Tester Discusses Increased Benefits For Veterans
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., announced during his media press call last week that he has worked to help the financial situation for veterans.
The senator noted that President Biden signed the bipartisan Veterans Cost-of-living-adjustment act last week. Tester added Montanans proudly serve in the Armed Forces at one of the highest rates in the nation.
“These veterans put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms and their families made sacrifices too. That’s why I worked with my Republican and Democratic colleagues to deliver a cost of living increase to millions of disabled veterans and survivors across the country including 30,000 in Montana,” Tester said. “At a time when folks are struggling with rising costs, from housing to groceries, this costof- living increase will help give our give our veterans much-needed peace of mind and make sure their VA benefits are keeping pace with a changing economy.”
He added, “I’m glad we were able to put politics aside to do the right thing for the men and women who served, and as Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I’ll always fight to make sure our veterans get the support that they need and have earned.”
Also during the conference call, Tester mentioned the progress made to bring internet access to as many Montanans as possible.
“This was one of my biggest priorities while negotiating the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and I’m proud to say we’ve made great strides,” Tester said. “For several years now, I’ve kept the pressure on the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC, to provide more accurate maps that show where internet service is and isn’t available, and the commission finally did it.”
Tester also helped to secured federal dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to get the fiber laid. The amount is almost $12 million to improve high-speed internet access and resiliency in Western Montana and more than $47 million for Roosevelt, Flathead, Philips, Sheridan and Valley counties through the infrastructure package.
Tester is working with Sen. Mike Rounds of North Dakota to prevent foreign adversaries like Russia, China, North Korea and Iran from buying up American farmland.
