Tester votes against $447 billion bill

Senator calls for ‘big, broad and bipartisan’ plan to cut deficit, grow economy, create jobs

(U.S. SENATE) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after voting against the $447 billion American Jobs Act:

“The things I support in this bill are outweighed by the things I can’t support.  We shouldn’t be sending billions of dollars in bailout aid to states.  And I can’t support tax gimmicks that do little to create jobs and fail to address a much bigger underlying problem: The need for a big, broad and bipartisan plan to cut the deficit and to make sure we can pay our bills and rebuild our economy.

“Moving forward, we need to focus on investing in the things that create jobs in this country: Our critical infrastructure, education, and research and development.  We need significant but responsible cuts to government spending.  We need a wholesale reform of our tax code to make sure that millionaires and corporations pay their fair share, and to make taxes more fair for working families.  And we need to ensure that critical initiatives like Social Security and Medicare are built to last, so they can benefit our kids and grandkids.

“This measure does none of those things.  It is an expensive, temporary fix to a problem that needs a big, long-term solution.  And I look forward to working together, putting politics aside, to find a solution that’s right for Montana and the nation.”

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