Montana Public Radio is gathering information on all statewide primary candidates to publish as a resource for our audience. We asked all the statewide candidates to respond to the following questions via email, limiting their answers to 300 words per question. These are their unedited responses.
U.S. Senate candidate Steve Daines:
What is your full name as it will appear on ballots?
Steve Daines
What is your age?
57
Where do you live?
Bozeman, Montana
What is your education background?
Montana State University, Chemical Engineering
What is your current occupation?
U.S. Senator for Montana
Why are you running for this particular public office?
Before coming to Congress, I spent 28 years in the private sector solving problems, delivering solutions, and creating jobs. I’m running for re-election to fight for more Montana jobs, to rebuild our economy and to secure our healthcare system by ending reliance on China for critical personal protective equipment and pharmaceutical drugs and bringing these manufacturing supply chains and jobs back to the United States.
During this ongoing pandemic, I fought to secure funding needed to save small businesses that keep Montanans employed, for medical gear to protect our health care heroes, and ensured COVID-19 testing is free. I developed the plan and secured the funding to safely speed up the development of life-saving COVID-19 drugs – drugs that will be made right here in America.
What makes you qualified to hold this position?
I graduated from MSU as a chemical engineer and spent 28 years in the private sector. I was trained to solve hard problems and that experience is why I’ve been recognized as one of the most bipartisan and effective members of Congress. I will always defend our Montana way of life, and stand up to Chuck Schumer and those who would try and use the current crisis to turn America into a socialist country.
What are three policy issues that distinguish you from your opponent(s)?
I brought Republicans and Democrats together in the U.S. Senate to secure permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, championed a bipartisan bill to lower the costs of prescription drugs for Montana seniors, and passed a bill to end the NSA’s unconstitutional collection of our phone records and I’m fighting to end the collection of our web browsing data. I’m proud to work across the aisle to deliver these results for Montanans.
What are the greatest issues facing Montana that have gone unsolved by elected officials and how would you address them?
The coronavirus pandemic is having an impact on every Montanan and every sector of our economy right now. That’s why I’m focused on solutions to rebuild the American economy, protect and create more Montana jobs, and end our reliance on foreign countries for life-saving drugs and personal protective equipment. With more than one third of our imported antibiotics, and 70% of personal protective equipment produced in China, this poses both a national security and health risk to our country. It’s exactly why I’m fighting to bring drug and medical supply manufacturing back home and it’s why I led the plan to safely speed up the development of life-savings COVID-19 drugs by months—drugs that will be made right here in America, with incredible working being done at the University of Montana to help find a Coronavirus vaccine.
