Congress busy in last week before Memorial Day

The members of Montana's congressional delegation have been busy this week before going into a week-long recess for the Memorial Day holiday.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Steve Daines, R-Mont., reported that in a hearing Thursday, his bill opening up hydropower electricity generation on federal irrigation projects received bipartisan support, including in testimony by representatives of President Barack Obama's administration.

"In Montana, we say 'whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.' That's how important water is to our state," Daines said during the hearing. "With passage of my bill, we can...