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Congressman Ryan Zinke released the following statement after the President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act into law. The bill includes Zinke’s request for almost $35 million directly to 12 separate Western Montana infrastructure, rural development, and public safety projects... “I am proud to have fought for Montana and our needed critical infrastructure projects. We have places where our bridges are falling apart, roads need improvements and our law enforcement deserves better equipment,” Zinke said. “I am particularly proud to have worked with the Blackfeet Nation to meet the tribe where the Indian Health Service has failed and deliver a youth center in Browning where kids and seniors will have a safe haven that honors the great Blackfeet culture.”

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act which provides FY2024 funding for nearly half the federal government and includes more than $31 million in direct funding for western Montana infrastructure, rural development, and public safety projects. The bill combines funding for the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Justice, and other agencies. In addition to providing basic program funding, the package also includes Zinke’s provisions regarding Montana-focused policy changes, increases national security and veteran spending, and makes targeted spending cuts to President Biden’s agenda.

Yesterday, Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke led a bipartisan group of colleagues including Democrat Rep. Mary Peltola (AK-01) and Republican Reps. Harriet Hageman (WY-01), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6), and Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-4) in sending a letter to Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Deb Haaland demanding answers as to why the Department failed to obligate nearly $19 million in appropriated funding to address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Of the $30 million appropriated for FY23 to assist Tribal Law Enforcement Departments on cold case investigations focused on MMIW, only $6 million had been disbursed to law enforcement and an additional $5 million was spent on administrative “startup” costs.

Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke announced the introduction of the bipartisan Public Lands in Public Hands Act at a roundtable discussion in Bozeman with representatives from Montana’s leading outdoor recreation, sportsmen and conservation organizations. Zinke partnered with Democrat Congressman Gabe Vasquez from New Mexico on the legislation. 

Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke introduced bipartisan legislation named The Flowers for Fallen Heroes Act with Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA-04) and Congressman Donald G. Davis (NC-01) which allows those wishing to lay flowers on the graves of fallen heroes who are interred at American military cemeteries overseas to do so through the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) jurisdiction. The bill mandates the creation of a user-friendly website and payment system that accepts credit cards for payment, finds reasonably priced vendors in proximity to the gravesites, urges the ABMC to market the program, and requires the ABMC to submit a yearly report to Congress on its progress.