Staff Reports
Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) is at it again, folks! Blaming Republicans for the millions of dollars’ worth of fancy fentanyl scanners gathering dust at the southern border. In a move that surprises absolutely no one, Tester is demanding that Congress fork over the cash needed to get these high-tech gizmos up and running. But here’s the kicker, Customs and Border Protection doesn’t have the $300 million required to install them. And who does Tester point the finger at for this mess? You guessed it, the Republicans!
Vulnerable Montana Democrat Tester picks a border fight to find more fentanyl https://t.co/zKCiNT4HBE via @dcexaminer
— Mike (@gupdiver) March 8, 2024
The CBP Commissioner, Troy Miller, spilled the beans to NBC News, revealing that the reason these nifty scanners remain unused is because of the lack of funding. But instead of taking some responsibility, Tester is quick to throw shade at the GOP, claiming they blocked a bipartisan border deal that would have provided the funds for the scanning installation. Classic move, Senator.
According to Tester, these scanners are the bee’s knees, allowing CBP agents to catch the bad guys trying to smuggle fentanyl and other contraband into the good ol’ U.S. of A. He’s even gone as far as to pen a letter to the House and Senate appropriations committees, making a fuss about the whole situation. But hold on a minute, doesn’t it sound a bit fishy that Tester’s blaming the other side and not working on a solution himself?
Now, the plot thickens! To make matters juicier, in October, those crafty Republicans requested an investigation into how the CBP used the $1.9 billion they received to beef up border screening in 2018. They wanted to know why, with that hefty sum, only 2% of vehicles were actually scanned. But did Tester acknowledge this valid concern? Of course not! He’s too busy pointing fingers to notice that maybe, just maybe, there’s some mismanagement going on.
And get this, folks, the CBP is only scanning less than 5% of personal vehicles because they claim it would slow down trade and travel. Oh, the horror! But fear not, they have big dreams of bumping that up to 40% by 2026. Sounds like a real go-getter, right? *eye roll*
So, what’s the deal with the $118 billion border bonanza that went belly-up last month? Well, the Republicans gave it a big fat thumbs down, and Tester just can’t let that slide. He’s been wagging his finger at the GOP, scolding them for not jumping on board with the bill that would supposedly fix up the U.S.-Mexico border. It’s almost like he’s forgotten that it takes two to tango when it comes to these bipartisan deals.
But wait, there’s more! Tester has also been huffing and puffing about the Biden administration, urging them to pull out all the stops to tackle the border crisis. It seems like he’s pointing fingers in every direction except his own! Classic move, Senator, classic move.
And let’s not forget about Tester’s pet project, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act. He’s been strutting around, co-sponsoring this bipartisan bill that aims to crack down on fentanyl smuggling and target its supply chains. All in an effort to keep that deadly opioid off the streets. His commitment to finding solutions to the fentanyl fiasco in his state is commendable, but let’s not kid ourselves here, Tester’s definitely basking in the spotlight, milking every ounce of PR out of this situation.
To wrap it all up with a nice, red, white, and blue bow, Tester’s playing the vulnerable Democrat card, facing reelection this year. But instead of focusing on his own track record, he’s parading around tough stances on fentanyl and the border crisis, trying to win over the Republicans in his red state. Clever move, but will it work? Only time will tell. So, sit tight, folks, and keep an eye on this political pawn maneuvering through the chessboard of Montana politics.
