Re: DOGE cuts

by Bill Salterberg, Stevensville

A huge thank you to the Bitterroot Star for their recent feature detailing DOGE cuts and impact on local workers. Indiscriminate slashing of agencies and employees has been ongoing since Trump took office with severe implications for our communities.

I sent a contribution to the GoFundMe account for recently promoted and then fired Kara Bond. She is the employee who is now fighting cancer after losing her longstanding career with the Forest Service. I hope she is bombarded with donations. She should not be in this situation.

Elon Musk could personally fund USAID about 10 times over, instead of denying food and medical assistance to starving children. The US Forest Service, with a $9 billion budget, could be funded in its entirety somewhere around 40 times over by Musk. Meanwhile, his own government contracts (info varies but around $39 billion publicly disclosed and more in non-disclosed defense contracts) appear to be left untouched by the DOGE demolition squad. What a coincidence!

Regarding the meeting between President Zelensky of Ukraine and the Trump/Vance sideshow, three minutes was all I could stomach. Zelensky fought tooth and nail to defend democracy in his country. Meanwhile, Trump accused him of potentially starting WWIII. Vance had the audacity to attempt to shame the Ukrainian leader by stating that he was less than respectful and that he owed Trump yet another thanks for all that Trump had done for Ukraine. The Trump/Vance conduct was nauseating, not unlike two punks on the playground beating up a little kid.

Recently, Trump lied to the world indicating that Ukraine started the war. He also called Zelensky a dictator. Now he is asking Zelensky for 50% of Ukraine’s rare minerals in exchange for US support. To demand mineral rights while simultaneously appeasing Putin in whatever way he can is pathetic. Russia will likely get a portion of eastern Ukraine. The winner here is Russia, and the loser is the free world and Ukraine.

Let’s remind ourselves who Vladimir Putin is. Late Republican John McCain called Putin “a thug, murderer, killer, and a KGB agent.” Roger Wicker, current Mississippi Republican Senator and Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called Putin “a war criminal who should be imprisoned for the rest of his life, if not executed.” Mitch McConnell must be feeling a little braver now that he is serving his last term in Congress. He recently noted that any attempt to appease Putin to check Putin’s ambitions is “as naive today as it was in 1939.” This is in reference to Western Europe’s initial hesitation to stand up to Hitler and Nazi Germany. 

McConnell continues, “America is right to seek an end to this war, but an end that fails to constrain Russian ambition… is no end at all.” “The human catastrophe rests solely on Vladimir Putin” and if Ukraine laid down their arms, “Putin’s aims would not stop with Kyiv.”

No wonder Zelinsky and our former European allies are at a loss. We now have a President who has aligned us with Russia and against Ukraine and the UN. 

We are in a five-alarm fire. Enough of partisan bickering. We must not continue down this current path of support for an evil authoritarian Russian regime. Demand that your Congressmen take a stand. Demand a town hall. Support Ukraine, and question the White House policies that are wreaking havoc on Montanans.

Tim Sheehy (202)224-2644

Steve Daines (202)224-2651

Ryan Zinke (202)224-5628