Empty Rhetoric Delivers Nothing for Montanans

— Friday, May 9, 2025 —

Last week, Senator Steve Daines bragged that he was “kicking Biden’s woke policies to the curb.”

I read that line and had to laugh.

Here in Montana, we’re not asking about someone’s definition of “woke.” We’re asking where the fire crews are. We’re asking why our hospitals can’t keep their doors open. We’re asking how our grain is supposed to move when Trump’s trade war shut down half our markets.

I’ve heard from soybean producers and wheat growers who’ve lost the international buyers they once relied on. Costs to do business have risen 35%.

While Daines calls it strength, folks on the ground call it sabotage.

We had stable access to foreign markets until Trump’s tariffs, cheered on by Daines, priced us out. Those markets have moved on and we’re left holding the bag.

What would I do differently? I’d fight for fair trade policy that opens new markets and rebuilds trust. Montana farmers can compete with anyone in the world as long as our elected officials stop using them as props in a political show.

Let’s talk about rural health care. Daines supported Trump’s freeze on federal grant dollars. That decision stalled funding for rural clinics, tribal programs, and early childhood services across Montana.

You can’t wrap yourself in a Montana flag while gutting the services that hold this state together. We don’t need campaign slogans. We need action.

When Daines touts Trump’s coal “revival,” he’s ignoring the real picture. I’ve talked with people in Colstrip who are still waiting for reclamation jobs and retraining grants they were promised back in 2021. What they’ve gotten instead is political nostalgia and broken promises.

I support investing in clean energy jobs, modern grid infrastructure, and economic transition for coal communities. Montana should lead the future—not be trapped in the past.

As we head into the summer, we are less prepared for wildfire than ever. Trump gutted fire science and mitigation programs and Daines cheered him on. Our communities are more vulnerable because of it.

I would fully fund forest science, fuels management, and local responder support. We know what works. We just need the political will to fund it.

I’m not running to chase headlines or score cable news soundbites. I’m running to do the work. Until I get to D.C., I will continue to hold Steve Daines accountable to Montanans.

I don’t care if a policy comes from Biden, Trump, or the tooth fairy. If it helps Montana, I’ll support it. If it hurts us, I’ll fight it.