118th Congress

Today, Congressman Zinke introduced, The Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024 to provide a solution for the settlement of water rights in the Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC). The bill will achieve a fair and final settlement of claims to water rights in the State of Montana for the Fort Belknap Indian Community. Senator Daines and Senator Tester have sponsored a similar bill in the senate. 

Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke (MT-01), U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-MT), and Congressman Matt Rosendale (MT-02) sent a letter to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) highlighting the recent elimination of 10,000 frontline jobs that serve clinical needs for veterans’ healthcare, such as psychologists and clinical social workers. These eliminations directly contradict claims from the VA that frontline positions of this nature would be free from cuts.

The Office of Congressman Ryan Zinke announced June dates for in-person mobile office hours in rural areas of Montana’s First Congressional District to assist constituents with a variety of government related issues.

Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke was appointed to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Zinke brings with him military and diplomatic experience from his 23-year career as a U.S. Navy SEAL officer, coupled with time serving as the 52nd Secretary of the Interior, overseeing the Federal relationship with our territories and Freely Associated States. Congressman Zinke will vacate his position on the Science, Space and Technology Committee and remain on the Appropriations Committee and the Joint China Commission. 

Today, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) informed Congressman Ryan Zinke and the Montana Housing Authorities (MHA) that the federal agency will halt the planned claw back of federal funds from these programs. In April, Zinke was informed that HUD rescinded $4.5 million from the MHA reserve accounts, putting roughly 576 Montana families’ access to housing assistance at risk. Zinke questioned the acting HUD secretary in a committee hearing on May 2, and with the support of MHA, HUD launched an investigation and ultimately decided to halt further planned claw backs.

Today, Congressman Ryan Zinke announced that he requested federal funding for 15 projects in Western Montana to improve infrastructure, economic development, and law enforcement capabilities. The requests were submitted to the House Appropriations Committee of which he is a member. The projects would benefit communities in the following counties: Beaverhead (2), Flathead, Gallatin, Lake (3), Lincoln (2), Missoula, Mineral (3), Powell, Ravalli (3), and Sanders (3).

(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.