HELENA — U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, a member of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, has been named as the top Republican on the panel’s Subcommittee on Health Care.
Daines, who was re-elected last year, said this week the appointment will help him address many health issues facing Montana, such as the cost of prescription drugs, methamphetamine addiction in the state and health-care needs in rural areas.
The Health Care Subcommittee is one of six within the full committee. Daines is one of 20 members on the panel, which is split evenly between Democrats and Republicans in the current congress.
The chair of the committee is Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
The Senate Finance Committee has jurisdiction over taxes and finance, but also oversees huge health-care programs within the federal budget, such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
