Tester to Senate Leaders: No Excuses for Ignoring Infrastructure Bill

Senator: We are Living Off our Grandparents' Investment

(U.S. Senate)-U.S. Senator Jon Tester says Congress has no excuses when it comes to passing a bill to invest in Montana’s schools, roads, and high-speed internet this summer.

Tester welcomed recent plans by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to keep the Senate working through August, saying Congress has ignored the infrastructure needs of Montana and America for too long.

“We are living off our grandparents’ investment in infrastructure, and with each passing day it becomes more difficult to compete in a global economy with outdated schools, roads, bridges, drinking water systems, and access to high-speed internet-especially in rural states like Montana,” Tester wrote to McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Tester noted that modern and dependable infrastructure will help propel the nation in the 21st century and allow businesses to “create new and better jobs.”

Tester also brought up a comment earlier this year by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is responsible for choosing which bills receive a vote as Majority Whip. Cornyn said the Senate will likely not have time to debate and pass a comprehensive infrastructure bill this year. Now, with additional time planned for August, Tester told the Senate’s leaders it’s important to get “meaningful work done” and not “waste one more minute or squander the month of August playing politics.”

“I was disheartened to hear the Majority Whip suggest earlier this year that the Senate may not ‘have time to get to’ a much-needed discussion about infrastructure,” said Tester. “Our additional worktime in August will eliminate any excuse.”

Tester’s letter to Senators Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer is available HERE.