- Details
- By Neely Bardwell
Native Vote 2024. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester has a record of helping Indian Country. His opponent, a Trump-backed GOP candidate, Tim Sheehy does not. Tester is serving in his third term as a senator representing Montana, whereas Sheehy is a newcomer to politics.
Montana’s leading nonpartisan advocacy organizations for people with disabilities, on Monday, September 9, released the results of its comprehensive candidate survey.
Over 70 candidates from Montana responded. Both John Tester, current U.S. Senator for Montana, and Tim Sheehy, who is running against Tester, were sent the questionnaire. Many Republican candidates did not return a filled out questionnaire, including Sheehy.
Perhaps, not having a record explains why Sheehy chose not to respond to Disability Rights Montana’s candidate survey.
All candidates were asked the same questions, one question asked candidates how they will address health disparities in Indian Country and to attest to how they would interact with the Tribal Nations, Indian Health Services, Urban Indian Health Organizations, and other health care professionals serving the Native American community.
“As long as I’m in the Senate, Tribal Nations will have a partner and a seat at the table. It is critical that folks in Indian Country have access to affordable health care regardless of where they live. In 2022, I secured historic funding for IHS: an increase of $297 million over the previous year’s funding. In 2021, I helped secure more than $6 billion in funding for IHS to address the impacts of the pandemic,” responded Tester.
Tester, a former public school teacher, answered the survey’s question that asked candidates if they support changing Montana law to require public schools to provide special education services to students with disabilities through age 21 if the student has not yet graduated from high school with a regular high school diploma with this answer:
“As a product of Montana public schools, a parent and a grandparent, and a former public school teacher, I believe wholeheartedly that every Montana child deserves a high quality, public education. That means making sure that students with disabilities have access to the resources they need to succeed and thrive in our public schools. As Montana’s senior U.S. Senator, I’ve fought to make sure that the federal government does its part to support schools in serving students with disabilities. Through my work on the Senate Appropriations Committee, I recently secured over $14 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants program.”
Disability Rights Montana reached out to all candidates running for office using email addresses, postal addresses, and phone numbers found on the candidates’ campaign websites, campaign Facebook pages, or the Montana Voters Guide website.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsNative News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Rep. Mary Peltola's Reelection Race Still to be Called
Native News Online Post-Election Survey Shows Trump-Harris Split, Reservation Divide
Six Native American Women Making a Difference in Indian Country
Support Independent Indigenous Journalism That Holds Power to Account
With the election now decided, Native News Online is recommitting to our core mission: rigorous oversight of federal Indian policy and its impact on tribal communities.
The previous Trump administration’s record on Indian Country — from the reduction of sacred sites to aggressive energy development on tribal lands — demands heightened vigilance as we enter this new term. Our Indigenous-centered newsroom will provide unflinching coverage of policies affecting tribal sovereignty, sacred site protection, MMIR issues, water rights, Indian health, and economic sovereignty.
This critical watchdog journalism requires resources. Your support, in any amount, helps maintain our independent, Native-serving news coverage. Every contribution helps keep our news free for all of our relatives. Please donate today to ensure Native News Online can thrive and deliver impactful, independent journalism.
