WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news: U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, this week questioned Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough on budget proposals in Washington to gut VA health care and services for veterans and their families--including toxic-exposed veterans receiving critic  more

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release on April 28, 2023: U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, this week questioned Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough on budget proposals in Washington to gut VA health care and services for veterans and their families--including toxic-exposed veterans receiving critical support under the Serge  more

WASHINGTON, April 28 -- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on April 27, 2023: Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03), Dave Joyce (R-OH-14), Senator Jeff Merkley and with Montana's U.S. Senator Steve Daines and U.S. Representatives Dave Joyce (R-OH-14) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2023 today.This bill would ensure that legal cannabis businesses would have access to critical banking and financial services. Most state leg  more

WASHINGTON, April 28 -- Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, issued the following news release: Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke voted for the Limit, Save, Grow Act which aims to limit federal spending, save taxpayer dollars, and grow the economy. "The people of Montana sent me to Congress to fix the mess - not add to it. The Democrats' plan to raise the debt ceiling without looking into the issue that caused us to hit the limit is the definition of fiscal irresponsibility," Zinke said. "With not  more

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, issued the following news release on April 24, 2023: Congressman Ryan Zinke today announced he has requested federal funding for 15 projects in Western Montana to improve infrastructure, economic development, and law enforcement capabilities. The projects are located in Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Beaverhead, Flathead (2), Glacier (3), Lake, Madison, Mineral, Missoula, Park, Powell, Ravalli and Lewis and Clark Counties. The projects are posted on Con  more

WASHINGTON, April 27 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release on April 26, 2023: U.S. Senator Steve Daines, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, today delivered the following remarks at the weekly Republican Senate Leadership press conference blasting President Biden and Senate Democrats' irresponsible fiscal policies. Daines highlighted the inflationary effect of Democrats' reckless spending and slammed President Biden for refusing to negotiate with Speaker Kevin  more

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release on April 28, 2023: U.S. Senator Steve Daines introduced the bipartisan "Servicemembers' Credit Monitoring Enhancement Act" to provide free credit monitoring for all Montana servicemembers and their families. Currently, only active duty servicemembers and members of the National Guard are eligible for free credit monitoring services. "As the son of a United States Marine, I know firsthand the great sacrifice  more

WASHINGTON, April 27 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release on April 26, 2023: U.S. Senator Steve Daines today introduced a bipartisan bill, the "Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act," to ensure that legal cannabis businesses have access to banks, credit unions and other financial institutions. Today, many legal cannabis businesses must conduct all of their business entirely in cash, opening them up to theft, tax evasion and organized crime. "Montanans sho  more

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release on April 27, 2023: U.S. Senator Steve Daines' effort to overturn President Biden's aggressive EPA regulation on heavy-duty vehicle emissions passed the U.S. Senate this week by a vote of 50-49. President Biden's regulation would devastate Montana's trucking industry by raising costs for Montanans while they are already facing sky-high inflation and incentivize older, less efficient trucks to stay on the road  more

WASHINGTON, April 27 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following statement on April 26, 2023: * * * Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and Montana's U.S. Senator Steve Daines issued the following statement after the introduction of the bipartisan, bicameral Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2023. "The introduction of the SAFE Banking Act puts us on a path to move through the Senate Banking Committee and get a vote on the floor of the Senate. As introduced, our SAFE Ba  more

WASHINGTON, April 27 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, issued the following news release on April 26, 2023: Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley along with Montana's U.S. Senator Steve Daines and U.S. Representatives Dave Joyce (R-OH-14) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-03) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2023 today. This bill would ensure that legal cannabis businesses would have access to critical banking and financial services. Most state legal me  more

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news: The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) today awarded U.S. Senator Jon Tester the 2023 Colonel Arthur T. Marix Congressional Leadership Award for his commitment to serving the nation's veterans and their families in his capacity as Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. Among his legislative accomplishments, Tester was specifically honored   more

WASHINGTON, April 29 -- Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Montana, issued the following news release on April 28, 2023: The House Committee on Natural Resources passed Congressman Matt Rosendale's (MT-02) legislation to remove the grizzly bear population in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem from the Endangered Species Act (ESA). "Since grizzly bears were first listed under the Endangered Species Act, they have exceeded the set recovery targets - now, there are over 1,100 grizzly bears in the Nort  more

WASHINGTON, April 27 -- Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Montana, issued the following news release: Congressman Matt Rosendale (MT-02) issued a statement following his vote to pass H.R. 2811, the Limit, Save, Grow Act. "The United States is $31 trillion in debt - the House Republican plan is a great start to addressing this crisis," said Rep. Rosendale. "For far too long, Congress has been kicking the can down the road and allowing deficit spending to spiral out of control. "This comprehensive plan w  more

WASHINGTON, April 28 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on April 26, 2023: * * * U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, today released a statement following a group of Senate Republicans blocking the Elizabeth Dole Veterans Programs Improvement Act of 2023, which includes Tester's VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2023: "In Montana, we respect and fight for the men and wome  more

WASHINGTON, April 28 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jon Tester joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in re-introducing his Secure And Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act to ensure that legal marijuana businesses can access banking services, such as lines of credit, savings and checking accounts, processing customers' credit cards and employee payrolls. "As a third-generation Montana farmer, I know how important it is for small businesses in rur  more

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release and letter on April 25, 2023: As a part of his continued fight to strengthen rural America, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today formally blocked President Biden's nominees to serve as members of the Amtrak Board of Directors - five of whom are from Northeast Corridor states, violating provisions secured by Tester to ensure full geographic representation and firsthand knowledge of long-distance routes on the Amtrak B  more

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * Senator's Family Farm and Small Business Exemption Act would take into account the unique business models of farms as students apply for financial aid * * * Continuing his efforts to lower costs for Montanans and bolster education opportunities for rural communities, U.S. Senator Jon Tester introduced bipartisan legislation to make sure farm families aren't paying higher costs to send their kids to c  more

WASHINGTON, April 26 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release on April 25, 2023: As part of his continued efforts to secure America's borders and combat the flow of fentanyl to Montana, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to introduce his Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act--legislation that would impose economic sanctions on those engaged in the international trafficking of illicit fentanyl, precursor c  more

WASHINGTON, April 28 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release on April 27, 2023: In his continued push to lower costs and address affordable housing shortages in Montana, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today pressed national housing experts on solutions to the affordable housing crisis in rural America. During the hearing, Tester questioned witnesses from the NeighborWorks Association, the Cato Institute;, and the National Low Income Housing Coalition about the housing crisis,   more

WASHINGTON, April 25 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release on April 24, 2023: U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced today he has secured more than $900,000 from his bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for Montana fish passage projects. This funding will help open and improving more than 66 miles of rivers and streams in western Montana through barrier removals, culvert repairs and replacements, and other stream improvements. Tester negotiated the IIJ  more

WASHINGTON, April 27 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following statement on April 26, 2023: * * * U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, today released a statement following a group of Senate Republicans blocking the Elizabeth Dole Veterans Programs Improvement Act of 2023, which includes Tester's VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2023. "In Montana, we respect and fight for the men and women who have defended our country and freedoms. Today'  more

WASHINGTON, April 28 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release and letter on April 27, 2023: * * * In letter to Senate Finance Committee Chair and Ranking Member, Senator encourages delinking PBMs' service fee from drug prices * * * U.S. Senator Jon Tester today sent a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID), urging them to prioritize lowering drug costs and holding massive Pharmacy Benefit managers (PBMs) accounta  more

WASHINGTON, April 27 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release on April 26, 2023: Following Senator Daines' reintroduction of his bipartisan "SAFE Banking Act," several Montana sheriffs voiced their support for the bill to promote public safety. "Regardless of how you feel about recreational marijuana, the people of Montana have spoken. Recreational marijuana is legal in our state. It's our responsibility to make sure we have a safe way for businesses to conduct their   more