by Scott Weaver, Hamilton
Those paying attention to Montana’s congressional delegation likely know Rep. Rosendale voted Mar. 2 against HRes 956 – Supporting the people of Ukraine & urging a cease fire from Russia’s invasion. He was one of very few extreme fringe votes (the resolution passed congress 426 to 3 – Rosendale w/Gosar & Massey).
The next day he voted against HR 3967 – Honoring our PACT Act of 2021, which addresses health matters related to as many as 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic substances (airborne hazards, burn pits, etc.) during military service (it passed 256 to 174).
Other recent highlights are a ‘yea’ vote for H.R. 6968 – Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act, an overwhelming passage (support except from other most extreme 413 to 9); and a ‘yea’ for HR 7108 Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act (passing 420 to 3 – those 3 being other consistent extreme fringe Gaetz, Greene & Massey.)
But more recently, Apr. 5, he was a ‘nay’ on H.R. 5689 – Resilient AMERICA Act addressing U.S. disaster resilience & expanding hazard mitigation (passed 383 – 41); and a ‘nay’ against HR5641 – SPEED Recovery Act which increases what qualifies as disaster “small recovery projects” to proceed under simplified procedures (passed 414 – 11).
On same day he was again a ‘nay’ on HRes 831 – Calling on the US Government to uphold the founding democratic principles of NATO and establish a Center for Democratic Resilience within the headquarters of NATO. It was a non-binding (symbolic) resolution recommitting support (passing 362 – 63). This in part has wrangled his reputation as being in the current “Putin wing of the GOP”.
Ridiculously, in an interview Rosendale has gone into criticizing the US (for “the past 14 months”) putting blame on the US for the Ukraine/Russian devastation!
He has called Zelensky “a less-than-forthright president of the Ukraine.” Perhaps this is all because President Zelensky did not collude w/a certain former president to help conjure a (false) attack on his political rival. (Yes, the one who attempted a coup to stay in office and instigated the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capital.)
Prior to all this, his past performance had widely garnered him a reputation of generally “kooky”. Though he may sometimes be on the side of doing beneficial things for us common Montanans & America (to be fair), all too often he is a vote against, seemingly more focused on scoring points from his political base & leader. This 2022 election cycle will provide the opportunity to vote him out of office, if not in a primary, then certainly in the general.
For us in the newly established western district, we will have an opportunity to elect a representative who will work for us, not another like Rosendale (such as Ryan Zinke who has already clearly proven his unworthiness to serve us in D.C.).