Daines on Senate Floor: Today We Are Unleashing Montana Energy

• October 8, 2025

Removing Biden's Anti-Coal Rule is "Righting A Wrong"

U.S. SENATE - U.S. Senator Steve Daines today delivered a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate ahead of the final vote on his legislation to remove Joe Biden's anti-coal Miles City Resource Management Plan Amendment.

Watch Daines' remarks HERE.

Read Daines' remarks as prepared for delivery below.

Mr/Mdm. President, in the final days of President Biden's Administration he quickly and quietly issued a rule that had massive impacts on Montana's economy.

Biden's BLM issued an amendment to the Miles City Resource Management Plan that prohibited all new coal development in Eastern Montana.

This means the BLM prohibited all new coal leasing in the Powder River Basin - the home of the nation's LARGEST coal reserves.

They did this despite strong opposition from the local counties, local elected officials, the Montana congressional delegation and the Governor.

In fact, Governor Gianforte specifically requested the BLM Director withdraw the proposed amendment during the BLM's official "Governor's Consistency Review" and Biden's BLM ignored him.

And when the Governor submitted an official appeal to Biden's BLM Director, he was rebuffed.

This lack of respect for Montana's local and state-wide elected officials cannot be ignored.

Let's be clear what this Resource Management Plan Amendment is and what we are doing today with the Congressional Review Act.

The RMPA is an attack on Montana jobs, an attack on Montana communities, an attack on Montana's energy production and an attack on Montana's economy.

Today's resolution to officially roll back Biden's war on Montana coal does NOT affect the underlying Resource Management Plan.

Today we are disapproving Biden's ill-conceived amendment, and nothing else.

The CRA does NOT prohibit the BLM from issuing a new amendment.

The CRA simply prohibits the new administration from issuing a substantially similar coal amendment, and in this case that means they can't permanently prohibit new coal development.

Today you may hear from the other side of the aisle that the sky is falling.

That's not true.

Today we are righting a wrong.

A midnight Biden rule that was issued without the support from the State.

Taking this action today will lead to more Montana jobs, more Montana energy, and stronger communities in Eastern Montana.

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Contact: Matt Lloyd, Gabby Wiggins