Montana’s Congressional delegation reacted swiftly and predictably to President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union Address.
Montana’s Republican senator, Steve Daines, characterized President Obama’s speech as, “Politics as usual from a President who has weakened America’s power on the world stage.” Daines also slammed Obama’s remarks about transitioning away from fossil fuels to invest more in renewables.
"What I heard the president tonight say is he’s doubling down on his plan to kill Montana energy jobs to raise Montana energy prices and to have less made-in-America energy.”
Montana’s senior senator, Democrat Jon Tester, pointed out that Obama’s speech presented the administration’s priorities and now it’s time for Congress to outline its priorities.
"We must defeat ISIS, create better paying jobs, make college more affordable and end the flood of money in politics. It’s past time for Congress to step up to tackle the tough issues and provide the leadership that Americans and Montanans expect."
Montana’s lone representative in the U.S. House, Republican Ryan Zinke issued a written press release criticizing the President’s plan to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center, his stance on gun control, and for failing to even mention radical Islamic terrorism in his Tuesday night speech.
Zinke wrapped up his comments by saying , “Thank God this is his (Obama’s) last State of the Union.”