WASHINGTON, July 17 -- Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, issued the following news release: Congressman Greg Gianforte's two bipartisan bills to prevent suicide yesterday unanimously cleared the Energy and Commerce Committee. The next step for the bills is a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives. "People are hurting in Montana and across our nation, particularly amid this coronavirus crisis and economic shutdown. Unfortunately, too many Montanans don't have access to the mental health care t  more

WASHINGTON, July 15 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Steve Daines called for more robust funding for the development and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines and drugs in any upcoming coronavirus relief package in Congress. This request for funding follows Daines successfully securing $10 billion in the CARES Act to accelerate the manufacturing and development of drugs to treat and prevent COVID-19. "As you continue your work on critical legislati  more

GREAT FALLS, Montana, July 16 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Steve Daines led a roundtable discussion with USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey and Montana's ag leaders on important Montana ag issues including market manipulation in cattle markets and available USDA resources for farmers and ranchers during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. At the roundtable, Daines urged the USDA and the Department of Justi  more

CUT BANK, Montana, July 14 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Steve Daines led a roundtable discussion in Cut Bank with community members and top administration leaders on the St. Mary's Milk River Project following a tour of the damaged drop sites 2 and 5. Daines has actively been working on a solution to fix the St. Mary Milk River Project to protect Montana jobs and the ag operations on the Hi-Line. Daines was joined by U.S Department of the Int  more

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Steve Daines announced that the U.S. Department of Treasury's Community Development Financial Institutions Fund will be directing $65,000,000 to the Montana Community Development Corporation to boost economic growth to support and create jobs across Montana. "This critical funding will help create jobs and support small businesses across Montana's communities," Daines said. "I will continue wor  more

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: In a big win for the Treasure State's small businesses, U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced that MoFi--a Montana community development group--will receive a $65 million tax credit to help create jobs and foster economic growth across the state. The tax credit comes as part of the New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) program, which benefits rural and low-income communities by providing financing and consulting services   more

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced that he will introduce legislation requiring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to issue all oil and gas leases through competitive auction, ending noncompetitive leasing and cutting bureaucratic red tape and government inefficiency. "BLM's noncompetitive leasing program is about as efficient as a steering wheel on a blindfolded mule at night, and taxpayers are left pulling   more

WASHINGTON, July 14 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: As part of his efforts to ensure that Montana's rural hospitals and clinics have the resources they need to fight the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced an additional $13,866,039 in coronavirus relief funding for seven Montana rural health care providers as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. "As cases continue to climb across Montana, our rural hospita  more

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release on July 14: Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and after Montana health care providers were left out of a critical telehealth expansion program, U.S. Senator Jon Tester is doubling down on his push to improve access to telehealth services in Montana and calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prioritize the areas that need it most. In a letter to FCC Chair Ajit Pai, Tester requested detail  more

BIG SANDY, Montana, July 15 -- Sen. John Tester, D-Montana, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on July 14 on the defendant's guilty plea in the Clarksburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, West Virginia, case: "Today's guilty plea is an important step towards justice for the victims and their families in West Virginia. The VA must be held accountable to strengthen their oversight to prevent these heinous and cruel incidents in the   more

WASHINGTON, July 17 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced that the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (MT DPHHS) Laboratory will receive $1,949,173 to continue providing public health education, testing and immunization assistance to the state, including supporting the state's surveillance, detection, and response of COVID-19 tests. The grant funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services  more

WASHINGTON, July 16 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following statement on July 15: Following news of a deal between the Trust for Public Land, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and Southern Pines Plantation to set up a conservation easement on nearly 200,000 acres of land formerly belonging to Weyerhaeuser. * * * "Montana's landscapes are the envy of the world, and today's announcement is great news for our economy and our state. "I'm grateful to all the folks who played a role i  more

WASHINGTON, July 15 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following statement on July 14 regarding the defendant's guilty plea in the Clarksburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center, West Virginia, case: "Today's guilty plea is an important step towards justice for the victims and their families in West Virginia. The VA must be held accountable to strengthen their oversight to prevent these heinous and cruel incidents in the future. "That's why I applaud Senator Manchin's efforts in pushing th  more

WASHINGTON, July 13 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jon Tester is urging the Department of Defense to provide financial relief from health care premiums for members of the National Guard returning to Reserve status after responding to the COVID-19 crisis. In the last four months, nearly 46,500 National Guard members in 45 states have been activated to fight on the front lines of the national health emergency. "At a time when access to health care   more