Senator-elect vows to serve all Montanans

Montana, earning the chance to serve you as your next U.S. Senator is truly the greatest honor of my life. To those who voted for me, thank you. To those who did not, I’m ready to serve you too.

In the military, I took an oath to serve all Americans, and on Jan. 3, I’ll take an oath to serve all Montanans.

I will work every day to positively impact the lives of veterans, seniors, small businesses, and all Montanans through timely and high-quality constituent services as they navigate the federal government.

We also have an incredible opportunity to bring in a new generation of American greatness. I intend to strap rocket-boosters to the Trump agenda and get our country back on track by reining in our runaway federal bureaucracy, cutting waste, and building a transparent government that is actually accountable to everyday Americans.

I ran to make Montana affordable again, make America strong again, and bring back common sense – a secure border, safe streets, cheap gas, cops are good, criminals are bad, boys are boys, and girls are girls.

We’ve got to secure the border on day one, and that's exactly what President Trump has vowed to do. In the Senate, we must support the America First agenda and pass legislation that will put an end to the border crisis flooding our communities with drugs and crime.

We must bring down prices for families and boost real wages for the hardworking Americans – farmers, miners, loggers, truck drivers, electricians, plumbers, and carpenters – who put food on our tables and keep our economy running.

That means extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and reducing harmful regulations to lower costs for businesses and families, boosting real wages for Montanans, and creating more Montana jobs.

American energy independence is the foundation of a growing economy. Montana is blessed with an abundance of coal, minerals, and timber. We must reinvigorate our resource economy, especially in Montana.

It is time to make public land public again by increasing local input and control over public land management decisions and strategies. This means streamlining permitting for energy, mining, and timber projects, and reforming the dizzying array of government agencies that control our public lands.

We must unleash American energy across the board, put an end to the radical job-killing Green New Deal agenda, and make sure Montana comes first.

Another key priority will be ensuring the federal government does a better job protecting our communities and public lands from wildfires. As the only aerial firefighter in the Senate, I know firsthand the devastation wildfires can cause and have a unique perspective on how the federal government has failed on this issue. I will lead the charge to fight wildfires better and faster by pushing for structural changes in federal wildland fire management and suppression.

As a combat veteran, who is married to a combat veteran, I know we must rebuild our military, ensure our forces are ready to fight and win wars, and prioritize combat lethality – not social distractions – for our brave men and women in uniform to keep them and our great nation safe.

Most of all, we must put America First in everything we do. It’s not too much for taxpayers to ask their government to put their core interests first, and it’s time political outsiders who can’t be bought actually start standing up for We the People.

I will work with Republicans and Democrats to deliver commonsense solutions for Montanans. Americans nationwide made it clear they expect more out of their government, and it’s time we seize the moment and deliver on the mandate voters gave us.

My promise to every Montanan is simple: As your senator, I will always fight for you and do the right thing in office because it’s the right thing for Montana and America. Let’s get to work.

Republican Tim Sheehy will take the Senate seat currently held by Jon Tester on Jan. 3.