Viewpoint: Cowards in Congress
Jack Ballard
They campaigned as tough guys, military men with the courage and character to stand up to America’s enemies and those who would lead the country in the wrong direction. Ryan Zinke reminded voters of his Navy Seal command on nearly every campaign stop.
Tim Sheehy dubbed himself an “American Warrior” on bumper stickers and yard signs. Troy Downing included an image of a military helicopter on billboards. And Steve Daines, the Senator who handpicked Sheehy as a candidate, breathlessly backed these Republican strongmen.
But in the face of a flaccid, foolhardy 78-year-old in the Oval Office, the entire delegation from Montana has shown themselves a bunch of scared sissy-boys.
One of the most fundamental tasks of the Congress is to serve as a check on the Executive Office when it engages in activities that are illegal, unethical or unwise. The President’s hopelessly misguided tariffs will add thousands of dollars in expenses to the average Montana household over the next year.
Surging vehicle prices, expensive building materials and higher grocery bills are on the horizon. China has already enacted retaliatory tariffs. Other countries are drafting their own countermeasures. Tariffs will doubtlessly constrict the flow of agricultural products from our state to the world. Other Montana commodities and products will see their markets shrink as well.
And the tariffs aren’t the only problem. In states where international tourism is foundational to the economy, businesses are already suffering as foreign tourists, outraged by the tariffs and the President’s bullying behavior, are staying away. In previous years, visitors from Canada pumped over 20 billion dollars into the U. S. economy, but polling indicates 36% of Canadians planning to travel to the U. S. in 2025 have already cancelled their bookings.
Compared to the same period last year, air travel from Canada to the States declined 70%. In Great Falls, where 20% of economic spending comes from our northern neighbors, the community is already witnessing a precipitous decline.
Outdoor recreation and agriculture are Montana’s two most important industries. One would think our congressional delegation would vigorously oppose White House actions that have alienated international visitors and levied tariffs harmful to farmers, ranchers and small businesses. But our tough guys have yet to sign onto any of the even modest resistance coming from Republicans in Washington.
It’s past time we had a Congress willing to stand up to the Presidency, regardless of which party is in power. Our country is now largely governed by Executive Orders as the House and Senate stand idly by. Trump ripped up Obama’s Executive Orders. Biden ripped up Trump’s. Now Trump is adding ill-advised directives on a steroidal schedule, giving us tantrum-like tariffs, along with social and economic chaos.
Too bad our state’s new batch of representatives, and their obsequious partner in the Senate (Daines), haven’t the guts to do anything about it.
Jack Ballard is an award-winning writer from Red Lodge.