Steve Bullock

From protecting our health care to strengthening our economy, Steve Bullock is running for Senate to make Washington work more like Montana. In the Senate, he’ll bring people together to do what’s right for Montana — because that’s what he’s always done.

HEALTHCARE
Affordable healthcare should be available to all Montanans–it shouldn’t depend on the size of your paycheck or where you live. We have made progress in recent years, but we still have work to do to make sure every Montanan can get coverage. To expand access to high-quality care, we must take bold action to make it more affordable, while also protecting and improving existing coverage. In the Senate, Steve will build on the successes of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and fight tooth and nail against the politicians who want to return us to the bad old days when insurers could turn you away for having pre-existing conditions.

IMPROVING ACCESS
First things first, we need to end the attempts to roll back progress. There’s no excuse for threatening coverage for folks with pre-existing conditions, or re-imposing lifetime caps on coverage. Instead, we must build on the coverage expansions we have already secured and make more middle-class families eligible for this support. We need to simplify enrollment for Montana families, instead of making them jump through bureaucratic hoops to get coverage. And we should create a public option – that includes higher reimbursements for rural hospitals – for folks to buy health insurance, encouraging competition among insurers, driving down costs, and giving consumers more choice.

INCREASING AFFORDABILITY
It’s no secret that prescription drug costs are out of control. No Montanan should ever have to choose between paying the bills and affording their medications. That’s why it’s high time to take on the pharmaceutical industry and negotiate drug prices and cap out of pocket drug costs in Medicare. We need to end surprise medical billing, so that folks who have insurance don’t get hit with outrageous out-of-network charges when they get home from the hospital. Consolidation in the healthcare industry is driving up costs and driving down competition, and we should bring antitrust enforcement into the 21st century to combat this damaging trend. Healthcare reform created caps on out-of-pocket costs; we must preserve this vital protection and work to lower those caps to more affordable levels.

EXPANDING RURAL CARE
Medicaid expansion was a lifeline to rural hospitals in Montana, and we must continue to protect and preserve them. Our rural communities should not lose access to healthcare because folks in Washington are trying to make health care a partisan issue. We need to keep the lights on in rural hospitals, but we also need to make sure there are doctors and nurses inside them. We need a public option that includes higher reimbursements for rural hospitals. We can and should do much more to train healthcare providers in rural areas and create incentives for them to stay. Our rural communities also need continued investments in the infrastructure necessary for telehealth, along with consistent insurance coverage of telehealth services.

STRENGTHENING MEDICARE
Montanans have earned Medicare benefits through a lifetime of hard work, and we must make sure that it remains rock solid for current and future beneficiaries. By closing the prescription drug donut hole, healthcare reform took some important steps to making medications more affordable for seniors. It’s time to take the next step, and allow Medicare to negotiate and cap drug costs. In Montana, the state’s insurance plan negotiates with hospitals to lower costs for beneficiaries. Let’s make Washington take similar action to lower drug costs in Medicare. Keeping Medicare strong includes fighting fraud and making sure funds are going where they should: providing care for seniors.

ADDRESSING THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC
No one is above the law, and drug companies should be held accountable for negligent sales of opioids and dangerous marketing tactics. We must increase investments in substance use disorder treatment, especially in the hardest-hit rural areas, and expand the “return to work” programs that help folks who have struggled with addiction return to the workforce.

A RECORD OF ACCOMPLISHMENT ON HEALTHCARE
Steve brought Republicans and Democrats together to pass and reauthorize Medicaid expansion in Montana, expanding healthcare to more than 90,000 Montanans. He increased access to telemedicine to expand access to care in rural communities, added autism coverage for all Medicaid-eligible children, and cracked down on big tobacco companies trying to get a new generation hooked on their products through vaping.

Steve made record investments in Montana’s mental health system, expanding crisis intervention and treatment, doubling the number of Medicaid substance use treatment providers, and investing in suicide prevention efforts for veterans, Native Americans, and youth. He pushed insurance companies to cover mental health and substance use treatment the same way they do physical health, and established Project ECHO to dramatically increase access to integrated behavioral healthcare in rural areas.

Steve fought for increases in the state’s support for Native American health services, and protected reproductive health services from being used as a political football by ending the constant battle over its funding at the state level.

EDUCATION
Public education is the pathway to opportunity in this country, and one of our greatest equalizers. But lack of support and investment has undermined this foundation of the American dream. In the Senate, Steve Bullock will work to strengthen public education by making it fair and accessible for every student, and ensuring that all adults can add to their professional training without being burdened by debt or dropping out of the workforce.

SUCCESS STARTS IN SCHOOLS
Basic investments in K-12 education, like funding for special education and rural schools, are woefully inadequate. Wraparound services that keep kids healthy and ready to learn, like afterschool and summer learning, school-based mental health and breakfast programs, need additional support too. Renewing our commitment to these investments will help us regain America’s competitive education advantage. That also means fighting attempts to yank resources away from public schools through vouchers, for-profit charter schools, and privatization. Voluntary, publicly-funded preschool should be available to every family who wants it.

SUPPORTING EDUCATORS
Rural, low-performing, and underserved schools need help in attracting, supporting, and retaining effective teachers, principals, support professionals, and specialized staff. We need to improve and expand training for the folks like principals and superintendents who lead our schools. To free our educators and preserve a broad curriculum, we should cut down on the over-testing that eats into instruction time and crowds out the subjects that make for a well-rounded, quality education.

COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY
Pell Grants open the door to higher education, and we should increase eligibility to serve more families. Students should have access to free tuition for community college, and once all students are in the workforce, they shouldn’t have to pay income taxes on student loan repayment benefits from their employers. By getting student loans out from under the management of for-profit corporations, we can lower interest rates and make it easier to refinance when interest rates go down. Public service student loan repayment is essential for helping folks afford to serve their communities, but the system isn’t working the way it promised to–we need to improve and expand it so young people can afford to go to college and give back to their communities. Tribal colleges play a vital role for Native American students throughout our state, and we should boost our investments in these bedrock institutions.

ENCOURAGING WORKFORCE TRAINING
By providing financial support to students who obtain employer-recognized certificates and offering tax credits to employers who bring on apprentices or offer other work-based learning, we can secure the jobs that sustain families without spending years in school.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
During Steve’s time as Governor, Montana has made record investments in our public education system. Steve fought for Montana’s first-ever investment in publicly-funded preschool. He froze in-state tuition for Montana colleges six out of eight years, making our state one of the most affordable in the nation. Under his tenure, enrollment in high school-college dual enrollment courses doubled, saving families millions of dollars in tuition. He created an apprenticeship tax credit that doubled for businesses that hired veterans, and created the country’s first tribal college apprenticeship program. And Steve oversaw an expansion of broadband internet to public schools, providing the infrastructure necessary for a 21st century education.

VETERANS
Montana has one of the highest rates of military service in the nation and every community in our state is home to men and women who pledged to defend our country. We owe it to them to uphold the promises made when they sacrificed so much. As Governor, Steve Bullock has worked to honor our commitments to our veterans, and as Montana’s Senator he’ll continue advocating every day on their behalf.

PROTECTING VETERANS’ HEALTHCARE
Montanans who have sworn an oath to protect and defend our nation deserve the care that they’ve earned and was promised to them. In the Senate, Steve will always fight to improve the quality of VA care and make it more accessible for all of our veterans. Steve will oppose measures to privatize the VA and any other policies that would put veterans’ healthcare at risk. He’ll work across the aisle to expand VA clinics, including mobile clinics for veterans in Montana’s rural communities, because honoring our commitments should never be a partisan issue.

Ensuring quality care means making sure the VA is adequately staffed by well-trained professionals. Steve will support policies like loan forgiveness for doctors, nurses, and support staff who work for the VA to ensure clinics attract the medical professionals needed to provide the best level of care.

Even a single veteran suicide is unacceptable, and sadly, we have seen too many of our bravest gone too soon. As Governor, Steve has worked to break down barriers between veterans and critical mental health services. In the Senate, he will work relentlessly to make sure every Montana veteran can access mental health care so that those who followed the call to serve never find themselves with nowhere left to turn.

OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS
Servicemen and women deserve every opportunity to succeed when they return to civilian life. As Montana’s Senator, Steve will support programs that encourage hiring of veterans, create new job opportunities, and translate their military training to civilian-sector employment. Steve will support tax credits for employers hiring veterans, work to make more funding available for loans to veterans looking to start small businesses, and secure affordable housing for veterans at risk of homelessness.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As Governor of Montana, Steve Bullock has worked to support Montana’s veterans and make sure they have the resources and support they need after leaving the service. He created new tax credits for businesses that hire veterans and provided scholarships for Purple Heart recipients who want to further their education.

He has made sure that job training and licensing from the military carry over to the private sector, and he doubled the amount of money available to assist veterans who are first-time home buyers. Steve Bullock invested in Montana suicide prevention efforts for veterans and opened up opportunities for Montanans who served to access mental health counseling. As our Senator, Steve will work to make federal policy reflect Montana’s values of honoring and caring for our men and women who wore the uniform.

RURAL MONTANA
As a lifelong Montanan, Steve Bullock understands the importance of our rural communities to our economy and our Montana way of life. As Governor, Steve has fought to keep rural hospitals open, protect farmers and ranchers, and make sure that no matter where they live, our kids have the resources and support they need to succeed. He’ll continue this record of fighting for rural communities as Montana’s Senator.

AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is the lifeblood of our rural communities and one of the major pillars of Montana’s economy. Our state’s farmers and ranchers help feed our nation and the world. As Governor, Steve has worked to protect family farms and ranches and make it easier for the next generation to keep Montana’s agricultural industry moving forward.

Farmers and ranchers already face enough uncertainty as it is. That’s why we must implement policies that make sure Montana producers can get our state’s top-notch products to market. In the Senate, Steve will fight for fair trade deals that open access to markets, support expanding disaster aid to fill the gaps that crop insurance and Farm Bill funding don’t address, and take action on harmful consolidation in the agricultural industry. Steve will support programs to create more opportunity for farmers and ranchers just getting started, like low-interest loans and student loan assistance for Montanans going into agriculture.

RURAL HEALTHCARE
For many Montanans, rural, critical access hospitals are the only place for miles where they can receive healthcare, whether it’s a routine visit or an emergency. The extra hours that it could take to get to a doctor if those hospitals went away could be the difference between life and death. That’s why Steve has fought tirelessly to protect rural hospitals, and under his watch not a single one has closed in Montana.

When some rural healthcare providers across the state were facing tough choices and wondering if they could keep serving their communities into the future, Steve worked with Republicans and Democrats in the legislature to pass Medicaid expansion – twice. This expanded coverage to more than 90,000 Montanans and made sure rural hospitals could keep their doors open and their communities healthy.

RURAL BROADBAND
In today’s connected world, reliable internet access isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. People are coming to rely more and more on the internet for news, education, commerce, and telehealth and mental health services and we can’t let rural communities get left behind. In the Senate, Steve will make funding for rural broadband a top infrastructure priority and continue working to expand access to high speed internet just as he’s done as Governor.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Steve has been a strong and consistent advocate for rural Montana. He signed into law new tax incentives for constructing new crop processing plants and has stood up against consolidation that harms agricultural producers. Steve created opportunities for student loan assistance for farmers and ranchers, making Montana one of the few states in the country to offer a form of student loan forgiveness to young farmers and ranchers.

Steve fought to expand Medicaid, expanding health coverage to more than 90,000 Montanans and keeping rural hospitals open in communities all across the state. He supported successful initiatives to increase bandwidth in rural schools, making sure kids in smaller districts don’t fall behind their peers. As a result, today nearly 100% of Montana’s K-12 schools meet national standards for broadband connectivity.

EQUALITY FOR ALL
Diversity is our nation’s strength, but for far too long, too many of our fellow Montanans have been held back. We must do better to ensure that every Montanan is treated fairly. Every person has the right to expect equal treatment under the law and equality of opportunity in the workforce, education, and health care. These are the values that Steve will defend in the Senate.

EQUALITY FOR LGBTQ MONTANANS
Through advancements like achieving marriage equality, our country has made significant progress on equality for LGBTQ Americans. But there’s no question our work didn’t end there. We need to pass the Equality Act, which would outright prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. We must take action to make sure no Montanan is ever hurt just because of who they are or who they love.

RESPECTING MONTANA’S NATIVE PEOPLES
Congress has a lot of work to do to uphold the U.S.’s trust and treaty responsibilities to tribal nations. Steve will take his experience working in partnership with Montana’s tribal nations to Washington to go to bat for Indian Country in the Senate. As Governor, Steve invested in tribal colleges, Native-owned businesses, and language preservation. He signed into law legislation to fight the epidemic of missing and murdered Indidgenous women, and increased access to healthcare for thousands of Native Montanans through Medicaid expansion.

ADDRESSING GENDER DISCRIMINATION
As Montanans we are proud to have sent the first woman to Congress. To keep that heritage alive and thriving, we need to keep dismantling the barriers that stand in the way of women’s equality. We can do that by closing the pay gap, protecting access to health care, eliminating sexual harassment in the workplace, and preventing gender-based violence at home and on college campuses.

JUSTICE FOR ALL
Equality and justice for all are values that Americans hold dear, but we can only realize the promise of those values when we recognize the progress that still has to be made in fully achieving that goal. Confronting this problem head-on means taking on real criminal justice reform by addressing mandatory sentencing and mass incarceration. It means expanding economic opportunity by supporting entrepreneurs of color, tackling housing affordability by raising home ownership rates, and investing in a public education that prepares students of every background for success in higher education and the workplace. Discrimination has no place in America, and we can and must demand more of our leaders in Washington who have let this problem fester for far too long.

INCLUSION FOR MONTANANS WITH DISABILITIES
Every Montanan, regardless of ability, has strengths and talents to contribute to our state. Building communities that are inclusive of people with disabilities contributes to better schools, more vibrant public spaces, and a stronger economy. Protecting the health coverage secured through Medicaid expansion and fully funding education for students with disabilities are bedrocks of ensuring equal opportunity for Montanans of all abilities, along with investing in vocational rehabilitation, independent living, home and community based services, and respite services for family caregivers.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As Governor, Steve expanded sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination protections in state government hiring and contracting, and fought back against attempts to let businesses discriminate against people who are LGBTQ. During his tenure, Steve increased access to healthcare for Native people, invested in tribal colleges and apprenticeships, and supported Native entrepreneurs and business owners. He blocked every attack on Montana women’s right to make their own healthcare decisions, advanced pay equity, and reformed state laws protecting and supporting survivors of sexual assault. Steve signed into law the most sweeping criminal justice reform legislation in Montana history, improving outcomes for offenders and keeping communities safe. Under Steve’s leadership, Montana adopted the Community First Choice program to ensure that Montanans with disabilities get the support they need to live at home, and created tax-free savings accounts for families to cover the costs of caring for loved ones who have disabilities.

PROTECTING WOMEN’S HEALTH AND RIGHTS
Achieving equality for all Montanans means ensuring that everyone has the same opportunities for success, regardless of gender. There’s no doubt that women face unique challenges, but by confronting them head-on, we can empower women, strengthen our families and communities, and keep the door of opportunity open to everyone.

EQUALITY IN HEALTHCARE
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, insurers can no longer charge women higher premiums just for being women. Washington politicians are trying to turn back the clock on this progress, but Steve will fight to make sure that women aren’t forced to pay more for healthcare than men. Every woman has the right to insurance coverage that meets her needs, which means building on the progress of healthcare reform. Read more about what Steve will do in the Senate to make healthcare more affordable and accessible healthcare here.

FAIRNESS IN THE WORKPLACE
It’s frustrating, but we know it’s true—women still make less money than men for doing the same work. Steve will push to hold businesses to a higher standard by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act. By requiring employers to be transparent about how they pay their workers, we can more easily hold bad actors accountable and root out persistent discrimination. Over half of minimum-wage earners in this country are women, making the fight to raise the minimum wage all the more urgent. Our society should have zero tolerance for sexual harassment, and Steve will work to make further progress on preventing harassment and protecting whistleblowers in every workplace.

REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM
Women must have the right to make their own healthcare decisions without interference from Washington, D.C. politicians. Steve will protect access to contraception without copays, and make sure bosses don’t get to dictate their employees’ private health decisions. We need to solidify Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. Defending and fully funding Title X will ensure that folks across the state, especially in rural areas, are able to access family planning services.

SUPPORTING FAMILIES
Balancing working life with raising a family is a challenge for everyone, but too often it’s women’s earnings that take a hit when they have children. Steve will demand better for working families. That means achieving paid family leave so that every parent has the time, money, and job security to raise their children. We can start by expanding access to preschool, so that parents who work can choose what’s best for their families and careers, and young children get a head start at educational success. We must also make child care more affordable, both through financial support to families to help defray the cost and through ensuring living wages for daycare workers and preschool educators.

OVERCOMING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Each woman who lives with the threat of physical violence or intimidation is one too many. Unfortunately, this is still the experience of too many Montana women, especially Native women who experience murder rates ten times higher than the national average. All of us have a responsibility to do better. In the Senate, Steve will stand up for survivors of sexual assault and reverse Betsy DeVos’ attacks on protections for women on college campuses. Restoring Title IX standards will protect survivors of sexual assault and help to prevent assault in the first place. He will fight to protect and fully fund the Violence Against Women Act, and continue the vital work necessary to end the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As Governor, Steve stopped every attack attempted on Montana women’s right to make their own healthcare decisions. He signed an executive order to ensure equal pay for Montana women, convened the Equal Pay for Equal Work Task Force, and conducted the first-ever pay audit of state agencies. Steve signed Montana’s first Earned Income Tax Credit into law, helping hardworking families keep more of their paychecks in their pockets.

PUBLIC LANDS
In Montana, we know that our public lands are one of the most important things that we all share. They belong to each and every one of us, and are one of our greatest equalizers: all Montanans, regardless of background or income, have the same access to our state’s wealth of public lands and waters. And public lands are not only a part of Montanans’ way of life – they support our outdoor recreation industry, one of the state’s biggest economic drivers.

As Governor, Steve has fought tirelessly to protect and expand public access, and he’ll continue that fight every day in the Senate.

KEEPING PUBLIC LANDS IN PUBLIC HANDS
Our public lands must be protected and managed responsibly for future generations to enjoy. It is critical that we fight back against any and all efforts to privatize or sell off public lands, and oppose those who want to do so. We will also ensure that adequate funding is provided to maintain existing access and create new opportunities for Montanans to enjoy the treasures of our state. Our children and grandchildren should be able to enjoy the same opportunities to hunt, fish, and recreate on public lands that we have today.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As Attorney General, Steve fought against out of state interests when they tried to overturn Montana’s Stream Access Law and fought efforts to block access to Montana’s public lands.

As Governor, Steve vetoed bills that threatened Montana’s public lands. He restored funding for the Habitat Montana program and went to court to defend conservation easements, which created new opportunities for access. As a member of the state’s Land Board, Steve used his office to open up tens of thousands of acres for recreation in Montana and create new fishing access sites, while managing state trust lands responsibly to ensure that our schools received the funding they needed. Steve created Montana’s Office of Outdoor Recreation to support the businesses that rely on public lands and the jobs they create. And as fire seasons have become longer and more intense in recent years, Steve created the Fire Suppression Fund to ensure Montana has adequate resources to address this threat.

In the Senate, he will represent our state’s outdoor heritage and make sure Montana stays the last best place for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation.

CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM
As Americans, we believe that everyone’s voice matters. But these days, the people and corporations with the biggest bank accounts are the ones who get to be heard. That’s why the toxic influence of money in politics has to stop, and it’s why Steve has spent his career fighting to end it.

We have serious challenges to tackle as a nation, but Washington has been so thoroughly corrupted by big money that hardly anything gets done. Washington, D.C. politicians hand out huge tax breaks to millionaires, while average Montanans get ignored and left behind. Out of state special interests pour unaccountable dark money into our elections and politicians stand aside and let it happen. As Americans, we pay more for health care than folks in other countries with little to show for it, thanks to the millions of dollars that Big Pharma and other corporations spend to influence our government.

But we can change all of this. With Steve Bullock in the Senate, we can make Washington work for us–not for millionaires, not for special interests, but for Montana.

We must make companies disclose every dollar they spend to influence our elections if they want to do business with the federal government. By passing the federal DISCLOSE Act, we can force secretive donors out into the open. And we can build the momentum we need to finally overturn the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United decision and ban unlimited, unaccountable spending in our elections.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As Attorney General, Steve took the fight against Citizens United all the way to the Supreme Court. When the Supreme Court ruled against Montana, Steve kept up the fight. As Governor, he passed the DISCLOSE Act, one of the strongest campaign finance disclosure laws in the country. He required any company contracting with the state to disclose expenditures it makes to influence elections, and he banned the use of foreign money in our state’s elections.

ECONOMY AND JOBS
Building an economy that works for all Montanans means creating more opportunities for education, training, and good-paying jobs. Young Montanans shouldn’t be forced to look to other states to pursue their careers. That’s why Steve Bullock has worked throughout his time as Governor to expand apprenticeships, support main street businesses, and encourage new business growth in Montana, and he’ll keep building on that work as Montana’s Senator.

APPRENTICESHIPS AND JOB TRAINING
There are many paths to good-paying, middle class jobs, and one of the best ways to open these doors is by expanding access to apprenticeship and job training programs. Creating more opportunities for workers to get hands-on experience while learning a trade allows Montanans to find jobs right here in-state, and helps businesses connect with the skilled workers they need.

That’s why Steve expanded apprenticeships in Montana by more than 67%, and created tax incentives for businesses to hire apprentices – and doubled that tax credit for hiring veterans. In the Senate, he’ll push to expand apprenticeship programs.

MAIN STREET MONTANA
Our small businesses are the backbone of Montana’s economy. From Kalispell to Glendive, local and family-owned businesses keep Montana moving forward, whether they’ve been around for generations or are just getting started.

Steve has made small business growth a focus of his administration, creating the Main Street Montana project to connect the public sector, private sector, and education community, and encouraging entrepreneurship and new business development by cutting red tape and lowering taxes on businesses. By building on initiatives like these and improving small businesses’ access to credit, Steve will continue this work in the Senate to advance job creation and ensure Main Street’s success.

TAX RELIEF FOR MONTANA FAMILIES
Working Montana families deserve to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks. As Governor, Steve signed into law the state’s first-ever Earned Income Tax Credit, helping middle-class Montanans’ money stay with them and support their local economies. In the Senate, Steve will fight to make sure the benefits of tax reform go to working families – not to big corporations and millionaires.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As Governor, Steve has worked to provide tax breaks for working families and to help Montana businesses succeed. He expanded the state’s apprenticeship program and created new tax credits for businesses to hire learning workers and veterans.

Steve encouraged business growth and new business development by eliminating business equipment taxes for all small businesses in Montana, and creating tax incentives for high-tech businesses to open up shop in Montana.

NATIVE AMERICANS
Steve Bullock has a proven record of respecting tribal sovereignty and working in partnership with tribal nations to tackle the challenges facing Indian Country. Congress still has a lot of work to do to meet the federal government’s trust and treaty responsibilities to tribal nations, so Steve will take his experience to Washington to go to bat for Montana’s Native peoples in the Senate.

SUPPORTING FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES
To improve health equity, we must fully fund the Indian Health Service and urban Indian health programs and invest in mental health care, including suicide prevention efforts and substance use treatment. Equal access to a quality education is essential, and for Native children that requires fully funding Impact Aid, culturally sensitive and trauma-informed wraparound services, and increasing support for tribal colleges. Creating affordable housing in Indian Country is critical to addressing homelessness faced by Native families. In the Senate, Steve will work with both parties in consultation with Native leaders to address this challenge.

NATURAL HERITAGE
Everyone has a right to clean water–extending the life of the Indian Water Settlement Fund will ensure that we’re securing this right and meeting treaty responsibilities in Indian Country. Public lands offer economic opportunity and support jobs throughout our state, and we need to make sure this promise is met in Indian Country as well. We can create Native jobs by empowering tribes to work in partnership with the National Park Service in managing public lands.

PROTECTING VOTING RIGHTS
Access to the ballot box is the most fundamental right in our democracy. To preserve voting rights for Native Americans, we need to protect measures like satellite voting locations and same-day voter registration, and ensure that tribal IDs are accepted as documentation for registering and voting.

NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS
Montana’s Native communities have a long legacy of service in the armed forces, and we need to make sure we’re keeping our promise to Native veterans after they leave the military. Increasing the number of tribal veteran service officers is an important step in ensuring that all veterans receive the benefits they have earned.

MISSING AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Every Montana family deserves to know that we will not rest if they are facing the horror of a missing son or daughter. The federal government has a responsibility to do much more to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women. In the Senate, Steve will push to improve the federal response to incidents of missing and murdered Native Americans, and improve cooperation and coordination between tribal and federal response agencies.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
By consistently showing up for Montana’s eight tribal nations, Steve has been able to achieve real progress as Governor. During his tenure, he invested in tribal colleges, secured millions in funding to help Native Americans start their own business, funded native language preservation, signed laws to fight the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, increased access to healthcare for Native people through Medicaid expansion, and created the first tribal college apprenticeship program in the nation.

INFRASTRUCTURE
For too long, we have neglected our nation’s infrastructure, jeopardizing our quality of life and ability to compete in a 21st century economy. In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, we can improve our economy and create local jobs that can’t be outsourced by reinvesting in infrastructure. In the Senate, Steve Bullock will fight for an infrastructure plan that creates good-paying jobs, connects the nation, strengthens communities, and protects our environment.

REPAIRING EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE
Securing a long-term, sustainable funding source for the Highway Trust Fund to repair and improve our roads and bridges will facilitate economic growth. Our water infrastructure needs investment, too, to build new flood management systems and rehabilitate aging and stressed locks and dams. The most antiquated piece of machinery in the west is our electric grid, and it needs to be modernized to reduce energy waste, save money for consumers, increase transmission of renewable energy, and modernize delivery.

To keep our state and our economy connected and competitive, we need to support travel infrastructure that links Montana to the nation. Steve will support infrastructure investments to upgrade and expand airports, and will protect essential air service to keep Montana’s rural communities connected.

FOSTERING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
The building blocks of our communities are an important piece of our infrastructure, and they are in serious need of attention. Many communities, especially those in rural areas, lack access to high-speed internet, and Steve will work to make sure that every home, business, school, library, and healthcare facility is connected to broadband. We can support telecommunications providers in “rip and replace” efforts to eliminate unsecure, Chinese-made equipment and replace it with more secure technology.

Giving every American access to clean water means increasing investments in local water systems, replacing lead service lines, fixing aging irrigation systems, and upgrading wastewater systems. We must provide funding for construction of schools, hospitals, and affordable housing, especially in rural areas, to make sure everyone has the ability to live, work, and raise their family in the communities they love. As Senator, Steve will fight for infrastructure funding that includes the things that matter to Montana communities.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As Governor, Steve brought Republicans and Democrats together to approve the largest infrastructure investment in Montana history, securing nearly $400 million for long-overdue upgrades to provide clean drinking water, safe wastewater, storm systems, bridges, and buildings to communities across the state. Steve supported successful initiatives to increase bandwidth in rural schools, making sure our kids in small school districts don’t fall behind their peers. Nearly 100% of Montana’s K-12 schools now meet FEC standards for broadband.

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT
Our climate is changing. We can see it right here in Montana in longer, more intense fire seasons, and the loss of ice in Glacier National Park each year. By making smart policy decisions, we can mitigate the effects of climate change on agriculture, the environment, and public lands, while protecting jobs and investing in new industries. In the Senate, Steve will work to invest in clean energy and create good-paying jobs in fields that address climate change.

INVESTING IN CLEAN ENERGY
We need to invest in tomorrow’s energy sources while protecting jobs and communities in Montana. Expansion of clean energy like solar and wind power, along with energy conservation efforts, can cut down on emissions by reducing energy usage. We need to continue to provide resources to the Montanans who have powered our coal industry for generations and can lead the way in the new clean energy economy.

Boosting investment in training and credentialing programs for workers can help grow the economies of communities undergoing transition. By working directly with farmers and ranchers–who are seeing the impacts of climate change on their own livelihoods–we can develop next-generation biofuels, improve soil health through better use of carbon-reducing cover crops, and restore forests and wetlands.

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
By working with state governments, unions, and the private sector, we can update our electric grid to modernize delivery, meet the needs of the 21st century, and support good-paying jobs. Investments in cutting-edge technologies can capture carbon for use in commercial products like cement while cutting pollution and creating jobs. Revitalized research efforts can help farmers and ranchers improve the environment, cut costs, and boost productivity at the same time. Incentivizing efficient infrastructure and home building will drive more efficient energy use, reduce pollution, and lower families’ utility bills.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS
As Governor, Steve established the Montana Climate Solutions Council and joined the U.S. Climate Alliance. His Energy Blueprint paved the way for expansion of clean energy in Montana, including a quadrupling of installed solar capacity and doubling of wind generation. As energy markets transition into cleaner forms of production, Steve secured funding to retrain Colstrip workers and help the community and families succeed. He signed a new law that gives workers in coal mines and plants first crack at new cleanup and reclamation jobs, including requirements for competitive wages. ^[12]