HELENA — On Monday, Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester gave his formal farewell to the Senate.
Tester is approaching the end of his 18 years representing Montana in Washington, D.C., and he delivered an almost 25-minute farewell speech, touting his successes but warning his colleagues more work is needed to meet the challenges the country is facing.
Tester thanked his family and his staff, and he said his greatest achievement was being a “citizen legislator” and continuing to work on his farm while in office.
“This is what our forefathers had in mind,” he said.
He talked about his pride in measures he worked for: expanding veterans’ benefits through laws like the PACT Act, working on the bipartisan negotiations that led to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, supporting tribal water compacts and the federal recognition of the Little Shell Tribe. He urged Congress to continue working on issues like funding public education, finding ways to bring down health care costs and resisting consolidation in the agriculture industry.
Having just finished a campaign he called a “meat grinder,” Tester also called for action on campaign finance reform.
“Because of our campaign finance system in this country today, we have more division than ever, we are more paralyzed as a body to do policy than we ever have before,” he said. “Campaign finance reform would be good for democracy – and let me tell you something, it has to be solved with bipartisan solutions. It needs to happen.”
Tester's reelection battle against Republican Tim Sheehy drew well over $250 million in spending from the two candidates and from outside groups. Tester, whose campaign raised and spent more than $90 million, said he “despised” the current campaign finance rules but that he had followed them. He blamed the current situation on U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings in cases like Citizens United v. FEC and McCutcheon v. FEC, and said he was frustrated at being criticized by Republicans who voted for the justices who made those rulings.
Tester said he initially planned to serve only 12 years in the Senate, but changed his mind because he learned how important seniority was in the chamber.
“The longer you were here, the more ability you have to get done for your state and your country, and I very much appreciate the time that Montanans have allowed me to serve as their representative in the United States Senate,” he said.
He said the end of this 18-year period is only the close of one chapter in his life. He called serving on the Big Sandy school board his hardest job in public service and serving in the Montana Legislature his most fun job.
Tester finished his speech saying it’s vital for leaders to make “sound decisions based on facts and reality, not decisions promoting political power.”
“To say that I'm worried about this country's ability to maintain the strongest economy and the most powerful military in the world would be an understatement,” he said. “However, I know that a majority of people that serve in this U.S. Senate today are real legislators who want to do real legislating. To those senators, you need to make sure your voices are a majority of this body. If not, this country will change in a way that our children will not thank us for.”
“God bless you all, and tally ho,” he concluded.
Republican Sen. Steve Daines, who served alongside Tester for 10 years – and who played a leading role in the campaign to unseat him this year – released a statement Monday, thanking him for his service to the state. Daines said Tester’s career was an example of what makes America special.
“There was never any doubt that Jon worked hard every day to represent the people of the state we both love to call home,” he said. “And while it’s no secret Jon and I didn’t see eye to eye on many issues, we worked together on a number of important Montana priorities and agree that the people we represent make coming to work here every day worth it. Jon, thank you for your decades of dedicated service to the Treasure State.”
Before Tester spoke Monday, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, the Senate majority leader, praised him in a speech on the Senate floor.
“After all these years, all the things you've done, everything you've accomplished, all the emoluments and praise you've gotten, you haven't changed it all,” he said. “From the moment you entered public life – rooted, strong, caring, effective – someone with all three: a great brain, a great heart, a great soul. I'll miss you. Thank you for 18 wonderful years.”
Sheehy, now Montana’s senator-elect, is set to begin his six-year term on Jan. 3.
