Law Enforcement & Public Safety

Jon is a tireless advocate for Montana’s law enforcement and first responders, and he’ll always fight to get them the funding and resources they need to keep our families and communities safe.

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Jon has consistently secured funding to beef up border security and to support law enforcement agencies at the local, state, and federal level. During the pandemic, Jon secured $1.25 billion in direct relief through the American Rescue Plan Act to keep critical services like cops and firefighters on the beat.

Jon is also pushing bipartisan legislation to ensure our first responders get the pay and benefits they deserve. His First Responder Fair RETIRE Act would allow federal first responders with dangerous jobs—including federal law enforcement officers, CBP officers, and firefighters—to keep their retirement benefits if they are injured on the job and return to work in an administrative position. Jon also supports legislation to give Border Patrol agents the pay raise they deserve, to create a streamlined grant program for smaller law enforcement agencies, and to provide law enforcement officers with more tools so they can better respond to individuals in a mental health crisis.

To help protect our kids and communities from dangerous drugs, Jon introduced his bipartisan ANTI Drug Act to increase funding for anti-drug trafficking taskforces and support local efforts to combat drug trafficking across Montana.

Jon will always fiercely defend the folks who work their tails off to keep us safe.

Tester Leads Bipartisan Bill to Hire More Law Enforcement Officers in Montana
Senator’s Recruit and Retain Act helps boost hiring, creates schools-to-law enforcement pipeline; Bill is supported by Fraternal Order of Police, National Sheriffs Association, National Association of Police Organizations, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association As a part of...
Tester, Lankford Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Connect Transitioning Servicemembers with Border Security Careers
Senators’ Veterans Border Patrol Training Act will bolster border security workforce and increase hiring of transitioning servicemembers Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and U.S. Senator James Lankford (R-Okla.) are introducing bipartisan legislation to set up servicemembers transitioning out of the military...
Tester Presses President Biden to Strengthen Border Security, Combat Flow of Fentanyl in Bipartisan Letter
Senator calls for increased investment in technology to secure our borders and stop illicit drug trafficking As part of his continued effort to secure America’s borders and combat the flow of fentanyl to Montana, U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-Mont.) sent...