WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Sen. John Tester, D-Montana, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, issued the following news release: * * * - Senators demand action from White House neglecting Vietnam Veterans with health conditions * * * Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and his colleagues are refusing to back down from their fight to ensure Vietnam veterans suffering from toxic exposure to Agent Orange receive necessary benefits and care from the Department of Veter  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -- The Congressional Budget Office issued the following cost estimate: Bill Summary S. 334 would authorize the appropriation of $62 million plus additional amounts to account for inflation for the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to advance two water supply projects in Montana and North Dakota. Estimated Federal Cost The estimated budgetary effect of S. 334 is shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation fall within budget function 300 (natural resources and environment). V  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Votes to Advance Four Appropriations Bills, Montana Wins Out of The U.S. Senate * * * U.S. Senator Steve Daines today voted to advance four appropriations bills out of the U.S. Senate supporting major Montana priorities including the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), law enforcement and meth prevention, wildfire prevention, Montana agriculture, addressing the Missing and Murdered Indigenous  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester today introduced a bipartisan amendment to the U.S. Senate Appropriations package which would address a longstanding staffing issue at the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. "Our airports are a critical piece to the tremendous economic growth we're seeing in Bozeman and around our state," Daines said. "I'm glad to introduce this bipartisan amendment which wi  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Senator was the first member of Montana's Congressional delegation to ask federal agencies to address the issue last spring * * * Following a sustained push from U.S. Senator Jon Tester, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that it will publish a new hemp rule in the federal register that will ease regulations for Montana farmers. "This is a win for Montana's farmers, cutting t  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -- Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, issued the following news release: Congressman Greg Gianforte recognized Ziggy and Stella Ziegler of Billings for their business success and decades of ministerial impact to help build a better path for those reentering society. Recently retired from more than four decades of owning and operating Stella's Kitchen and Bakery, Ziggy and Stella received this year's Billings Chamber Legacy Award. They also have dedicated their lives to ministe  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -- Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, issued the following news release: The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill from Congressman Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) to increase transparency within the drug pricing process and lower prescription drug prices. Ahead of the House vote, Gianforte described to lawmakers one of the health care challenges many Montanans face. "Far too many Montanans can't afford the prescription drugs they need. They shouldn't have to leave th  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- The House Small Business Committee issued the following testimony by Ray Raske, executive director of Headwaters Economics, at a hearing entitled "Force of Nature: The Power of Small Businesses in America's Recreational Infrastructure": "Thank you. I am pleased to join you today. I am the Executive Director of Headwaters Economics, an independent, nonprofit research group based in Montana. We work to improve community development and land management decisions./1 "The man  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, issued the following statement after the House voted to continue to impeach President Trump: "I voted today with Republicans and Democrats to oppose Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff's partisan efforts to impeach President Trump. "Pelosi and Schiff continue their sham process to overturn the results of the 2016 election. "The American people deserve to know what Pelosi and Schiff are doing behind closed doors, but their resolution does nothing  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Montana, issued the following statement in response to the American Bar Association's character attacks on Lawrence VanDyke, ex-Montana Solicitor General and President Trump's nominee to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals: "President Trump nominated a well-qualified attorney and a good man in Lawrence VanDyke to serve on the Ninth Circuit. I know Lawrence VanDyke, and I proudly support and endorse his nomination. "In contrast to the judicial activism  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, issued the following news release: Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) today joined Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) and 12 colleagues in introducing the Down Syndrome Discrimination by Abortion Prohibition Act, which would prohibit abortion of unborn babies who have been diagnosed with Down syndrome. Congressman Ron Estes (R-Kansas) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. The bill's other sponsors are Senators Steve Dain  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Secures $30 Million Increase in Appropriations Process out of U.S. Senate, Continues Fight for Full, Mandatory Funding Bill * * * U.S. Senator Steve Daines secured and advanced a $30 million increase in funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) out of the U.S. Senate, which would bring the fund to $465 million. "LWCF is a critical tool that helps increase public access to public lan  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following floor statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Oct. 30, on the opioid epidemic: Just over a year ago, President Trump signed into law a major bipartisan bill, the SUPPORT Act, to help combat the opioid and drug epidemic that is devastating this country. I call that a very good first step in this long fight, and now we must continue working to do even more. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of d  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, issued the following floor statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Oct. 30, on the opioid epidemic: I thank the Senator from Arkansas for his work and also my other colleagues, those who have already spoken and the good Senator from Montana, who is going to speak right after. This really has been a bipartisan effort to make a difference, and I appreciate all my colleagues who are here today and who have done so much t  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Approximately 140 Montanans question Senator, share views at in-person, public forum hosted by Montana Tech * * * U.S. Senator Jon Tester spent an hour today answering questions and soliciting feedback from a crowd of approximately 140 Butte Americans at his 7th public, in-person town hall of the year. "These in-person town halls are the best way for me to talk with my bosses--you, the people of Mo  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following floor statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Oct. 31, on health care: I also want to rise today and speak on behalf of the thousands of Montanans who have preexisting conditions or struggle with the cost of prescription drugs. Even with the Affordable Care Act's protections, many of these folks struggle to afford their medical bills, their copays at the pharmacy counter and the local doctors' offices.  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following floor statement, which was published in the Congressional Record on Oct. 31, remembering ex-North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan: I have a number of things I want to talk about today. On Monday of this week, we lost a fine lady in Kay Hagan. It is very difficult for me to put into words my admiration for the Senator from North Carolina, but the fact is, Kay was the kind of person who, the first time you met her, had the ability to   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Lee amendment would "cripple" popular LWCF * * * U.S. Senator Jon Tester today slammed a proposed amendment by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) that would prevent the critical Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) from acquiring land, stripping the program of one of its key functions. Recent LWCF land acquisitions in Montana include 8,200 acres of prime elk habitat in Tenderfoot Creek, 6,400 acres in the S  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -- The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee issued a report (S.Rpt. 116-133) on legislation (S. 334) to authorize the construction of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Water System and study of the Dry- Redwater Regional Water Authority System in Montana and North Dakota. The report was advanced by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on Oct. 22. Excerpts of the report follow: PURPOSE The purpose of S. 334 is to authorize the construction of the Musselshell-Judith Rural Wate  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Fort Keogh public access point has been closed since 2013 * * * The U.S. Senate today passed a measure written by U.S. Senator Jon Tester that cuts bureaucratic red tape impeding public access to lands on Agriculture Research Service facilities like Fort Keogh in Miles City. The amendment was included in a Fiscal Year 2020 Appropriations Package, which passed the Senate by a vote of 84-9. "Washingt  more

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 -- Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Bill Stops Online Scammers, Protects Jobs and Tourism Economy * * * U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Amy Klobuchar sent a bipartisan letter to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation urging him to act and include their bipartisan bill, the Stop Online Booking Scams Act of 2019, in the Committee's next Executive Session. "With the rise of online bookings has come  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Senator slams company for prioritizing profit over safety * * * Following the fatal crashes of two Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, U.S. Senator Jon Tester grilled Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg at today's Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hearing about the company's failure to prioritize safety over profit, overlooking flaws in the jets' design to get it on the market faster. Last year,   more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - Country of Origin Labeling, or COOL, arms shoppers with more knowledge, gives ag producers an edge * * * Aiming to Make COOL Cool Again and boost Montana's agricultural producers, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today introduced a Senate resolution to support reinstating country of origin labeling for beef and pork. Country of origin labeling, or COOL, are laws and regulations that require retailers to inf  more

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 -- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, issued the following news release: * * * - The COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Task Forces Program helps local law enforcement agencies interdict the manufacture, distribution of meth * * * U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines this week attached a bipartisan amendment to the 2020 partial government spending package that would boost funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Anti-Methamphetamine Program to $13 million, up from  more