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A PAC associated with Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), who voted against impeaching DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, could “trigger more blowback from Trump.” NBC News reported on Tuesday that some of former President Donald Trump’s allies and advisers have been stewing over Rep. Matt Rosendale’s (R-MT) likely bid for the Senate to unseat Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT). Many top Republicans have backed entrepreneur and former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy as Rosendale failed to defeat Tester in the 2018 election cycle, during a time that many other Trump-friendly states such as Florida, Indiana, and North Dakota managed to win their respective elections.

On January 31, 2024, US District Court Judge Susan P. Watters published an opinion on the motion to dismiss the Gun Free School Zone case in Billings, Montana. She found the Gun Free School Zone Act (GFSZA) to be constitutional. The case has been covered extensively here on AmmoLand. The person charged, Gabriel Metcalf, had reason to carry a firearm for his own defense and that of others outside his home in Billings, Montana. His home is across the street from an elementary school. The school was not in session while he was carrying outside his home.Gabriel Metcalf’s primary defense...

A proposed state constitutional amendment on abortion access could boost Sen. Jon Tester’s (D-MT) reelection chances in Montana if added to next year’s ballot. Favorable results for abortion rights activists in off-year ballot initiatives in Ohio and Kansas have prompted some Democratically-aligned groups to push for similar questions to be posed to voters in Montana, where Tester’s race will likely decide control of the U.S. Senate. Planned Parenthood Action Fund submitted a ballot initiative in the Treasure State late last month that, if affirmed, would enshrine Montanans with the right to make decisions about their pregnancy, including if they want...

Last week, we covered how Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA), a lesser known member of the Squad, is facing a primary challenger for her response to Hamas' attack on Israel earlier this month. As has been the case with other Squad members, her response to the terrorist attack certainly leaves something to be desired. Her response to the situation hasn't gotten much better, especially since she partook in a Squad press conference last Friday to demand a "ceasefire." Lee's response may not just affect her own race, but next year's Pennsylvania Senate race where vulnerable Democratic incumbent Bob Casey, Jr. is...

Menendez, who was indicted alongside his wife on bribery charges, "deserves our presumption of innocence until proven guilty," Booker said. Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Bob Casey, D-Pa., on Tuesday pledged to donate the $10,000 they accepted from the political action committee of indicted Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who is facing growing calls to resign. Fellow New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker commented Tuesday on the charges facing Menendez for the first time after remaining silent on the matter following his indictment last week. Menendez, who was indicted alongside his wife on bribery charges, "deserves our presumption of innocence until...

A poll released Thursday indicates the Senate GOP campaign arm’s pick to unseat Montana’s incumbent Democratic senator in 2024 is not faring well in a potential primary. Former Navy SEAL Tim Sheehy, who was recruited by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is losing by double digits to Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale, who’s considering a bid, according to a J.L. Partners survey. Sheehy garnered only 21% support compared to Rosendale’s 52%, with 28% of GOP primary voters remaining undecided as to which Republican should take on Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. Both Sheehy and Rosendale would beat Tester, but the former...

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee and vulnerable Senate Democrat up for reelection this cycle, will not say if he is against allowing “drag queen story hour” for children on military bases after reports one was hosted at an air force base in his state. Republican lawmakers recently grilled Pentagon leaders on why there have been drag queen shows and drag queen story hours hosted at military bases and who is funding them. In 2021, a drag queen story hour was hosted at Malmstrom Air Force Base, which is in Tester’s state of Montana....

The last Democrat occupying a statewide office in Montana may have an even tighter path to re-election in 2024, under legislation advanced by Republican state lawmakers Monday night. Senate Bill 566 would establish a top-two primary election for U.S. Senate next year, when Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester is up for re-election. It passed an initial vote 27-23 with no Democratic support on Monday, and must clear a final vote in the Senate to move to the House. It would establish a version of a “jungle primary,” in which every candidate, regardless of party, runs in the same primary election....

In Montana, Republican leaders want Bridger Aerospace chief executive Tim Sheehy — a former Navy SEAL and multimillionaire who could self-fund his own campaign — to challenge three-term Democratic Sen. Jon Tester. In Ohio, state Sen. Matt Dolan, whose family owns the Cleveland Guardians, could face Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. Other names the outlet reported being floated as potential candidates in other states include: Karrin Taylor Robson, an Arizona attorney who lost the 2022 GOP gubernatorial nomination to former journalist Kari Lake

At just 21 years old, Mallerie Stromswold had burned out from public service during her sophomore term in the Montana legislature. She says it boiled down to a few things — the high cost of housing and juggling school and work. But most of all, she felt a decline in her mental well-being. "When you're struggling with that, and then decide to throw on the challenges of serving," it becomes a lot, the young Republican says, "especially the way I chose to serve." Stromswold voted against her fellow Republicans' efforts to limit the rights of transgender Montanans and for a...

First elected to represent Montana in the Senate in 2007, Tester has attempted to mark his role in the upper chamber as a "tireless defender of rural America." His net worth is between $1,768,009 and $6,695,000, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) data from 2021. Additionally, Tester reported thousands of dollars worth of stock and other investments, as well as bank deposits, in the 2021 records. While his net worth is partially made up of the value of his farmland and associated assets he owns, Tester's campaign and leadership PAC have spent at least $1.2 million on restaurants and on...

When Democratic Sen. Jon Tester finally announced that he’s running for reelection from Montana, you could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from party leaders. The same dodged-bullet greeted Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown when he revealed: “I’m running in 2024,”

Some Democrats are pushing back on President Biden’s plan to buy oil from totalitarian governments like Venezuela, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. “We shouldn’t be advancing other countries who don’t share our values,” said Sen. Jon Tester last week. Tester is exactly right. But Biden is working hard to destroy all our domestic energy industries, and, unfortunately, Senator Jon Tester keeps supporting Biden’s radical nominees who are implementing these policies. Biden is using all the regulatory tools at his disposal to “debank” those industries he doesn’t like. That means he will force financial institutions not to do business with these companies....

Four Senate Republicans failed to show up to vote on an amendment that would have defunded President Biden’s remaining vaccine mandates, thus ensuring its failure. The Senate voted on Sen. Mike Lee’s (R-UT) amendment to the continuing resolution (CR), which would defund Biden’s remaining vaccine mandates. The measure failed 46-47, with Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Richard Burr (R-NC) failing to show up, depriving Senate Republicans a potential majority to pass the amendment to the CR. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) set the vote threshold to a majority, and it remains possible that...

Five Democratic senators have told the White House they won't support Saule Omarova to head the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, effectively killing her nomination for the powerful bank-regulator position.Why it matters: The defiant opposition from a broad coalition of senators reflects the real policy concerns they had with Omarova, a Cornell University law professor who's attracted controversy for her academic writings about hemming in big banks.Their opposition also hints at a willingness of some Democratic senators to buck the White House on an important nomination, even if it hands Republicans a political — and symbolic — victory.Republicans...

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has come out against a revenue scheme proposed by his party that would have allowed the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to gather information on the inflows and outflows of American citizens’ bank accounts. The measure initially came to light as a part of Democrats’ $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. In an attempt to head off concerns from moderates, Democratic leaders and rank-and-file lawmakers have desperately marketed the bill as being completely paid for with no substantial effect on the deficit or national debt. The proposal was met with immediate backlash from Republicans and the private sector. House...

Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) got into argument on Wednesday during which the centrist West Virginia senator said he was willing to let go of all of President Biden's social spending plan, according to an Axios report that has been corroborated by multiple other senators who witnessed the spat. Fellow Democratic Sens. Jon Tester (Mont.) and Chris Coons (Del.), both of whom serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee and were both in the room when it happened, relayed details of the blowup to Axios. According to Tester, Sanders said, "Joe said, 'I'm comfortable with nothing.' ... We...

Senate Democrats have reached an agreement on a new set of federal voting rules again, but this time it is more worrisome for Republicans because a key Democrat is on board. In fact, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who has not been a fan of previous voting bills, spearheaded this effort along with Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and a group of cosponsors, NPR reported. The package is the latest attempt by Democrats to counteract Republican-led measures at the state level to restrict voting access and alter election administration. The new legislation, unveiled Tuesday morning by Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar...

President Biden has had little trouble getting even the most controversial nominees confirmed. Democrats have voted in unison, with only Neera Tanden, Biden’s pick to head his budget office, facing bipartisan opposition. But the White House is pulling out all the stops to push through David Chipman’s confirmation to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). And Democrats want the vote to take place this week. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki claims that the largely Republican opposition to Chipman “speaks volumes to their complete refusal to tackle this spike in crime we’ve seen over the last...

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said his optimism on a bipartisan infrastructure bill was “short-lived” following President Joe Biden’s remarks that he would consider vetoing the bill if it doesn’t include a sweeping reconciliation package. His comments came shortly after Biden endorsed the bipartisan deal to spend $1.2 trillion over eight years before stating that “If only one comes to me, this is the only one that comes to me, I’m not signing it“ McConnell accused Biden of “caving” to the far left following the bipartisan breakthrough and offering mixed messaging on the matter.