Jon Tester

Biography
Jon Tester is not a typical Washington, D.C., politician. Whether in the U.S. Senate or on his farm near Big Sandy, Montana, Senator Jon Tester isn't afraid to roll up his sleeves to get work done.

A pioneer in ethics reform, Tester’s first act in Congress was passing the most sweeping ethics overhaul since the Watergate scandal. Tester is also the first U.S. Senator to post his daily schedule online and to conduct a self-imposed ethics audit of his office.

Tester values integrity, common sense, transparency in government, and working across party lines to do what’s right for Montana. He is a staunch supporter of Second Amendment rights, individual privacy, and public access to public land.

In the U.S. Senate, Tester is an outspoken leader for rural America, working families, small businesses and family agriculture.

Tester has a strong vision for America’s energy future. He crafted and passed measures to develop clean and sustainable new energy resources and to promote conservation.

After traveling to every corner of Montana to hear from veterans in his first year in office, Tester passed a significant increase to the VA’s mileage reimbursement rate for disabled veterans. He continues to make veterans’ issues a top priority and even hired a State Veterans’ Liaison to serve Montana veterans.

Tester also passed legislation to improve the security of America’s northern border and secured funding for critical infrastructure projects that provide vital transportation and irrigation links to rural Montana. He believes investing in America’s infrastructure will help rebuild the nation’s economy from the ground up.

Tester and his wife Sharla farm the same land his grandparents homesteaded nearly 100 years ago. He was elected to the U.S. Senate on Nov. 7, 2006, after a long history of public service in the Big Sky State. Tester served as chair of the Big Sandy School Board and on his local Soil Conservation Service Committee before running for the Montana Senate in 1997. Tester served two four-year terms in the Montana Legislature. In 2005, he was chosen to serve as the President of the Montana Senate.

Tester was born in Havre, Montana, on August 21, 1956. He graduated from the College of Great Falls in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science in Music. In addition to farming and running a custom butcher shop, Tester also worked as a music teacher for Big Sandy Public Schools.

The Testers now grow organic wheat, barley, lentils, peas, millet, buckwheat, and alfalfa. They come home to Montana almost every weekend to hear from Montanans, take care of chores, and visit their children and grandchildren.

Tester has field offices in Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Glendive, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula, Montana. He serves on five Senate committees, including the influential Senate Appropriations Committee. A fresh face in Washington, Senator Jon Tester has become an authentic and effective voice for frontier communities, rural America, middle class families, small businesses and family farms and ranches. 1.

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
Senator Tester works on legislation related to financial institutions, public and private housing, urban development and mass transit, and related matters on the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. 2.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
Stretching 545 miles across the 49th parallel, Montana's border with Canada is of great importance in discussions about Homeland Security. On the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Senator Tester is actively involved in issues related to our national security and government operations. 3

Indian Affairs
Senator Tester works on legislation to solve problems facing American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native peoples on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. These issues include, but are not limited to, Indian education, land management, health care, and economic development. 4.

Veterans' Affairs
Honoring the heroes who served our nation in the military is Senator Tester's first priority in his work on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. In addition to health benefits, this body considers legislation related to veterans' pensions, vocational training, education, and other matters. 5.