In a letter sent to the head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Thursday, Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., called for a more thorough investigation into a recent COVID-19 outbreak at Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation Center that killed 13 residents and infected dozens more.

The letter, dated Oct. 8, is addressed to CMS Administrator Seema Verma, who manages the nation’s health coverage programs and oversees the agency’s $1 trillion federal budget. In his letter, Daines requested Verma’s “immediate attention” to the facility’s track record of deficiencies, the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent resident deaths.

Follow this link to learn more.

“This is about protecting Montana ag jobs and Montana family farms,” said Sen. Steve Daines who introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate in June 2019. “I’m glad to see my bill which ensures the 130 family farms in Kinsey and Sidney are able to continue use of Pick-Sloan power pass the U.S. House today. I thank Congressman Gianforte for his leadership in the House, and I look forward to President Trump signing it into law.”

Follow this link to learn more.

The importance of coal to the nation’s energy portfolio was emphasized late last week as Montana Senator Steve Daines gave a tour of the Rosebud Mine and the Colstrip power plants to U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette.

“You can see how important this operation is,” said Daines. First and foremost to the state of Montana, it’s about the jobs, and it provides an affordable, reliable source of electricity.”

Daines pointed out the fact that two of the four power plants at Colstrip have already been decommissioned, and that Units 3 and 4 are the only ones left producing electricity.

Follow this link to learn more.

The legislation, called the Emergency Wildfire and Public Safety Act of 2020, would fund three massive land management projects intended to reduce fire risk and damage, and could include actions such as logging, prescribed burns and rehabilitating damaged ecosystems.

Follow this link to learn more.

“She is the kind of jurist that Montanans will look up to, someone they’d want on the Supreme Court. During our meeting, we talked extensively about our Founding Fathers’ vision for the Second Amendment as an individual right to bear arms and what that means for our Montana way of life. We talked about the importance of preventing liberal West coast governors from killing Montana coal and energy jobs. I believe Judge Barrett will be faithful to the Constitution, and she has my full support to become our next Supreme Court Justice.”

Follow this link to learn more.

Sen. Daines says Amtrak’s daily service cut for the Empire Builder, and trimming staff by 20% will “decimate the economies in Montana” and leave “tens of thousands” without rail access.

The Republican had already noted that Amtrak was making the cuts even after receiving more than $1 billion under the CARES Act earlier this year.

Follow this link to learn more.

Sen. Steve Daines is urging his colleagues in the U.S. Senate to pass a bill that would prevent convicted pedophiles from receiving federal pensions.

Daines, R-Mont., introduced the bill, called the Denying Pensions to Convicted Child Molesters Act, in 2019. The bill comes in response to Stanley Patrick Weber, a former Indian Health Services pediatrician and convicted child molester who abused children for decades, including on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

Follow this link to learn more.

Republican U.S. Sen Steve Daines says the Senate should “move forward” to confirm President Trump’s nominee to succeed the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – although in 2016, he opposed confirming a court nominee in an election year.

Follow this link to learn more.

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., and six of his colleagues sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in response to a provision added to House Democrats’ version of a highway bill that would increase the liability insurance coverage requirement from $750,000 to $2 million per truck.

Follow this link to learn more.

Montana’s U.S. Sen. Steve Daines attended the in-person meeting with fire officials. He said this fire was personal for him and that he was thankful no one has died because of the incident. The Bozeman native said he’s received messages from friends who live on the east side of the mountains who have lost their homes.

Follow this link to learn more.