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Montana's Congressional Representatives Back Trump's Budget Bill, Despite Misgivings

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Montana's two congressional representatives, Rep. Ryan Zinke and Rep. Troy Downing, are among a faction of Republicans backing President Donald Trump's sprawling budget bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, despite several reservations. The bill aims to reduce spending on various programs, including Medicaid, food assistance, and clean energy tax credits, as the country faces a federal budget deficit. However, the bill's components, such as the sale of public land and reduction in fossil fuel royalty rates, have raised concerns among some House GOP members and conservation groups.

Key Takeaways:

  • The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, backed by President Trump, aims to reduce spending on various programs, including Medicaid, food assistance, and clean energy tax credits, to offset the costs of continuing the Trump administration's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
  • The bill proposes to sell approximately 500,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in Utah and Nevada, which has been opposed by Rep. Ryan Zinke and Rep. Troy Downing.
  • The bill also includes changes to the National Environmental Policy Act, which would allow companies to pay for expedited review of environmental impact statements immune from legal challenges.
  • Rep. Zinke has expressed opposition to the sale of public lands, while Rep. Downing has stated his support for amendments to streamline permitting to unleash American energy.
  • The bill's provisions on Medicaid, including penalties for states who cover undocumented immigrants and restrictions on coverage for gender transition-related treatments, have been criticized by Democrats and Montana's state legislative Democrats.
  • Rep. Zinke has estimated that nearly 56,000 families in Montana's western congressional district could see a reduction to their child tax credits if the existing tax cuts were to expire, and that roughly 7,500 Montana farms would pay more in estate taxes when a family operation changes hands after a death.
  • The Congressional Budget Office estimates that cost savings measures in the budget bill would save the federal government $280 billion.
  • Roughly 13,000 Montana adults in Rep. Zinke's district are currently enrolled in Medicaid and could likely be subject to new work requirements, according to a March estimate from KFF.
  • Zinke has stated that the projected cuts to Medicaid would not take away benefits from "people who deserve benefits," but would instead target those who are "riding the system."
  • Montana's state legislative Democrats have urged the state's federal delegation to oppose the bill's proposed cuts to Medicaid for health care providers that offer abortion services.

Statistics:

  • The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a more than 1,000-page bill that aims to reduce spending on various programs to offset the costs of continuing the Trump administration's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
  • The bill proposes to sell approximately 500,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in Utah and Nevada.
  • The Congressional Budget Office estimates that cost savings measures in the budget bill would save the federal government $280 billion.
  • Roughly 56,000 families in Montana's western congressional district could see a reduction to their child tax credits if the existing tax cuts were to expire.
  • Roughly 7,500 Montana farms would pay more in estate taxes when a family operation changes hands after a death.
  • Montana has a federal oil and gas royalty rate of 12.5%, which would be reduced to 7% under the bill.
  • The federal government generated $8.4 billion in onshore revenues from oil and gas in fiscal year 2023, about half of which was distributed to states.

Sources:

  • https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/us/politics/trump-big-beautiful-bill.html
  • https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/20/trump-megabill-opposition-medicaid-00358394
  • https://www.newsnationnow.com/the-hill/the-hill-sunday/the-hill-sunday_transcripts/the-hill-transcript-may-18-2025/
  • https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/congressional-district-interactive-map-medicaid-enrollment-by-eligibility-group/
  • https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/uploads/filer_public/37/11/3711b96e-ffad-4489-a7a5-9fb4bb9879f7/20250520_planned_parenthood_support_letter_mt_house_senate_dems.pdf

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