Montana Delegation Disagrees Over Bills

Montana’s congressional delegation members were on oppose side of the fence when votes came regarding government funding and a vaccine mandate last week.

A group of Senate Republicans threatened to delay passage of the continuing budget resolution unless the Biden administration’s rule requiring businesses with 100 or more employees was eliminated.

A vote to prohibit the use of federal funds to implement or enforce COVID vaccine mandates failed by a 50-48 vote.

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said in a press release, “President Biden’s overreaching vaccine mandate will hurt Montana small businesses and force hardworking Montanans out of their jobs. The Senate had a chance to help kill the mandate, yet every Senate Democrat, including the senior senator from Montana, chose to stand with Biden and voted against it. I won’t stop fighting until Biden’s mandates are no longer a reality.”

Daines’ office claims that it’s estimated that about 130,000 Montanans will be impacted by Biden’s business mandate and could be forced out of their jobs.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., responded, “This vote was a cheap stunt that would have shut down the government - holding paychecks for our troops hostage and endangering our national security. Instead of negotiating in good faith, I’m disappointed some of my colleagues tried to score political points at the expense of Montana families.”

The Senate avoided a possible government shutdown by a 69-28 vote. Earlier, the House passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through Feb. 18, 2022, by a 221-212 vote.

U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., voted against the continuing appropriations act. Rosendale joined Representative Biggs to offer an amendment to H.R. 6119 to prevent vaccine mandates from going into effect, including the mandates on federal employees (including the military), federal contractors, businesses with 100 or more employees, and for health care workers. The Democrat- controlled House Committee on Rules did not allow this amendment to receive a vote on the House floor.

“I gave Montanans my word that I would not vote to fund a government that is imposing tyrannical COVID-19 vaccine mandates on tens of millions of Americans. I was proud to vote against the CR and will use every tool at my disposal to ensure that the freedom of Americans to make their own medical decisions is protected,” Rosendale said. “It is extremely disturbing that despite many instances of violence perpetrated by Afghan evacuees resettled in America, this bill would also provide billions of dollars to fund the additional evacuation and resettlement of unvetted Afghan nationals, with no vetting requirements or safeguards. This bill is an absolute disgrace and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to defeat it.”