Steve Daines

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. Speaker, one of the best parts of my job is hearing from the people I serve in the great State of Montana. And while 1 million Montanans offer a lot of different ideas and a lot of different perspectives, there is one concern I hear about every day. Thousands of Montanans have reached out to my office because they are concerned about recent threats to their Second Amendment rights. Let me be clear: I do not support any efforts that infringe upon Montanans' rights to keep and bear arms. I will continue to stand firm against any proposals that would threaten those rights. That's why I'm joining Congressman Steve Stockman and many of my other colleagues in the House in signing a letter to Speaker Boehner that makes it clear that we--and the people we represent--are strongly opposed to any efforts that would violate the rights protected by the Second Amendment, and we will reflect that commitment in any vote on legislation that comes before us. Whether it's so-called ``universal background checks'' or sweeping bans of firearms owned by thousands of law-abiding Montanans, I will stand firm against any proposal that would threaten Montanans' rights to keep and bear arms.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. Speaker, 1,636; that's how many days it has been since the application to build the Keystone XL pipeline was filed. It took Canada just 7 months to approve the pipeline. President Obama has taken 4\1/2\ years. Study after study has shown that not only is the pipeline safe, but it will provide a means of transporting oil that is safer than using trains or trucks. It is also environmentally safe. In fact, when compared to other means of transportation, it is perhaps the most environmentally friendly way to transport oil across our country. It will create thousands of jobs--at least 800 in my home State of Montana--and he still won't make a decision. Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department issued its Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Keystone XL Presidential permit application, which confirmed what we already knew. The Keystone XL pipeline will have no significant impacts on the environment. In fact, this is the fourth environmental review of the Keystone pipeline--with a final report still to come--even though report after report has stated that the pipeline will not have significant environmental effects. This report also comes after Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman approved a new route through his State for the Keystone XL pipeline project. Just this past January, I joined 150 other House Members in calling on President Obama to quickly approve the permits for Keystone in light of this new route. That was two months ago, and we have yet to hear anything back from the President. As a member of the House Energy Action Team, I understand how important this project is to our Nation and to my home State of Montana. Let me be clear--this project means jobs for Montanans. This project could directly create more than 800 good-paying jobs in Montana and thousands more across the Nation. It means coming one step closer to North American energy independence. The Keystone XL would be able to move up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day. That is about half the amount that the U.S. presently imports from the Middle East. And of the oil moved each day, 100,000 barrels will come from the Bakken formation, which spreads across Montana and North Dakota. This isn't about politics. Republicans and Democrats alike support the pipeline. This is about our Nation's security. This is about lowering energy costs for American families. This is about American jobs. Enough is enough. We can't afford to wait any longer. It has been 1,636 days. It's time for President Obama to approve the Keystone XL pipeline.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. Speaker, our Founders believed that conscience and religious rights occupied the highest rung on the civil liberty protection ladder. The Obama administration has fallen short of these expectations. As a fifth-generation Montanan and a person of faith, I know that my faith does not begin and end at the doors of our church. Living the principles of what I believe is a key part of my faith. But under the Affordable Care Act, religious institutions and employers, as well as health care providers who hold religious and moral convictions, are stripped of their religious freedoms. Religious institutions and employers are forced to pay for coverage of contraceptive methods. Health care providers do not have the protection to refuse to perform abortion services that they are morally opposed to. That is a violation of the First Amendment. That is why I am proud to help introduce the Health Care Conscience Rights Act, which will uphold our constitutional rights of religious freedom and uphold our moral calling to practice life-affirming health care.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. Speaker, two Montana athletes recently competed in the Special Olympics 2013 World Winter Games in South Korea, and I want to recognize them for their efforts. Dan Hazen of Great Falls and Kathy Rose of Kalispell made Montana proud when they were chosen to represent our state on a national stage. Of the 2,300 other athletes from 110 countries in PyeongChang, South Korea, they were the only two from Montana. But it's been a long journey, filled with hard work and perseverance. Their tireless dedication to their sport paid off when they placed first in their events at the 2012 Special Olympics Montana State Winter Games at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Then, they were chosen from a field of other gold medal athletes as Montana's representatives to the Games. Hazen competed in the slalom, giant slalom and super G, alpine skiing events. And Rose competed in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 4 x 100-meter relay snowshoe races. These events require a lot of work and a lot of commitment--and I'm happy that their efforts were rewarded when they were chosen to compete in South Korea. These athletes are true examples of what makes Montana great--their positive attitudes and tireless dedication exemplifies the characteristics that we value in our state. Thank you for your hard work, thank you for making Montana proud, and congratulations.

Mr. DAINES

Mr. DAINES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Alexis Wineman. This 18-year-old from Cut Bank, Montana, represents my State as Miss Montana, and she recently made history, not only as the youngest participant in this year's Miss America competition and the recipient of the People's Choice Award, but as the first young woman in the competition's history to have been diagnosed with autism. Alexis stands as an example for all Montanans of what it means to overcome obstacles and to help those in need. She's worked to spread awareness of autism so that we can all gain a better understanding of those affected by it. Alexis recently said, and I quote: We cannot cure what is not a sickness, but we can begin to understand autism and help those with the condition to unlock the potential that lies within all of us. I'm grateful for the work that she's done to increase the understanding of autism, and I'm very proud that she calls Montana home.