Tester touts need for more economic help [View all]

Congress must continue the economic recovery spurred by the American Rescue Plan Act or risk losing global stature, Democratic Sen. Jon Tester said during a Missoula visit on Friday.

And that requires cooperation from Republicans in the evenly divided Senate or the elimination of the filibuster that gives the minority party blocking power, Tester said. In response to Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s statement that “100% of my focus is on stopping this new administration,” Tester said he hoped he could break the gridlock.

“Hopefully, we can get some Republicans to not listen to him,” Tester said. “Otherwise the filibuster would be gone if that’s the line he’s driving.”

Tester said in his new role as chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, he’s been reviewing the infrastructure investments that China and Russia have been making that give them competitive advantages over the United States.

Read more: https://missoulian.com/news/local/tester-touts-need-for-more-economic-help/article_73a45bf0-b180-5371-98f6-a7f78c3fe3cd.html