Dear Marsha, Montana in August can be hot, but its a beautiful place to be. Im looking forward to spending the month visiting Montanans - and on my tractor. Before heading out of town, Congress this week passed a law to reform and strengthen the VA, getting more veterans access to the high-quality care they earned. We also extended the Highway bill through next spring, letting construction workers and engineers continue building and upgrading our roads and bridges. These are not victories to take lightly. But Congress could have done more. We should have passed a longer re-authorization of the Highway bill to give companies more certainty. We should have found common ground to reform our immigration system. The Senate passed a comprehensive immigration bill more than a year ago that would have strengthened border protections and added more officers to deal with the crisis currently affecting our southern border, all while saving taxpayer dollars. And we should have tackled tough, important issues like our budget, tax reform and our education system. In Washington, they say theres always ‘next year. But Montanans - like most Americans - are tired of kicking the can down the road. When you sent me to the Senate in 2006 and again in 2012, I said I would make Washington look more like Montana. Ive worked hard to live up to that challenge and get things done. I helped pass sweeping ethics and transparency laws, bulked up services for veterans, fought intrusive federal laws like REAL ID, and made it known that Montanans want Washington to pass a responsible budget that grows our economy and gets rid of debt and deficit. This August, Ill still be working. Ill be harvesting wheat and barley on my farm, and Ill be meeting Montanans on the road. Ill be talking about our public lands. Ill be meeting with veterans as part of my listening tour. And Ill be helping to dedicate the new Bullhook Clinic in Havre. Throughout these face-to-face visits with Montanans, my goal remains the same: getting good information to find solutions that improve our quality of life. I remain confident Washington lawmakers will figure it out. But we need more responsible leaders willing to reach across the aisle to move this nation forward. As you enjoy August, think about what kind of state and country we want to leave our kids and grandkids. As a father and grandfather whos going to be spending a lot of time travelling around our state and on the tractor this month, Ill be thinking about responsible solutions to these questions, too. We have a lot of work in front us of us, but together, Im confident we can make Montana and America all that they can be. Have a safe and enjoyable August, Senator Jon Tester
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 02:58:34 +0000
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