Daines Reaffirms Importance of Passenger Rail to Montana
Click here to watch Daines’ remarks. Click here to download Daines’ remarks. Senator Steve Daines today called on Amtrak President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Boardman to work with Eastern Montana stakeholders on efforts to reinstate an Empire Builder stop in Culbertson, Montana. During this morning’s Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on passenger rail, Daines successfully received a commitment from Boardman to visit and work with local leaders to discuss modernizing the existing station or building a new station in Culbertson. Daines: “Mr. Boardman, the recent FAST Act is the longest surface transportation bill Congress has produced in 17 years, it
Daines Grills Interior Secretary Jewell on Coal Leasing Moratorium
U.S. SENATE — Senator Steve Daines today pressed the Department of Interior on their proposed review of the coal leasing program and the unwarranted moratorium on coal leasing. During this morning’s Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing on the Department of Interior’s Fiscal Year 2017 budget request, Daines demanded answers from Interior Secretary Sally Jewell regarding the decision to place a moratorium on new coal leasing and for certainty in the Department’s plan. “In Montana, we do see the moratorium on coal leasing as a direct assault on our state,” Daines stated. “Our state relies on production of coal, including federal coal,
Daines Joins 34 Senators, 171 Representatives in Filing Amicus Brief, Urge Circuit Court to Block EPA Attempt to Transform the Nation’s Electricity Sector
U.S. SENATE — Senator Steve Daines today joined 34 Senators and 171 House Members in filing an amicus brief in the case of State of West Virginia, et al. v. Environmental Protection Agency, et al. The bipartisan amicus brief is in support of petitions filed by 27 states, including Montana, seeking to overturn the EPA final rule identified as the Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units, EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602, 80 Fed. Reg. 64,662 (Oct. 23, 2015), also known as the “Clean Power Plan.” A copy of the brief can be found here. As Senators and Representatives duly elected to serve in the Congress of the
Daines: Terrorists Don’t Belong in Americans’ Back Yards
U.S. SENATE — Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on President Obama’s announcement to transfer terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to facilities within U.S. Borders. “Since 2009, Congress has repeatedly acted to prevent the transfer of terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to American soil. The President’s plan violates laws passed by Congress—including many that bear the President’s own signature—that directly prohibit funds from being used to move enemy combatants from Guantanamo Bay to U.S. facilities. This action is just the latest in long list of President Obama’s propensity of executive overreach and disregard for the will of the American people. “Moving these
Daines, Zinke Request USTR to Prioritize Montana Issues with Canadian PM
U.S. CONGRESS — In advance of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first state visit to Washington, D.C., Montana Senator Steve Daines and Representative Ryan Zinke are urging the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to prioritize Montana issues in discussions with Canada. In a letter to Ambassador Michael Froman, Daines and Zinke requested that the USTR prioritize Montana issues as they prepare for Prime Minister Trudeau’s upcoming state visit including the renegotiation of the expired Softwood Lumber Agreement and wheat grading. “As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s state visit to Washington, D.C. on March 10 is rapidly approaching, we request that you prioritize
Daines Statement on Reported Surface-to-Air Missiles on Man-Made Islands in South China Sea
U.S. SENATE — Senator Steve Daines today issued the following statement on reports that surface-to-air missiles have been deployed on man-made islands in the South China Sea: “The new reports of surface-to-air missiles being deployed on man-made islands in the South China Sea are deeply concerning. The deployment of these missiles could have serious adverse impacts not only on the stability of the region, but on global commerce. With over five trillion dollars of global trade passing through the South China Sea, maintaining the integrity of international waters and airspace in the region is critically important.” After last week’s Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense hearing on
Daines Travels to Alaska for Senate Energy Field Hearing
U.S. SENATE — This week, Senator Steve Daines traveled to Alaska to participate in a Senate Energy and Natural Resources field hearing to examine opportunities for innovation in America’s energy industry. Daines was joined by Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), John Barrasso (R-WY), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Angus King (I-ME), in addition to U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, who testified at the hearing. Daines with Murkowski as they prepare to head out from Anchorage to Bethel, Alaska. Click here to watch. Daines, Moniz and fellow senators traveled to Bethel, Alaska where the field hearing would be held. Click here to watch.
Daines, Zinke Commend Extension of Yellowstone Bison Quarantine Plan Comment Period
U.S. CONGRESS — Montana Senator Steve Daines and Representative Ryan Zinke successfully secured a two-week extension of the comment period for the National Park Service’s (NPS) Environmental Assessment of Yellowstone National Park’s Bison Quarantine Plan. The previous deadline for the comment period was February 15, 2016. At Daines’ and Zinke’s urging, NPS recently announced that the comment period would be extended to February 29, 2016. In a letter sent last week to NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis, Daines and Zinke called on the agency to extend the comment period to accommodate the concerns of Montana ranchers,
Daines Statement on Passing of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia
BOZEMAN, Mont. — Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement upon news of the passing of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia. “Our nation has lost a giant of freedom who leaves behind a legacy of tirelessly defending our Constitution and the principles that make our nation great. Justice Scalia was a man of faith and a brilliant legal mind who dedicated himself to our country with a servant’s heart. Cindy and I are praying for his family and are grateful for his service to our country.” U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia was appointed the court in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan. Scalia was unanimously confirmed by the