by

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines today helped pass critical legislation that will improve Montana air travel for passengers, pilots and the aviation industry. The U.S. Senate today passed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) extension through September 30, 2017 with a vote of 89-4. The House of Representatives unanimously passed this legislation on July 11, 2016.  “This FAA reauthorization maintains Montana’s critical aviation infrastructure and access to affordable travel for hardworking Montana families,” Daines stated. “This bill continues to strengthen security and protect travelers at airports across the country.” Daines secured the following provisions in the FAA reauthorization: Eastern Montana: Maintains Essential Air Service

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines’ bill that moves Montana rural water projects forward and ensures the completion of authorized projects across Montana today cleared the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The Western Water Supply and Planning Enhancement Act is a bill that would help improve the efficiency of existing water supply infrastructure, ease the regulatory burden on new projects and protect water rights that are critical to the prosperity of the western United States.   The bill also accelerates implementation of Montana driven forest management projects that enhance watersheds and reduce the risk of wildfires. This is critical for

Senators’ Bill Designates Montana Creek as “Wild and Scenic”  (U.S. Senate) – Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines’ bill to designate portions of the East Rosebud Creek as Wild and Scenic has cleared the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and now heads to the Senate floor.   The Senators’ bill will preserve 20 miles of creek originating in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness and flowing out to the prairie where it joins the Yellowstone River just west of Columbus, Montana.   “East Rosebud Creek will take your breath away, it’s just one of those indescribable places,” said Tester. “From the Cutthroat Trout to the

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) today joined Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) in a colloquy on the Senate floor to speak about the Democratic filibuster of the FY 2017 Defense Appropriations Bill.  The funding bill came out of the Senate Committee on Appropriations with the unanimous support of Democrat and Republican members. However, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said that his members are blocking critical funding for our troops so that his party wouldn’t be at the “mercy” of Republicans.   As all of the members said in the colloquy, this filibuster comes