Patrick Davis Consulting

U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD)

Rep. Noem Receives Wheat Advocate Award

Rep. Kristi Noem: March 21: Newsroom: Press Releases: “I’m truly humbled to receive this award and I continue to be proud of the wheat industry we have in South Dakota,” said Rep. Noem. “As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I will continue to strongly advocate for policies that offer needed certainty to our agriculture producers, including a full five-year farm bill.”

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Noem Weekly Column: Supporting Our Veterans

Rep. Kristi Noem: March 22: Newsroom: Press Releases: Rep. Kristi Noem

There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think of the brave men and women who voluntarily put themselves in harm’s way to defend the values that our country holds so dear. We have both a duty and an obligation to ensure that our armed forces are fully equipped both while they are actively serving and after they return home to their families and communities.

Over 72,000 veterans call South Dakota home and it is because of these patriots that South Dakotans can continue to wake up in the greatest nation in the world. That’s why it is so important to treat our veterans with the honor and respect they deserve. I have and continue to support legislation that assists veterans in transitioning back to civilian life by providing them with quality health care, education assistance and job development skills.

I was proud to recently co-sponsor H.R. 569, the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Act. This bill will give qualified disabled veterans and their dependents an annual COLA starting at the end of this year. I heard from many constituents across the state about the importance of this legislation and I am glad to lend my support to this bill for our combat veterans.

As you may know, folks who serve for twenty years in the National Guard are not recognized as veterans. So as a way to honor those who have dedicated many years in service to our National Guard, I have cosponsored a bipartisan bill which would give these men and women the honorary status of veteran. During the 112th Congress, my colleagues in the House and I passed similar legislation and I am proud to continue to support this effort.

We must keep our nation’s heroes a top priority, and I intend to continue doing just that in Congress. My office recently assisted a veteran named Edgar who was having difficulty receiving a military medal. We were able to contact multiple departments on his behalf and were able to get Edgar the medal he deserved. If you know of a veteran who requires assistance with medals or with benefit claims, please contact one of my offices so we can help. Those needing assistance should visit my website at http://noem.house.gov for more information or call one of my offices. Contact information is listed below:

Sioux Falls: 605-275-2868 / Watertown: 605-878-2868 / Aberdeen:
605-262-2862 / Rapid City: 605-791-4673 / Washington, D.C.: 202-225-2801
/ Toll-Free: 1-855-225-2801

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Rep. Noem To Introduce Pine Beetle Legislation

Rep. Kristi Noem: March 21: Newsroom: Press Releases: “The Black Hills are one of our nation’s greatest treasures, which is why I have been fighting since I came to Congress to save them from the pine beetle,” said Rep. Noem. “Progress to combat the pine beetle has been delayed due to excessive regulations and bureaucratic red tape. This legislation will put more resources toward pine beetle mitigation and is a solid step in the right direction. I look forward to continuing the work with our Forest Service officials and local communities to beat the beetle.”

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Rep. Noem Announces Annual Congressional Art Competition Now Open to SD High School Students

Rep. Kristi Noem: March 28: Newsroom: Press Releases:  U.S. Representative Kristi Noem (R-SD) and the South Dakota Arts Council are pleased to announce the 2013 Congressional Art Competition, An Artistic Discovery, has now started. South Dakota high school students may submit original artwork to Congresswoman Noem’s office for the chance to have their work displayed in the Cannon Tunnel of the United States Capitol for one year. The winning artist will be invited to a reception highlighting their work in the United States Capitol and will meet other winners from across the country.

Each piece of art can be no larger than 28” x 28” x 4,” including the frame. Artwork cannot weigh more than 15 lbs. Accepted media for artwork are as follows:

• Paintings: oil, acrylics, watercolor, etc.

• Drawings: pastels, colored pencil, pencil, charcoal, ink, marker

• Collage

• Prints: lithographs, silkscreen, block prints

• Mixed Media

• Computer-Generated Art

• Photography

Each entry must be original in concept, design, and execution and may not violate any U.S. copyright laws. Work entered must be in the original medium. No scanned reproductions of paintings or drawings will be allowed.

Entries must be emailed on or before May 1st to Rebecca.Cruse@state.sd.us.

For more information or questions, please contact Katie Pudwill at (202) 225-2801 orKatie.Pudwill@mail.house.gov.

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Noem Weekly Column: Fiscal Responsibility

Rep. Kristi Noem: March 28: Newsroom: Press Releases:  Rep. Kristi Noem

With Opening Day of baseball season in our sights, spring has finally arrived. Families across South Dakota are preparing for outdoor track meets and open-water fishing, but before we can get outside and enjoy the long-awaited warmer temperatures, there’s another annual “holiday” we need to get past first – tax day.

We’re only a couple weeks away from the April 15th deadline to file taxes for 2012. According to the non-partisan Tax Foundation, individuals and businesses spend about 6.1 billion hours each year doing their taxes and complying with complicated tax laws.

Now, some in Washington, D.C. are proposing that we raise taxes even more on hard-working Americans to help manage our deficit. In fact, the budget that was finally passed by the Senate proposes almost $1 trillion in additional taxes. I believe that we don’t have deficits because Americans are taxed too little; we have deficits because Washington spends too much.

In contrast, the budget that was passed by the House of Representatives will balance the federal budget in 10 years and reduces the deficit by $4.6 trillion. This budget is a crucial step to putting our nation back on a sustainable fiscal path. Our budget brings spending down to a reasonable level so that we do not have to raise taxes on American families and job creators. Not only does the House budget lower tax rates for individuals, businesses and families through pro-growth tax reform and closing loopholes, it also gives the green light to the Keystone XL pipeline project and fully repeals Obamacare.

The Senate budget will never balance and that’s unacceptable to me. South Dakota families and businesses balance their budgets every year and we know that it’s unsustainable to spend more than we take in. It’s time for the federal government to do the same. While the House has passed a budget every year since I took office, this was the first time in four years that the Senate considered and passed a budget. I applaud the Senate for doing its job, but raising taxes and continued deficit spending are non-starters for me.

While President Obama was able to complete his NCAA bracket in time, he once again failed to meet his own budget deadline. A budget serves as a blueprint for our nation’s priorities and I’m disappointed that the President fails to take this seriously.

I am optimistic that House and Senate leaders will work out the differences between the two budgets so that we can pass a budget that’s acceptable to both chambers. During these negotiations, I’d like to hear from you and to get your thoughts about the federal budget process. Email me through my website (http://noem.house.gov), send me a tweet (@RepKristiNoem) with your opinions and ideas or reach out to one of my offices. Contact information is listed below:

Sioux Falls: 605-275-2868 / Watertown: 605-878-2868 / Aberdeen: 605-262-2862 / Rapid City: 605-791-4673 / Washington, D.C.: 202-225-2801 / Toll-Free: 1-855-225-2801

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Rep. Noem: ‘Our nation has a spending problem, not a taxing problem’

Sioux Falls Argus Leader: March 21: Rep. Kristi Noem today joined most of her Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives to pass a budget that seeks to balance the country’s budget in 10 years.

But the budget plan is also controversial because it includes changes to Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs considered sacrosanct among voters.

The House also rejected a plan from Senate Democrats that would raise more than $1 trillion in revenue over the next 10 years to help bring down the deficit. But Noem criticized that plan, saying it doesn’t address spending.

“The Senate budget never balances,” she said.

“I continue to believe our nation has a spending problem and not a taxing problem.”

It was the third time that Noem has supported similar budget plans.

While Noem called the House budget a “crucial step” toward putting the country on a “sustainable path,” Democrats denounced the Republican plan, saying it would force seniors to pay more for their health care and cost jobs.

“For three straight years, Congresswoman Noem has endorsed a radical Republican budget that research shows would eliminate two million American jobs and end Medicare’s guaranteed benefits for South Dakota seniors,” Democratic Chairman Ben Nesselhuf said in a statement. “It’s long past time for Congresswoman Noem to put South Dakotans before radical Washington Republicans.”

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Poll shows Rounds, Noem would be formidable in Senate race

Sioux City Journal: March 25:  new Public Policy Polling release shows that two South Dakota Republicans have higher favorability ratings than three-term U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson, a Democrat from Vermillion.

The Senate seat will go before voters in 2014. Johnson, 66, will make a public statement on his political future by the end of March. Former Gov. Mike Rounds is in as a candidate and and some people want U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem to run as well.

A Thursday Public Policy Polling poll placed Rounds’ favorability rating at 67 percent among South Dakota Republicans, while 17 percent viewed him unfavorably. A bit better in the PPP result was Noem, whose ratings were 71 percent and 18 percent.

The poll offers encouraging statistics for Noem to consider.

In hypothetical matchups with Johnson, Rounds leads him 52 percent to 41 percent, while Noem is running ahead 49 percent to 45 percent.

PPP found 44 percent of South Dakotans approve of Johnson’s job performance, while 45 percent disapprove.

PPP also shares this: “(Former Congresswoman Stephanie) Herseth Sandlin is the strong favorite of Democrats to be their candidate if Johnson decides not to run again. Sixty-eight percent say she would be their choice compared to 16 percent who prefer U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson,” who is Tim Johnson’s son.

The poll also shows Rounds leads Herseth Sandlin by 49 percent to 44 percent in that hypothetical contest, while Herseth Sandlin would lead Noem 48/47. Noem defeated Herseth Sandlin in 2010, ending a period dating to 2004 where the Democrat had been the congresswoman.

Some of the state’s Republican hierarchy is lining up behind Rounds. On March 14, Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who had been the lieutenant governor under Rounds, said he supports his predecessor as the Republican candidate for Senate.

South Dakota Labor and Regulation Department Secretary Pam Roberts told the Sioux City Journal that Rounds is the favorite to win the Senate seat. She doubts he will get a Republican opponent, which would force a primary race.

“As a Republican, I just don’t see why anybody else would run, because we have a great candidate that we can all get behind,” Roberts said.

Rounds told the Journal he wouldn’t be surprised to see another Republican get in the race. He said he’s won primaries in the past and would work hard to do that again. Rounds predicted it will take a minimum of $8 million to successfully run a senatorial campaign in South Dakota for 2014.

Visit siouxcityjournal.com to read the complete blog post.

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Step aside on Keystone XL, Noem says to Obama

Mitchell Republic: March 21: Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D., has joined a bipartisan group of House members in co-sponsoring a bill that would approve construction of the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline and take the decision out of President Barack Obama’s hands.

“This bipartisan bill would take the president out of the equation. He’s failed to make a timely decision,” Noem said. “With jobs on the line, it’s time to move forward. This would immediately approve construction of the northern route of the pipeline.”

The Northern Route Approval Act, originally introduced by Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., removes the need for a presidential permit for the northern portion of the Keystone XL pipeline, which is planned to run from the Canadian border to Steele City, Neb. The route goes through western South Dakota.

“It’s been four-and-a-half years since this project was first proposed and Americans and stakeholders have waited long enough,” Noem said. “Keystone XL will result in thousands of jobs for hardworking Americans, as well as millions of dollars injected into the economy. The president has shown that he is unwilling to act in a timely matter, so it’s time to find another way.”

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Mike Rounds braces for Republican primary in South Dakota

POLITICO: March 20: Former Republican South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds, for now the front-runner to succeed Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) after his expected retirement, expects to face a primary challenge and a competitive general election.

And while he hopes not to run his first negative ad, he’s also not ruling out the possibility.

Rounds, 58, formally announced his candidacy for Senate last November. Johnson has said he will announce his plans this month, but no one expects him to seek reelection.

“Would it be great if we didn’t have [a primary challenge]? Of course,” the governor told POLITICO in an extended interview Tuesday night during a fundraising trip to Washington. “But we can’t assume that. So we’re assuming we’ll have a primary challenge from some place.”

Because open Senate seats rarely come along, the state’s sole House member, Republican Kristi Noem, is considering the race. She would be Rounds’s most formidable rival, but many party insiders don’t expect her to ultimately get in. Conservative activists might then turn to a less well-known candidate in the state Legislature.

Rounds asked Noem for her support when he first announced: “She said, ‘It’s kind of early yet.’ And I said, ‘I understand.’ We left it at that.”

Rounds served as governor from 2003 to 2011. He entered the 2002 race as an underdog and won a three-way primary despite being dramatically outspent. Before that, he spent a decade in the state Legislature.

It’s been a soft launch. The mild-mannered Midwesterner is still working full-time as president and CEO of an insurance and real estate agency.

He has only two part-time staffers. He’s been flying himself around the state to speak at Lincoln Day dinners. He raised $269,000 from South Dakota donors in December and aims to spend three days per quarter in Washington.

He said he expects to transition to a full-time campaign “probably by the end of the year, if not a little bit sooner.”

Rounds takes pride in never having run a negative ad during his two previous statewide campaigns, but he knows the stakes will be higher with control of the Senate potentially hanging in the balance. The GOP needs to net six seats, and South Dakota is part of any realistic path for the party.

“I have no reason to start running negative ads now. And I have no intention of running negative ads,” he said. “But I will correct misinformation and I will make it clear, if there is misinformation, that I’m not going to stand for it. And we’ll point out the difference, just like we have in the past.”

The advertising agency, Lawrence & Schiller in Sioux Falls, will produce his media, as it did in both his governor’s races.

It’s a small state of 800,000, and Rounds had kind words for each of his potential opponents.

Democrats have two top-tier candidates for the race: U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson, the senator’s son, and former Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, who lost to Noem in 2010. National Democrats prefer Herseth Sandlin.

“I consider them both to be very nice people. I’ve worked with Stephanie in the past, and we’ve worked well on projects together,” he said. “Just because somebody else wants the same job I want doesn’t make them a bad person. But we have different philosophies and different ways of getting the job done.”

Rounds, a Catholic, gives up coffee for Lent every year, so he sipped black tea during the interview. He plans to wake up early on Easter morning for a cup of Joe.

Round hopes to raise about $2 million from South Dakota, comparable to what he raised during his runs for governor, but he will do more national fundraising this time.

He mostly emphasizes economic issues such as the debt but did not shy from discussing social issues when pressed.

As governor, Rounds signed a law that gave voters the choice of whether to outlaw abortion in all cases except rape, incest and life of the mother. The referendum failed in November 2006.

“Roe v. Wade is the law of the land,” he said this week. “We live within the decision, but we also test to find out how far the decision can go.”

“I believe we should be doing everything we can to protect the unborn, but this is the part that’s missed sometimes: you also have to [have] compassion for those individuals who are facing a very difficult challenge in their lives,” he added.

Asked about Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) endorsing gay marriage after his son came out, Rounds said: “I don’t know that I was surprised. I understand his position, and I most certainly suspect that the senator — because he is a very bright man and a very sensitive man — he most certainly cares deeply for his son. I respect what he says.”

Then he added, “I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

Rounds, who co-chaired a bipartisan immigration task force convened by The Chicago Council on Global Affairs, said he has a “pragmatic” approach to the issue.

“I do not support amnesty just as amnesty, but we have to find a way to address the 11 million people in this country that right now are not paying taxes,” he said. “There’s no question: We have to find a way to get the individuals who are here illegally today to begin paying taxes in this country or if they’re not going to pay taxes then they can’t be here.”

Weekly Clips from March 21, 2013 through April 4, 2013

U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-AK

Alaska Sen. Mark Begich Endorses Gay Marriage—Again

Today BuzzFeed reported that Alaska Sen. Mark Begich, a Democrat, now endorses marriage equality, citing a statement the website procured from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Other news organizations like The Huffington Post have picked up on the news, heralding it as another position switch by a leading national politician. But the Begich endorsement of same-sex marriage is not new.

In fact, Begich endorsed gay marriage last year, in a statement to HRC as the group gathered information to create its congressional scorecard of the 112th Congress, which has been online for months. “HRC included members’ position on marriage equality as part of our 112th Congress scorecard,” said an HRC spokesman to TIME on Tuesday. “Last year when we were assembling scores and statements, Sen. Begich’s office indicated he supported our statement on marriage equality.”

In a TIME article Monday on Senator Mark Warner’s new endorsement of gay marriage, eleven other Senate Democrats were named as non-supporters of same sex nuptials. Begich was not on the list.

HRC’s website has crashed due to an extraordinary amount of traffic as the Supreme Court debates California’s Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage. You can, however, find the HRC’s 112th Congressional Scorecard here.

Update:  A HRC spokesman told TIME, “We got confirmation from Begich’s staff on July 31, 2012.”

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Mead Treadwell eyes Mark Begich seat

POLITICO: Alaska Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell, who is weighing a challenge to first-term Sen. Mark Begich, questioned the legitimacy of Begich’s 2008 election Thursday and accused the Democrat of having taken his seat in a “bloodless coup.”

Begich defeated the late Republican Sen. Ted Stevens, a former president pro tem of the U.S. Senate and one of Alaska’s founding fathers, in a narrowly decided race. Stevens battled a federal corruption indictment during the election and was convicted of making false statements to investigators – only to see the convictions later voided due to prosecutorial conduct after he lost to Begich.

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In an interview with POLITICO, Treadwell questioned the legitimacy of Begich’s win: “I’ll put it this way: a great applause line in a speech right now to Alaskans is, ‘Let’s decide this one ourselves and not let the Justice Department do it.’”

“It was astounding that you could have this process happen, that would take the third-most powerful guy in the government out of the government, unjustly, and then just say ‘oh, never mind,’ ” Treadwell said. “It was a bloodless coup that is just a very, very sad chapter in our history.”

A Begich spokesperson declined to respond to Treadwell’s comments.

Treadwell sat down with POLITICO reporters during a meeting of the National Lieutenant Governors Association in Washington; he is currently a member of the executive committee of the Republican Lieutenant Governors Association.

In an extended conversation, he outlined his thinking on the 2014 race that could be one of the most competitive Senate elections in the country. Treadwell formed an exploratory committee late last year but said he will defer to Republican Gov. Sean Parnell, who has not yet announced his plans for 2014.

In the meantime, Treadwell said he has met with several sitting senators, as well as officials from the National Republican Senatorial Committee and third-party players who could invest heavily in the race.

Should Treadwell seek the Senate seat, he would likely face a competitive Republican primary. Joe Miller, who defeated Sen. Lisa Murkowski in a 2010 Republican primary only to see her win the general election as a write-in candidate, has said he is considering another run.

Treadwell said he respects Miller as a potential competitor and shares much of his conservative agenda, but questioned the activist’s viability.

The lieutenant governor also revealed that he voted for Murkowski over Miller in the 2010 general election, explaining that her seniority was critical to the “Alaska agenda.”

“I voted for Lisa Murkowski in the primary and in the general, and I think Alaskans made the right decision,” Treadwell said. “That’s not to say I agree with everything Sen. Murkowski does. There are caucuses within the Senate that, if I became a senator, I’m sure I would be involved in, that she’s not involved in. But on the Alaska agenda, I think she’s carrying that … very well.”

As for a possible Miller 2014 campaign, Treadwell shrugged: “I believe that I would be a more attractive candidate across the board than Joe.”

That’s not to say that Treadwell views himself as any kind of middle-of-the-road establishment candidate. A deep-voiced, 57-year-old Yale graduate, and former head of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, Treadwell said he subscribes to “the liberty agenda” – protecting privacy, federalism and gun rights – and aggressive fiscal conservatism.

“I’m enthused about Paul Ryan’s plan on balancing the budget, except that I’m not enthused about the idea of 10 years,” he said, referring to the time frame in which Ryan’s spending plan balances the budget. “I think he’s done a very good job, especially given what Republicans have to promise the country, which is on entitlements we’re not going to send people over a cliff.”

The Republican characterized Begich, on the other hand, as “very much a part of [the Obama] administration,” however the senator seeks to distinguish himself from the White House.

“If they’re going to give him a pass until 2014 is over, what does that mean about beyond 2014?” Treadwell asked.

And while Treadwell said he would fight hard on Alaska-specific issues, such as energy production and missile defense, he stopped short of endorsing the bring-home-the-bacon approach to legislating that has defined numerous Alaska politicians – starting with Stevens.

“I think the idea of earmarks is behind us,” said Treadwell, who aligned himself with less spending-intensive parts of the Stevens legacy.

“Ted helped write the Alaska Statehood Act, before he was even in the Senate. The Statehood Act gave us a lot in the way of self-determination. Ted wrote the 200-mile limit bill [governing offshore fishing rights] with Warren Magnuson that gave us a multi-billion-dollar fishing industry in our state,” he said. “None of that was earmarking and bringing money home. That was bringing power home.”

Added Treadwell: “The idea that, you know, you wait your turn to appropriate is not necessary.”

The final decision on a Senate campaign may still be a ways off for Treadwell, who said he expects each candidate will have to raise as much as $5 million for the race. He’s testing the waters on the fundraising front, as well as conducting polling on the race.

As a single father – his wife died of cancer a decade ago – with one child still in high school, Treadwell is gauging whether a campaign would be acceptable for his family.

“I’m prepared to run if the answers are positive,” he said. “We’re working on a business plan. We have not decided to run.”

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Dem budget naysayers defend votes

The Hill: March 25: Democrats who voted against the Senate Democratic leadership’s 2014 budget have explained their votes.

All four — Sens. Max Baucus (Mont.), Kay Hagan (N.C.), Mark Pryor (Ark.) and Mark Begich (Alaska) — are up for reelection in 2014 in states where Mitt Romney beat President Obama in the 2012 presidential race.

Centrist senators not up for reelection in 2014, such as Sens. Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Jon Tester (Mont.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) and Joe Donnelly (Ind.), did vote for the budget, which passed just before 5 a.m. Saturday on a 50 to 49 vote.

The Democratic budget calls for nearly $1 trillion in new taxes, does not balance and uses a baseline that assumes the sequester stays in place.

Hagan over the weekend said she was voting against the budget’s defense cuts.

“[A]s a Senator from the most military-friendly state in the nation, I am concerned that the $240 billion in cuts to defense spending called for in this budget resolution are too deep,” she said. “Our military is already grappling with the deep cuts forced by sequestration this year, and in order to prevent damage to our national security and military communities I strongly believe that any further cuts should only be made in cooperation with our military leadership.”

Hagan said that more needs to be done to balance the budget.

“Our country needs a long-term deficit reduction plan that is balanced and bipartisan, and we must work to balance the budget. I will keep working with my colleagues to get our fiscal house in order while keeping our commitment to seniors and students, to veterans and active duty service members, and to all of North Carolina’s middle class families,” she said.

Pryor said the budget was not enough of a compromise for him.

“This budget fails to strike the right balance between cutting our spending and setting up a path for future job creation and economic growth. Instead of one-party solutions, we should work together to find a balanced approach that will benefit our economy, seniors, and middle class families,” he said in a short statement.

Begich said the budget needed to do more on spending, and that failing to do so passes a debt burden to the next generation.

“While I am happy that Congress is finally talking seriously about our fiscal crisis, this budget didn’t go far enough,” said Begich. “Alaskans expect us to finish the job and make this staggering deficit manageable. Passing this problem off to our children is not an option. We got ourselves into this mess and have a responsibility to get ourselves out.  We can either make the tough choices now or face an even tougher road ahead.”

“I will continue to work with any of my colleagues from either party who are serious about reducing wasteful federal spending, which is what Alaskans sent me here to do,” he said. “These cuts are not only necessary, they are within reach — and I hope more of my colleagues will join me in getting this done.”

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus did not issue a statement.

An aide said that the senator voted against the budget because it was not a “sensible compromise.”

“He was disappointed there was no middle ground — the fact is neither the House plan nor the Senate plan offered a sensible compromise,” the aide said. “And that is what his bosses — the people of Montana — tell him they want to see, a balanced plan that’ll bring us together, gets our economy running at full speed and creates jobs for folks in Montana and across America.”

Rep. Steve Daines (R-MT)

Daines tours Montana State University

KBZK: March 22: U.S. Congressman Steve Daines was in town today, taking a tour of his alma mater.

While visiting Montana State University, Daines had a chance to take a look at the Romney Gym, which is due for an upgrade pending the passing of House Bill 14 currently in the Montana Legislature. Daines got a hands-on opportunity to see where the requested $20 million would go towards improving one of the university’s oldest buildings.

While on campus, Daines also had a chance to see some advancements the university has made since he has graduated, particularly in the field of wind energy, something Washington D.C. is keeping an eye on.

“I think that the important message here is that wind energy is an important playing in the regional and national scene. Right now we’re at six percent of U.S. electricity supplied by wind and that number is going up. So, wind is not going away. It’s a big player,” mechanical and industrial engineering professor Robb Larson said.

“I’m just really proud, as a bobcat and as a bobcat parent, to see what Montana State University…they are its cutting edge research and applications in the engineering department here for renewable energy helping us solve some of the problems we face as a country and the world. I’m just proud to see that happening here at Montana State University,” Daines said.

Daines also said he learned that Montana is a state with some of the highest wind energy potential.

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Congressman Daines Talks Job Creation in MT

KFBB: March 25: The Seacast facility in Butte has been making a lot more than casting materials this year. Two months ago, the facility announced a nw joint venture with General Electric that is expected to bring more jobs to the Butte plant.

Today, Congressman Steve Daines toured the factory to see how growing businesses are competing at a large level.

“So this is about what’s going on globally. When we talk about jobs that are going over to China and India, these are jobs right here in Butte that are part of growing American businesses to compete in a global market,” says Congressman Daines.

With the recent joint ownership with GE, Seacast has grown significantly and continues to hire new employees. With General Electric, the facility will be producing material for the companies jet engines. Daines says the Montana workers are what can bring more businesses like General Electric to the state.

Congressman Daines says, “Montanans have a strong work ethic, integrity. That sets us apart from the work force around the world. That is validated when a company like GE decides right here in Butte they will manufacture parts of airplane engines right here in our backyard.”

Along with the rest of the country, Daines is trying to figure out how Montana can get by with the spending cuts. He says companies like Seacast can be a solution to the problem.

“The best part to heal the problem we have in Washington, and the debts and deficits, is to grow the economy. A growing economy, that creates more tax revenue, and that’s what we’re seeing here,” says Congressman Daines.

He will continue his tour around Montana Businesses this week. On Wednesday, he will be in Anaconda.

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Daines to hear Rocky Mountain Front proposals

Ravalli  Republic: March 26:  U.S. Rep. Steve Daines says he will hold a listening session in Choteau on the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act and other proposals on the region’s management.

Daines says he wants to hear residents’ ideas and concerns about land management to best utilize the state’s resources while protecting its mountains and rivers.

The Great Falls Tribune reports the listening session will be at 2:30 p.m. on April 3 at the Choteau Pavilion.

The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act was introduced earlier this year by Democratic U.S. Sen. Max Baucus.

It would add 67,000 acres of wilderness and limit road building on another 208,000 acres.

It would protect current motorized recreation and public access for hunting, biking, forest thinning, firewood cutting and grazing, and has provisions for combating noxious weeds.

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Daines hosts open house at Billings office

Billings Gazette: March 26: Newly elected U.S. Rep. Steve Daines reached out to Billings residents Tuesday during an open house held at his downtown office.

The office, at 222 N. 32nd St., serves as Daines’ Eastern Montana headquarters and is directed by Randy Vogel.

Tuesday’s event, which drew a few dozen people, was the second stop on a series of district open houses Daines will host throughout the state. He played host in Missoula last month and will, in the coming weeks, visit his offices in Helena and Great Falls to exchange ideas with voters in each district, he said.

“When I take a vote on the house floor, and push that button either yes or no, I am pushing a button on behalf of one million Montanans,” said Daines, who won the November election to replace Republican Denny Rehberg as the state’s lone U.S. representative. “So it’s really important that we open up these offices across the state with a team that is dedicated to listening to what the people of Montana want from their solely elected member of Congress.”

Topics of discussion with voters, he said, have ranged from the economy and job creation to Second Amendment rights. He said the most recent concern, however, is the federal budget.

“There is an urgency to rein in spending now to avoid harming future generations,” Daines said. “We need to do more with less, and Washington needs to live within its means like we do here in Montana.”

He said as Montana thinks about long-term economic growth, continuing to diversify economic opportunity is crucial.

“We must first never lose sight of the basis of our economy, which has always been our agriculture business,” Daines said. “And as we grow with ag, we must also look at the energy business as a significant opportunity in our state — and right here in Billings in particular.”

Earlier in the afternoon, Daines and his staff toured the Stillwater Mine plant’s production process in Columbus.

The mine is one of the few in the world that mine palladium and platinum.

“The Stillwater Mine is a good representation of why we call Montana the Treasure State,” Daines said.

Former Gov. Brian Schweitzer and a New York hedge fund — The Clinton Group — are expected to attempt a takeover of Stillwater Mining. The group argues that the mining company’s expansion into Argentina and Canada could jeopardize Stillwater’s other mining operations, including its Montana mine.

Although Daines said he didn’t discuss the future of the mine Tuesday with its executives, he said the operation is a driving force in Montana’s economy.

“I want to see the operation continue to expand and to keep those jobs here in Montana,” he said. “One of the important parts about doing business in Montana is the quality of our workforce — you can build global businesses with Montanans. But what the company does with their business is ultimately up to them.”

He said the operation employs just fewer than 1,700 people in Montana and continues to grow.

“I think Montana has the opportunity to see great economic growth with the creation of jobs in multiple parts of our economy,” Daines said.

Ryan Shore, the Associated Students of Montana State University president, said he attended the open house to discuss education with Daines.

“I want to be heard on the front of education — where it all starts,” Shore said. “I’d like to see more of an investment in Montana’s education system, which is the foundation of Montana’s future growth.”

Said Daines: “It’s going to be important to have strong educational institutions in Montana if we are going to be prepared to compete in the global economy.”

Daines’ Billings office director is Randy Vogel, previously chief of staff for former U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg.

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Congressman Daines to take Butte business story back to D.C.

KXLF: March 27:  Congressman Steve Daines says he will highlight a Butte business as an example of a successful made in Montana technology and manufacturing firm.

Daines is currently going around the state and checking out diverse natural resources and industries. Today he stopped by the Resodyn Corporation where he learned about the company’s latest technology development and manufacturing.

The company invents products for biotechnology, advanced instrumentation, polymer materials and Resonant Acoustics.

“That’s a great model and I want to be able to take this story and make sure the folks back in Washington hear it as well, because there’s ideas and technologies here that can be applied in the federal government to help create jobs right here in Montana,” says Daines.

He also visited NorthWestern Energy’s Dave Gates Generating Station at Mill Creek near Anaconda.

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DAINES TO SPONSOR BILL TO PROTECT NORTH FORK

KULR8: March 31:  U.S. Rep. Steve Daines says he plans to introduce legislation in the U.S. House that aims to protect the watershed next to Glacier National Park.

The legislation would be similar to the North Fork Watershed Protection Act by Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, which in part calls for preventing energy resource exploration and development on federal land there.

The Missoulian reports (http://bit.ly/1109Lz80 ) Tester and Baucus applauded Daines’ efforts to introduce similar legislation in the House.

The Republican congressman announced his intentions in West Glacier Friday along with conservationists, business leaders and Flathead Valley political leaders.

He says the watershed is critical to the state’s outdoors heritage and tourism economy.

Michael Jamison of the National Parks Conservation Association says Daines’ support could be pivotal in protecting the area.

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Montana’s Rep. Steve Daines warms up to conservation

Great Falls Tribune: Ben Long | Apr 01, 2013 11:40 AM

When the newly minted Congressman Steve Daines stepped into the press conference he wore cowboy boots, standard issue for Republican Congressmen from Big Sky Country. What set him apart were the words that came out of his mouth.

Daines, a Bozeman businessman elected in November, held the conference to announce his support for the North Fork Watershed Protection Act. The act would prevent hardrock mining, energy development and coal mining in 400,000 acres of the North Fork of the Flathead Valley, immediately adjacent to Glacier National Park. The bill is supported by Montana Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester–both Democrats.

Rep. Steve Daines speaks at a House republican leadership press conference.

Here’s what I found remarkable: It was the first time Montana’s entire congressional delegation — of both parties and both houses — agreed on a piece of public lands legislation in at least 25 years.

“It’s time to put aside the fact we have a D next to our name or an R next to our name and remember we have MT next our name,” Daines said. “Washington could learn a lot about how we do things in Montana.”

Just three months into office, Daines was clearly trying to step from the shadow of his predecessors who made a tradition of green-baiting and driving partisan wedges.

Granted, the North Fork bill is a no-brainer: It protects the watershed of the North Fork of the Flathead River, one of the most stunning streams you’ll ever see, some of the cleanest water in North America, and a blue-ribbon trout stream that helped inspire the federal Wild & Scenic Rivers Act.

Even so, Daine’s republican predecessor, Rep. Denny Rehberg, could not bring himself to say anything good about the bill, nor lift a finger for it. Conversely, Daines promised to introduce the bill in the House of Representatives, waxing poetic about the importance of protecting Montana’s pristine natural resources, both for our outdoor way of life and our economy.

I asked him how he saw places like the North Fork and Glacier Park contributing to the state’s economic future. “We all talk about tourism, because it’s easy to measure,” Daines said. “But that’s just the start of it.”

He went on to tout his own business experience, as an executive in a burgeoning, Bozeman-based software company, RightNow Technologies that went from fewer than 100 employees to more than 1000.

“People who worked there could literally go from writing software to being on a trout stream or on a mountain trail within minutes of leaving work,” Daines said. “That helped us attract top-quality employees and helped us retain them.”

That public land helps attract jobs and investment is not revelatory information. The economicvalue of Montana’s protected public land has been documented by experts like those at Headwaters Economics. However, as an employer and a statesman, Daines delivers it with authority.

He also speaks of the things that go beyond dollars and cents, like the joy of roaming the high country or casting an elk-hair caddis into alpine lakes.

I don’t expect Daines to be an environmentalists’ superhero. Before he made the announcement in West Glacier, he toured the giant Plum Creek sawmills in nearby Columbia Falls.  He campaigned on his support for the Keystone XL Pipeline.

I do expect Daines will catch flak for warming up to Democrats and their ideas on conservation, even a little. His ideological right flank may put up a challenger in the next primary. The partisan pressures of the Beltway have yet to exert their maximum pressure.

But Daines has clearly done some political calculus. He knows he has far more to gain than lose.  He has a path to be a congressman for Montana’s future, not just its past.

Ben Long is an outdoorsman, father and conservationist in Kalispell, Mont. He is senior program director for Resource Media.

Photo courtesy Flickr user republicanconference.

Essays in the Range blog are not written by High Country News. The authors are solely responsible for the content.