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Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke today applauded the planned aircraft upgrades at the 120th Airlift Wing at Great Falls Air National Guard Base. The U.S. Air Force and Director of the Air National Guard (DANG) today announced Great Falls had been selected as a preferred location for new C-130J Super Hercules aircraft. “Montana’s strategic role in our national defense cannot be understated and our military footprint is one of the strongest in the country thanks in large part to the professionalism and dedication of the force,” Zinke said. “I commend General Hronek and his base for keeping Great Falls a priority investment location and a model of how to run an effective operation.”

Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke and domestic mining stakeholders released the following statements in response to problematic recommendations by the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) Interagency Working Group (IWG) on mining. Problematic proposals in the report include an 8% royalty rate, the failure to address permitting timelines and the dirt tax.

Today, Rep. Ryan Zinke (MT-01) and a bipartisan group of thirty Members of Congress sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough asking him to delay the effective date of a finalized VA rule “Changes in Rates VA Pays for Special Modes of Transportation” (88 Fed. Reg. 10032) until Congress passes legislation authorizing the VA to contract emergency ambulance services.

Today, the United States House of Representatives approved the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2024 which authorizes spending to more than $317 billion toward Veterans Affairs and military construction. The bill maintains House Republicans commitment to veterans by fully funding veterans’ health care programs, benefits, and Veteran programs, including the electronic health record modernization initiative.

Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke released the following statement of support following Governor Gianforte’s request to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to identify areas in Western and North-Central Montana impacted by severe drought conditions as natural disaster areas. Due to abnormally low snowpack combined with dry conditions and little rainfall, Western Montana’s livestock, crop, and eco-tourism industries are experiencing added strain.

Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke introduced an amendment to the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2024 to protect Montana veterans’ access to life flights and a variety of ambulance services. Zinke introduced this amendment after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) finalized a rule that would reimburse air ambulances at a rate equal to that of the 1998 Medicare reimbursement rate. This would cause drastic cuts and make it financially impossible for air ambulances to operate. Zinke’s amendment would stop this rule from going into effect and force the VA to continue operating under the established reimbursement rates.