Montana U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines recently received new key committee assignments.
Tester, a Democrat, is now chair of the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee, which is significant for Montana’s nearly 90,000 military veterans. The state ranks third nationally for veterans per capita. Tester has served on the committee since 2007, but until now didn’t have the seniority to be chairman while Democrats have the majority.
Additionally, Tester was appointed chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, a key committee for Malmstrom Air Force Base and all military spending. Through the end of 2020, both Tester and Daines served on the subcommittee.
Daines’ presence on Appropriations was an exception to a rule that lawmakers not serve on both Appropriations and Senate Finance. Serving on both required a waiver from Senate leadership.
The current arrangement leaves Montana with seats on three primary money committees. Tester on Appropriations, Daines on Senate Finance and both lawmakers on Senate Banking.
Daines was reassigned to the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, which is not only key for banking, but also veteran housing. The committee deals with some trade issues, insurance and financial markets. Banking Committee members are also some of the largest recipients of campaign donations from the banking and finance industry. It’s also a committee on which Tester has served since his first year in office.
Both senators also serve on the Indian Affairs Committee, which is key for Montana’s seven American Indian reservations and the significant social issues like the missing and murdered Indigenous persons crisis. Education, health care, trust lands and other federal obligations secured under treaty with sovereign tribal nations are issues covered by the Indian Affairs Committee.
Additionally, Daines serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which deals with everything from oil and gas leasing on federal public lands to national parks.
Tester is also a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The committee is key to addressing the “digital divide” between urban and rural areas, improving broadband in rural communities for business, education and telehealth.
In the House of Representatives, as previously reported, Rep. Matt Rosendale serves on Natural Resources and Veterans affairs, appointments that align with the senators’ committee assignments.