Daines, Gillibrand to Help Thousands of “Blue Water” Vietnam Vets Harmed by Agent Orange, but Ignored by Feds Due to Technicality in the Law
Current Law Requires VA To Provide Benefits For Service Members Exposed To Agent Orange On Dry Ground, But Ignores Vets Off Shore WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced legislation to ensure thousands of Navy veterans known as “Blue Water” vets from the Vietnam War exposed to the powerful toxin Agent Orange will be eligible to receive disability and health care benefits they have earned for diseases linked to Agent Orange exposure. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military sprayed approximately 20 million gallons of Agent Orange in Vietnam to remove jungle foliage. This
Daines, 52 Senators Condemn ATF Framework Limiting Sporting Ammo
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines is continuing his fight to stop the Obama administration from implementing new restrictions on Montanans’ Second Amendment rights and access to ammunition. Daines today joined 52 of his Senate colleauges in condemning a new proposal from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) that would restrict access to M855 ammunition, which is primarily used for sporting purposes. In a letter sent today to ATF Director Todd Jones, Daines and his colleagues question ATF’s authority to establish the new rule and express concern that the proposal is a direct threat to Americans’ Second Amendment
Daines: Obama’s Anti-Gun Agenda, Plan to Ban M855 Ammunition Must Be Stopped
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today called on the Obama administration to halt its anti-Second Amendment agenda and abandon the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) plan to ban the manufacturing, importation and sale of ammunition for one of the most common rifles in the United States: the AR-15. In a letter sent to B. Todd Jones, Director of the ATF, Daines condemned the ATF for overstepping its mission by moving to restrict M855 ammunition, which is primarily used for sporting purposes. Daines blasted the ATF’s action as an infringement upon the rights of lawful Montana sportsmen
Daines Works to Encourage Job Creation, Investment
WASHINGTON, D.C. –Senator Steve Daines today announced that he has introduced bipartisan legislation to encourage investment, job creation and economic growth in Montana and across the nation. Daines joined Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) in introducing the New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act of 2015. This legislation would make permanent the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program, provide an annual allocation of credits indexed to inflation, and exempt NMTC investments from the Alternative Minimum Tax. NMTC attracts capital to low-income communities by providing private investors with a 39 percent federal tax credit for investments made in
Daines, Tester and Juneau announce Montana students selected to participate in Senate Youth Program
(MONTANA) – Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester and Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau today announced Missoula Loyal Sacred Heart High School students Ian Descamps and Rosemarie McCormack have been selected to serve as delegates to the 53rd annual United States Senate Youth Program. The United States Senate Youth Program was created in 1962 to provide students from each state the opportunity to participate in a week-long study of the federal government and officials who lead it. Running from March 7-14, students will have the opportunity to attend meetings and briefings with leaders in all three branches of government.
Daines Calls for Montana Solutions to Land Management, Coal Jobs and Increasing Access to Public Lands
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today advocated for the Department of Interior to better incorporate Montana-driven solutions in the management of Montana’s public lands, energy resources and wildlife habitats. During this morning’s Senate Committee on Appropriations hearing on the Department of Interior’s fiscal year 2016 budget request, Daines pressed Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to work more collaboratively with Montana in the conservation and management of the state’s sage grouse population. Daines also called for Department funds to be better utilized to expand access to public lands and pushed back against the Department’s recently proposed energy regulations that could have
Daines Statement on Vote to Override President Obama’s Keystone Veto
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines issued the following statement after the Senate failed to gain enough votes to override President Obama’s veto of the bipartisan Keystone XL pipeline. “It’s disappointing that some of my Democrat Senate colleagues failed to stand with a majority of the Senate and the American people to override the President’s short-sighted veto of the Keystone XL pipeline. Regardless of today’s vote, the fight to build Keystone is not over. I will continue to keep pressure on the Obama administration to approve this pipeline and fight for American jobs, American opportunity and American energy independence.” Last
Daines Calls for Prioritized Funding for Tribal Water Projects
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines is working to ensure that Montana tribes have the resources they need to maintain irrigation projects on Montana reservations. During today’s Senate Indian Affairs Committee legislative hearing on S. 438, the Irrigation Rehabilitation and Renovation for Indian Tribal Governments and Their Economies Act (IRRIGATE Act), Daines stressed the importance of fixing the maintenance backlog issues facing a number of irrigation projects throughout Indian Country, including five in Montana. Daines also reiterated his support for funding additional authorized rural water projects through the Bureau of Reclamation, including those on the Fort Peck and Rocky Boy
Daines Slams Obama Administration’s Doublespeak on Internet Regulation
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today slammed the Obama administration’s empty rhetoric on job creation and innovation following the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) recent move to impose unprecedented regulations on the Internet. During today’s Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation hearing on the Fiscal Year 2016 budget request for the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Transportation, Daines stressed the importance of a free and open Internet and shed light on the severe contradictions between President Obama’s stated mission and the recent actions taken by his administration. “The Internet is unconstrained innovation. However, I think many of