Tester praises temporary spending bill

U.S. Sen Jon Tester praised on Wednesday a short-term spending bill passed by Congress that he said will avert a government shutdown and prevent cuts to federal programs rural America depends on.

"I understand if the government shuts down Montana loses," he said during a telephone press conference.

The $1.1 trillion stop-gap funding measure, passed both Houses of Congress and was signed into law by President Donald Trump last week, funds the government through September.

Tester said the legislation is "a responsible bill that reflects a bipartisan compromise."

The bill would also at least temporarily spare a range of programs from $54 billion in cuts proposed in Trump's 2018 budget, Tester added.

"The president's proposed budget called for devastating cuts to programs that benefit rural America. Congress worked together, Democrats and Republicans, to protect and bolster those important programs," Tester said.

He said the spending bill maintains funding for Pell grants, keeps funding for Indian Country at current levels and prevents staff reductions at Farm Service Agency offices.

Rural post offices will not be shuttered and mail delivery will continue six days a week, he said.

"Our post offices are incredibly important to our state, and we cannot let them go away because folks in D.C. think Baltimore is rural," Tester said.

Funding is protected for Amtrak's long-distance train services such as the Empire Builder, which runs from Chicago through Havre west to Seattle and Portland, Oregon, he said

Other agencies and programs which were to have budgets zeroed out will stay funded at least until October, Tester said.

The Economic Development Administration, which provides funding to promote economic growth often administered through nonprofits like Havre-based Bear Paw Development Corp., will continue to be funded. Trump's budget called for the elimination of the EDA's $221 million budget.

Tester said he will work to maintain funding for the EDA in the 2018 budget.

Essential Air Services, which subsidizes commercial flights to small airports, including daily flights between Billings and the Havre City-County Airport, will continue.

"The good news is it is funded, so it is protected until the end of September and then we've got to make a fight over the next five months to make sure there is enough money for it as we go into 2018," Tester said.

Payment in Lieu of Taxes, also known as PILT, a Department of the Interior program which provides funding to counties with federally owned, tax exempt land will continue.

Tester said each year lawmakers have to fight for PILT funding, which is used to pay for law enforcement, infrastructure and schools within those comunities.

The Department of Interior's website says in 2016 counties in Montana received $30,285,246 in PILT payments which include $857,895 in Blaine County; $367,164 for Chouteau County; $108,852 in Hill County and $78,237 in Liberty County.

He added that in the coming months lawmakers will have to work to craft a longer-term budget for 2018, and make Trump's proposal into something that can meet the needs of rural America.

"I was very concerned about it, and I still am by the way, but the fact that the omnibus that we passed last week did what it did, I think that is a good sign," Tester said.