Representative Ryan Zinke

Memorial Day calls us to come together and remember the brave Americans who gave everything in defense of our nation. Their sacrifice secured the freedoms we cherish and shaped the country we are blessed to call home. May God bless our fallen heroes and the families who mourn them.

Congratulations to Brian Gootkin on his confirmation as U.S. Marshal for Montana. Brian has spent decades serving Montana with integrity and dedication in law enforcement, and I know he will continue that service with distinction in this new role. I look forward to working with him to keep Montana safe.

In honor of National EMS Week, I want to highlight the bipartisan Air Medical Caucus, which I co-launched this March with . The caucus will support air medical providers in Montana and across the nation by bridging the gap between remote communities and critical medical care. These crews save lives, and Congress needs to have their back.

Wednesday mornings are for Montana Coffee. The whole delegation shows up, and so can you, as Montana Coffee is open to every Montanan visiting the nation's capital. Contact my office to RSVP. We would love to have you!

When every second counts, Montana’s EMS providers answer the call. Across our state, they travel long distances and tough terrain to deliver lifesaving care. Thank you to the Treasure State first responders who keep our communities safe.

Today is Peace Officers Memorial Day, and we have had many heroes who have given their lives in the line of duty in Montana. If you are near Deer Lodge or Kalispell this afternoon, stop by a Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremony to pay your respects to Montana's fallen law enforcement officers. The Old Montana Prison Museum will host a ceremony at noon, and the Flathead County Fairgrounds Expo Building will host a ceremony at 1 PM.

Conservation easements are a great tool when used correctly and this is a perfect example. Almost $3 million of these funds will go to tripling the size of Herron Park in Kalispell, creating connectivity with the popular Foy’s to Blacktail Trail and keeping it accessible as the Flathead population grows. It will also support forestry in the area, limiting wildfire risk and supporting the local logging economies. It’s a win, win, win, and a great example of multi-use management of our public lands coming from the USDA.

I always enjoy speaking with my friends at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. Today, we discussed my two wildlife crossing bills and what they could do to protect big game and drivers across Montana and the U.S. I appreciate their continued support for these pieces of legislation and of sportsmen.

Last week, two grizzly bear attacks claimed the life of a hiker in Glacier National Park and seriously injured two others in Yellowstone National Park. These tragedies are a sobering reminder that grizzly bear populations have recovered well beyond sustainable levels, and it is past time for the federal government to delist them and give states the management tools they need to protect both people and wildlife. Delist the grizzly.

It’s Wednesday in Washington, which means Montana Coffee is on with our full delegation. All Montanans are welcome, so next time you’re in D.C., contact my office to RSVP and come by for a cup.