Tester Pleased With Defense Act Funding

During a conference call with rural media members last week, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said he was pleased with the National Defense Authorization Act which was passed on Wednesday, Dec. 13.

Tester said the 5.2 percent pay raise for troops was the largest in two decades.

“This bipartisan bill will give our military some much needed certainty and allow them to plan for the future,” Tester said.

The bill also authorized $10.3 million for Malmstrom Air Force Base construction and land acquisition and also authorized $30 million for new fueling facilities for the Montana Air National Guard.

“It will give them stability and let them plan for the future,” Tester said. Tester also told reporters that he and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D.,are filing a Congressional Review Act to overturn President Biden’s decision to restart Paraguayan beef imports.

“Montana’s ranchers produce the best beef in the world, and until we can be absolutely certain that Paraguayan beef is held to the same standard – it shouldn’t be allowed in our supermarkets,” Tester said.

“I’ll always stand up for Montana’s ranchers, and I’m hopeful the Senate will vote on our bipartisan resolution in the coming weeks.”

The senator added, “We breed the best beef in the world, that’s not bragging, that’s fact.”

Tester noted that he has urged Senate Leadership to work in a bipartisan way to secure the border, combat the fentanyl crisis and work to fix the broken immigration system.

“If we want to stop dangerous cartels and criminals from trafficking drugs in to Montana, and want to get a better handle of our southern border – we need to ensure that U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol and other law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to keep us safe,” Tester said.