Tuesday afternoon, on the floor of the Senate, Sen. Jon Tester delivered his farewell address. His remarks followed send-off speeches from Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Mitt Romney
He told his fellow Senators it was time to move forward. He says he’s most proud of his achievements on veterans issues, specifically the PACT Act, that will make sure those veterans affected by poisons such as Agent Orange in Vietnam and the Burn Pits in Afghanistan will receive the treatment they deserve.
Tester spoke about his upbringing, his memories of immigrant grandparents and the influence of his parents on his fashion of public service. “So what did these ancestors instill in me? They instilled Montana values, like telling the truth, like your word is your bond, like your handshake means something and that you respect people and absolutely never, never sass your elder. But most importantly they taught me that hard work creates luck, and hard work is essential for success.”
Following the speech, Sen. Steve Daines sent KGEZ 20-20 News an email, saying, “I’d like to thank Senator Tester for his 25 years of public service to the people of Montana. Jon’s career is an illustration of what makes America so special.”
“I’m sure Jon has lost count of the number of very early cold and dark Montana mornings he left Big Sandy to get to Great Falls to catch his plane to D.C., but this is just one of the sacrifices folks don’t often see. Jon did that commute for 18 years.
“There was never any doubt that Jon worked hard every day to represent the people of the state we both love to call home. 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.”
