Montana Senator Talks Tester, Inflation, and Energy and Tribes

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - KGVO News spoke to Montana Senator Steve Daines early Thursday morning on a variety of topics, starting with the Biden Administration’s failure to support Montana’s and the nation’s tribal populations by decimating the energy industry on tribal lands.

Senator Daines said the Biden Administration Harmed Tribal Nations

“Many tribes across our country rely on energy development for critical income and jobs,” began Senator Daines. “However, Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, one of Joe Biden's disciples, withdrew the oil and gas leases in New Mexico. This was done without any consultation of the tribe. This deprives nearly 6,000 members of the Navajo Nation from $200 million of energy revenues over the course the next 20 years. These are impoverished communities. We saw the same thing under Obama with the Crow Tribe in Montana when they worked to shut down their coal operations.”

Daines also took the Biden Administration to task over the issue of inflation.

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Daines said Inflation has Risen 17 Percent Under the Biden Administration

“Inflation is really a tax,” he said. “It's a tax on all Montanans, and sadly it hurts those who can afford it the least, including our veterans or senior citizens, those who are on fixed incomes. I hear all the time from Montanans. They're still feeling the pain of high prices everywhere. The gas station grocery store, rent prices, housing prices, and the holidays only make that worse. You know, you look back at the numbers, Peter, inflation is up 17 percent since Joe Biden took office.”

Daines also called out his fellow Montana Senator Jon Tester on the disconnect between his down-home folksy TV ads and his actual votes in the U.S. Senate.

Daines Called out Jon Tester for Voting in Lockstep with the Biden Administration

“Every vote of consequence, Jon Tester votes with Joe Biden, and I vote with Montana,” he said. “You can see that over and over and over again. And that's why you're seeing a lot of ads out there with Jon in his pickup and so forth, because they want to portray this image of being moderate to middle of the road and fighting with Republicans against Joe Biden. That's nonsense. It just really is. I see what's really going on here every day and I know Montanans will see through that, but boy, they're throwing a lot of money right now, to try to remake the image and try to I think, cover up a voting record that Montana's will know a lot about here by the time we get to November of 2024.”

Senator Daines has committed to appearing on the Talk Back show on a regular basis in 2024.