Tester to Lead Bipartisan Border Security Funding Negotiations

Congress Reaches Deal to End Shutdown

(U.S. Senate) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester, who serves as Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, will help lead a small bipartisan group of lawmakers tasked with crafting border security legislation after the Senate reached a deal today to end the 35-day partial government shutdown.

The bipartisan group will include Democratic Senators Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Dick Durbin of Illinois, as well as Republican Senators Richard Shelby of Alabama, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, and Roy Blunt of Missouri.

“For the first time in 35 days, 800,000 federal workers and their families can breathe a sigh of relief,” Tester said. “But the deal struck today is only a short-term fix to this irresponsible government shutdown. Now we’ve got to work together to craft a long-term bipartisan solution that actually protects our communities and doesn’t undermine American workers.”

Earlier this month, Tester gave an impassioned speech on the Senate Floor demanding a vote to re-open the government. With over 7,000 affected workers, numerous Tribal Nations, and two of the busiest National Parks in the country, Montana has been one of the states hit hardest by the longest government shutdown in American history.

Tester helped write legislation to provide more than $21 billion for border security and immigration enforcement for fiscal year 2019. That legislation was supported by every Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.