WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.) are introducing bipartisan legislation to adjust monthly benefits for family members and survivors of veterans who lost their lives in service to our country. The Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)--the rate of compensation paid to survivors of servicemembers who die in the line of duty or veterans  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-West Virginia, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) joined a bipartisan resolution - led by Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) condemning the Chinese spy balloon that was first publicly reported in U.S. airspace above Billings, Montana. This resolution unanimously passed the U.S. Senate on February 15, 2023. "The Chinese Communist Party's brazen violat  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, issued the following news release on Feb. 16, 2023: U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jon Tester (D-Montana) today announced the reintroduction of the Major Richard Star Act--bipartisan legislation to provide combat-injured veterans with less than 20 years of military service their full benefits. Currently, only veterans with disability ratings above 50 percent and more than 20 years of service are eligible to receive the full amount of the  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release on Feb. 15, 2023: U.S. Senator Steve Daines led a group of his colleagues today in introducing the "Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination Act" to stop the federal government from entering into contracts with entities that promote anti-Second Amendment policies. "The Constitution is clear--the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed, especially not by woke corporations that are taking Montanans' har  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following statement on Feb. 16, 2023: * * * U.S. Senator Steve Daines today issued the following statement in response to President Biden's remarks on the incursions into U.S. airspace: "President Biden continues to lead from behind. It took the president two weeks to address the American people after the spy balloon was spotted. "We still do not know what the three objects were that we shot out of the sky and the President adm  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Steve Daines appeared on Fox News with Martha MacCallum today to discuss the news over the weekend that the United States shot down more flying objects. Daines on the Historical Significance of the Shoot-downs "I think we need to step back and look at the historical significance of what's going on. NORAD was founded in 1958. That was sixty-five years ago under the Eisenhower administration. Fo  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Angus King (I-Maine), the Ranking Member and Chairman, respectively, of the Senate's National Parks Subcommittee, introduced the bipartisan "Gateway Community and Recreation Enhancement Act". The bipartisan bill will support gateway communities and address challenges facing national parks and public lands like increased visitation and housing shortages, boosting visit  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Montana, issued the following news release on Feb. 15, 2023: Congressman Matt Rosendale (MT-02) issued the following statement after Billings Clinic and Logan Health announced today that they signed a Letter of Intent to explore uniting the two organizations into one health system. "The combined health system that Billings Clinic and Logan Health will explore creating has the potential to address challenges facing health care providers and patients  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Montana, issued the following news release: Congressman Matt Rosendale (R-Montana) issued the following statement in response to the announcement from R-Y Timber that it will not reopen its Livingston mill. "I'm disappointed to hear that R-Y Timber will not reopen after the fire at their Livingston mill last week," said Rep. Rosendale. "Serving as one of our nation's leading suppliers of Rocky Mountain-grown timber for over 25 years, this closure   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news on Feb. 16, 2023: The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee today advanced nine bills to better serve veterans nationwide--including three bills authored by Chairman Jon Tester. The Senator also led the Committee's consideration of Joshua Jacobs to serve as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Under Secretary for Benefits--a position responsible for tackling the disab  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee issued the following statement by Ponderosa Communications General Manager Chad Rupe at a Feb. 14, 2023, confirmation hearing. Rupe is also ex-administrator for the Rural Utilities Service at the Agriculture Department. * * * My name is Chad Rupe and I'm currently the General Manager at Ponderosa Communications, and as the Chairwoman mentioned, I'm also the former administrator for the RUS (Rural Utilities Servic  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, issued the following news release: The U.S. Senate unanimously passed U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Shelley Moore Capito's (R-WV) bipartisan resolution condemning the Chinese spy balloon that was first publicly reported in U.S. airspace above Billings, Montana. "China's efforts to spy on the United States cannot and will not be tolerated. Our bipartisan resolution condemns in the strongest terms the Chinese spy balloon and their   more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news: Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.), Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) are introducing bipartisan legislation to adjust monthly benefits for family members and survivors of veterans who lost their lives in service to our country. The Dependency and Indemnit  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news: Continuing their push to deliver veterans the benefits they have earned, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) reintroduced the Major Richard Star Act--bipartisan legislation to provide combat-injured veterans with less than 20 years of military service their full benefits. Currently, only veterans wit  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news on Feb. 15, 2023: U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) introduced bipartisan legislation today that pushes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct research on the health effects of medicinal cannabis for veterans experiencing chronic pain and symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). "Our nation's veterans deserve options  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release on Feb. 16, 2023: The Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee today advanced nine bills to better serve veterans nationwide--including three bills authored by Chairman Jon Tester. The Senator also led the Committee's consideration of Joshua Jacobs to serve as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Under Secretary for Benefits--a position responsible for tackling the disability claims backlog under the Veterans Bene  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) introduced a Senate resolution opposing H.R. 25, proposed legislation from House Republicans that would effectively create a 30 percent national sales tax. "A national sales tax is an awful idea--we don't have one in Montana, and we don't need the federal government imposing one on us," said Tester. "At a time when working families are getting killed  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release and letter: As a part of his continued effort to lower costs for families and businesses, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today called on the Biden Administration to fully reopen all ports of entry in Montana to pre-pandemic hours and terminate the vaccination requirements for Canadian truck drivers entering the United States through land ports of entry. Tester's letter comes after meeting with Montana farmers and busi  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: In his continued push to support Montana cattle producers and add transparency to the cattle market, Senator Tester reintroduced his bipartisan Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act, which would establish minimums for negotiated sales and require clear reporting of marketing contracts. The bill is co-led by Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). "As a third-generation f  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Susan M. Collins, R-Maine, issued the following news release on Feb. 14, 2023: U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chair and Vice Chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, today introduced a bipartisan resolution condemning the Chinese spy balloon that was first publicly reported in U.S. airspace above Billings, Montana. "I'll always defend Montanans' freedom and privacy, which are American values that China doesn't respect," said  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release on Feb. 14, 2023: U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chair and Vice Chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, today introduced a bipartisan resolution condemning the Chinese spy balloon that was first publicly reported in U.S. airspace above Billings, Montana. "I'll always defend Montanans' freedom and privacy, which are American values that China doesn't respect," said Tes  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: Continuing their push to deliver veterans the benefits they have earned, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) reintroduced the Major Richard Star Act--bipartisan legislation to provide combat-injured veterans with less than 20 years of military service their full benefits. Currently, only veterans with disability ratings above 50 percent and mo  more