Economy
Image
For more information concerning work and views related to Economy, please contact our office.
More on Economy
Image
December 17, 2024
Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke introduced legislation along with Arizona Congressman Juan Ciscomani, Washington Congresswoman Gluesenkamp Perez, and North Carolina Congressman Don Davis to address the housing workforce shortage in an effort to increase housing supply and lower costs. The Creating Opportunities for New Skills Training at Rural and Underserved Colleges and Trade Schools (CONSTRUCTS) Act would create a new grant program through the Department of Labor, to train and support the skilled laborers required for the construction of homes. The funds will go to trade schools, community colleges, and other eligible programs, as well as outreach programs partnered with local businesses. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Senator Jackie Rosen of Nevada.
Image
October 29, 2024
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Today, Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke announced the allocation of over $28.4 million in funding for bridge replacement in Bigfork, Montana.
Image
July 23, 2024
Today the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a hearing on various water rights bills including Congressman Zinke’s bills H.R. 8791 “Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024” and H.R. 8953 “Crow Tribe Water Rights Settlement Amendments Act of 2024”.
Image
July 10, 2024
Today, the House Appropriations Committee passed the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2025 out of Full Committee Markup. The bill includes more than $20 million in funding for Western Montana infrastructure projects and legislative language to fix a loophole in rental housing assistance grants that has cost Montanans millions. The next step for the bill is a vote on the House floor which is scheduled for the last week of July.
Image
June 18, 2024
Today the Biden Administration announced that the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has launched the Columbia River Task Force to implement Biden’s long promised plan to remove dams on the Snake River system that supply western Montana with affordable and reliable electricity. These dams provide between 60-70% of the electricity in the Pacific Northwest. Hydropower is the most abundant, affordable, and cleanest source of energy available in Montana, heavily relied upon for baseload power.
Image
May 23, 2024
(WASHINGTON, DC) Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke cosponsored H.R. 3170, the bipartisan Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder (HELPER) Act. The HELPER Act establishes a new home loan program under the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to make homeownership more accessible to K-12 school teachers, first responders, law enforcement officers, and other essential public servants by eliminating some of the barriers for first-time homebuyers including high down payments and monthly mortgage insurance premiums.
Image
March 21, 2024
This week Roseburg Forest Products announced it will be shutting down its Missoula particle board plant in mid-May. This comes less than a week after Pyramid Lumber, Seeley Lake’s largest employer and one of the oldest family-owned lumber mills in Western Montana, announced it will close its doors soon due to economic pressures.
Image
February 1, 2024
Congressman Ryan Zinke voted for H.R. 7024, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act. The $600 billion-dollar bipartisan tax cuts package consists of three main pillars: culling COVID-era spending, incentivizing more American research and development, and inflation-adjusted Child-Tax Credits for working families.
Image
January 5, 2024
The University of Montana (UMT) is taking heat from Republican lawmakers in the state after defending a program that allows groups tied to the Chinese Communist Party to host and pay for student trips to China.
Image
December 13, 2023
Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke released the following statement after voting in support of the H.R. 5378, the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act which passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 320-71. H.R. 5378 is reform-oriented legislation designed to lower the cost of health care and increase price transparency for patients in Montana and across the nation.