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As a farmer, I know firsthand that good things take time. Every year, I plant my fields with crops like wheat, barley, peas, and saffron, and in July, August, and September, I harvest those crops and reap what I’ve sown. Writing laws is much the same – and this fall, after a long spring and summer of working with Republicans and Democrats, Montana is set to reap urgently-needed upgrades to our crumbling infrastructure and strong economic growth across our state, thanks to my bipartisan infrastructure bill that was signed into law by the pre...
One year into this pandemic, Montanans are finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Our vaccines are safe and effective, COVID cases are falling thanks to the tireless efforts of our frontline health care workers, and Spring is on the horizon. But even with this good news, we still have work to do before we get through the worst public health and economic crisis in generations. Over the past year I’ve had hundreds of conversations with families, workers, doctors, educators, veterans, farmers, tribes, and small businesses f...
“I am a cancer survivor, as is my 22 year old son. It is frightening to think that both of us may be uninsurable in the future if this trend continues.” That is a portion of the letter I recently received from a Montanan named Karen. Karen wrote to me from Belgrade to express her anxiety about the U.S. Justice Department’s recent decision to stop defending a law that prevents health insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. These protections have been in place to help Montanans access health insur...
Community health centers, including Sidney Health Center here in Sidney, provide access to quality care to one in 10 Montanans. Community health centers are vital across rural America. That’s why, after Congress let them sit in limbo for more than 130 days, I rattled some cages back in Washington to finally secure much-needed funding and certainty for them. Last year, I held a series of listening sessions across our state. I heard time and again how much folks rely on these clinics, and appreciate the quality care they provide. Congress’ fou...
Where have the deficit-hawks flown to? Are their heads in the clouds? If you look at the tax plan that just passed the Senate, it’s clear they have flown away from Washington. Unfortunately, some folks in Congress turned their back on future generations and passed a so-called “tax reform bill” that sells off the futures of our kids and grandkids in exchange for tax giveaways to wealthy out-of-staters. These tax giveaways to the ultra-rich will saddle future generations of hardworking Montanans with crushing debt by adding nearly $1.5 trillion t...
When my wife Sharla and I sit down to do our budget each year we outline our priorities. Whether it’s spending more money on new equipment or spending a little less and fixing it up yourself—it’s a balancing act and you see what our priorities are. The same can be said of our government’s budget. Earlier this year, President Trump presented Congress an outline of his budget and at first glance I’m concerned about how his priorities impact the economic security of Montana and rural America. I applaud the President for strengthening our natio...
