Tester Highlights Top 7 Results Delivered for Montanans in 2021

In a video, Senator shares how he worked hand-in-hand with Montanans to pass critical legislation, protect family farmers and ranchers, and lead economic recovery efforts

As the New Year approaches, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today released a video that reviews seven of his top highlights from 2021. Tester’s highlights include laws he helped pass, his success in holding the Biden Administration accountable, and his work with federal agencies to help Montanans affected by extreme weather.

The seven results featured in Tester’s year-in-review video are:

1. The signing of Tester’s bipartisan infrastructure package into law.
Tester worked across the aisle for months to negotiate the bipartisan infrastructure package with a group of five Republicans, four Democrats, and the White House, and he was the only member of Montana’s congressional delegation to vote for it. Tester’s law will make significant and urgently-needed investments in Montana’s roads, bridges, airports, high-speed internet, water systems, and more. It is projected to create more than 800,000 American jobs and lower costs for businesses by making targeted investments that will strengthen our nation without raising taxes on working families.

2. Tester’s work to combat consolidation and boost competition in the Ag industry.
As the only working farmer in the U.S. Senate, Tester has long been an advocate for increased market transparency and more competitive practices for Montana producers. He introduced his bipartisan American Beef Labeling Act, which would ensure that only beef raised in the United States is labeled as a product of the USA. He also introduced his bipartisan Meatpacking Special Investigator Act, which will create a new dedicated office within the Department of Agriculture’s Packers and Stockyards Division, addressing anticompetitive practices in the meat and poultry industries.

3. The disaster relief Tester secured for Montana producers facing historic moisture and drought.
In response to this year’s extreme weather, Tester secured USDA relief for Montana producers through the authorization of haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres, LFP funding, and ELAP funding.

4. The passage of the Tester-backed American Rescue Plan.
Tester was the only member of Montana’s Congressional delegation to vote in favor of the American Rescue Plan (ARP), which provided funding for a nationwide vaccine rollout, relief for small businesses, support to keep schools open, and numerous waves of funding for Montana rural health care providers and suppliers to help mitigate the high cost of health care through the COVID-19 pandemic.

5. Tester’s months-long fight to reopen the U.S.-Canadian border.
Tester led the charge to re-open the border to fully vaccinated travelers and repeatedly slammed the White House for ignoring the science and the needs of families and communities who depend on crossing the northern border to meet their bottom lines and stay connected to friends and family. Tester began calling for the border to fully re-open in May, urging the Biden Administration to work with their Canadian counterparts to quickly and safely open the border.

6. Senate passage of the Tester-backed United States Innovation and Competition Act.
Tester backed legislation to solidify American leadership in scientific and technological innovation, and he secured inclusion of an amendment that will ensure that rural America will have a voice in technological research and development in the 21st century. As a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Tester has been a champion of investing in technological innovation in rural America.

7. Tester’s leadership of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
As Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Tester is one of Congress’ most effective advocates for veterans. He is committed to working with both Republicans and Democrats to hold VA accountable, pass meaningful legislative reforms, and follow through on this country’s steadfast commitment to the men and women who have served. This year, Tester got 8 of his veterans bills signed into law to meet the evolving needs of our fighting men and women.

Tester concluded his video by acknowledging the important work ahead and calling on both his colleagues and the country to come together to move the nation forward.