Montana Sen. Jon Tester was one of just two Democrats to vote against considering President Barack Obama’s $447-billion jobs bill Tuesday. The vote to advance the legislation, 50-49, was well short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster in the Senate.
Following the vote, Tester released a statement saying he opposed the American Jobs Act, in part, because the bill included “bailout aid to states” and “tax gimmicks that do little to create jobs.” From Tester’s office:
“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.”
Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska also opposed the legislation. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., supported the bill, calling it “a good step in the right direction.”