Daines Applauds President Trump for Bringing Marc Fogel Home
U.S. Senator Steve Daines today issued the below statement following the announcement that President Trump secured the release of U.S. citizen Marc Fogel. Fogel has family in Montana and was serving a 14-year sentence of hard labor in a Russian prison for possession of marijuana. “This is a major victory for President Trump, the United States and most importantly, Marc Fogel and his family. No American should have to endure this injustice, and I am relieved Marc is on his way home to the country he loves. Thank you, President Trump, for finally securing Mr. Fogel’s safe return,” said Senator Daines. Background:
Daines Joins Bill to Create Whole-of-Government Effort to Mitigate Wildfires
U.S. Senator Steve Daines helped introduce bipartisan legislation to create a national Wildfire Intelligence Center between the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce and the Department of the Interior. If implemented, the legislation would create a unified, streamlined federal response to wildland fires with information sharing across various federal, state and academic institutions. “As fire season rapidly approaches for Montana, we need all hands on deck to prevent catastrophic disasters. Sharing information and resources between agencies will undoubtedly help Montana communities take preventive measures and better combat fires and coordinate response efforts,” said Daines. Read the bill text HERE. Daines joined Senators
Daines, Sheehy, Zinke, Downing Urge Montana Legislature to Establish Rodeo as Official State Sport
U.S. Senator Steve Daines, Senator Tim Sheehy, Congressman Ryan Zinke and Congressman Troy Downing today sent a letter to the Montana State Legislature expressing strong support for establishing American Rodeo as Montana’s official state sport in recognition of its cultural and historical significance for Montanans. “We write to express our strong support for establishing American Rodeo as Montana’s official state sport. Montana’s vibrant rodeo scene is an emblem of our great Western heritage, with the sport’s deep ties to Montana’s ranching history reflecting our legacy as a frontier state. As such, we consider it fitting to designate rodeo as our state’s official sport. “For generations, Montanan ranchers have relied
Daines Leads Republican Colleagues in Introducing Bills to Unleash American Energy
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines led a group of his Republican colleagues in introducing two bills to unleash American energy, promote America’s energy dominance and support rural communities. The “Supporting Made in America Energy Act” would support oil and gas development by requiring four annual onshore lease sales in top oil and gas producing states, two annual offshore leases sales in the Gulf and six offshore lease sales over ten years in Alaska’s Cook Inlet. The “Restoring State Mineral Revenues Act” would remove the 2 percent administration fee on federal oil and gas royalty payments to local communities. “Now that we have a President who supports
Daines Leads Republican Colleagues in Introducing Bills to Unleash American Energy
U.S. Senator Steve Daines led a group of his Republican colleagues in introducing two bills to unleash American energy, promote America’s energy dominance and support rural communities. The “Supporting Made in America Energy Act” would support oil and gas development by requiring four annual onshore lease sales in top oil and gas producing states, two annual offshore leases sales in the Gulf and six offshore lease sales over ten years in Alaska’s Cook Inlet. The “Restoring State Mineral Revenues Act” would remove the 2 percent administration fee on federal oil and gas royalty payments to local communities. “Now that we have a President who supports our
Daines: Trump USTR Nominee Greer will Support Montana Farmers, Ranchers, Small Businesses and Manufacturers
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today secured commitments from Jamieson Greer, President Trump’s nominee to be the United States Trade Representative (USTR), to protect Montana trade and agriculture by expanding market access and ensuring a fair playing field for farmers, ranchers, small businesses and manufacturers. Watch Daines and Greer’s full exchange HERE. Daines: “Mr. Greer, it’s good to see you here again. Thank you for your commitment to service. You’ve seen really the history of your life as one of serving our country. I’m grateful to you and your family in that regard. President Trump has certainly laid out an ambitious trade
Daines Introduces Bipartisan Bills to Combat Catastrophic Wildfires
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines helped introduce two pieces of legislation to combat the threat of catastrophic wildfires in Montana and support resiliency efforts. The “Wildfire Emergency Act” would promote forest restoration, firefighter training and energy resilience retrofits. The “Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors Act” would streamline the process for removing vegetation near power lines. “Montanans are tired of breathing in smoke, and this bipartisan legislation is a commonsense step forward in mitigating the effects of wildfires and stopping the problem at the root. I’ll always look for measures to strengthen fire resilience both in Montana and across the country,” said Daines. Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors Act: The “Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors
Daines Introduces Bill to Support Montana’s Rural Schools
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines introduced legislation to support Montana schools by reauthorizing the U.S. Forest Service’s Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Program (SRS) through Fiscal Year 2026. The program supports counties that formerly relied on timber receipts but no longer receive that funding due to the lack of logging projects. Montana’s Beaverhead, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Deer Lodge, Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite and Jefferson Counties have historically received payments through this program. “Montana’s rural counties rely on SRS for school funding, road maintenance and more. This bipartisan legislation will give our rural communities that have
Daines, Heinrich Resolution Designating National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week Passes U.S. Senate
U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) today announced their bipartisan legislation designating the week beginning February 3, 2025, as “National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week” passed the U.S. Senate. This week is dedicated to the recognition of and support for the achievements of students pursuing postsecondary educational opportunities in Tribal Colleges and Universities. “Our tribal colleges and universities play a vital role in Montana’s communities and provide incredible opportunities for higher education on or near Montana’s reservations,” said Daines. “I’m proud to introduce legislation so the hard work and great achievements of our Montana students, teachers and educational institutions can be recognized nationally.” “I’m pleased