Tester delivers, Sheehy deceives

by Wayne Adair, Hamilton

Lie is such an ugly little word, and, in a more perfect union, would have no place in a political campaign. Clearly, we are not there yet, since Tim Sheehy’s Senate campaign is built on little but lies. Why?

That’s an easy one. Sheehy’s out-of-state puppeteers know the Montana newcomer and failing businessman has no chance of fairly beating native Montanan Jon Tester who boasts an 18-year record of legislative successes for Americans generally and Montanans specifically. Sheehy’s handlers realize that only by inventing a ridiculous caricature of Tester can the Minnesota native hope to win.

Sheehy himself approves some of the deceptive ads; others are from Sheehy-aligned political action committees. The dishonesty is so outrageous, it’s downright insulting that he thinks Montana voters will swallow them. Having said that, a little fact-checking is in order.

–Let’s start with a claim so outlandish as to be silly. It begins with an announcer claiming West Coast elites are in love with Jon Tester because he gave them tax advantages denied to Montanans. This cannot happen. Federal income tax rates are based on income and filing status – not where you live (Investopedia.com).

–Another outrageous ad declares that Tester voted to give amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, allowing them to enjoy the benefits of Medicare and Social Security. Tester and many other senators including Republicans Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio voted for an immigration bill providing a legal pathway to citizenship for certain select immigrants with no criminal history who passed rigorous background screening. This legislation could in no way be considered amnesty and the word appears nowhere in the bill. (FactCheck.org and PolitiFact)

–Another ad condemns Tester’s fictional vote to allow “biological men to compete in girls’ sports.” At no point has Congress voted to permit males to compete against females. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., proactively sought to prohibit federal funds going to institutions that would allow trans female students to participate in female sports. Both amendments failed as unnecessary. (NonStop Local, Billings, Ben Wineman).

–We have all heard the often-repeated anti-Tester ad condemning our senior senator for supporting farm-aid legislation that excluded white farmers. Largely false, according to extensive reporting from Montana Free Press. The bill in question, the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program, intended to correct decades of unfair treatment of minority farmers, particularly those of Native American heritage. The difference in income between white farmers and Native American farmers is striking, the former group averaging $187,000 in farm sales annually compared to $50,000 for the latter group. Following complaints by white farmers, the program was downsized to accommodate non-racial language and was included in the Inflation Reduction Act which passed in the summer of 2022. The original bill at the heart of the deceptive ad was intended to correct systemic discrimination against minority farmers, not to exclude white farmers, per se.

–A Tim Sheehy ad falsely accused Jon Tester of cutting Social Security. This is false. Congress is legally prohibited from raiding Social Security’s accumulated reserve funds that are earmarked specifically to benefit retired Americans. Also, under federal code, it is illegal for Social Security benefits to be awarded to undocumented workers, as another false ad claims. (Montana Independent newspaper Aug. 22, 2024).

I understand that some Montana voters will hate Jon Tester simply because he is a Democrat, a sad fact here in the Big Sky State. But it’s time to examine all the positive influence the Big Sandy farmer has had on our state.

Jon Tester became a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee in 2007, his first year in the Senate. He became chairman in 2023.

In his tenure on that committee, Tester sponsored 16 bills supporting veterans that became law. He has sponsored more than 150 veteran-focused bills, many of which are making their way through the complex process of becoming law. The Senate website lists almost 500 bills proposed by Tester. These pieces of legislation reflect his position on numerous committees including Banking and Housing, the all-important Appropriations Committee, and, vital for seven percent of Montana residents, the Indian Affairs Committee.

Tester’s skill at proposing and helping to pass legislation has real-world benefits for us in Montana. Here is a list of successful legislation specific to Ravalli County:

–Tester was the only member of the Montana delegation to help pass legislation lowering the cost of marketplace health plans and the cost of prescription drugs for seniors on Medicare.

–The Inflation Reduction Act is fully paid-for legislation that will lower costs for working families by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, ensuring more equitable costs for prescription medication. (No more trips to Canada for savings.); extending affordable health care subsidies through 2025 preventing insurance premium hikes for thousands of Montanans; capping out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries at $2,000 annually.

–Tester secured funding for a new VA clinic in Hamilton five times larger and more technologically advanced than its predecessor. 

–He secured funds ($996,415) to help seniors with Alzheimer’s in Ravalli County to remain independent and in their homes.

–Tester secured funds to improve early childhood education in Ravalli County, including more than $3 million for Ravalli Head Start and Early Head Start programs.

–He secured funds for SAFE, a Ravalli County organization that provides services and emergency shelter for victims of domestic abuse.

–Tester secured funds for Ravalli County trails and pedestrian paths. He was instrumental in acquiring more than $28 million for infrastructure including these and many other projects across Montana.

–Thanks to Jon Tester, Hamilton received $877,000 via a RAISE Planning Grant for the design and construction of various highway projects in Ravalli County, including the long-needed repaving of Ricketts Road west of Hamilton. These grants are funded by the bi-partisan Infrastructure Law which he helped craft.

Montana voters have much to lose if they send a self-serving candidate like Tim Sheehy to Washington. If the past is prologue, he will lobby for more federal contracts to bail out his failing business and middle-class Montanans will pay the price.

Voters, please ignore the lies and allow Jon Tester to continue his skilled service to Montana and beyond.