INSIDER
Democrats put up $25 million to reach voters in 10 states in fierce fight for Senate majority
Democrats are pumping $25 million into expanded voter outreach across 10 states as part of their effort to protect their narrow Senate majority.
Donald Trump headlines Montana rally after plane was diverted but landed safely
Former President Donald Trump traveled to Montana for a Friday night rally in hopes of ousting the stateโs Democratic senator, but his plane first had to divert to an airport on the other side of the Rocky Mountains because of a mechanical issue, according to airport staff.
Uproar over Biden's campaign shows no signs of abating. Manchin is latest to call for a new nominee
The uproar over President Joe Bidenโs reelection bid is showing no signs of abating.
Biden is isolated at home as Obama, Pelosi and other Democrats push for him to reconsider 2024 race
Democrats at the highest levels are making a critical push for President Joe Biden to reconsider his election bid.
Biden's debate performance leaves down-ballot Democrats anxious โ and quiet
President Joe Biden's debate performance spurred anxiety and silence among some Democrats running in competitive races across the country.
Republican challenger to Tester leans into his outsider status in Montana US Senate debate
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy embraced his status as an outsider who came to Montana to start a business during the first debate in a race that could tip the balance of power in the Senate.
Montana US Sen. Jon Tester to face GOP newcomer Tim Sheehy in election key to Senate control
Three-term incumbent Democrat Sen. Jon Tester and Republican newcomer Tim Sheehy have cruised to victory in Montanaโs primary election.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the Montana presidential and state primaries
The general election for a race that could determine the Senate majority begins right after Montana voters lock in their nominees in Tuesdayโs primaries.
AP Decision Notes: What to expect in the final presidential primaries and caucuses of 2024
The 2024 presidential primary calendar is drawing to a close with a handful of primaries on Tuesday and two Democratic caucuses in Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands on June 8.
Money isn't enough to smooth the path for Republican candidates hoping to retake the Senate
Senate Republicans are returning to a strategy they hope could neutralize their Democratic rivals' financial edge: Find rich people to run.
Spending bill would ease access to guns for some veterans declared mentally incapable
Veterans whom the government declares incapable of managing their own affairs would have easier access to firearms under spending legislation expected to be signed by President Joe Biden in the coming days.
Republicans have a plan to take the Senate. A hard-right Montana lawmaker could crash the party
Montana Republicans gathered in a hotel ballroom this weekend aiming to unite ahead of the 2024 election and defeat three-term incumbent Democrat U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.
Republican bid to flip US Senate grows complicated as Montana primary gets competitive
Montana Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale plans to run for U.S. Senate, upending a race in which many national GOP officials already coalesced around a different candidate as they seek to unseat three-term Democrat U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.
A Montana farmer with a flattop and ample lobbyist cash stands between the GOP and Senate control
Republicans two seats short of U.S. Senate control are expected to spend tens of millions of dollars on ads attacking Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester as a Washington insider tainted by lobbyist cash.
Fake Arizona rehab centers scam Native Americans far from home, officials warn during investigations
Hundreds of Native Americans have been recruited to addiction treatment centers in Phoenix from states as far away as Montana in a widespread billing scheme that mostly targeted Medicaidโs American Indian Health Program.
Former Navy SEAL seeks GOP nod to challenge Montana Democratic US Sen. Tester in 2024
Former U.S. Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy says he will seek the 2024 Republican nomination to challenge Montana U.S. Sen. Jon Tester as the Democrat tries to secure a fourth term.
Defense industry dollars flowed to a Democratic senator after he gained a key role on spending
Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester is looking to win reelection in a race that could decide control of the Senate.
Biden hopes Su's role in dockworker deal can sway Democratic holdouts to confirm her as labor chief
The White House is hoping that Julie Suโs role in brokering a deal between West Coast dockworkers and shippers will provide fresh momentum for the Senate to act on her long-stalled nomination to be labor secretary.
Senate passes GOP bill overturning student loan cancellation, teeing it up for Biden veto
A Republican measure overturning President Joe Bidenโs student loan cancellation plan has passed the Senate and now awaits an expected veto.
Zooey Zephyr row spotlights rise of GOP far-right caucuses
The banishment of transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from Montanaโs House floor has showcased the rising power of hard-line conservatives who are leveraging divisive social issues to gain political influence.
Montana GOP seeks to bar 3rd parties from key US Senate race
Libertarians lined up with Democrats on Friday against a proposal that would effectively block third party candidates from next yearโs Montana U.S. Senate election.
US, states weigh farmland restrictions after Chinese balloon
As U.S.-China relations cool amid trade disputes and espionage fears stoked by the Chinese spy balloon shot down off the Atlantic Coast, lawmakers in Congress and at least 11 statehouses are weighing legislation to further limit foreign ownership of farmland.
Senate OKs enhanced benefits for vets exposed to burn pits
The Senate has approved a sweeping expansion of health care and disability benefits for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan in response to concerns about their exposure to toxic burn pits.
Lawmakers reach deal to help veterans exposed to burn pits
Congressional bargainers have announced a deal on legislation to boost health care services and disability benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Kansas governor breaks with Biden in appeal to GOP voters
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has signaled her efforts to appeal to moderate Republican and GOP-leaning independent voters whose support is necessary for her to win a tough reelection race in Kansas next year.
Senate rejects Biden's vaccine mandate for businesses
The Senate has narrowly approved a resolution to nullify the Biden administrationโs requirement that businesses with 100 or more workers have their employees be vaccinated against the coronavirus or submit to weekly testing.
GOP paints Biden's choice for bank regulator as radical
President Joe Bidenโs choice to become one of the top banking regulators endured a contentious nomination hearing Thursday, with Republican senators warning she would nationalize the U.S. banking system and Democrats saying sheโs eminently qualified and would be tough overseer of Wall Street.
Senate approves Biden land-agency pick over GOP opposition
A bitterly divided Senate has approved President Joe Bidenโs choice to oversee vast government-owned lands in the West, despite Republican objections that she is an "eco-terrorist.'.
A potential Powell renomination for Fed faces some dissent
Resistance to the potential renomination of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell intensified this week, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren becoming the first senator to publicly oppose Powell and many progressive groups pushing for some alternative leader at the Fed.
Bipartisan infrastructure deal back on track after walk-back
A bipartisan deal to invest nearly $1 trillion in the nationโs infrastructure appears to be back on track after a stark walk-back by President Joe Biden to his earlier insistence that the bill be coupled with an even larger Democrat-backed measure in order to earn his signature.
A snapshot of the bipartisan infrastructure agreement
President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of senators have reached an agreement to significantly boost infrastructure spending, though considerable hurdles remain before the blueprint unveiled Thursday becomes reality.
Senators press Interior Secretary Haaland on oil lease pause
Both Republican and Democratic senators are pressing Interior Secretary Deb Haaland for answers after a federal court blocked the Biden administrationโs suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters.
Biden nominee's link to 1989 logging sabotage blasted by GOP
President Joe Bidenโs nominee to oversee federal lands in the U.S. West is facing Republican pressure to withdraw over her ties to environmental activists convicted of spiking trees to sabotage a national forest timber sale more than 30 years ago.
Biden nominee for public lands boss faces GOP opposition
President Joe Bidenโs nominee to oversee vast expanses of public land in the U.S. West is being criticized by Republicans because of her involvement in partisan politics as a longtime Democratic aide and environmentalist.
Biden taps ex-Obama official as Interior Department deputy
The White House is naming a former Obama administration official to be deputy secretary at the Interior Department after dropping plans for a more liberal nominee who faced key Senate opposition.
States sue Biden in bid to revive Keystone XL pipeline
Committee Ranking Member Sen. Joe Manchin, D-WVa., speaks during a hearing to examine the nomination of former Gov. โ Attorneys general from 21 states on Wednesday sued to to overturn President Joe Bidenโs cancellation of the contentious Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada. Led by Ken Paxton of Texas and Austin Knudsen of Montana, the states said Biden had overstepped his authority when he revoked the permit for the Keystone pipeline on his first day in office. Construction on the 1,200-mile (1,930-kilometer) pipeline began last year when former President Donald Trump revived the long-delayed project after it had stalled under the Obama administration. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana.
Biden urges Senate Dems to rally behind $1.9T virus bill
โHe said we need to pass this bill and pass it soon. The Senate bill was expected to largely mirror the House-approved package, with the most glaring divergence the Senate's dropping of language boosting the federal minimum wage to $15 hourly. Schumer said Senate debate would commence as soon as Wednesday and predicted, โWe'll have the votes we need to pass the bill." Progressives, though, were still smarting over the virtual certainty that the Senate bill will lack the minimum wage boost, up from $7.25 hourly locked in since 2009. The funding was removed after some Republican lawmakers had criticized it as an example of a wasteful spending item that should not be part of the COVID relief bill.
Centrist Democrats flex muscles, create headaches for Biden
He can send the White House into a tailspin with a single five-minute interview or three-sentence statement. With a 50-50 split in the Senate leaving little room for error on tough votes, other moderate Democrats like Sens. He received a call from the White House shortly after his complaint to try to smooth things over. AdThe White House shares those political concerns. Their significance to the final vote on the COVID-19 bill means some moderates are already getting extra attention from the White House.
US agency cancels Trump policy on conservation purchases
Interior Department officials on Thursday canceled a Trump administration directive that gave local and state officials power to block purchases of land and water for conservation under a longstanding federal program. Trump administration officials had said the order would have allowed the government to fulfill goals that were set when conservation areas were created, by filling in missing pieces of them. Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia and others for undermining the conservation program. They accused the Trump administration of using Bernhardtโs order to circumvent the intent of Congress and squandering the bipartisan goodwill created by passing last year's law. Daines welcomed the move to revoke the order and said in a Thursday statement that the program was a critical tool for conservation.
Land conservation plan stirs fight over Trump restrictions
FILE - In this July 30, 2014, photo is Margerie Glacier, one of many glaciers that make up Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park. U.S. officials on Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, released details on proposed land conservation purchases for the coming year amid bipartisan objection to restrictions on how the government's money can be spent. โ Proposed land conservation purchases in dozens of states would preserve parts of natural areas in tourist destinations, U.S. officials announced Friday as lawmakers from both parties pushed back on Trump administration restrictions on how the money can be spent. Bernhardt's order also limits land acquisitions to property inside the existing boundaries of parks and refuges, rather than expanding their footprint. Udall called it a โlast-gasp attempt" by the President Donald Trump's administration to hinder land preservation efforts.
Hardening partisan map steepens Democrats' climb in Senate
Yet as states increasingly sort themselves along hardening partisan lines, it's complicating Democrats' drive to win the majority and keep it. Thanks to this month's elections, Democrats will own all four Senate seats from purple Arizona and increasingly blue Colorado next year. In addition, three current Senate Democrats are from states that President Donald Trump carried easily this month despite losing to Democrat Joe Biden. โThe problem is a Democratic Senate majority runs through red states, and that is an inherent structural difficulty." In the 2022 elections, Democrats will defend Senate 13 seats โ all from states Biden won.
GOP duo reshapes Montana politics to match Trump's vision
It's a shift Montana Democrats argue is out of step with the stateโs independent-minded electorate. Steve Bullock, challenging Daines, is one of the Democrats' best hopes to tilt the balance of power in the closely divided Senate. Gianforte, one of the wealthiest members of the U.S. House, has been boosted in his run for Montana governor by Dainesโ clout. Democrats as recently as 2014 held both Montana U.S. Senate seats, the governorโs mansion and a bevy of other statewide offices. Daines and Gianforte โfit the party like a glove right now,โ University of Montana political analyst Rob Saldin said.
Public lands chief hangs on despite nomination getting nixed
That's not how it works," Sen. Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, said of the May order in an interview. Prior to joining the Trump administration, he had called for the government to sell its public lands. Interior Department spokesperson Conner Swanson confirmed that the arrangement outlined in Pendley's order means he will continue to lead the bureau. After joining the government, he declared that his past support for selling public lands was irrelevant because his boss, Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, opposes the wholesale sale of public lands. Under Trump, the land bureau has sought to scale back some protections for public lands, including proposals to ease restrictions on oil and gas exploration, mining and grazing.
Public lands chief hangs on despite nomination getting nixed
"You dont want the deputy director of policy and programs being able to dictate whos in charge of the (bureau.) Its too important an agency.Interior Department spokesman Conner Swanson confirmed that the arrangement means Pendley will continue to lead the bureau. Whether another nominee will be named is up to the White House, Swanson added. The May 22 order from Pendley, which was also signed by Interior Department Assistant Secretary Casey Hammond, had specified such records were to be kept. Steve Bullock, a Democrat who is seeking to topple Republican Sen. Steve Daines in the November election.
Post Office warns states across US about mail voting
Voters and lawmakers in several states are also complaining that some curbside mail collection boxes are being removed. Postal Service is sufficiently prepared to fulfill.Meanwhile, the removal of Postal Service collection mail boxes triggered concerns and anger in Oregon and Montana. All three members of Montanas congressional delegation two of whom are Republican raised concerns about the removal of mail boxes in letters sent to Postmaster DeJoy. Postal Service spokesperson Ernie Swanson said the Oregon removals were due to declining mail volume and that duplicate mail boxes were taken from places that had more than one. The Postal Service said four mail boxes were removed in Portland this week.
Lawmakers: Postal changes delay mail-order medicine for vets
Postal Service facility in McLean, Va. Postal Service. Postal Service are taking a toll on military veterans, who are reporting much longer wait times to receive mail-order prescription drugs, according to Democratic senators. The lawmakers called on DeJoy to reassess the impact of the postal changes on veterans and urged him to work with VA Secretary Robert Wilkie to reduce delays. Those who gave so much to serve this country should be able to count on the nations Postal Service to deliver their medications in a timely manner, the lawmakers wrote Friday.
Montana's U.S. House race brings partisan divide to the fore
In the race for Montana's lone U.S. House seat, Republican Matt Rosendale faces opponent Democrat Kathleen Williams. In the race for Montanas lone U.S. House seat, Republican Matt Rosendale is hitching his wagon to President Donald Trump even as the president's national approval ratings worsen. Like Rosendale, Williams comes to this race with something to prove. The House seat opened up this year after Gianforte decided to run for governor, with incubment Democrat Steve Bullock termed out and running for U.S. Senate. She hopes to bring that same spirit to the U.S. House, where hyper partisanship has gotten out of control," she said.
VA says it lacks adequate medical gear for 2nd virus wave
FILE - In this March 27, 2019, file photo Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie, left, speaks with Veterans Health Administration Executive in Charge, Dr. Richard Stone, second from left, before a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. To handle a possible second wave of COVID-19, it would need a six-month supply. A future pandemic wave may test all of us in our preparation, Stone told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. The Associated Press previously reported that VA health care facilities struggled with shortages of workers and protective equipment, forcing employees to reuse masks for days or weeks, even as VA leaders denied that it lacked adequate supplies. As of Tuesday, VA had 1,665 staff cases of COVID-19, including 133 that were considered active. At least 33 VA employees have died of the virus, according to VA data.
VA says it wont stop use of unproven drug on vets for now
Still, it acknowledged that VA Secretary Robert Wilkie had wrongly asserted publicly without evidence that the drug had been shown to benefit younger veterans. In the first week of May, 17 patients had received the drug for COVID-19, according to VA data obtained by the AP. VA has not endorsed nor discouraged the use of hydroxychloroquine in COVID-19 patients and has left those decisions to providers and their patients, the VA said. The Food and Drug Administration has warned against the drug combination and said hydroxychloroquine should only be used for the coronavirus in formal studies. The analysis of VA hospital data, done by independent researchers at two universities with VA approval, was not a rigorous experiment.