Guest Opinion: The Doctor's Opinion

The Senator Tester campaign ran a full-page ad in our local newspaper on 9/4/24. The ad brazenly said that “Sheehy’s Plan Closes” our local hospital and that “49 Rural Montana Hospitals” will close if Tim Sheehy gets elected.

The lies about the “privatization” of VA medical benefits need to be exposed. Veterans are understandingly concerned about this issue. Tim Sheehy and his wife are combat veterans themselves, and they would never propose or support efforts to reduce veterans’ medical benefits. Sheehy is opposed to nationalizing our health care, which I agree with. It is obvious that keeping private, employer, Medicare, and Medicaid health insurance coverage is a good thing. Veterans should be able to get the care they need, regardless of the location. President Trump fought the VA bureaucracy and won the right to allow veterans to access the private sector when the VA could not provide timely and accessible treatments. When I was a “doctor in training” at the VA hospital in Fargo, for example, it was not uncommon for veterans to be sent to Salt Lake City for procedures that could have been done locally.

Even news sources aligned with the Democrat party have stated: “Militarily, one must admire Tim Sheehy – Naval Academy and Army Ranger School graduate, awarded the Bronze Star for valor and recipient of the Purple Heart as the result of a combat wound with service in Iraq and Afghanistan.” He retired from the Navy and moved to Montana in 2014. “It’s clear he served honorably and bravely,” the liberal journalist wrote.

Senator Tester claims to be an independent thinker who looks out for Montanans. It’s a matter of record that he voted 95% of the time supporting the Biden-Harris agenda, however. This includes many issues that Montanans do care about: energy policy, border security, degradation of our status with other countries, support for police officers, and policies that led to the highest inflation rate in 40 years. People should know the inflation reports do not count the costs of gasoline and food – even though the purchase of these necessities obviously impacts our cost of living.

Jon Tester has been in the Senate since 2007. The public should ask themselves: What kind of a person running for reelection, after serving 17 years in office, is trying to convince you to vote for him by telling blatant lies and “half-truths” about his political opponent? My wife and I went to a Tim Sheehy gathering at the Miles City Sales Livestock Ring in August. We were impressed with Sheehy’s demeanor, policies, and approachability. We think it is time for this Senate seat to align with traditional Montana conservative values.