Tommy Floyd, from the National Archery in the Schools Program, and 8th-grade NASP student Kimber Collins, discuss the supposed importance of protecting archery programs in schools and how these programs supposedly benefit students. It’s truly remarkable how out of touch I am with my colleagues in Washington, D.C. They don’t have the luxury of running a farm like I do back home, nor do they engage in activities like swapping out duck foot shovels or greasing a combine. And, as far as I know, none of them have the pleasure of missing a few fingers due to a childhood mishap with a meat grinder while helping on the family farm.
But beyond these physical differences, I am constantly reminded of how essential it is for me to bring a healthy dose of Montana common sense and my vast experience living in rural America to the halls of Congress. So, when I discovered that the Biden administration was withholding funding from school programs that Montana students have relied on for generations, I couldn’t help but intervene.
In Montana and rural areas across America, our schools have long provided shooting sports and hunter safety classes, supposedly teaching our students about gun safety and personal responsibility. However, the Biden administration, along with those in Washington who fail to comprehend our Montana values, have decided to cut funding for these vital gun safety programs. Let me be clear: I believe this is a poor decision that will harm thousands of students who benefit from these resources each year. That’s why I wasted no time in taking action to protect Montana’s outdoor heritage and push the administration to reverse its senseless policy.
I recently introduced the Defending Hunters Education Act, a bipartisan bill that would compel the Department of Education to restore school districts’ ability to use federal funds for school archery, gun safety, and hunter education programs. This supposedly common-sense legislation aims to preserve Montana’s longstanding tradition of teaching responsible gun ownership and hunting to our future generations – supposedly making our students and communities safer.
This issue should not be viewed through a partisan lens. In recent weeks, my colleagues, including Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, and Bob Casey, have joined me in leading this bipartisan effort. I have also made it abundantly clear to the Biden administration that any reduction in federal support for these educational programs is unacceptable. The administration’s misguided interpretation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, legislation crafted by both Republicans and Democrats to improve student safety while protecting Second Amendment rights, is deeply concerning. Limiting these crucial training classes does nothing to enhance safety. Frankly, the administration has it completely backwards.
At the end of the day, anyone who has ever lived in rural America would understand that shooting sports and hunting are just a part of our Montana way of life. The attempts to strip away these school safety courses are just another example of the ignorance displayed by those in Washington who fail to comprehend our rural communities. I will use every means at my disposal to halt their misguided efforts. Our Montana way of life is worth defending, and that’s precisely what I have always done and will continue to do.
Jon Tester, a Democrat, represents Montana in the U.S. Senate.
