Accountability Archives - Senator Steve Daines

Daines to HHS: Convicted Pedophile Should Not Receive One Cent of Taxpayer Money

March 28, 2019

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today sent a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), urging he stop Stanley Patrick Weber, a former Indian Health Service (IHS) pediatrician recently convicted for molesting children while working on the Blackfeet Reservation, from continuing to receive a government pension in prison. “If the Department of Health and Human Services cannot stop Mr. Weber’s pension payments, then we stand ready to provide any assistance necessary from Congress that will fix this flawed system,” the letter states. “A convicted pedophile should not receive one cent of taxpayer money while serving

Daines Continues Fight Against Montana Meth Crisis, Demands Answers for Abuse Scandal in IHS

March 14, 2019

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today in a U.S. Senate Finance Committee hearing pressed Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar for solutions on combatting Montana’s growing meth epidemic. Daines also demanded answers on recent cases of abuse in the Indian Health Service (IHS). In the hearing, Daines discussed his recent trip to Rimrock Facility in Billings, where he saw firsthand Montana’s growing meth epidemic and the impact it has on Montana moms and families. Click HERE to download. “In Montana, we’re facing a meth crisis, and it’s devastating our families and communities… How is HHS

Daines, Zinke Introduce Legislation to Give States & Tribes Say in Energy Development

May 17, 2016

U.S. CONGRESS — U.S. Senator Steve Daines and U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke today introduced bicameral legislation to protect Montana coal jobs from the Obama administration’s recent moratorium on new federal coal leases and ensure that states and tribes have a significant voice in any changes to federal coal, oil, gas royalties or leasing policy. The Certainty for States and Tribes Act, S.2938 and H.R. 5259, provides critical flexibility needed to keep Montana mines open, protect thousands of good-paying jobs and provide needed support for government and community services. “The Obama administration has completely ignored the will and well-being of Montanans and

Daines Stands Up for Montana Veterans, WWII Women Airforce Service Pilots & VA Accountability

April 28, 2016

U.S. SENATE — Senator Steve Daines today stood up for Montana veterans, WWII Women Air Service Pilots who trained in Great Falls and worked to increase accountability at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Daines secured numerous provisions to address Montana veterans’ long standing concerns in Senator Johnny Isakson’s (R-GA) Veterans First Act, which was introduced earlier today. Daines’ provisions include: Veterans Choice Act Improvement Major components of Daines’ bill, the Veterans Choice Improvement Act of 2016 were included in the Veterans First Act. Some of Daines’ reforms include an overall reform of the VA to help rural veterans by establishing

Daines: Systemic Failures at Indian Health Service are Unacceptable

February 3, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today pushed Indian Health Service (IHS) officials on the agency’s persistent shortcomings in providing quality reliable access to health care services for tribal members across the nation and called on IHS to urgently implement much-needed reforms to address the deficiencies plaguing the agency. During a Senate Indian Affairs Committee hearing on the substandard quality of Indian health care in the Great Plains, Daines condemned the systemic failures at IHS that have led to inadequate care for tribal members across Montana. Click here to download Daines’ remarks. Click here to watch Daines’ remarks. “Problems like this have been happening for

Daines Calls on FCC to Clarify Broadband Definition

January 22, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today led five of his Senate colleagues in urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to clarify their inconsistent and arbitrary definitions of broadband, which could detrimentally impact rural Montanans. The letter is also signed by Roger Wicker (MS), Roy Blunt (MO), Deb Fischer (NE), Ron Johnson (WI) and Cory Gardner (CO). The senators expressed their concerns that: The FCC’s arbitrary 25/3 Mbps benchmark speed does not reflect what most Americans consider broadband The use of this benchmark discourages providers from offering speeds at or above the benchmark The definition contradicts the broadband definition used in

Daines: New Deficit Projections Affirm Need to Rein in Spending

January 19, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today reaffirmed his commitment to reining in Washington’s out-of-control spending after the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported that the federal budget deficit is expected to increase by $105 billion in 2016 – the first increase in seven years. “These projections reaffirm the dire consequences of Washington’s continued bloated spending. Make no mistake – this $105 billion increase in the federal deficit is direct result of the 2000-page trillion dollar spending bill that was cobbled together behind closed doors and forced through Congress last month,” Daines stated. “It’s past time for Washington to get serious about reining in our national

Daines: It’s Past Time to ‘Audit the Fed’

January 12, 2016

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today expressed his disappointment following the Senate’s failure to advance to debate on the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015, widely known as “Audit the Fed.” Daines is an original co-sponsor of S. 2232, which eliminates restrictions on Government Accountability Office audits of the Federal Reserve and mandates that the Federal Reserve’s credit facilities, securities purchases, and quantitative easing activities be subject to congressional oversight. “We must ensure that the Federal Reserve is transparent and accountable to the American people,” Daines stated. “Americans deserve answers about how our government creates its monetary policy, not the current status quo of making

Daines Applauds Passage of Multi-Year Highway Bill

December 3, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today applauded the passage of a multi-year highway bill that provides Montanans much-needed certainty in infrastructure investments: “The long-overdue passage of a multi-year highway bill is great news for Montana and a critical step forward in providing our state with the certainty needed to make long-term infrastructure investments,” Daines stated. “Our transportation infrastructure is a critical component of our state’s economy and given Montana’s short construction season, it’s imperative that communities and contractors alike have the certainty needed to move forward with badly-needed infrastructure improvement projects. This bill ends Congress’s irresponsible trend of short-term Band-Aids and temporary extensions

Daines Helps Reintroduce “Audit the Fed”

November 5, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today helped reintroduce the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2015, widely known as “Audit the Fed.” The bill eliminates restrictions on Government Accountability Office audits of the Federal Reserve and mandates that the Federal Reserve’s credit facilities, securities purchases, and quantitative easing activities be subject to congressional oversight. “The Federal Reserve System was established one hundred years ago with the intent of managing our country’s money supply for greater financial stability. We need to conduct a serious review of our nation’s monetary policy with a view of returning to normalcy,” Daines stated. “We must have an open and

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