Missoula Current

U.S. Senator Steve Daines will serve on five U.S. Senate committees for the 115th Congress, including the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, he announced on Tuesday.

Daines, R-Montana, will also serve on the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, and the Committee on Indian Affairs.

“I will continue advocating to rein in federal spending, protect our public lands, restore active forest management, fight for our farmers, ranchers and small business owners, and ensure that we uphold the government’s trust responsibility to Montana’s tribes,” Daines said in a statement released Tuesday. “I will work diligently to advance legislation that puts forth real solutions for Montana families to create more high-paying jobs.”

U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations: The committee writes the legislation that allocates federal funds to the numerous government agencies, departments, and organizations on an annual basis. Appropriations are generally limited to the levels set by a Budget Resolution drafted by the Senate Budget Committee.

U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources: The committee has jurisdiction over energy resources and development, including regulation, conservation, strategic petroleum reserves and appliance standards; nuclear energy; Indian affairs; public lands and their renewable resources; surface mining, federal coal, oil, and gas, other mineral leasing; territories and insular possessions; and water resources.

U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry:  The committee has jurisdiction over matters relating to: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) activities including farm payments, crop insurance, conservation programs, and livestock marketing rules; the Rural Utilities Service and Rural Development, which carry out important programs relating to rural energy development, rural telecommunications, rural business financing, and rural health care services; nutrition programs including the National School Lunch Program, the Women, Infants and Children program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as food stamps); and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which oversees all futures markets.

U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs:  The committee is the U.S. Senate’s primary oversight committee with broad jurisdiction over government operations generally and the Department of Homeland Security in particular. Its primary responsibilities are to study the efficiency, economy, and effectiveness of all agencies and departments of the federal government; evaluate the effects of laws enacted to reorganize the legislative and executive branches of government; and study the intergovernmental relationships between the U.S. and states and municipalities, and between the U.S. and international organizations of which the U.S. is a member.

U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs: The committee has jurisdiction to study the unique problems of American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples and to propose legislation to alleviate these difficulties. These issues include, but are not limited to, Indian education, economic development, land management, trust responsibilities, health care, and claims against the United States. Additionally, all legislation proposed by Members of the Senate that specifically pertains to American Indians, Native Hawaiians, or Alaska Natives is under the jurisdiction of the Committee.

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