{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.daines.senate.gov/news/press-releases/daines-statement-in-honor-of-veterans-day", "Daines Statement in Honor of Veterans Day", "2015-11-10", "2015", "2015-11", "Republican", "House", "MT", "Steve Daines", "D000618", "www.daines.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "11.10.15\n\t\t\t Daines Statement in Honor of Veterans Day \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement to honor America's heroes ahead of Veterans Day:\r\nOn Veterans Day, we gather across Montana and all around America to show our respect and gratitude for those who have served our country. Veterans Day is a special day for our nation. It is a day in which we pause and thank those who have served and continue to serve.\r\nFor decades, our enemies have tested our strength, yet we continue to demonstrate our resolve. America and the world are better places because of the courage our veterans and service members have shown. They answered the call to serve and because of them, the world knows America will fight against evil and oppression and for the advancement of freedom from sea to shining sea.\r\nToday, as we enjoy time with our family and friends, let us not forget those who remain in harm's way. They are our moms and dads, sisters and brothers and our dear friends. Today we remember and honor the courage and sacrifice of these brave men and women. We recognize their bravery, their honor and their commitment. To all of Montana's veterans  thank you for your service.\r\nDaines will commemorate Veterans Day in Manhattan, Montana at the Legion Post #87 ceremony.\r\nIn the Senate, Daines has fought tirelessly for America's veterans and those on active duty. Issues Daines has worked to address for Montana's veterans and service members include:\r\nMontana Priorities in Veterans Affairs Appropriations:\r\n \r\nEnsures that veterans with service animals can bring those animals into Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities.\r\nDirects the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take into account the situations of large rural states when determining where to build new veterans' homes.\r\nEnsures Montana's veterans without next-of-kin aren't denied a VA-issued headstone.\r\nProtects veterans' ability to discuss with VA physicians the use of medical marijuana in states where it is legal.\r\n \r\nNational Defense Authorization Act:\r\n \r\n$19.7 million for the Tactical Response Force Alert Facility at Malmstrom.\r\n$4.26 million for an energy conservation project at Malmstrom.\r\nAuthorizes funding for AMP Increments I and II to ensure that our C-130s are able to stay in the air.\r\nAuthorizes funding for C-130 engine modifications.\r\nIt expresses the sense of the Congress that the nuclear triad plays a critical role in ensuring national security and that it is the policy of the U.S. to operate, sustain, and modernize or replace the triad and to operate and modernize or replace a capability to forward-deploy nuclear weapons and dual-cable fighter-bomber aircraft.\r\n \r\nVA Change in Service Dog Policy:\r\n \r\nVeterans in some states, including Montana, have had difficulty bringing their animals into VA medical facilities.\r\nDaines haslong pushedfor the VA to update its service dog policies and acknowledge their value for veterans.\r\nDainescommended newsthat the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has revised its rules regarding veterans' ability to bring service animals to VA facilities.\r\nThe VA's new rule will put clear guidance in place that allows the presence of service animals at VA facilities across the United States.\r\n \r\nVA Office of the Inspector General September Report:\r\n \r\nDainesexpressed his deep concernsregarding this VA Inspector General report, noting that it \"paints a disturbing pattern of incompetence at the Department of the Veterans Affairs.\"\r\nThe report was intended to respond to specific allegations about care at the VA, but found that record keeping was so terrible that it couldn't accurately assess many of those allegations.\r\nDaines believes it is unconscionable that America's veterans have not been able to effectively access the health care services that was promised to them.\r\n \r\nThe Securing Military Personnel Response Firearm Initiative (SEMPER FI) Act:\r\n \r\nIn light of the tragic events in Chattanooga, TN,Daines joined Rep. Duncan Hunter(R-CA) to introduce the Securing Military Personnel Response Firearm Initiative (SEMPER FI) Act, S. 1819.\r\nThis bill would allow the military to authorize recruiters to be armed with a service-issue sidearm when they're at recruitment centers. The bill also limits the carrying of a sidearm to officers and non-commissioned officers.\r\nDaines' provisionwas includedin the National Defense Authorization Act that allows military officers the ability to carry weapons at military recruitment centers.\r\n \r\nBipartisan Bill to Correct Erroneous Discharges:\r\n \r\nDaines joined Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) tointroduce bipartisan legislationthat will ensuredue process for veterans who suffer from mental health illnesses who may have been erroneously given an administrative discharge, rather than an honorable discharge.\r\nThe bill creates a presumption in favor of the veteran when petitioning the Secretary of Defense for an upgrade in discharge status based on medical evidence certified by the VA.\r\nIndividuals who are given an administrative discharge make them ineligible for certain benefits, including G.I. benefits and VA home loans.\r\n \r\nBlue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act:\r\n \r\nDaines has been working with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)to pass legislationthat will force the VA to recognize the Agent-Orange-related conditions of blue water' Vietnam veterans.\r\nIt would clarify existing law so thatblue water' veterans would be fully covered by the VA if they served within the territorial seas, or approximately 12 miles offshore of Vietnam.\r\nThe bill would make it easier for VA to process Vietnam War veterans' claims for service-connected conditions and alleviate a portion of the VA's backlog by extending presumptive coverage of Agent Orange benefits to these veterans.\r\nDainesrecently testifiedat a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on the importance of passing this legislation.\r\n \r\nVeterans History Project:\r\n \r\nDaines isworking to expandthe American Folklife Center's Veterans History Project (VHP) to Montana to collect and preserve the stories of Montana's wartime veterans in the Library of Congress. \r\nThe recordings and documents that are collected ensure that Montana veterans' stories are preserved for future generations.\r\nDaines kicked off the Veterans History Project in Helena onOctober 10, 2015.\r\n \r\n###\r\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n  \n\t\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \t\n    \t\n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tPrevious Article\n\t\t    \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.daines.senate.gov/news/press-releases/daines-statement-in-honor-of-veterans-day"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3899179175496101, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}