Central Montana Times

On September 17, 2024, Senator Steve Daines voiced strong criticism of the Biden-Harris administration's energy policies, arguing that they are detrimental to Montana's way of life.

"I do find it a bit humorous when you hear Kamala Harris talk about 'on day one' to translate three and a half plus years. That's over 1,300 day ones that she's had so far," Daines stated. "But I'll tell you what she has been doing. This Administration’s policies are harming our Montana way of life."

Daines highlighted recent layoffs at the Stillwater mine as a direct consequence of these policies. "Just last week, we got the terrible news that the Stillwater mine is laying off 700 miners. The mine is just south of Big Timber in Columbus, Montana. It's a very important strategic mine for our country because it produces palladium and platinum," he said.

He elaborated on the significance of these materials, noting their use in cars and catalytic converters to reduce pollution, as well as electronics. According to Daines, instead of sourcing palladium from Montana mines, the Biden-Harris administration is allowing Russia to flood the market with palladium. "That is why the layoffs occurred. The Russians are flooding the U.S. markets... They drove the price down and forced the mine to have to lay off about half the workforce, 700 miners."

Daines further linked these economic impacts to geopolitical issues: "And adding insult to injury, Vladimir Putin uses that money to fund his war in Ukraine."

The senator also pointed out challenges related to wildfire management in Montana. He criticized what he described as excessive litigation preventing proper forest thinning: "Montanans are tired of breathing smoke during fire season... Proper thinning is a way to reduce the risk of wildfires." He attributed these legal hurdles primarily to decisions by "the Ninth Circuit Court" which he called "one of the most liberal in the country."

In addition, Daines condemned environmental regulations imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stating: "The Biden-Harris EPA…You know what we call the EPA out in Montana? 'The employment prevention agency.'"

Summarizing his stance on energy policies and their broader implications, Daines remarked: “This is the biggest war on made-in-American energy we've seen, certainly in my lifetime.” He concluded with a call for political change: “We’ll have an election, and we’ve got to let the American people speak loud and clear they want to change the direction of this country and remove Joe Biden and Kamala Harris from office.”