Daines Urges Colleagues to Confirm Katie Lane as Next Federal Judge for the District of Montana in Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing

• March 25, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Steve Daines today spoke at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing urging his colleagues to support Katie Lane's nomination to serve as the next Judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. Read his remarks as prepared for delivery below.

Watch Daines' remarks HERE.

Daines' remarks as prepared for delivery:

Thank you, Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Durbin,

It is my honor to introduce Katie Lane and support her nomination to serve as the next Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.

Katie's distinguished record of public service and experience in the federal and state judiciary makes her well-qualified to serve on the federal bench.

Katie grew up in Bozeman, attended K through 12 in Bozeman and graduated from my alma mater Bozeman High School.

She spent her summers during those formative years skiing, camping, and hiking in Montana, which instilled in her a deep love of the Treasure State and the values that make Montana the Last Best Place.

After graduating magna cum laude from George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School, Katie clerked at both the trial and appellate levels of the federal judiciary for two federal judges.

She returned to Montana to serve as Deputy Solicitor General under Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen from 2021 to 2023. During her time in Helena, Katie worked zealously to defend Montana's laws and challenge federal overreach.

She litigated cases in both state and federal courts on issues important to Montanans, including defending the Second Amendment, multiple land use and grazing rights cases, as well as defending Montana's coal industry.

Now, Katie serves as Senior Counsel at the Republican National Committee, managing litigation in state and federal courts nationwide.

As Montanans know well, federal judges play a critical role in our daily lives.

For many years, we have dealt with an activist judiciary that repeatedly rules against Montana's interests.

That's why it's essential we pick principled jurists who are committed to upholding the Constitution and making decisions based on the rule of law, not personal politics or viewpoints.

With this in mind, Senator Sheehy and I are confident that Katie is the right choice to serve Montana as our next federal judge.

Katie's values are rooted in Montana and grounded in the Constitution.

I am confident she will be fair-minded, principled, and bring honor, decency, and integrity to the bench.

I cannot recommend Katie highly enough and urge the committee to approve her nomination, and for the Senate to confirm her without delay.

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