Tester speaks on multiple issues in teleconference

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said Tuesday during his monthly rural conference call that before the U.S. Senate takes a recess for the month of August, there are a number of bills he is working to get pushed through.

Recently Tester’s bipartisan bill to push rural broadband coverage received approval by the Senate Commerce Committee and is moving on to the Senate floor, he said. He added that his bill requires broadband providers to fix their inaccurate coverage and wire maps to better represent what areas are covered.

“Without accurate granular data, Congress and the Federal Communication Commission can’t identify where the greatest needs are,” he said.

He said that this bill is important because people who are supposed to have service according to the maps don’t. Because the maps say they are covered, though, they are ineligible for federal funding. 

“Inaccurate mapping has allowed broadband providers to claim they provide rural areas when they aren’t,” Tester said, “and disqualifies those areas from getting the federal funding they need to get connected.”

He added that this bill will assure rural communities are not left behind. He said the bill also creates a public feedback portal, which allows consumers to challenge inaccuracies and assists local and tribal broadband providers with data submission.

Fire season is upon us

Tester said that it has also been a busy month with fire season falling upon the state, with Gov. Steve Bullock recently declaring a state of emergency.

“We’re going to be working here to make sure that our firefighters have the tools and resources they need to be able to effectively do their job,” he said.

Congress has also allocated dollars for firefighting, which does not impact the forest service’s budget, he said, adding that depending on how the fire season is across the country, funding should be available to effectively fight fires.

U.S.S. Billings

Tester said he will also be traveling to Key West, Florida, next month for the official commissioning of the U.S.S. Billings as the 17th littoral combat ship to be delivered to the U.S. Navy. These ships are highly maneuverable, lethal and adaptable, and are focused in counter measures, sub and surface warfare, he said.

He said he first asked the Navy to name the ship for the city of Billings in 2007. In 2013 the Navy agreed and in 2015 the ship was officially christened and construction of the ship officially began in Wisconsin. Last week the completed ship began its journey to Key West.

The “lion’s share” of the work on the U.S.S. Billings, he said, goes to Sharla Tester, his wife, who is the ship’s sponsor, or symbolic mother of the ship and crew. He added that she has met the families and crew of those who will be stationed on the ship and has spent time getting to know everyone.

Tester said that the naming of the vessel after Billings is appropriate because Montana has served in the military at one of the highest rates in the nation. He added that the Billings community has done an incredible job shepherding the project to completion.

“I know this ship will represent Montana and the nation proudly in the water by defending us around the world,” he said.

Aid to farmers

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a plan to release $16 billion in government funds to aid farmers hurt by the trade war with China and the harsh weather conditions of the past year.

Tester said the president’s trade war has impacted everyone, specifically family farmers, and the aid is desperately needed.

“It’s necessary and it’s unfortunate at the same time,” he said, adding that farmers would rather get it from the marketplace but many of them are facing bankruptcy and are in desperate need of some relief.

He added that he appreciates the effort from that standpoint, but the president’s trade war needs to be resolved and although China needs to be held accountable, family farms are in trouble. 

“It doesn’t solve the problem and the problem is that we need those markets and we need them opened up,” he said.

William Perry Pendley

A conservative lawyer who advocates the selling off of the nation’s public lands has been appointed to the position of co-director of the Bureau of Land Management. Tester said that this decision is contrary to the mission of the BLM and an unwise move by the president. Although the decision is not confirmed yet, William Perry Pendly is in active status.

Tester said that in Montana, public lands are worth approximately $7 billion to the economy and employs more than 70,000 people. He added that public lands are also vital to the identity of Montana.

“The statistics are there that this is a bad idea,” he said. “… I would encourage the president to get better people in the administration. This is not how you ‘make America great again.’”

Election security bill

Tester said that an election security bill is a good idea and he believes that what Russia did during the 2016 election is comparable to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. There may not have been any explosions or death, but it had impacted elections like never before, endangering the country’s democratic system, he said.

He added America needs to step up good election security, so in the future it can prevent nations such as Russia, Iran or other domestic or foreign groups from putting the country’s freedom at risk.

Russia needs to be held accountable, he said, and the president has not made any action to hold Russia accountable for what they have done.

“And that’s a huge mistake, countries need to pay a price if they mess with our democracy,” he said.

Mental health

In light of Fort Belknap Indian Reservation’s declaration of a state of emergency, Tester has recently spoken with Fort Belknap President Andy Werk Jr. and offered help from his office if needed. He added that more health care professionals are needed across the country as well as Indian country to properly address mental health-related issues.

When an area has a high amount of poverty, suicide goes up, and when an area is isolated, rates go up, and the country needs to resolve those issues, he said. He added that when an area has a higher rate of poverty, there is also an increase in drugs and crimes as well.

This applies everywhere in the state, Tester said. Montana has the highest rate of suicide in the country and the fourth highest among students in school. He added that this fact is incredibly troubling and he has a number of bills in the Senate to try to provide loan assistance for medical professionals and encourage professionals to work in rural areas and offer support.

Veteran suicides are also high, with a suicide taking place nearly every hour across the country, he said, but the work he is doing to provide assistance for veterans can also be applied to everyone.

“Everything we do with veterans, everything we do in Indian Country, can be applied to regular everyday folks,” he said.

He added that it’s the individual who needs help and families can recognize when someone is in need and the community can help support and reduce the stigma of mental illness.

“We need more health care professionals, particularly in the area of mental health, on the ground in rural areas and urban areas of the country, and Montana is particularly short,” he said.

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Read more about mental health care and suicide awareness and prevention in Friday’s edition of the Havre Daily News.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline  toll-free number is 1-800-273-TALK(8255).