Tester: Hopes for quick action on Farm Bill

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said Thursday in a telephonic press conference that he hopes Congress will be able to get more done in 2014 than in the past year, including hopes it will pass a Farm Bill first thing.

He said he thinks the passing of the budget in a Senate vote Wednesday was a good sign that the legislative process will go more smoothly next year.

“This is a bipartisan deal,” Tester said. “It is a compromise. It is not perfect, but it is pretty darn good plan. …

“We’ve gotten a lot of work done in December,” he added. “Let’s hope it carries on.”

Tester said he expects quick action on a new Farm Bill once Congress goes back into session after the Christmas break.

He said the conference committee ironing out differences on the House and Senate versions of the Farm Bill was very close to resolving those differences before the House went into recess.

He said the Senate will not approve another extension of current spending on farm and nutrition programs because that makes it easier to delay passing a long-term bill, but he believes a long-term plan will be in place soon.

“I think we’ll have one very soon in January,” he said.

Tester said the next top issue for Congress will be raising the nation’s debt ceiling so it can continue to pay its bills.

He said not raising the limit doesn’t reduce the nation’s debt. It simply prevents the government from paying expenses it already has accrued, Tester said, adding that not doing so is “really playing with a loaded gun.”

Tester said the work on implementing the Affordable Care Act health care reform also is improving, including the online federal insurance exchange appearing to be repaired.

“It’s working pretty darn good,” he said, adding that people are starting to find benefits from the reform program, including one farm family that told him they will save $6,000 a year in premiums.

“For all the bad stories you hear, there’s some really good stories,” Tester said. “We’re getting some positive feedback.”

He noted that his Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, which mandates logging on 100,000 acres of U.S. Forest Service Land while creating wilderness and permanent recreation areas, passed out of committee Thursday after four years of work.

“That’s a huge step,” he said.

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Tester said he also expects education reform to be on the table next year, adding that he will continue to press for programs that will work for rural areas, rather than focusing on urban.

He has opposed both No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top because they do not apply well for rural areas like Montana, Tester said.

Tester said the budget bill still needs work — some parts, such as reductions to cost-of-living increases in military pensions, need to be revised before they go into effect. That can be done, he said, adding that the reversal of sequestration included in the bill prevents even greater damage to programs including in the military, and saves the nation $22 billion in deficit reduction.