U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) joined 19 of his GOP Senate colleagues to demand that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not overstep its bounds by updating policy in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFS sets the rule for Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) has successfully worked with local communities and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to bring forest salvage and restoration projects to Montana that will reduce potential devastating wildfires in the state’s national forests and create more Read more…
U.S. President Donald Trump on July 27 signed into law a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) that ensures the Gibson Dam Hydro Project in his home state of Montana gets completed. “This is a win for Read more…
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) successfully quashed efforts in the U.S. Senate to deplete the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which he and U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) want to see fully funded in a reauthorization that must happen Read more…
U.S. Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT) and John Hoeven (R-ND) have cosponsored a bipartisan, bicameral bill that would improve federal processes benefiting members of the National Guard. “North Dakota National Guard members are ‘always ready and always there’ whenever they are Read more…
The U.S. Senate has approved sweeping bipartisan legislation to reform the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with the help of U.S. Sens. Dean Heller (R-NV), Cory Gardner (R-CO), and Deb Fischer (R-NE) that now goes to the president’s desk Read more…
U.S. Rep. French Hill (R-AR), Majority Whip on the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, and U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), chairman of the bipartisan House Automotive Caucus, both gave President Donald Trump a thumbs up for repealing another Obama-era rule. Read more…
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has unveiled the bipartisan Community Wood Energy Innovation Act of 2018, S. 2790, to incentivize companies across the United States to remove and repurpose low-grade and low-value wood. “Our bill to reauthorize the Community Wood Read more…
A bipartisan bill led by U.S. Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS) to advance the use of precision farming by identifying and closing broadband connectivity gaps in rural areas was approved by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on April 25. Read more…
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) has spearheaded a bipartisan congressional effort seeking the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson, an American imprisoned in Turkey since 2016 on what the lawmaker’s office deems as bogus charges related to terrorism and espionage. Turkish Read more…
Steps would be taken to safeguard the personal information of pre-K-12 students that schools store in electronic records under bipartisan legislation introduced on April 10 by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT). The Safeguarding American Families from Exposure by Keeping Information Read more…
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) on April 6 outlined plans for how his home state could be the next-generation technology leader that positively changes coal-fired power usage in the United States. “Our cooperatives and their members need the certainty that Read more…
Bipartisan, bicameral legislation led by U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and a group of Republican congressional members to address an estimated $11.6 billion in maintenance backlog costs at America’s national parks has earned support from several more organizations vested Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) is pushing back against anti-generic drug tactics used by some name-brand drug manufacturers that hamper competition in the prescription drug market. Sen. Daines on March 12 joined in cosponsoring the bipartisan Creating and Restoring Equal Read more…
Revenue generated by energy production on federal lands would be used to address a maintenance backlog for U.S. National Parks that now exceeds $11 billion under a bipartisan, bicameral bill introduced by U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Shelley Moore Capito Read more…
U.S. Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Todd Young (R-IN), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Steve Daines (R-MT) joined several colleagues in introducing the U.S. Senate version of a bipartisan bill to beef Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) has introduced bipartisan legislation that would allow Americans to better manage their retirement accounts after they have changed jobs. The Retirement Savings Lost and Found Act of 2018, would modernize the retirement system to increase Read more…
With 93 percent of all federally owned land located in the West, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) thinks the national agency responsible for managing millions of acres of those surface and underground holdings should be right there near the action. Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) spearheaded a group of his Senate colleagues in urging President Donald Trump to revisit consideration of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in talks this week with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that are expected to encompass Read more…
U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Steve Daines (R-MT) on Feb. 6 introduced the bipartisan Streamlining and Investing in Broadband Infrastructure Act, S. 2381, legislation that would pave a smoother way for broadband infrastructure installation on federal lands and during Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) led a bipartisan group of his colleagues in asking Senate leadership to immediately reauthorize community health center funding and ensure health care access for center patrons and business stability for center staffs. “For more than Read more…
Several U.S. Republican senators recently wrote to President Donald Trump quantifying how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) supports U.S. economic development and workforce livelihood and seeking his support for modernizing the trade pact. Representatives of the United States, Read more…
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) has joined in leading a bipartisan group of colleagues to support greater transparency, reduce out-of-pocket costs and eliminate certain fees for American seniors’ prescription drugs. Sens. Capito and Jon Tester (D-MT), along with 19 Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) on Jan. 25 introduced bipartisan legislation supporting expanded rural broadband internet service enabling American farmers and ranchers to use innovative methods known as precision agriculture. “Montana farmers and ranchers need access to the farming tools Read more…
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven’s (R-ND) amendment continuing fair tax treatment for cooperatives has been incorporated into the House-Senate conference committee’s final tax relief legislation. Sen. John Thune (R-SD) joined Hoeven in writing the amendment, which aims to ensure that elimination Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines on Thursday introduced legislation to protect citizens’ public land access and use in Montana following requests from the Montana State Legislature and local communities. The Protect Public Use of Public Lands Act would release 449,500 acres Read more…
U.S. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) on Monday introduced bipartisan legislation to enable protecting and preserving iconic Western federal lands with special conservation importance without using taxpayer funds. Heller’s bill reauthorizes the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA), which expired in Read more…
U.S. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) on Monday released the third volume of his report targeting out-of-control government spending, encouraging Congress to use its authority to prevent misuse of tax dollars in the future. The 86-page report, “Federal Fumbles: 100 Ways Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) is among more than a dozen members of the Senate who have called on the U.S. Commerce Department to provide a financial impact analysis of how any changes to the North American Free Trade Agreement Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) is leading a bipartisan group of his Senate colleagues from the Northern Plains and the Pacific Northwest in seeking high-level support for U.S. dry pea producers and processors affected by India’s recent and unexpected dry Read more…
The Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act, introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) and in the Senate by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), was incorporated into the conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) on Friday introduced the Veteran State Home Grant Backlog Reduction Act of 2017 to ensure that veterans have the care facilities they need. “Montana is home to one of the highest populations of veterans per Read more…
U.S. Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV) led a bipartisan call on Wednesday for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials to take action in response to revelations that the veteran suicide rate is 7 percent higher in western states than elsewhere in Read more…
Legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) to build on his earlier efforts to improve the federal government’s processes for acquiring computers and information technology (IT) cleared the House on Wednesday. Signed into law in 2014, Issa’s Federal Information Read more…
The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual mandate for health insurance would be repealed, and Americans who paid penalties for not having insurance coverage would be refunded, under legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) on Friday. The Repeal and Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) testified before a Senate panel on Wednesday to highlight legislation he introduced to eliminate bureaucracy that hinders active forestry management practices during a costly wildfire season. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found in Cottonwood Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) requested that U.S. Cyber Command be promoted to unified combatant command status and President Donald Trump has replied in the affirmative, clearly revealing the growing centrality of cyberspace to U.S. national security. Daines had included Read more…
Internet-connected devices purchased by the federal government would have to meet minimum cybersecurity requirements to prevent hacking under legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Steve Daines (R-MT) on Wednesday. The network of internet-aware devices and sensors is Read more…
Working to protect online privacy, legislation from U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) would require law enforcers to demonstrate probable cause and obtain a search warrant in order to access electronic communications. The Email Privacy Act would modernize the Electronic Communications Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) highlighted how the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) individual mandate has cost low- and middle-income Americans billions of dollars on the Senate floor on Wednesday as part of a preview of his proposal to repay the Read more…
U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Steve Daines (R-MT) said on Tuesday they support Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) decision to delay the August in-state work period until the third week of August. Both lawmakers, along with U.S. Sens. Read more…
U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) is leading the effort to permanently reauthorize a program that provides fast-track immigration lanes for business travelers to the Asia-Pacific region through legislation he introduced last week. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card Read more…
Senate leaders called the Trump administration’s announcement on Monday that it had reached an agreement to restore U.S. beef exports to China great news for cattle producers and families across the country. The agreement, which will end China’s ban on Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced a bipartisan bill on Monday that would give states additional options with federal resources to keep families together through the drug addiction treatment of a parent. Under the Child Protection and Family Support Act, Read more…
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) led a bipartisan call last week for action on a bill to modernize the federal government’s information technology (IT) capabilities while curbing wasteful spending and improving cybersecurity. The government spends $80 billion on IT per Read more…
Online hotel booking scams that trick customers into thinking that they’re making reservations directly with hotels would be targeted under legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) on Wednesday. The Stop Online Booking Scams Act Read more…
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jon Tester (D-MT) urged the Department of Education on Monday to reconsider rejecting dozens of grant applications based on minor formatting issues. In a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Collins and Tester highlighted Read more…
Legislation reintroduced by U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) would permanently avert government shutdowns by creating an automatic continuing resolution (CR) for every appropriations bill or standing CR. Under the End Government Shutdowns Act, an automatic CR would be created for Read more…
U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) led bipartisan members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in a letter urging President Donald Trump on Tuesday to fill vacant inspectors general (IG) positions. Johnson, the chairman of the committee, noted Read more…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) has introduced a package of four bipartisan reform bills that would ensure the billions of dollars spent by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) each year on acquisition programs are done so efficiently and Read more…