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U.S. SENATE – Senator Steve Daines led a hearing Wednesday on improving mental health and addiction services in our communities, where he highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Montana. May is Mental Health Awareness Month – an issue at the top of my mind and many others following a year of isolation for Montanans and Americans across the country,” Sen. Daines said. “Since the pandemic, lockdowns, economic hardships and social isolation have only helped intensify what we already know – we need mental health services in our communities, and we need to make it a priority. You can

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.

Senator Jon Tester (D) introduced a bill last month with Senator Deb Fischer, Neb., that seeks to improve safety at rural train crossings. As of right now, railroad crossing arms are only installed at locations where a road is wide enough for two vehicles. A second bill to address the dangers of parked trains on highway-railroad crossings was also introduced by the same two senators. Valley County has reported two cases of vehicle-train collisions this year at rural crossings. The first occurred on July 18 in Hinsdale at the crossing with crossing arms. There were no injuries. The second occurred

HELENA – Robert Wilkie, secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said during a visit Monday to facilities in Montana that the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center has a 93% approval rating from clients.   “There is nothing like it in the entire United States when it comes to patient satisfaction,” he said at a news conference outside the facility, adding later that Forbes magazine recently listed the VA as the best employer in Montana. Wilkie was in Montana at the invitation of Republican Sen. Steve Daines, but he also took time to thank Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and

GREAT FALLS — The new Great Falls Veterans Affairs clinic hosted a grand opening Friday morning with a ceremony dedicated to veterans and clinic staff. The event, which was open to vets and the public, had remarks from Montana VA Health Care System representatives, as well as Governor Steve Bullock, U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester, and Clarence Sivertsen, the vice chairman of the Little Shell Chippewa Tribe. Small groups were offered tours to see the new facility, which is the first in the Montana VA system to implement the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model. “Now we have

The following are condensed from press releases and compiled by Sidney Herald staff: U.S. Sen. Steve Daines announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is distributing additional relief funds to assist vulnerable Montanans. Specifically, HHS will distribute approximately $15 billion to eligible providers that participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs. HHS is also distributing $10 billion in Provider Relief Funds for safety net hospitals. “I’m glad to have helped secure these funds which are critical for our providers serving our most vulnerable patients in Montana. These funds will help assisted living facilities and home and community