Tester: 'Rays of hope' for more productive Congress

Montana’s senior U.S. Senator said the gridlock in Washington seems to be lessening after a fight that shut the federal government down and nearly stopped an increase in the U.S. debt limit last fall.

Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, was the keynote speaker at the Bear Paw Development Corp. 45th annual meeting Friday, and said he would continue to fight in Washington to fund programs Bear Paw uses to tap into economic potential in north-central Montana.

“But getting folks together to make common-sense decisions in Washington isn’t as easy as it should be. Too many folks in Washington choose to play politics instead of focusing on common-sense legislation that benefits the American people,” Tester said. “There are some rays of hope, however.”

Tester cited the spending bill Congress passed in January and the finally passed five-year Farm Bill, delayed for nearly two years, as evidence the nation’s legislative body is now working together in a bipartisan fashion.

Why, Tester asked, after a government shutdown in November, was the dug-in opposition overwhelmed?

“Well, first, and most importantly, folks are tired of the constant gridlock and the inability to compromise, and folks let us know about that,” he said, to applause from the audience. “From Montana to Maine to Mississippi, folks said, ‘enough is enough.’”

“And secondly, this bill also makes tough choices,” Tester said, “on how to invest in our future and how to strengthen our economy while also letting us get our fiscal house in order.”

The leadership of Congress helped pass a bill that continues to invest in priorities like education, health care, research and development, defense and jobs, while reducing or eliminating funds for dozens of programs “that have been on autopilot for two years of continuing resolutions,” he said.

That same logic helped pass a Farm Bill that provides an agricultural safety net and helps people who need assistance in buying food while saving the taxpayers $23 billion, he said.

“But there is more to do on that front, we all know that,” Tester said. “And the Montana way is to work with anybody who is willing to work with us and that’s exactly what we are going to do. Regardless of Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, we’re going to continue to find ways to grow our economy while addressing our deficit situation.

“Because, even though there continues to be naysayers who vote no on everything, just as there was in 1998, the fact is these folks are on the fringe,” Tester added. “And there are actually a majority of folks in Congress, and I will repeat that, there are actually a majority of folks in Congress, who are committed to governing responsibly and committed to giving more certainty for local business owners and leaders like you.”