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Tag: Constitution

Daines Statement on Supreme Court Ruling

June 26, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges et al.: “The Court is overriding the will of the people of Montana and numerous other states that have defined marriage as between one man and one woman. I believe marriage is between one man and one woman.” In 2004, Montana voters approved Initiative 96 that amended the Montana Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. ###

Daines Hails Long Overdue Passage of USA Freedom Act

June 2, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today hailed the long overdue passage of the bipartisan USA Freedom Act: “I look forward to seeing this bipartisan legislation quickly signed into law by the President. The USA Freedom Act takes the long overdue step to end the NSA’s bulk collection of Americans’ phone records and secures important reforms to protect Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights. Today’s vote is a win for our civil liberties and our constitutional rights. ” Daines has long worked to protect Americans’ civil liberties and Fourth Amendment rights. Daines is an original cosponsor of the USA Freedom Act of

Daines Statement on the USA Freedom Act

May 31, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement after the Senate voted to advance the bipartisan USA Freedom Act. “I’m pleased to see the Senate take a critical step towards ending the bulk collection of Americans’ phone records by advancing the USA Freedom Act. The USA Freedom Act strikes the right balance between protecting the homeland from terror attacks while protecting the constitutional rights and liberty of the American people. I urge the Senate to pass the USA Freedom Act swiftly.” With today’s vote the Senate cleared a critical procedural hurdle that sets up a vote on

ABC FOX: Sen. Daines Calls on NSA to Stop Obtaining Phone Records

May 21, 2015

Montana’s newest senator is calling out the National Security Administration for collecting phone records.  Along with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, Senator Steve Daines is calling on the NSA to end its ‘bulk meta-data collection program’. Under this program, millions of Americans’ phone records are obtained and stored by the NSA for intelligence purposes. It’s part of the Patriot Act, which congress is currently debating whether to reauthorize.  Senator Daines says he has had his doubts with the program and questions its effectiveness. “This program is a direct threat to our constitutional rights. It has jeopardized our civil liberties with little

Daines ‘Stands with Rand’ in Opposition to NSA Bulk Collection of Montanans’ Phone Records

May 20, 2015

Senator Steve Daines today stood alongside Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and called for the end of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) bulk meta-data collection program. Below are key excerpts from Daines’ floor speech: “I know firsthand the power that big data holds – I also know the great risks that arise when this power is abused. There is a clear and direct threat to Americans’ civil liberties that comes with the mass collection of our personal information and phone records. “This program is a direct threat to our Constitutional rights. It has jeopardized our civil liberties with little proven effectiveness.

Daines: Court Ruling Bulk Phone Collection Illegal is Welcome News

May 7, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today welcomed a federal court ruling that the National Security Agency’s (NSA) bulk telephone metadata collection program is illegal and reaffirmed his commitment to ending the federal government’s mass collection of Montanans’ personal information. The New York-based 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals unanimously ruled today that the NSA does not have the legal authority to widely collect Americans’ bulk telephony metadata. “Montanans have long known that the federal government’s mass collection of our personal data is an unacceptable overreach of power and today’s court ruling confirms it,” Daines stated. “It’s long past time

Daines Introduces Historic Reform Bill to Protect Montanans’ Privacy

April 28, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today helped introduce widely supported bipartisan legislation that ends the bulk collection of Americans’ phone records. Daines is an original cosponsor of the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015, which ends bulk collection under Section 215 of the USA PATRIOT Act and requires greater oversight, transparency, and accountability in surveillance activities. Three provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), including Section 215, are due to sunset on June 1. “Montanans have seen firsthand the dangers of big government’s intrusion into our daily lives, our personal information and our privacy,” Daines stated.  “It’s critical that comprehensive reforms are put

Daines Outlines Priorities for American Prosperity

March 16, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today delivered his maiden speech on the Senate floor and outlined his priorities as Montana’s new United States Senator. During his speech, Daines discussed the need for state-based solutions to restore economic growth that keeps America safe and secure. Key excerpts from Daines’ speech are below: We are blessed to live in the greatest nation on earth. And it is the solemn responsibility of the United States Senate to do everything in its power to keep it that way.  Washington is more concerned with its own self-interest and self-gain than the well being of the

Daines: Obama Administration Abandons Ammo Ban Plan

March 10, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today announced that at his urging, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has abandoned its proposal to ban M855 ammunition for one of the most common firearms in the United States: the AR-15. “The Obama administration’s decision to abandon its misguided ammunition ban is welcome news for countless law-abiding firearm owners and sportsmen. I’m glad that the ATF has heeded my call and listened to the more than 80,000 Americans who spoke out in opposition to this senseless restriction. However, this is not the first nor the last time the Obama administration

Daines, 52 Senators Condemn ATF Framework Limiting Sporting Ammo

March 9, 2015

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