Daines Talks Tax Permanence, Trump Success and Keystone Pipeline

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - I spoke with Montana’s senior Senator Steve Daines early Wednesday morning from his office in Washington, who discussed a number of important issues, the first being the concept of tax permanence, or making the Trump tax cuts permanent.

“What’s at stake right now is a $4.5 trillion dollar tax increase if Congress doesn’t act,” began Senator Daines. “What we emphasized was the importance of making his tax cuts that we put forward back in 2017, which expire at the end of this year, permanent, and avoid another $4.5 trillion tax cliff that will face the American people and American businesses if we don’t act.”

Senator Steve Daines Spoke to Peter Christian Early Wednesday Morning

Staying on the topic of taxes, Daines emphasized the issue of permanence.

“He was really stressing the importance of permanence,” he said. “Sometimes Congress gets ‘weak-kneed’, and doesn’t have the guts to make these policies permanent for a number of reasons. I think we have to hold firm here and make sure we don’t introduce the uncertainty of possibly having a massive tax hike  coming that really affects the ability for businesses to make investment and hiring decisions.”

Daines Said the Keystone XL Oil Pipeline Project Could be Resurrected

Daines also addressed the possibility of resurrecting the Keystone XL oil pipeline on the Montana highline.

“The tax revenues that pipeline generates for eastern Montana cuts across six counties,” he said. “Those counties out in eastern Montana are always challenged with tax revenues and not having enough money to literally keep the county roads plowed and law enforcement employed. That (the pipeline) would provide a $50 to $60 million a year tax benefit to eastern Montana counties.”

Daines Also Emphasized the Importance of the St. Mary Siphon Project

Daines also emphasized the importance of the St. Mary siphon project.

“The St. Mary project is a lifeline,” he said. “It’s like the artery for water to the highline. One of the things I have to do is educate folks back here in DC that Montana is a semi-arid state; so this past summer’s catastrophic failure was certainly catastrophic for our farmers and ranchers. I worked with Secretary of the Interior Bergum and his team to make sure we got the funds necessary to help repair the siphon, and last week we secured the funding.”

Daines also praised the immediate impact that fellow Republican Senator Tim Sheehy has had on federal issues in his first few months in office.