March 2023
Friday, March 24
8:30 a.m.
Attended Ray Lutz Medals presentation
9:00 a.m.
Spoke at the Montana Rural Water Systems Association 43rd Technical Conference
1:15 p.m.
Hosted Law Enforcement Roundtable
2:00 p.m.
Press interview
3:00 p.m.
Met with City of Three Forks leadership
Thursday, March 23
9:00 a.m.
Met with National Association of Housing and Redevelopment officials: David Fink, Commissioner, Great Falls Housing Authority/CD Department; Jim McGrath, Director of HUD Programs, Missoula Housing Authority; Teddi Shorten, Chief Occupancy Director, HomeFront, Billings; Greg Sukut, Executive Director, Great Falls Housing Authority/CD Department, Helen Verhasselt, CFO, HomeFront, Billings; and Patti Webster, CEO/Executive Director, HomeFront, Billings
9:30 a.m.
Press interview
10:00 a.m.
Attended Commerce Committee hearing
11:00 a.m.
Senate floor session
12:15 p.m.
Press interview
12:45 p.m.
Attended DPCC meeting
1:00 p.m.
Met with Mike Pattillo, VP of Sales, Lattice Materials, Bozeman
1:45 p.m.
Senate floor session
4:00 p.m.
Phone Call with Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, CMS
Thursday, March 23
8:15 a.m.
Montana Coffee
9:00 a.m.
Met with representatives from Montana TRIO: Adam Maes, Montana Tech; Amy Verlanic, Montana Tech; Cory Chenoweth, Montana Tech; Theresa Rader, Montana Tech; Laura Gittings-Carlson, MSU Billings; Dr. Dan Benge, University of Montana; Jeannanne Oribo, Montana Office of the Commissioner of Higher Ed; Kathie Maiers, Salish Kootenai College; and Kelsey Anderson, Helena College
9:15 a.m.
Met with representatives from Joby Aviation: Paul Sciarra, Executive Chairman; Adrienne Schweer, Policy & Government Affairs lead, Defense; and Maggie Hayes, Chief of Staff
9:30 a.m.
Met with David Yarlott, President, Little Big Horn College; Carrie Billy, President, American Indian Higher Education Consortium; and Robyn Hiestand, VP, Bose Public Affairs
10:00 a.m.
Met with Students from White Sulphur Springs High School and Broadwater High School
10:00 a.m.
Attended Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies hearing
10:00 a.m.
Attended Commerce Committee executive session
10:15 a.m.
Attended Commerce Committee hearing
12:00 p.m.
Gave remarks at the Finseca Call To Action Capitol Hill Day
12:20 p.m.
Senate floor session
12:30 p.m.
Met with Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, Chief of Naval Operations ADM Mike Gilday, and Commandant of the MarineCorps GEN David Berger
12:45 p.m.
Attended Democratic Caucus meeting
3:00 p.m.
Chaired Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing
4:00 p.m.
Attended Banking Committee virtual member briefing with the FDIC, Federal Reserve, and Treasury
5:00 p.m.
Met with GEN Wilsbach, Commander, Pacific Air Forces, INDOPACOM and Senator Collins
5:50 p.m.
Senate floor session
Tuesday, March 21
1:30 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Oregon Bankers Association: Gordon Zimmerman, Jenny Bennet, Boyd Elkins, Linda Navarro, Joan Reukauf, Jeffrey Sumpter, and Catherine Weissert
2:00 p.m.
Press interview
2:40 p.m.
Press interview
3:00 p.m.
Phone call with Randy Chesler, President & CEO, Glacier Bancorp
3:30 p.m.
Met with Constituents from Fort Benton: Cali O’Hara, Trevor O’Hara, Taylor Ball and Morgan Axtman
3:45 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Alzeheimer’s Association: Kimberly H. Bauer, Bozeman; Julie Bushmaker, Whitehall; Jami Funyak, Billings; Claire Marshall, Helena; Twanria McKizzie, Bozeman; and Sue Warren, Great Falls
4:30 p.m.
Attended United Postmasters and Managers of America Congressional Reception
5:00 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Montana Bankers Association: Cary Hegreberg, President & CEO, Helena; Bill Bickle, Stockman Bank, Miles City; Mike Seppala, Western Security Bank, Billings; and K.C. Hickok, Bank of Bridger
5:30 p.m.
Senate floor session
Thursday, March 16
8:30 a.m.
Met with Tory Bruno, CEO, United Launch Alliance
9:00 a.m.
Met with students from Chinook High School
10:00 a.m.
Attended Commerce Committee hearing
10:10 a.m.
Attended Banking Committee hearing
11:30 a.m.
Senate floor session
11:40 a.m.
Phone call with Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks
1:45 p.m.
Senate floor session
Wednesday, March 15
8:15 a.m.
Attended Montana Coffee
9:00 a.m.
Gave remarks at the Air Force Caucus “Quality of Life” Roundtable
9:30 a.m.
Phone call with Amy Gowder, President & CEO, GE Aviation Military Systems
10:00 a.m.
Met with students from Huntley Project High School, Ballantine and C.M. Russell High School, Great Falls
11:15 a.m.
Press interview
11:30 a.m.
Met with General Langley, Commander, AFRICOM and Senator Collins
11:45 a.m.
Senate floor session
12:30 p.m.
Met with COL Lance Whitfill, Deputy Director, Air Force Congressional Budget and Appropriations Liasion
12:45 p.m.
Attended Democratic Caucus meeting
2:15 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Mid-West Electric Consumers Association: Russ Bloom, Sun River Electric; Doug Hardy, Central Montana Electric PowerCo-op; Jeremy Mahowald, Upper Missouri Power Cooperative; and Patti Murphy, McCone Electric Cooperative
2:25 p.m.
Senate floor session
2:30 p.m.
Met virtually with Molly Stockdale, Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance
3:30 p.m.
Chaired Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing
5:15 p.m.
Senate floor session
Tuesday, March 14
1:30 p.m.
Met with Ted Colbert, President and CEO, Boeing
2:00 p.m.
Met with Seth Lederman, CEO, Tonix Pharmaceuticals
3:30 p.m.
Met with constitutents from Bozeman: Hillary Carls, Tom Carls, and Quinn Carls
3:45 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Physician Assistant Education Association: Maria Michelotti, Butte and Amy Ackerman
4:00 p.m.
Met with representatives from Indian Impacted Schools of Montana from Lame Deer, Hardin, Rocky Boy, Harlem, Poplar, Brockton, Browning and Arlee
4:15 p.m.
Met with Montana Agricultural Leaders: Dale Schuler, Carter; Dr. Sreekala Bajwa, Montana State University (MSU) VP of Agriculture; Dr. Cody Stone, MSU Director of Extension; and Janelle Booth, MSU Director of Government Affairs
5:00 p.m.
Met with Brian Bird, President & CEO, Northwestern Energy
5:15 p.m.
Met with Dennis Vermillion, CEO, Avista; Collins Sprague, Director of Government Affairs; Jason Thackston, Senior VP; and Heather Rosentrater, Senior VP
5:30 p.m.
Senate floor session
Sunday, March 12
5:00 p.m.
Attended Senators-only Zoom meeting with Treasury Department
Friday, March 10
9:00 a.m.
Met with Daily Inter Lake Editorial Board
10:00 a.m.
Hosted Cutting Prescription Drug Costs press event
10:30 a.m.
Press interview
11:00 a.m.
Met with Flathead Beacon
2:30 p.m.
Phone Call with Department of Defense Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks
3:00 p.m.
Phone Call with Oracle representative Mike Sicilia
Thursday, March 9
9:00 a.m.
Met with constituents from Bozeman: Chris Kellner, Marine Corps veteran and former CIA consultant, Emma Kellner, Cordelia Kellner, and Henrik Kellner
9:15 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Montana Primary Care Association: Cindy Stergar, CEO; Stacey Anderson, Policy Director; Breann Streck, Anna Smith, Olivia Riutta; Maria Clemons, Executive Director, NW Community Health Center; Colette Mild, CFO, One Health; Lara Salazar, CEO, Partnership Health Center; Kathleen Walters, Board Vice Chair, Partnership Health Center; Dr. James Quirk, CMO, Partnership Health Center; Bryan Chalmers, CFO, Partnership Health Center; Jonathan Forte, President & CEO, Riverstone Health Clinic; Megan Littlefield, CMO; Riverstone Health Clinic; John Felton, Health Officer, Riverstone Health Clinic
9:35 a.m.
Press interview
10:15 a.m.
Press interview
11:15 a.m.
Met with Jesse Mullen, Mullen Newspapers Company
11:30 a.m.
Senate floor session
11:30 a.m.
Met with Tracy Cook, Lead Statewide Consulting Librarian at the Montana State Library
11:45 a.m.
Met with Katie Whitmoyer, Wood’s Powr-Grip, Laurel and Paddy Fleming, MT Manufacturing Extension Center
1:45 p.m.
Senate floor session
Wednesday, March 8
8:00 a.m.
Attended Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Celebration of International Women’s Day
8:15 a.m.
Phone Call with Danny Werfel, nominee to be Commissioner of the IRS
8:15 a.m.
Attended Montana Coffee
9:00 a.m.
Met with representatives for the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons: Dr. Paul Sims, Butte; Dr. Daniel Whitney and Ellinor Whitney, Great Falls; and Dr. Devan Munk, DC
9:15 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Northern Cheyenne Tribe Housing Authority: Norma Gourneau, Councilwoman; Debra Charette, Councilwoman; Troy Killsontop Sr., Vice Chairman; Reginald Killsnight Jr., Chairman; and Joseph Littlebird, Member
9:20 a.m.
Press interview
10:00 a.m.
Attended Commerce Committee hearing
10:00 a.m.
Chaired Joint Senate/House Veterans’ Affairs Committee VSO hearing
10:45 a.m.
Senate floor session
12:30 p.m.
Met with representatives from the TriWest Healthcare Alliance
12:45 p.m.
Attended Chairs Lunch
2:30 p.m.
Attended Banking Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation and Community Development hearing
2:30 p.m.
Attended Indian Affairs Committee Oversight hearing
3:00 p.m.
Met with students from REAL Montana (Resource Education and Agriculture Leadership program at Montana State University)
3:30 p.m.
Met with Brian Schimpf, CEO, Anduril; Megan Milam, Head of Government Relations
3:45 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Tourette Association of America – Tristin Kelley, TAA 2023 Montana Youth Ambassador, Great Falls; Stacey Kelley, Parent, Great Falls; Noah Oakes, TAA 2023 Montana Youth Ambassador, Roundup; and Jason Oakes, Parent, Roundup
4:00 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Montana League of Conservation Voters including Whitney Tawney, Executive Director; and Jocelyn Leroux, Program Director
4:15 p.m.
Met with representatives from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society: Dawn Sexton, Great Falls; Doug Toelle, Alaska; Mary Janis, Alaska; and Seth Greiner, Senior Manager Advocacy, MS Society, Seattle
4:30 p.m.
Press interview
5:00 p.m.
Attended U.S. Senate Youth Program Reception
6:15 p.m.
Senate floor session
Tuesday, March 7
9:00 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Montana Professional Fire Fighters: George Richards, President; Scott DeMarois; Greg Orr; and Lori Johnson
9:15 a.m.
Met with Dr. Nicole Clark, American Academy of Neurology, Helena
9:30 a.m.
Met with representatives from Montanans for Healthy Rivers Coalition: Eric Ladd, owner of Outlaw Partners Publication and Ladd Real Estate Group, Big Sky; KynsLee Scott, outfitter and flyfishing guide, KS Guide Service; Charles Wolf Drimal, Greater Yellowstone Coalition; Scott Bosse, American Rivers; Kevin Colburn, American Whitewater; Kristin Gardiner, Gallatin River Task Force; and Zack Waterman, American Rivers
9:45 a.m.
Met with representatives from the Montana Dental Association: Dr. Ron Davis, current MDA President, Kalispell; Dr. Kevin Miltko, former MDA President, Missoula; Dr. Doug Hadnot, former MDA President and Sue Hadnot, Lolo; and Webb Scott Brown, Executive Director
10:00 a.m.
Attended Banking Committee hearing
10:00 a.m.
Attended Defense Subcommittee briefing
11:30 a.m.
Senate floor session
12:15 p.m.
Received award from the Wounded Warrior Project and met with LTG Mike Linnington, CEO; Jennifer Silva, Chief Program Officer; and Jose Ramos, VP, Government and Community Relations
12:30 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Wounded Warrior Project: Tina Waggener, Army vet, Troy; Anton Johnson, Army vet, Missoula; Jerry Johnson, Air Force vet, Minot, ND; Connie Johnson, Army vet, Brandt, SD; Adam Long, Navy vet, Sioux Falls, SD; and Coleman Brooks, WWP
12:45 p.m.
Attended Democratic Caucus meeting
2:15 p.m.
Senate floor session
3:00 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Montana School Nutrition Association: Tammy Wham and Dave Thomas
3:00 p.m.
Met with Veterans of Foreign Wars: Joe Fletcher, Jack Hawley, Jeff Schiep, Fred Hamilton, and Tim Peters
3:30 p.m.
Press interview
4:00 p.m.
Met with representatives from Mystery Ranch: Alex Kutches, President and Celes Eckerman, Managing Director, Atlantic Strategies Group
4:15 p.m.
Met with representatives from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Dr.CH “Tersh” McCracken III, Billings; Dr. Leah Miller, Missoula; and Dr. Timothy Mitchell, Missoula
4:30 p.m.
Met with GEN Anthony Cotton, Commander, USSTRATCOM and Senator Collins
4:45 p.m.
Senate floor session
5:00 p.m.
Met with General Dickinson, Commander, US Space Command
5:30 p.m.
Met virtually with representatives from Friends of Traditional Banking
Monday, March 6
5:30 p.m.
Senate floor session
Saturday, March 4
1:00 p.m.
Attended Workers Are Watching Rally
Thursday, March 2
9:00 a.m.
Met with representatives from Aurigo Software Technologies Ltd.: Mike Tooley, Senior Director of Industry Strategy; Balaji Sreenivasan, CEO; Josh Moriarty, and Jen Cochan, former Delaware Transportation Secretary
10:00 a.m.
Met with representatives Crow Tribe: Chairman Frank Whiteclay Andrew Treble, consultant and Majel Russell, legal counsel
10:30 a.m.
Phone call with Jerome Powell, Chair of the Federal Reserve
11:55 a.m.
Senate floor session
12:40 p.m.
Phone call with Paralyzed Veterans of America: David Zurfluh, Matthew Mickunas, Tracy Reddick, Victor Tran, Robert Clinton and Mary Fowler
12:45 p.m.
Attended Special Democratic Caucus meeting with President Biden
1:45 p.m.
Senate floor session
Wednesday, March 1
8:15 a.m.
Attended Montana Coffee
9:00 a.m.
Met with representatives from Montana PBS: Dax Schieffer, Former Chair of Friends of Montana PBS board, Helena; Pat Doyle, Member of Friends of Montana PBS; Ray Ekness, Director, Broadcast Media Center, University of Montana; and Aaron Pruitt, Director and General Manager, KUSM-TV/Montana PBS – MSU Bozeman
9:15 a.m.
Press interview
9:45 a.m.
Met with the American Legion: Scott Miller, Montana Department Vice Commander; Christine Nelson, Montana American Legion Auxiliary Legislative Chair; and Roger Hagan, Vice Chair of the National Legislative Commission
10:00 a.m.
Attended Commerce Committee Nominations hearing
10:00 a.m.
Chaired second Joint Senate/House Veterans’ Affairs Committee VSO hearing
11:30 a.m.
Senate floor session
1:30 p.m.
Met with the MT Broadcasters Association: Dewey Bruce, President/CEO; Tamy Wagner, NBC Montana; Ron Davis, Butte Broadcasters; Keith Teske, Cowles Media Montana; Cam Maxwell, Desert Mountain Radio; and Quentin Turner, Manager, State, International & Board Relations
1:45 p.m.
Met with representatives from the Vietnam Veterans of America: Jack McManus, National President and Chuck Renevier, Vietnam Veteran from Montana
2:00 p.m.
Met with Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence
2:15 p.m.
Senate floor session
3:15 p.m.
Met with representatives from Montana’s Credit Unions
3:30 p.m.
Met with representatives from Bonneville Power Administration: John Hairston, Administrator & CEO and Sonya Baskerville, Manager, DC Office of National Relations
4:00 p.m.
Met with representatives from American Rivers: Scott Bosse, Bozeman; Gia Randono, Missoula; Sascha Douglass, Big Sky; and Darren Calhoun, Crowheart, WY
4:15 p.m.
Senate floor session