PHOTO: Daines Presents Montanan of the Week to Son of Crow Code Talker
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines presented his Montanan of the Week award to Judge Not Afraid, son of Crow Code Talker, Cyril Not Afraid. Cyril Not Afraid was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for serving in the armed forces as a “code talker,” speaking his native Apsaalooké (Crow) language during wartime in order to transmit and receive military intelligence and successfully avoid disclosing information to enemy forces. Click here to download the photo of Daines and Judge Not Afraid. “I am proud to honor the memory of Cyril Not Afraid for his brave and selfless service on behalf of
Daines Statement on Iran Nuclear Agreement
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on the Obama administration’s announcement that the P5+1 has reached an agreement with Iran, the world’s leading state-sponsor of terrorism: “I remain unconvinced that this agreement will prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon. This agreement paves the way for Iran to further direct its resources in leading the way as the world’s greatest state-sponsor of terrorism.” Last night, Daines took to the Senate floor to outline parameters of what a final deal with Iran must include. The Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act (Public Law 114-17) prevents the president from waiving or
Daines Announces New Books Program for Montana Schools
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Senator Steve Daines today announced a new partnership with the Library of Congress to donate surplus books to Montana public schools. Through the program, three different Montana schools and libraries will receive books each month to encourage education and learning. The first recipients include: Harlowton Public Library in Wheatland County Troy Public High School in Lincoln County Brockton Public High School in Roosevelt County “As a product of Montana public schools, I know the importance of ensuring our schools have the resources and tools they need to prepare Montana’s students for success,” Daines stated. “I am excited to partner
Daines Statement on Resignation of OPM Director
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement in response to the resignation of Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Katherine Archuleta. “Director Archuleta’s resignation is an important first step in restoring accountability at OPM—however, OPM’s consistent failure to properly address and react to these cyber attacks results from a much larger, systemic lack of accountability within the Obama administration,” Daines stated. “It’s time for President Obama to place a higher premium on our nation’s security and the privacy of our federal employees and put qualified, competent leaders in place, including a new Chief Information Officer, instead of
Daines Honors Montanan of the Week: Ben Steele of Billings
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today honored Ben Steele, a World War II veteran of Billings, for his exceptional service to the nation and the Billings community. During the war, Steele served in the Philippines and survived the Bataan Death March. After World War II Steele studied art at the University of Denver and later taught at Montana State University – Billings. 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’ recognition in
Daines: Latest OPM Report Affirms Need for New Leadership
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today reiterated his calls for new leadership at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in light of new reports that more than 21.5 Americans were victims of a mass breach of the OPM’s personnel database. This reported hack is in addition to the more than 4.2 million breached records originally announced by OPM last month. “The systemic failures and lack of accountability at OPM is staggering and completely unacceptable. The breach reported today is five times larger than OPM’s initial reports and not only affects federal employees, but employees’ family and friends, government contractors and countless
Daines Fights to Increase State, Local Role in Schools and Education
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines is working to increase local control in Montana students’ education by giving states greater flexibility in allocating federal funds to schools. Earlier today, Daines took to the Senate floor to introduce an amendment to the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015. Daines’ Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success (A-PLUS) amendment increases states’ ability to allocate federal education funding in a way that best fits students’ unique needs, frees states from burdensome federal regulations, and better ensures academic achievement in schools. Video of Daines’ remarks are available to download here and viewed here. “Increasing educational
Daines Statement on AG Lawsuit to Rein in EPA Overreach
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on Montana Attorney General Tim Fox and 12 other states’ lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) over the new regulation broadly expanding the definition of the Waters of the United States rule (WOTUS). “I applaud Attorney General Tim Fox for standing up for Montana farmers, ranchers and small businesses against another egregious power grab by the Obama administration. This rule has the capability to cripple Montana agriculture and natural resources, hurt Montana jobs and threaten Montanans’ property rights. As
Daines Statement on Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA et. al.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA et. al.: “The Court took an important step today to help ensure the EPA takes into account the true cost of excessive regulations on the American people, their jobs and their livelihoods. This rule is just one of the numerous burdensome regulations the Obama administration has cooked up that has the potential to eliminate good paying jobs and devastate the livelihoods of hardworking American families. “But while today’s ruling is welcome news, Montanans have already seen the real