July 2023
Friday, July 28
2:00 p.m.
Met with General Stovall in Missoula
3:15 p.m.
Met with Missoula County Sheriff Jeremiah Petersen
Thursday, July 27
8:20 a.m.
Phone Call with President Jeff Stiffarm Fort Belknap Indian Community
9:00 a.m.
Met with representatives from the American Legion Auxiliary Girls Nation and The American Legion Boys Nation: Chloe Madison Unger, Gallatin Gateway; Ella Avianna Norby, Sidney; Scott Charles Voigt, Bozeman; Rhenee Godiven Bandola, Judith Gap; and Leina Ulutoa, Counselor
9:30 a.m.
Met with leadership from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis: Neel Kashkari (President) and Jean Hinz (Assistant VP, Govt Relations)
10:00 a.m.
Attended Commerce Committee Executive Session
10:30 a.m.
Attended Appropriations Committee markup
11:30 a.m.
Senate floor session
12:15 a.m.
Statewide Press Call
12:45 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Association of Women’s Business Centers: Morgan Slemberger and Shayna Blaser, Montana; Christy Dauer; Laiken Aune; and Elizabeth Phares Oren
4:00 p.m.
Press interview
6:30 p.m.
Senate floor session
Wednesday, July 26
8:15 a.m.
Montana Constituent Coffee
9:00 a.m.
Met with representatives from Ability MT: Scott Birkenbuel, CEO, Bozeman; Sandie Dearman, Chief Program Officer, Helena; Kia Birkenbuel, Bozeman; Ingrid Hill, Chief Operating Officer, Power; Tami Hoar, Executive Director, Summit Independent Living Center, Missoula; Sherene Ricci, Board Member; and Kelly Lynch, Board Member, Executive Director, MT League of Cities and Towns
9:15 a.m.
Met with representatives from MT Kinship Navigator Program: Heidi Lester and Chandra Ortiz
9:30 a.m.
Met with Montana representatives from the National FFA Organization: Jake Chulyak (State President, Big Timber) and Summit Browning (1st Vice President, Livingston)
10:00 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved: Todd Gianarelli, CMO at Marias Healthcare Services Inc.; Kristi King, Family Nurse Practitioner at Community Health Partners; and Katie Tabaracci, PA for the Montana Primary Care Association
10:15 a.m.
Press interview
10:45 a.m.
Spoke at the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council Board and Coalition of Large Tribes (COLT) Meeting
11:00 a.m.
Member meeting on Implementation of infrastructure laws
12:00 p.m.
Spoke at the Congressional Summer Intern Lecture Series
12:15 p.m.
Senate floor session
12:30 p.m.
Met with Kumar-Giebel (Network Director, Mountain West, VISN 19), Arnold Tovar (Health Systems Specialist, VISN 19) and Thomas Garloch (Congressional Relations Officer, Department of Veterans’ Affairs)
12:45 p.m.
Attended Democratic Caucus meeting
2:00 p.m.
Press interview
2:25 p.m.
Met with interns from Senator Murkowski’s office
2:30 p.m.
Attended Indian Affairs Committee hearing
3:00 p.m.
Chaired Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing
5:00 p.m.
Hosted Mansfield Center 40th Anniversary Celebration
8:00 p.m.
Senate floor session
Tuesday, July 25
3:00 p.m.
Met with representatives from the American Physical Therapy Association: Brent Denisar-Green, Billings, and Sam Schmidt, Missoula
3:15 p.m.
Met with an intern from Senator Blackburn’s office
3:55 p.m.
Press interview
5:25 p.m.
Delivered floor speech
5:30 p.m.
Senate floor session
Monday, July 24
6:30 a.m.
Press interview
7:15 a.m.
Press interview
8:00 a.m.
Met with President Waded Cruzado and Tracy Ellig (Vice President for University Communications), Montana State University
9:45 a.m.
MSU Tech Hub Meeting: Joe Shaw, Director of Optical Technology Center (OpTeC); Mark Sharpe, Executive Director of Innovation Campus; Krishna Rupavatharam, Director of Spectrum Lab; Lee Spangler, Director of Energy Research Institute; Daniel Juliano, Director of Tech Transfer Office; Alan Deibert, Director of MilTech and Applied Research Lab; Brant Bailey, Associate Director, MilTech; Alison Harmon, VP for Research and Economic Development; Garret Smith, Reveal Tech; Brit Fontenot, City of Bozeman Economic Development; Jesse DiTommaso, City of Bozeman Economic Development; Jason Yager, President of Montana Photonics Industry Assn; Pete Roos, Mike Thorpe, Bridger Photonics; Zeb Barber, Aurora; Jackie Haines, Northern Rocky Mountain Economic Development District
11:45 p.m.
Press Interviews
1:00 p.m.
Toured Jewish Community Center with Rabbi Chaim Bruk in Bozeman
2:30 p.m.
Toured Livingston Food Resource Center with George Pierce, Executive Director
3:30 p.m.
Met with Matt Pierson, President of Producer Partnership, in Livingston
Thursday, July 20
7:15 a.m.
Met with Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough
9:35 a.m.
Press interview
10:00 a.m.
Met with representatives from Future Farmers of America: Stacy Dietz, Lilly Barker, James Malchow, Grace Mosher, Claire Murnin, Maya Niles and Brylinn Olstad, Shepherd; Jaylee Franke, Kylie Fontaine, Alaina Willhite and Miley Weston, Missoula; Echo Saunders, Gardiner; and Mikayla Kraft, Townsend
10:05 p.m.
Attended Banking Committee hearing
10:45 a.m.
Attended Appropriations Committee markup
12:00 p.m.
Senate floor session
2:30 p.m.
Phone call with Duane Gill, Acting VA Medical Center Director at Fort Harrison
Wednesday, July 19
8:00 a.m.
Met with Major General Pete Hronek (Adjutant General for the State of Montana)
8:15 a.m.
Montana Constituent Coffee
9:20 a.m.
Press interview
10:00 a.m.
Met with representatives from United Mine Workers of America
12:45 p.m.
Press Interview
1:15 p.m.
Democratic Caucus
2:30 p.m.
Attended Indian Affairs Committee Business Meeting
3:00 p.m.
Attended Indian Affairs Committee Legislative Hearing
3:15 p.m.
Senate floor session
4:45 p.m.
Phone call with President Jeff Stiffarm, Fort Belknap Indian Community
Tuesday, July 18
12:45 p.m.
Press interview
1:15 p.m.
Met with Jack Milroy (2023 Summer Page, Billings)
1:30 p.m.
Met with Justin Grohs (Great Falls Emergency Services) and Abigail Grohs
5:30 p.m.
Phone call with Department of Defense Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks
5:45 p.m.
Senate floor session
Thursday, July 13
8:30 a.m.
Met with Senators Chuck Grassley, Deb Fischer and Cindy Hyde-Smith
8:45 a.m.
Phone call with Dr. Shareef Elnahal, Under Secretary for Health, Department of Veterans Affairs
9:15 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Fort Belknap Indian Community: President Stiffarm, Councilman Brian Wing, Councilman Geno LeValdo, Tribal Recorder Jessica Stiffarm, Water Department Director Kristal Fox, Tribal Water Engineer Wold Mesghinna, Tribal Attorney Dan Belcourt, Attorney Joanne Curry, Attorney Rollie Wilson and Attorney Maurisa Bell
10:15 a.m.
Met with representatives from the St. Labre FFA Chapter (Ashland) / Northern Cheyenne Reservation: Marita Foote and Anthony Hernandez
10:45 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Commission on the National Defense Strategy: Rep. Jane Harman, Chair; Ambassador Eric Edelman, Vice Chair; GEN Jack Kean; Roger Zakheim; David Grannis, Executive Director; and Raphael Cohen
11:00 a.m.
Met with Jamie Cornish, James Schroeder, MSU; and Neil, James and Ellie Cornish
11:15 a.m.
Attended an Appropriations Committee markup
11:30 a.m.
Senate floor session
11:45 a.m.
Press interview
12:00 p.m.
Chaired Veterans’ Affairs Committee Business Meeting
12:15 p.m.
Attended meeting with Summer Interns
1:45 p.m.
Senate floor session
Wednesday, July 12
8:00 a.m.
Met with the Arthur Blank Foundation: Fay Twersky (President) and
Wendy Feliz (Managing Director, Democracy), and Blair Beasley
(Managing Director, Environment)
8:15 a.m.
Montana Constituent Coffee
9:15 a.m.
Press interview
9:30 a.m.
Met with GEN Langley (Commander, U.S. Africa Command)
10:00 a.m.
Attended Commerce Committee markup
11:00 a.m.
Met with the National Independent Venue Association: Sean Lynch, Meggan Gildehaus (Pub Station, Billings), & Ed Pagano
11:05 a.m.
Met with the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids: Kimberly Amazeen, Coco
& Kailayla Villaluz (Wolf Point)
11:30 a.m.
Senate floor session
12:30 p.m.
Met with MT School Superintendents: Laurie Barron (Evergreen), Rick
Duncan (Powell County), Brad Moore (Havre), Hannah Nieskens
(Whithall), Tobin Novasio (Lockwood), Dale Olinger (Lolo), Mike
Perry (Arlee), Rob Watson (Executive Director, School
Administrators of MT/former Superintendent, Missoula)
12:45 p.m.
Met with Democratic Committee Chairs
2:00 p.m.
Attended Banking Committee markup
2:15 p.m.
Met with the Boys & Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County
(Ronan): Jayleen Baca, Donna Diaz, Loren Olson, Kai-Cee Sorrell,
Tash Williams, Nasia Danielle & Yetta Robinson (DC)
2:30 p.m.
Attended Indian Affairs Committee hearing
3:00 p.m.
Chaired Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing
4:00 p.m.
Senate floor session
5:00 p.m.
Met with the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO): Rachel King
(CEO), Kate Callahan (Sr. Director of Federal Affairs)
5:15 p.m.
Met with Senator Collins
Tuesday, July 11
9:50 a.m.
Met with Madisyn Baughman (Missoula, representing Juvenile
Diabetes Research Fund)
10:00 a.m.
Attended Appropriations Committee hearing
11:30 a.m.
Senate floor session
12:45 p.m.
Met with Council for Exceptional Children and Council for
Administrators of Special Education: Sara Novak (Special Education
Director, Great Divide Education Services, Anaconda), Taylor Salmi
(Special Ed Director, Hot Springs) and Angela Murdoch (Special Ed
Teacher, Victor)
12:50 p.m.
Attended Democratic Caucus meeting
2:00 p.m.
Spoke at Montana Mining Association Annual Meeting
2:15 p.m.
Attended Banking Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development hearing
2:30 p.m.
Senate floor session
3:25 p.m.
Press interview
4:30 p.m.
Senate floor session
Monday, July 10
3:45 p.m.
Met with interns from Senator Cynthia Lummis’ office
3:50 p.m.
Met with an intern from Rep. Elisa Slotkin’s office
5:30 p.m.
Senate floor session
Sunday, July 9
11:45 a.m.
Met with McLaughlin Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences
Friday, July 7
7:50 a.m.
Press interview
8:45 a.m.
Attended a breakfast with City of Kalispell Chief of Police Jordan Venezio
9:45 a.m.
Met with Kalispell RoboScout Squad.
12:00 p.m.
Hosted Veterans Roundtable Discussion on the PACT Act
1:30 p.m.
Toured Glacier Range Rider Baseball Field with Owner Chris Kelly and Executive Vice President, Ayron Sequeira.
3:15 p.m.
Met with Columbia Falls Small Business Owners, Nick Lee (Glacier Distillery) Carla and Darin Fisher (Backslope Brewing) , Jake Chutz and Collin Hamman (Montana Fly Co.) and Ebon Robinson (Lary’s Fly Shop)
Thursday, July 6
9:00 a.m.
Toured Marias Healthcare Services in Shelby
11:00 a.m.
Gave remarks at the Chief Earl Old Person Highway Dedication Ceremony in Browning
1:00 p.m.
Phone call with Camille Calimlim Touton, Commissioner, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
3:30 p.m.
Met with ClassOne Technologies in Kalispell
4:30 p.m.
Met with Kalispell Fire Department
Tuesday, July 4
9:30 a.m.
Spoke to American Legion Auxiliary Boys and Girls State Joint Session in Helena