WEBVTT - Ep. 32: Senator Jon Tester 0:00:01.600 --> 0:00:06.040 Hey, everybody, welcomed episode number thirty two The Hunting Collective. 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:09.240 I'm Ben O'Brien, and today I am joined by very 0:00:09.240 --> 0:00:13.120 special guests and a very important guest, and his name 0:00:13.160 --> 0:00:16.599 is Senator John Tester. He's a Democrat from state of 0:00:16.640 --> 0:00:21.400 Montana and he's currently running for re election against Matt Rosendale. 0:00:22.920 --> 0:00:27.160 And this is, you know, for me, just uh what 0:00:27.280 --> 0:00:29.320 I believe is relatively normal guy to be able to 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:31.520 sit down with somebody like John Tester and talk about 0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:35.760 the issues that I'm that I feel like are important 0:00:35.760 --> 0:00:38.720 to me and important to do you all listening, Um 0:00:38.960 --> 0:00:43.280 was fantastic and it was a privilege. I found Senator 0:00:43.280 --> 0:00:47.320 Tester be straightforward and we talked before and after the 0:00:47.360 --> 0:00:51.199 podcast about very uh important issues. I mean obviously has 0:00:51.280 --> 0:00:54.960 limited time this time of year to chat, but um, 0:00:55.000 --> 0:00:58.600 I found it to be credible and believable and firm 0:00:58.640 --> 0:01:01.440 handshake and look you straight the eye and speak about 0:01:01.440 --> 0:01:04.679 what he believes. And so whether you agree or disagree 0:01:04.680 --> 0:01:07.800 with some of the things he'll say in the podcast upcoming, 0:01:08.200 --> 0:01:10.920 I hope you listen with an open mind and m 0:01:11.800 --> 0:01:14.480 and learn more about his stance on public lands, his 0:01:14.560 --> 0:01:18.080 stance on chronic wasting disease, his stance on mining and 0:01:18.120 --> 0:01:21.400 astraction on his lands of Montana, and really just why 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:25.040 he loves the state where he was born. So, without 0:01:25.560 --> 0:01:48.440 further ado, please welcome Senator John Tester. Senator Tester, thanks 0:01:48.440 --> 0:01:50.280 for joining me. It's great to be here. Thanks for you. 0:01:50.680 --> 0:01:55.080 Snowy Montana. It's uh it's fall in Mintiana and uh 0:01:56.000 --> 0:01:58.200 you Spring used to be my favorite time here. But 0:01:58.440 --> 0:02:01.440 I guess maybe it's with age you gravitate towards fall, 0:02:01.480 --> 0:02:05.440 because I just love the fall after a hot summer, 0:02:05.440 --> 0:02:07.760 you got the air's crisp. You know, it's pretty cool, 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:11.200 and you know winner is coming. So if you're gonna 0:02:11.240 --> 0:02:14.840 live in Montana, I find you gotta love the winner. Yeah, no, 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:16.760 I mean it is. I mean winners aren't like they 0:02:16.840 --> 0:02:17.960 used to be when I was a kid. You know, 0:02:18.000 --> 0:02:20.920 when we'd have thirty below for weeks on end and 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:23.320 you were stuck in the house. And yeah, it's now. 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:25.400 But I will say one thing. Last winter we had 0:02:25.400 --> 0:02:28.359 a good winner here, first one since seventy eight, and 0:02:28.600 --> 0:02:30.519 it makes you appreciate spring when it comes. But I 0:02:30.560 --> 0:02:32.480 gotta tell you, I love the winner as long as 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:35.880 as long as you don't have to be somewhere because 0:02:35.919 --> 0:02:38.040 you never know if the wind blows, the roads are closed, 0:02:39.200 --> 0:02:40.880 so you've got a kind of plan ahead. But it's 0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:43.280 a you know, montan is a great state because of 0:02:43.280 --> 0:02:47.280 the four seasons, because of our public lands, because of 0:02:47.320 --> 0:02:49.919 our ability to go out get there like and or 0:02:49.960 --> 0:02:52.280 whatever you need. But but but but it is. I mean, 0:02:52.360 --> 0:02:54.799 I was you know, I've been able to get all 0:02:54.840 --> 0:02:58.440 over the country as the U. S. Senator. And uh, 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:00.440 and there's no other place like Montana on the lower 0:03:00.480 --> 0:03:03.280 forty eight. I'll just tell you that. Um uh, you know, 0:03:03.320 --> 0:03:07.919 Alaska's marvelous, but it's not lower forty eight. That's all 0:03:07.960 --> 0:03:10.080 the bandings will take it. No, I mean, I'm just 0:03:10.160 --> 0:03:13.800 moving here. And um, as somebody likes to go outside, 0:03:13.800 --> 0:03:17.600 there is moving here. People speak differently about going outside. Yeah, 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:19.960 Levin living in Texas and I'm from the East Coast. 0:03:19.960 --> 0:03:23.240 Originally people speak differently about going outside. Their eyes light 0:03:23.320 --> 0:03:25.239 up when you talk about a certain canyon or a place. 0:03:25.280 --> 0:03:29.080 Everybody shares that we can all go if we want to. 0:03:29.280 --> 0:03:31.720 And so it's just a different way to interact about 0:03:31.760 --> 0:03:34.040 going outside. And and part of it is and at 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:37.120 least from my my perspective, part of it is is 0:03:37.920 --> 0:03:40.240 is public lands. Part of it is as a block 0:03:40.280 --> 0:03:42.840 management programs that we set up at the state level 0:03:43.520 --> 0:03:45.440 where you don't have to be a millionaire to be 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:49.720 I'll be able to access some unbelievable places, whether it's 0:03:49.720 --> 0:03:52.000 for hunting, whether it's for fishing, whether it's for just 0:03:52.080 --> 0:03:54.760 going out and running up and down on mountains without 0:03:54.760 --> 0:03:59.160 your cell phone working, you know. Right. It's uh, it's 0:03:59.200 --> 0:04:02.480 because of that ability to and it's and and it's 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:05.280 also because I might add, and this is changing, and 0:04:05.320 --> 0:04:09.200 it's changing pretty rapidly of of the ranchers willingness to 0:04:09.840 --> 0:04:14.080 let on hunters to help manage the game. Um. But 0:04:14.080 --> 0:04:16.640 but you know, we've always had a strong tradition in 0:04:16.640 --> 0:04:20.560 this state of of um, you know, being able to 0:04:20.600 --> 0:04:24.280 get out there and uh, you know, on harvesting deer, elk, 0:04:24.400 --> 0:04:27.080 or catch a few fish, whatever you might be. Yeah, 0:04:27.120 --> 0:04:30.520 I mean, when I was thinking about this conversation, my 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:32.599 first question that paying the mind is that you seem 0:04:32.640 --> 0:04:35.039 like a pretty easy going uh you know, you know, 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:39.400 wheat farmer from big sandy and small town Like why uh, 0:04:39.680 --> 0:04:43.839 you know, the political why jump into the political pressure cooker, 0:04:43.920 --> 0:04:47.760 Why take you know, take your life the way you 0:04:47.839 --> 0:04:50.200 have and and stand up for what you believe. I mean, 0:04:50.240 --> 0:04:52.400 I know it's not an easy gig. I can I 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:55.080 can just tell you that we've got a pretty good 0:04:55.120 --> 0:04:56.600 life on the farm. I mean, we do that. We 0:04:56.920 --> 0:05:00.920 we've we've farmed the land. My grandmother and father homestead 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:03.719 and my folks farmed it. It's an incredible honor, special 0:05:03.760 --> 0:05:05.320 in this day and age because there's not many folks 0:05:05.279 --> 0:05:09.520 who have that opportunity. But but it's also a time 0:05:09.560 --> 0:05:11.560 when you know, my my grandmother passed away when I 0:05:11.560 --> 0:05:14.960 was sixteen. My grandmother was a political animal. And so 0:05:15.080 --> 0:05:18.080 when we'd go have dinner at my grandmother's house when 0:05:18.080 --> 0:05:19.880 I was in grade school and junior high and early 0:05:19.920 --> 0:05:23.160 early high school years, I talked a lot of politics. 0:05:23.279 --> 0:05:26.120 I mean talked a lot about who was doing this, 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:29.000 you know at that moment time the Kennedy years, L B. J. 0:05:29.320 --> 0:05:32.760 Nixon and uh, and they talked a lot about what 0:05:32.800 --> 0:05:35.240 was going on. And and my grandmother was smart. She 0:05:35.600 --> 0:05:39.000 immigrated here from Sweden when she was sixteen, um and 0:05:39.080 --> 0:05:41.520 never went back, which is always amazing to me. But 0:05:41.520 --> 0:05:44.600 but she was smart, I mean whip smart, and and 0:05:44.720 --> 0:05:49.680 she uh, she just osmosis. I guess got me involved. 0:05:49.680 --> 0:05:53.600 My mother kind of fell off of her her her 0:05:53.839 --> 0:05:57.279 her standard there. And my mother was very, very very 0:05:57.320 --> 0:05:59.480 in tune with what was going on. She read a 0:05:59.600 --> 0:06:03.000 normal amounts of information about what's going on. So long 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:04.919 story short, I'm a junior in high school. We go 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:07.239 to the state legislature. They pack up all the juniors 0:06:07.240 --> 0:06:11.320 and seniors. It was nineteen seventy three. Jumped on the bus. 0:06:11.680 --> 0:06:13.479 Never been to the state capitol before in my life. 0:06:13.480 --> 0:06:15.080 We talked politics, but we never did go to see 0:06:15.120 --> 0:06:17.640 the legislature. Work had a chance to do it through 0:06:17.640 --> 0:06:20.479 our school district and walked in and got to meet 0:06:20.520 --> 0:06:24.200 some of the folks that you know represent me in 0:06:24.279 --> 0:06:27.880 Big Sandy, Montana, and and saw that beautiful building that 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:30.880 we have in Montana called our state capital. And I 0:06:30.920 --> 0:06:33.200 said to myself, and this is gonna sound corny, but 0:06:33.240 --> 0:06:36.119 it's absolutely a fact. I said, one of these days, 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:37.960 if I get a chance, I want to do this. 0:06:39.000 --> 0:06:41.960 And um, we talked to him there. They were good people, 0:06:42.080 --> 0:06:44.839 the senators and the House members that were there. And 0:06:44.920 --> 0:06:49.000 in my neighbor who who was a different political party me, 0:06:49.040 --> 0:06:50.440 but he was a very very good friend. And I 0:06:50.480 --> 0:06:52.640 was never going to run against him, decided not to 0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:55.719 run for re election. And I told my my wife, 0:06:55.760 --> 0:06:57.760 you know what, my daughter was just graduating from high 0:06:57.760 --> 0:06:59.839 school and my son was just going into seventh grade. 0:07:00.320 --> 0:07:02.600 It wasn't the ideal time to run for the legislature. 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:05.120 But if we were't gonna do it now, we'll probably 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:06.800 never do it. And so I did it. And one 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:09.040 thing led to another and ended up in the US. 0:07:09.440 --> 0:07:13.600 Here we are, um and and not only are you 0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:15.160 a farmer there, but you've got a bit of a 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:18.600 butcher's shop there. Yeah, we do. Look it's it's not 0:07:18.640 --> 0:07:21.200 a huge farm. So dad, in the in the fifties 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:25.240 actually started cutting meat to help supplement the income. And uh, 0:07:25.520 --> 0:07:27.840 and so you know, as he said, I didn't have 0:07:27.880 --> 0:07:29.760 any change in my pocket when I went to town, 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:33.520 and so uh he started cutting meat, and one thing 0:07:33.680 --> 0:07:35.440 and into another, and then he end up building the 0:07:35.440 --> 0:07:38.280 shop in the early sixties and and cut me till 0:07:38.280 --> 0:07:40.680 he retired in seventy eight. I taught school coming out 0:07:40.680 --> 0:07:42.720 of college, and in the spring and the fall of 0:07:42.800 --> 0:07:45.040 seventy eight, and I couldn't make enough money to put 0:07:45.040 --> 0:07:47.560 tires on the car, and people were asking me to 0:07:47.560 --> 0:07:49.600 cut meat. So my wife and I started the butcher 0:07:49.640 --> 0:07:51.440 shop and me ran it till I got into the 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:54.160 state legislature. Yeah, I mean, I think the things that 0:07:54.200 --> 0:07:56.239 you're talking about when you describe your life, your early 0:07:56.320 --> 0:07:59.920 life and and even your current life, is a lot 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:03.000 around values, like what what values your grandparents and your 0:08:03.040 --> 0:08:05.440 parents instilled in you, and then what values that you 0:08:05.480 --> 0:08:08.360 hold to be Montana values. So give us a quick 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:10.960 overview of of your you know, your boiler plate on 0:08:11.400 --> 0:08:13.480 what's Montana values? What's that mean when you take that 0:08:13.520 --> 0:08:16.360 to d C. Well, I mean, I'll just tell you. 0:08:16.360 --> 0:08:18.640 Your word is your bond. Your handshake makes something that 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:21.400 means something. You don't you look somebody and I are 0:08:21.400 --> 0:08:22.640 telling me you're gonna do it. You don't need a 0:08:22.640 --> 0:08:24.560 written contract to do it. That's the way it's gonna be. 0:08:25.320 --> 0:08:27.640 And uh, in agreements, in agreement, I would say that's 0:08:27.680 --> 0:08:31.320 the most basic of all. But but also along with 0:08:31.400 --> 0:08:33.280 that is hard work. You never get anything done. And 0:08:33.280 --> 0:08:36.080 you know everybody says, you know, farmers are hard workers. 0:08:36.240 --> 0:08:39.160 They are teachers are hard workers. You bet doctors are 0:08:39.200 --> 0:08:41.880 hard workers. Nurses you got on the list, anything worth doing. 0:08:42.480 --> 0:08:45.120 It takes hard work to be successful. At it. And 0:08:45.200 --> 0:08:47.960 so that's that's another value that I think is important. 0:08:48.000 --> 0:08:50.000 But the most important one is your word is your bond, 0:08:50.320 --> 0:08:52.600 and your handshake means something. And when you look somebody 0:08:52.600 --> 0:08:54.080 in the eye and you say, you know what, deal 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:56.200 is a deal. It's a deal. You don't have to 0:08:56.240 --> 0:08:58.560 have three pages of paper work to follow it up 0:08:58.880 --> 0:09:00.880 with a bunch of lawyers or sign an off stand 0:09:00.960 --> 0:09:03.199 this is the right thing to do. So so so 0:09:03.240 --> 0:09:06.079 I would say that, and then then I would also 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:10.440 say from a from a just a Montana perspective, and 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:13.080 it goes to to to you and your in your show, 0:09:13.280 --> 0:09:16.480 is is that what makes Montana great is it's overall 0:09:16.559 --> 0:09:19.800 state where you can get outside and get away from 0:09:19.800 --> 0:09:22.400 it all. And and I'll tell you there's not a 0:09:22.480 --> 0:09:25.760 lot of places like that left. And uh. Being able 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:29.600 to go out there and and and and see uh nature, 0:09:29.800 --> 0:09:35.880 see ecosystems as they're working, Um, is just pretty amazing, 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:40.160 especially in this century we live. And it's why I 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:42.360 pushed so hard for things like the Land of Water 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:46.199 Conservation Fund. Why because these ecosystems aren't going to be 0:09:46.240 --> 0:09:49.160 around in ten years or fifteen years. They're going to 0:09:49.200 --> 0:09:51.360 be developed. There's gonna be houses on them. There's gonna 0:09:51.400 --> 0:09:54.319 be chains across the across the posts in the road, 0:09:54.400 --> 0:09:56.880 so you can't go up and get to your favorite spot, 0:09:56.880 --> 0:09:59.800 whether it's for hunting or fishing or whatever. And so, 0:10:00.600 --> 0:10:03.680 uh we need to understand what we have, and we 0:10:03.720 --> 0:10:05.880 need to understand that if we don't look with a 0:10:05.960 --> 0:10:09.080 little bit of vision moving forward, it's simply not going 0:10:09.120 --> 0:10:11.559 to be here. And and it's one of the reasons 0:10:11.600 --> 0:10:16.520 too that that I really I'm nervous about the billionaires 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:19.160 that want to buy up ranches for their own you know, 0:10:19.520 --> 0:10:24.280 private hunting place. Um, many of these ranches, you know, 0:10:24.320 --> 0:10:26.319 they're the old time ranchers, are the folks that help, 0:10:26.920 --> 0:10:30.559 you know, build this state. And they were always open 0:10:30.640 --> 0:10:32.600 to have hunters come on as long as the hunter 0:10:32.679 --> 0:10:35.400 was respectful to the land. They could come on and 0:10:35.400 --> 0:10:37.120 they could hunt, and they could fish, they could do 0:10:37.160 --> 0:10:40.000 whatever ever they need to do as long as they gave, 0:10:40.160 --> 0:10:42.720 you know, got permission to do it. Now we're seeing 0:10:42.760 --> 0:10:46.720 these these you know, these big ranchers, billionaires coming in 0:10:46.760 --> 0:10:50.640 and buying up ranches and locking them up. And uh 0:10:50.720 --> 0:10:53.280 so now public land becomes that more valuable because now 0:10:53.320 --> 0:10:55.200 that private land is locked up, they don't put it 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:58.800 in block management. They don't and do things necessary to 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:02.240 do to be able to allow Um, you know us 0:11:02.360 --> 0:11:04.400 Montana is to be able to get out and enjoy 0:11:04.440 --> 0:11:06.080 the great outdoors. Yeah. I mean, I think a lot 0:11:06.120 --> 0:11:07.480 of people that listen to this show, and there's a 0:11:07.480 --> 0:11:09.520 lot of people that go outside, are particularly interested in 0:11:09.600 --> 0:11:12.199 your you know you started on that down that path 0:11:12.240 --> 0:11:13.959 a little bit and what you were just saying, but 0:11:14.120 --> 0:11:17.360 your philosophies and and maybe your ideologies around like land 0:11:17.480 --> 0:11:20.320 use in general. You know, how did you develop you know, 0:11:20.320 --> 0:11:23.080 where you currently stand on public land and private land 0:11:23.160 --> 0:11:25.080 use and and how all those things played together in 0:11:25.080 --> 0:11:27.320 this state in a very important way because there's a 0:11:27.320 --> 0:11:30.160 lot of public land here. Yep. Well, I mean, look, 0:11:30.679 --> 0:11:33.320 I'm a big believer in multiple use. I think public 0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:36.320 lands can be used in multiple ways, and I think 0:11:36.320 --> 0:11:39.120 it can help it can help hapitat for instance. Um, 0:11:39.720 --> 0:11:43.080 I think you know, well, managed forest helps habitat. That 0:11:43.120 --> 0:11:46.240 means you cut, you cut some trees, you you helped 0:11:46.280 --> 0:11:50.520 develop that grass basis out there. Um. I would also 0:11:50.640 --> 0:11:54.640 say that that that uh, um, why public lands have 0:11:54.800 --> 0:11:58.360 become such a big thing as is it? Um you 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:02.439 kind of take it for granted, unless unless there's a 0:12:02.640 --> 0:12:04.720 you've never been able to find a place to go hunt. 0:12:05.440 --> 0:12:07.839 And and and when I say you don't have to 0:12:07.840 --> 0:12:10.080 be a millionaire to go hunt in that public land. 0:12:10.120 --> 0:12:12.520 You know, we're all public land owners, that's right. So 0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:14.560 you can go out there and you can access it. 0:12:14.600 --> 0:12:17.120 If you take the time, you can, you can really 0:12:17.800 --> 0:12:22.200 have a really good experience. But but but but in 0:12:22.240 --> 0:12:24.760 the end, you know, it's the public lands. I mean, 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:27.760 if you take a look at western Mississippi versus Eastern Mississippi. 0:12:28.240 --> 0:12:30.319 I mean, that's one of the big issues. It's it's 0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:32.760 why when we talk about things like the Land Water 0:12:32.800 --> 0:12:34.920 Conservation Fund. Now it helps for parks in some of 0:12:34.920 --> 0:12:37.840 the cities and things, which is very very important, but 0:12:37.920 --> 0:12:41.120 the bulk of that goes to the west. Yeah. Yeah, 0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:43.079 I mean it's it's that's a veried use. And that's 0:12:43.120 --> 0:12:45.080 one of the big topics right now in in the 0:12:45.120 --> 0:12:48.760 public lands, uh sphere. And you've been a big proponent 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:52.840 of Lando Wark Conservation and everybody, hopefully everybody's listening to this, 0:12:52.920 --> 0:12:55.240 knows what that is. If you don't let me know, 0:12:55.280 --> 0:12:58.320 I'll tell you, I'll tell you in another format. But 0:12:58.800 --> 0:13:00.880 you've been a big proponent of at there. You know, 0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:05.120 I feel as though it's not as accepted among your 0:13:05.160 --> 0:13:07.440 colleagues in a lot of ways. And why do you 0:13:07.440 --> 0:13:09.880 think that is. I mean, it seems to me, uh, 0:13:09.960 --> 0:13:14.280 you're taking royalties from offshore drilling and you're you're forwarding that, uh, 0:13:14.640 --> 0:13:16.960 those moneys to play. Like you said, there's a park 0:13:16.960 --> 0:13:18.800 here in Bosman that my son plays that that has 0:13:18.800 --> 0:13:21.200 a little sign right right beside it that says funded 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:24.640 by l w CF. So, um, there's a lot of 0:13:24.640 --> 0:13:28.720 compelling reasons to to sign that villain and perpetuate that 0:13:28.800 --> 0:13:32.679 money year over year and fully fund this. Why you know, 0:13:32.880 --> 0:13:34.800 I think you've already said kind of why you support it, 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:38.120 But what what's the dynamic? Well, I think that part 0:13:38.120 --> 0:13:39.679 of the reasons. I don't think a lot of people 0:13:39.760 --> 0:13:43.520 understand that this really pays back to the treasury in 0:13:43.520 --> 0:13:46.920 a big, big way. Because you know, it's seven billion 0:13:46.960 --> 0:13:49.360 dollar year industry in the state of Montana, the outdoor 0:13:49.360 --> 0:13:53.079 economy of seventy four thousand jobs, arguably the biggest industry 0:13:53.080 --> 0:13:55.840 in the state of Montiana, and the Land and Water 0:13:55.880 --> 0:13:59.079 Conservation Fund is the key for access. It's the key 0:13:59.120 --> 0:14:02.320 to make sure we have of land. Moving forward, We've 0:14:02.320 --> 0:14:04.360 got this checkerboard thing going in where you've got a 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:07.760 section of public land a section of private land. And 0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:09.920 and you know you can't walk dagon lea across the 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:12.920 get right. You can get some amazements to make it 0:14:13.040 --> 0:14:16.520 so there's more accessibility and and and that's why I 0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:18.560 fight for it. I think the folks who are opposed 0:14:18.600 --> 0:14:20.920 to it are opposed because they don't think the federal 0:14:20.960 --> 0:14:24.720 government should own anything. Um, the federal government is us, 0:14:24.760 --> 0:14:26.760 by the way, it's our land. It's it's not the 0:14:26.760 --> 0:14:30.040 federal government owns it. It's And it seems to be 0:14:30.040 --> 0:14:32.760 a strange dichotomy whereas, you know, Center Mike Lee out 0:14:32.760 --> 0:14:36.000 of Utah is talking about introducing a homestead Act, and 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:38.640 your family homesteaded in this state of the nineteen ten, 0:14:38.800 --> 0:14:42.080 nineteen twelves, and here you are, you know, coming from 0:14:42.080 --> 0:14:45.480 a long line of homesteaders. And here's another here's the 0:14:45.840 --> 0:14:50.840 land transfer advocate talking about, you know, reinstating the Homestead 0:14:50.880 --> 0:14:54.200 Act and trying to spin up these this political jargon 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:56.760 around around that terminology. So how do you find that 0:14:56.800 --> 0:14:59.160 to be how do you speak about that in a 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:02.120 way that really hits home for folks that are confused 0:15:02.120 --> 0:15:05.720 because they're hearing from one side. Um in some ways, 0:15:05.760 --> 0:15:08.440 you know, Senator Least said it straight out, public land 0:15:08.480 --> 0:15:12.920 is elitist, wilderness is an elitist um principle. And on 0:15:12.960 --> 0:15:15.240 the other side, we're saying it's for everybody. Everybody owns it. 0:15:15.320 --> 0:15:17.960 So there's just, you know, like a lot in our politics, 0:15:17.960 --> 0:15:21.120 there's a large separation the division. Well, I can tell 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:23.160 you how I've found the most success, and it's just 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:27.920 talking about economy. Um, if if if, if it didn't 0:15:27.960 --> 0:15:32.160 contribute to seven billion dollars, and that's Montana's economy. Colorado's 0:15:32.160 --> 0:15:35.080 got different figures, Oregon has got different figures, Each state's 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:38.600 got different figures. If it didn't contribute seven billion dollars 0:15:38.600 --> 0:15:42.520 to our economy seventy four thousand jobs, it would be 0:15:42.560 --> 0:15:44.840 tougher to sell by just talking about quality life, even 0:15:44.840 --> 0:15:46.880 though quality of life is probably more important than all 0:15:46.920 --> 0:15:50.000 that stuff. But but but but so you have to 0:15:50.000 --> 0:15:52.240 talk about it from economy when when I'm talking to 0:15:52.320 --> 0:15:55.440 somebody who's who's a strict conservative, and by the way, 0:15:56.800 --> 0:15:59.840 strict conservatives based off of conservation, so you think that 0:16:00.000 --> 0:16:02.320 be on board, but they're not. But but when I'm 0:16:02.320 --> 0:16:04.280 talking to I'm talking to him about you know, this 0:16:04.360 --> 0:16:07.280 is jobs, this economy, this is we invested all or today, 0:16:07.320 --> 0:16:11.040 we get a dividend tomorrow. And and really that's that's 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:14.600 the pattern moving forward. And and but but you know, 0:16:14.800 --> 0:16:17.800 Mike Lee, you know where Michael is coming from. I'll 0:16:17.840 --> 0:16:19.920 tell you. I'll tell you the people that I get 0:16:20.040 --> 0:16:23.040 really really discussed it with. It's the folks that on 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:24.880 one stand will be with you on a news conference 0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:28.120 on Atlanta Water Conservation Fund and then thirty minutes later 0:16:28.120 --> 0:16:30.000 walking and take a vote to cut the Lanta Water 0:16:30.080 --> 0:16:33.960 for Conservation Fund. And regular people aren't paying attention to 0:16:33.960 --> 0:16:35.760 this stuff, so they never know when they get away 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:38.680 with it. But it drives me crazy. Either you understand 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:42.560 it and you're for it and you'll promote it like 0:16:42.680 --> 0:16:44.840 Richard Byrd does in North Carolina bout the way because 0:16:44.840 --> 0:16:48.280 he's a real stalwart for this fund, or or you 0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:50.760 turn around and say, you know what, I kind of 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:52.600 like it, but I'm not going to put it on 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:54.880 the line for it. And that's more accurate. You know, 0:16:54.960 --> 0:16:57.480 that's not hypocritic. Well, you you would imagine as you 0:16:57.520 --> 0:16:59.760 as you try to you know, you campaign and you 0:16:59.840 --> 0:17:02.160 try to spin up that what I would call pandering. 0:17:02.240 --> 0:17:05.160 That public land pandering is pretty easy to do. It's America, 0:17:05.160 --> 0:17:07.239 it's idealism, it's what we all get to share it. 0:17:07.240 --> 0:17:09.800 It's like everybody a big hug around this public lands. 0:17:10.080 --> 0:17:13.280 I think easy to do. Um. Your opponent, if you 0:17:13.320 --> 0:17:17.760 go to his website right now, says I support UM. Well, 0:17:17.800 --> 0:17:23.280 he says I oppose land transfer, and his record is 0:17:23.480 --> 0:17:25.280 maybe a little bit against that. What's your what's your 0:17:25.280 --> 0:17:28.800 take on that? My my take on that is is 0:17:28.800 --> 0:17:31.920 that I think he changed because Montana's told him that 0:17:31.960 --> 0:17:33.840 he wasn't going to get the first base if he didn't, 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:36.280 and so he changed. I still think internally he wants 0:17:36.320 --> 0:17:38.080 to transfer land to the States. I don't think there's 0:17:38.080 --> 0:17:40.320 any doubt about that. If you take a look at 0:17:40.359 --> 0:17:47.560 the the Kyo Ranch, um, the situation was on the landboard, 0:17:47.920 --> 0:17:53.720 a prime l cabitat for access to for hunters in Montana, 0:17:54.200 --> 0:17:56.520 and he voted against it. If you take a look 0:17:56.560 --> 0:17:59.960 at the Horse Creek twenty thousand acres in southeastern Montana, 0:18:00.160 --> 0:18:04.400 really really really good habitat uh and voted against it. Uh. 0:18:04.440 --> 0:18:06.680 There's a proposal in Washingt d C. Right now that's 0:18:06.680 --> 0:18:10.399 not a comprehensive proposal at all to remove wilderness study areas, 0:18:10.640 --> 0:18:13.040 just just remove them for no no particular reason, just 0:18:13.119 --> 0:18:16.800 remove them so you can mine them or whatever you want. Um. 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:22.000 And he supports that. He also has been supported by 0:18:22.320 --> 0:18:26.520 billionaire Wilkes brothers and their whole family both politically and 0:18:27.160 --> 0:18:30.360 through uh, through leases on his land. And I think 0:18:30.400 --> 0:18:33.240 a lot of the conservation votes he's taken to keep 0:18:33.280 --> 0:18:36.840 those easements out of things like Horse Creek in Tikio 0:18:37.000 --> 0:18:40.639 Ranch is because he's being influenced by those billionaire ranchers 0:18:40.640 --> 0:18:42.000 from out of state that want to buy up to 0:18:42.119 --> 0:18:45.560 lant to make a private hunting uh, you know, paradise 0:18:45.640 --> 0:18:49.399 for them only to use. It's it's uh, it's what 0:18:49.480 --> 0:18:51.720 we've got to be careful of his Montana's to be 0:18:51.800 --> 0:18:54.720 honest with you, and and I you know, look, there's 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:57.040 all sorts of folks that that come to this state 0:18:57.600 --> 0:19:00.600 and and I love them all as long as they 0:19:00.640 --> 0:19:03.040 appreciate that Montana is the greatest state in the greatest 0:19:03.040 --> 0:19:04.840 country in the world. And the reason it's the greatest 0:19:04.840 --> 0:19:06.440 state in the great country in the world is because 0:19:06.480 --> 0:19:10.080 of the people. And quite frankly, our public lands, access 0:19:10.119 --> 0:19:13.439 to the great outdoors. It's really that's simple. You know, 0:19:13.520 --> 0:19:16.160 you can go to New Jersey. I'm not urges is great, 0:19:16.280 --> 0:19:19.040 but you know it's not Montana by a long shot. 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:21.480 I mean I'm moving here from Texas. Yeah, I mean 0:19:21.520 --> 0:19:23.520 it is. Uh. And having lived in Illinois in the 0:19:23.560 --> 0:19:25.480 past and growing grew up out of East I mean 0:19:25.480 --> 0:19:27.920 there is Like I said when talking before we hit 0:19:27.960 --> 0:19:31.320 record about it's the way people speak about the outdoors here, 0:19:31.359 --> 0:19:34.720 the way um every weekend that you can't find anybody 0:19:34.720 --> 0:19:37.000 in town. I mean, there is a different not only 0:19:37.040 --> 0:19:39.480 a different lifestyle, but just a different way of thinking, 0:19:39.480 --> 0:19:41.520 in a different spirit and people that have the freedom 0:19:41.520 --> 0:19:43.679 to go outside and doing I agree, and I think 0:19:43.760 --> 0:19:46.320 it's it's it's good for you. I think it's it's 0:19:46.320 --> 0:19:48.720 good for your health and uh. And I think it's 0:19:48.720 --> 0:19:50.280 good for your mental health too. And it's one of 0:19:50.280 --> 0:19:52.320 the things that I serve as ranking member and the 0:19:52.400 --> 0:19:55.159 v A Committee is to use the outdoors, use use 0:19:55.240 --> 0:19:58.080 those programs of fishing and hunting out there to help 0:19:58.119 --> 0:20:01.200 these folks that are coming back from from seventeen years 0:20:01.200 --> 0:20:03.280 of war with with mental health issues. Because I think 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:05.600 it's good physically and I think it's good mentally, I 0:20:05.600 --> 0:20:08.000 think it's good for the soul. Yeah, I would agree 0:20:08.040 --> 0:20:10.720 with that. UM. Speaking of health, I want to talk 0:20:10.720 --> 0:20:14.119