U.S. Senator Steve Daines participated in an interview on “Montana This Morning” last Friday, joining U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke to discuss topics related to the Stillwater Mine and energy production in Montana.
During the interview, Daines addressed his recent visit to the Stillwater Mine. He stated, “We wrap up here this morning. The Secretary and the Congressman are going to head west to Butte. I’m heading east to Columbus. We’ve got a great story of a win by the Trump administration. What was happening is the Russians were dumping palladium in the country below market price. It forced the layoff of 700 Montana miners. These are great jobs with great benefit packages and has a huge effect on families. We battled the Russians, thanks to President Trump who got a 133 percent tariff now against the Russians. What that did is it moved the palladium prices back up to where now that mine is viable again. Palladium is so important, of course, it’s part of our catalytic converters, it’s part of our semiconductor industry, it’s part of our pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. What’s really important, there’s only three places in the world where it’s mined: South Africa, Russia, and Montana. I’m going to be there with the miners talking about bringing these jobs back and fighting on behalf of hardworking Montanans.”
Daines also spoke about economic trends highlighted during discussions around the State of the Union address: “Remember, we had prices with record-level highs, they’re now the lowest in five years. There’s a really positive message of where we’re at now versus where we were just a few years ago. But going forward, it’s going to stay focused here on our natural resources, continuing to grow this economy, continuing to find ways to bring prices down. It’s great to see 30-year fixed mortgages are now in the five percent range, the first time it’s been there in years. There’s a lot of good things to talk about, but the work is still to be done. We’re going to have a lot left to do between now and certainly the end of the year.”
On trade policy affecting Montana agriculture producers—an important sector for Montana’s economy—Daines said: “It’s always important to remember for Montana, we are an ag state. In fact, it’s the number one driver of our economy. Ninety-five percent of the world’s consumers live outside the United States. What President Trump has done is he has been fighting hard to make sure we’ve got equal and fair access into these foreign markets. Think about the ag-specific markets, it’s very important for our wheat producers, barley producers, our beef producers. What he’s done is he’s been an incredible negotiator. He has gone to the table, he’s crafting these great deals that are bringing tariff and non-tariff barriers down for American producers, and he’s still in the fight. This isn’t over yet. There’s still a long ways to go, but we are opening up markets now for U.S. producers, particularly for Montana ag.”
Daines recalled meeting Ryan Zinke during their youth: “We were Boys State. We first crossed paths in 1979. I was a junior at Bozeman High School. Ryan was a junior at Whitefish Bulldog. We ended up in Dillon, Montana what used to be a Western college there at Boys State. Who knew we would be standing here this morning at KBZK with you this morning?”
According to Daines’ official website, he grew up in Bozeman as a fifth-generation Montanan attending public schools before earning his Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Montana State University (source). Daines represents Montana as its U.S senator (source), engaging constituents through assistance programs and Senate committee work (source). His office provides services such as help with federal agencies and veterans resources (source). He has received recognition from organizations like Congressional Management Foundation for transparency and staff support (source).
