Tester’s ‘Top Priorities’ Included in Senate’s Stimulus Plan

By Kellyn Brown, 1-27-09

Sen. Jon Tester, D.-Montana, following his first official meeting on the Senate Appropriations Committee, sent out a fairly standard update on the progress of his chamber's version of the federal stimulus plan, neatly dubbed: "American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan."

Tester is the only Senate Democrat to vote against both bailouts for Wall Street and a bailout for the auto industry. But he indicated last month that he would support a plan to invest in infrastructure because he believes it will help create jobs in Montana.

Montana's junior senator said the Senate bill passed by committee Tuesday includes several of his top priorities. Including:

· $27 billion to upgrade America’s highways and bridges.
· $12.375 billion to improve water projects across the country, which will create more than 180,000 direct and indirect jobs nationwide.
· $10 billion to guarantee loans for energy transmission projects like the Montana-Alberta Tie Line (MATL), which will connect power lines between Canada and Great Falls.
· $5.8 billion to undertake energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at schools and hospitals nationwide.
· $5 billion to improve housing and quality of life for members of the military and for improvements at Veterans Administration (VA) facilities.
· $2 billion to create jobs and improve conditions in Indian Country.
· $800 million to lower the risk of wildfire through forest management.

How the final stimulus plan will look is anyone's guess, but it sure appears Tester will supporting this one. [End of article]