Jon Tester (D-MT) criticized the Biden Administration for its handling of the southern border. The senator, who will seek a fourth term in November, published an op-ed that he aimed at both the president and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas for allowing the situation to reach an "unacceptable" point.
In the article, published on Monday in the Independent Record, he called on the president and Congress to get to work to secure the border in the face of the immigration crisis.
"Montanans know that what's happening at our southern border right now is a serious problem, plain and simple. No matter your political beliefs, allowing anyone to enter the country without being properly vetted or going through a legal process undermines our national security. We know that drug cartels are taking advantage of these gaps in our border security to traffic drugs and people across the border," the Democrat wrote.
For too long, Congress has kicked the can down the road on securing our southern border. The kicking needs to stop.
I'm committed to working with anyone to get a commonsense deal done that secures our borders and protects our national security:https://t.co/hqyv6Hm3SF
— Senator Jon Tester (@SenatorTester) January 22, 2024
"That needs to stop. For too long, Congress has kicked the can down the road on securing our southern border and some have even refused to fund it. It's time to stop kicking and get the job done," he added.
Finally, Tester asked the political leadership to leave behind partisan flags and take care of guaranteeing border security.
"Simply put, protecting our country by securing our southern border shouldn't be a partisan issue – it's an American issue. Montanans from all political stripes understand that the current systems in place are broken. They want to know why their elected leaders are so dysfunctional that they can't seem to fix it. My message to the president and my colleagues in Congress is simple: It's time to stop pointing fingers, quit using the border as a political talking point, and roll up our sleeves," he concluded.
The strategy of moderation in the face of the elections
Since arriving in the Senate, Tester has habitually turned a traditionally Republican state like Montana blue every six years. He did it in 2012 and 2018 and hopes to do it again in 2024.
His most notable election was that of 2012 because it also coincided with a presidential election. In Montana, Mitt Romney defeated Barack Obama by 14 points, at the same time that the senator managed to secure a second term after defeating Denny Rehberg by four points.
This good performance at the polls was partly possible due to his moderation strategy ahead of the general elections. For example, the 115th Congress occurred between January 2017 and January 2019, when Trump was still president. With the elections scheduled for November 2018, the senator had one year and 11 months to somehow reinforce his image as a moderate in front of voters.
During this time period, Tester voted 38.1% of the time with the Trump position, then lowered that number to 16.3% during the next Congress.
According to GovTrack, he is the fourth most moderate Democrat in the Senate, surpassed only by Joe Manchin, Raphael Warnock, and Maggie Hassan.
In turn, Tester is the most popular among Democratic senators seeking re-election in 2024. According to Morning Consult, he has a 60% positive and 30% negative image, which also places him as the eighth most popular member of the Senate.
