WASHINGTON, July 12 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Steve Daines and Congressman Greg Gianforte yesterday introduced the bipartisan Small County Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) Parity Act. "Far too often our rural communities are pushed aside and not given the resources they need,"Senator Daines said. "These PILT payments deliver critical services to folks in rural Montana, and I'm glad to introduce this important legislation to increase those   more

WASHINGTON, July 11 -- The House Natural Resources subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources issued the following testimony by Steve Charter, testified on behalf of the Northern Plains Resource Council and Western Organization of Resource Councils, at a hearing on the future of the federal coal program: "My name is Steve Charter. I'm a third-generation Montana cattle rancher. The fourth and fifth generation also live on the ranch. I live in coal country and have lived under the threat of coa  more

WASHINGTON, July 11 -- Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, issued the following news release: Congressman Greg Gianforte spoke on the House floor today to highlight a path to improvements at Malmstrom Air Force Base for greater potential capacity as part of this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). "Malmstrom Air Force Base is home to the 341st Missile Wing which maintains and operates one-third of the U.S. ICBM force. Servicemembers at Malmstrom protect our country, but the base can  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-North Dakota, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Tina Smith (D-M.N.), and Steve Daines (R-M.T.) wrote a bipartisan letter to the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) Chief Agricultural Negotiator Gregg Doud regarding the grain article in the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement. "The grain article in the agreement is a significant area of interest for North Dakota, Minnesota, and   more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that $188,717 will be directed towards the Big Horn Valley Health Center to create a new Telehealth network addressing substance abuse. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under the agency's Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program. "A strong telehealth network is vital to Montana's rural communities," Daines said. "This grant will boost our  more

WASHINGTON, July 11 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Bill will protect conservation easement program, prevent abuse from bad actors * * * U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced his bill, the Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act of 2019, will generate $6.6 Billion in federal revenue, according to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Tax, by restoring integrity back to the conservation program. "My bipartisan bill will protect this  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that $47,798,711 will be directed towards strengthening Montana's air travel infrastructure. "It's critical Montana has the best air travel infrastructure in the country," Daines said. "These grants will lead to more jobs and development in Montana's rural communities." The funding is part of the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) under the Department of Transporta  more

WASHINGTON, July 11 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: Holding true to his commitment to transparency and accountability, U.S. Senator Jon Tester fielded questions from Montanans all over the state in a town hall he hosted via Facebook Live. Tester took questions from dozens of Montanans on topics ranging from veterans mental health, to the debt, to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women crisis, to immigration and the situation at the southern border. "I've s  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Grant funding will provide education and nutrition services for kids in Butte, Billings & Helena * * * As part of his ongoing effort to expand access to early childhood education across Montana, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today announced $3.7 million in federal funding for Head Start programs in Butte, Billings, and Helena. "Head Start provides Montana kids with the resources they need to thrive," Tes  more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Joined by committee members to introduce bipartisan bill to boost veterans' disability compensation, accommodate cost-of-living adjustment * * * U.S. Senators Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., ranking member and chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, today introduced the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation to increase vet  more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- The Senate Environment and Public Works issued the following testimony by Luke Reiner, director and CEO of the Wyoming Department of Transportation, at a hearing entitled "Investing in America's Surface Transportation Infrastructure: The Need for a Multi-Year Reauthorization Bill": "I am Luke Reiner, Director and chief executive officer of the Wyoming Department of Transportation. Thanks for the opportunity to appear before you today. I am pleased to advise that the trans  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Grant to improve safety, expand terminal will help #ConnectMT * * * U.S. Senator Jon Tester has secured more than $1 million in federal funding to help the Billings Logan International Airport expand its terminal and improve safety by purchasing new aircraft rescue and firefighting equipment. The $1,017,825 grant was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Pr  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jon Tester has secured more than $1.5 million in federal funding to help the Great Falls International Airport make needed repairs to its runway and improve air travel safety. The $1,640,877 grant was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and comes on the heels of a $3 million grant Tester secured for the airport in 2017. "In a state as big   more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: As part of his ongoing effort to #ConnectMT, U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced more than $20 million in federal funding to upgrade 15 airports across the state. "Air travel is a critical part of our state's infrastructure, and these grants will make flying safer, quicker, and more comfortable," Tester said. "These grants will help boost our economy and keep folks in Montana connected year-round." In addition  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jon Tester has secured more than $9 million in federal funding to help the Missoula International Airport construct its new terminal building. The $9,208,268 grant was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and comes on the heels of an $8.7 million grant Tester secured for the airport last fall. "In a state as big as Montana, air travel is c  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Jon Tester has secured nearly $3 million in federal funding to help the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport expand its terminal, rehabilitate its apron, and improve safety by purchasing new snow removal equipment. The $2,949,307 grant was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and comes on the heels of an additional $8.5 million Tester h  more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Senator announces funding to help the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services respond to potential health crises * * * U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced today that he has secured more than $5 million in funding for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) to adequately respond to critical health crises in the state. The $5,075,000 grant will be used by DPHHS  more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Sen. John Tester, D-Montana, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) today introduced legislation to ensure veterans who were incorrectly charged fees for their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan are reimbursed. Congress exempted veterans who receive VA disability compensation from paying a funding fee to defray the cost of administering  more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) today introduced legislation to ensure veterans who were incorrectly charged fees for their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan are reimbursed. Congress exempted veterans who receive VA disability compensation from paying a funding fee to defray the cost of administering a VA home loan. Despite this exemption, the VA Office of Inspector Ge  more

WASHINGTON, July 11 -- Sen. John Tester, D-Montana, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: * * * - Bipartisan bill covers travel costs for specialized training for cemetery personnel * * * U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) today introduced legislation to improve access to specialized training that would ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) grant-funded cemeteries meet and maintain the Natio  more

WASHINGTON, July 11 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Bipartisan bill covers travel costs for specialized training for cemetery personnel * * * U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) today introduced legislation to improve access to specialized training that would ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) grant-funded cemeteries meet and maintain the National Cemetery Administration's (NCA) National Shrine Commitment. The N  more

BUTTE, Montana, July 2 -- Sen. John Tester, D-Montana, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: * * * - Facility that will house 60 veterans, spouses set to open in 2020 * * * U.S. Senator Jon Tester and Governor Steve Bullock today joined various local, state and federal officials at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Southwest Montana Veterans Home (SWMVH). "It's an honor to break ground on a project that's been three dec  more

WASHINGTON, July 10 -- Sen. John Tester, D-Montana, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: * * * - Joined by committee members to introduce bipartisan bill to boost veterans' disability compensation, accommodate cost-of-living adjustment * * * U.S. Senators Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., ranking member and chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, today introduced the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. John Tester, D-Montana, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: * * * - Senators' bipartisan Veteran HOUSE Act expands eligibility for HUD-VASH program to more veterans with OTH discharges * * * In an effort to curb veteran homelessness across the country, U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) today introduced the Veteran Housing Opportunities and Unemploym  more

WASHINGTON, July 9 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Senators' bipartisan Veterans HOUSE Act expands eligibility for HUD-VASH program to more veterans with OTH discharges * * * In an effort to curb veteran homelessness across the country, U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) today introduced the Veteran Housing Opportunities and Unemployment Support Extension (HOUSE) Act, a bipartisan bill allowing veteran  more