Montana
Montana’s congressional delegation pushing back on plan to import Argentina beef
HELENA — When President Donald Trump announced a plan last week to import more beef from Argentina, it drew quick criticism from ranchers in Montana. Now, Montana’s members of Congress say they’re pushing the administration to change course.
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines told MTN he quickly began hearing from Montanans in the cattle business after reports came out about Trump’s plan.
“The word I would describe is they feel betrayed,” he said.
(Watch the video to hear more reaction from Montana’s congressional delegation.)
Montana’s congressional delegation pushing back on plan to import beef from Argentina
Daines said Montana beef producers have already been under pressure from drought and market forces. He said this step was “an unforced error” by the administration.
All four members of Montana’s congressional delegation are Republicans. They all say the Republican president’s plan was the wrong direction and that they’ve made that case when speaking with administration leaders.
U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, who represents Montana’s western congressional district, says he understands why Trump wanted to tackle high beef prices, but that this wasn’t the right way for him to do it.
“Having a healthy cattle industry, having a healthy poultry industry and having a healthy supply chain for food is really national security,” he told MTN. “So he understands that, and I think we’re going to see some action in making sure or calming a lot of the fears from the cattlemen out there.”
Earlier this year, Daines visited Argentina and met with its conservative president, Javier Milei, during a South American tour advocating for Trump’s trade policies. He said his opinions on the country and its government don’t play any role in his feelings on this proposed deal.
“I don’t care if this is Argentinian beef or beef coming from anywhere else in the world,” he said. “The answer for what’s going on right now in the markets is not to import more beef – bottom line. It doesn’t matter where it comes from; it happens to be Argentina.”
Daines said it would be better for Montana’s cattle industry for the U.S. to focus on opening export markets rather than import markets. In 2017, Daines celebrated an agreement that led to China buying millions of dollars in Montana beef – but he said Thursday that the country has shut the doors to American beef during the ongoing trade dispute with the Trump administration.
“We were shipping over $1 billion a year in beef last year, and now it’s gone to zero,” he said.
In a statement to MTN, Sen. Tim Sheehy said he’s been talking with Trump and his team, looking for a path forward.
“Empowering hardworking ranchers who feed America and lowering prices for American families at the grocery store are not mutually exclusive,” he said. “Both can be accomplished by lowering input costs and providing a reliable, pro-growth environment for producers so ranchers can grow their operation, capture more of the value they create, and feed the nation with affordable, healthy, high-quality beef.”
Zinke and Daines say they also see areas where the federal government can make moves that will benefit both Montana ranchers and Montana consumers. Daines wants Congress to do more to tackle the huge market share four large packing companies have in the beef industry – a situation he calls a “monopoly.”
“Our ranchers don’t set the price; that price is set for them,” he said.
Zinke wants to put additional emphasis on country-of-origin labeling for beef.
“In Montana, we have a brand and that brand has value,” he said. “When it’s made in Montana, you know it’s at the top, the quality is there. And our ranchers sell premium product – that’s important.”
Daines said he supports country-of-origin labeling also, though he wants to make sure any additional steps the U.S. takes doesn’t lead to unintended consequences or retribution from countries like Canada.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 13, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 13 drawing
03-13-44-50-53, Powerball: 02, Power Play: 4
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from June 13 drawing
06-13-31-35-48, Star Ball: 07, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from June 13 drawing
05-11-14-31, Bonus: 03
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from June 13 drawing
24-55-56-57-67, Powerball: 15
Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Montana Cash numbers from June 13 drawing
08-28-40-43-44
Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 13 drawing
03-05-11-13-49, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
LAUREL — Firefighters gathered shoulder-to-shoulder in Laurel to honor Ruben Romero.
Romero was a wildland firefighter from Oregon who died of a heart attack while fighting the Bivens Fire in the Tobacco Root Mountains.
The solemn ceremony took place at the Montana State Firefighters Memorial, where Romero’s name was added to a wall that now carries nearly 100 names.
Watch the full story below:
Montana State Firefighters Memorial honor fallen firefighters at ceremony
Jamie Swecker, board chair of the Montana State Firefighters Memorial, said every name on that wall represents more than the fallen — it represents the families left behind.
“Honoring their sacrifice, not only their sacrifices, we have almost 100 names on the wall and the families. Their sacrifices that they’ve gone through after they’ve lost their love to a fire,” Swecker said Saturday.
Swecker said even one name added is too many.
“One of these years we’re hoping that we have none to add,” Swecker said.
The ceremony drew people from across the state, including Missoula Fire Chief Lonnie Rash, who said the fire service does not let distance stand in the way of honoring its own.
“As the brotherhood, the sisterhood, the fire service, regardless, when one of our own is deceased, we drop everything and try to make sure that they, their family are comforted and that we can recognize the sacrifice that they made,” Rash said.
Rash said the ceremony also serves as a reminder to every firefighter still serving.
“The importance is to remind everybody else who continues to serve that there is a dangerous job, that they need to pay attention and make sure that they’re safe, that they’re taking care of their physical and their mental well-being so that they’re able to go out and help our community,” Rash said.
Romero was not from Montana. He was a contract firefighter from Keizer, Oregon.
Rash said that does not matter to the fire service.
“That it shows the resilience of firefighters across the nation that we’re all doing the same job. We’re doing the same (thing), have the same impacts. Regardless of where we’re from, we recognize the importance of the sacrifice that Ruben made here in Montana,” Rash said.
KALISPELL, Mont. — The state’s top young rodeo athletes gathered in Kalispell this week for the Montana High School Rodeo Association Finals.
“There’s kids from all over the state coming and competing together and it’s just so fun to have such great competition, such a great organization, and to be able to run like this is super fun,” said rider Mackenzie Martell from Three Forks.
The MHSRA has over ten events including bareback riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, breakaway roping, tie down roping, and more.
The competition is drawn out over a week and there is a first go-round and second go-round of performances.
Five riders competed in the second go-round of bareback riding, and Wylee Berglund came out on top with a score of 68.5, staying aboard a bucking horse with nothing but a rigging to hold onto.
Next up was barrel racing which is the most competitive event in the competition with 58 total riders.
The rider taking first place for barrels was Brooklyn Russel from Helena, who set the record time of 15.61 seconds.
Steer wrestling’s Burke Nowak set a record time of 5.72 seconds in his second go-round.
The state competition goes until Saturday with the championship round at 1 p.m. and the year-end awards presentation at 5 p.m.
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