U.S.

Senator Jon Tester

Monthly Column
November, 2015
As your Senator, my top priority is always the safety and security of those who call Montana home.
The horrible terrorist attacks in Paris have left America with a choice. We can repeat the mistakes of the
past or we can learn from them.
Like most folks, I remember exactly where I was when the United States was attacked on September
11th. That horrendous assault on our nation called for us to act, and we did.
But while we were rising from the rubble, we made some serious mistakes, none greater than the
passage of the Patriot Actone of the worst laws to ever come out of Washington.
The Patriot Act gave the government the ability to spy on law-abiding Americans, and it has taken us
over a decade to repeal just some of the harmful provisions of this law.
It should serve as a reminder that we must never forfeit the values and ideals that make America the
greatest country on earth.
As I work to keep our nation safe, I believe Congress must take a deliberate approach and not respond
with policy that we will regret later on.
Yes, we must thoroughly investigate every refugee from the Middle East who enters the United States.
While the current vetting process takes nearly two years, I have been asking the Departments of
Homeland Security and State how we can toughen up this process to make sure it will be one-hundred
percent effective. And I will continue to work to strengthen other parts of our immigration system to
better protect our country.
But those who are creating the false choice between national security and sacrificing American values
are wrong. We can strengthen our borders, keeping America safe while also promoting the same
principles that inspired our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents to flee their countries and
live in the best nation in the world.
You have my commitment that I will do everything possible to keep America safe. I will not respond to
tragedy out of fear. I will not govern with knee-jerk reactions but instead with thoughtful and effective
policy.
By standing strong and never forsaking the freedoms that this country was founded on, we will continue
to promote the core values that make this nation great.
Jon Tester is Montanas senior Senator and the only member of the Congressional delegation on the
Senate Homeland Security Committee.