by Don Gardner, Corvallis
It is easier to complain and say “no” than to be part of the solution. Montana’s U.S. House Representatives, Ryan Zinke and Matt Rosendale, recently voted no on their own party’s funding bill to keep the government open and functioning. Both are paid handsomely by the voters to govern. One of their main tasks is to fund the various government agencies which provide services to citizens.
The dysfunctional Republican House of Representatives often can’t even agree to vote on, let alone pass, their own funding bills. In other words, they apparently aren’t capable of doing this basic task of governing. They seemingly would rather brag about not doing their jobs. The Republican-led House of Representatives needed 209 (all but 2) Democrats to bail them out in order to pass their own resolution to keep the government open. 93 Republicans (including representatives Zinke and Rosendale) voted against it. This is just more evidence that the chaotic Republican party is not up to the job of governing.
Montanans need to elect serious people, like Jon Tester and Monica Tranel, who take their jobs in the halls of power seriously. We need to send the show ponies, Ryan Zinke and Matt Rosendale, home where they can stay out of the way of good governing.