Recap: 2,000 Miles Across Montana Rep. Zinke Visits Hi-Line, Eastern Montana, Hamilton

Press Release

Between Sunday, October 11th and Saturday, October 17th, Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke covered 2,000 miles and hosted or attended more than 25 events including more than a dozen town hall style meetings where members of the public were encouraged to come ask Rep. Zinke questions. Zinke made stops in Havre, Browning, Cut Bank, Shelby, Chester, Malta, Glasgow, Wolf Point, Culbertson, Bainville, Sidney, Glendive, Baker, Miles City, Colstrip, Billings, Stevensville and Hamilton. To put things in perspective, it's roughly the same distance as driving from Caribou, Maine, to Key West, Florida.

Rep. Zinke said: "Some people ask why I traveled 2,000 miles across Montana and hosted meetings in small towns. The answer is easy: I work for the entire state of Montana and it's important to stay accountable to all the people of Montana. I think there's a lot of frustration that Congress is not in session for a week -- I want to make sure folks know I'm still working and I am making their priorities my priorities. I'm fifth generation Montanan with roots in east and west Montana, it's important to stay true to those roots."

"Water, water, water -- that's what I'm hearing across our state," continued Rep. Zinke. "Whether you're in Browning and want Congress to pick up the Blackfeet Compact, you're in Malta and are worried about the CMR being designated a monument, you're in Miles City and being told your cow pond has too much cow residue in it, or generally concerned about Waters of the U.S. rule by the EPA, water issues are top.

"Responsible development of our natural resources is a huge issue as well across our state. Folks in Colstrip are worried their jobs -- and entire town, really -- are going to be killed by the EPA, and workers in Baker are begging for the Keystone XL pipeline to be built and the ban on crude exports to be lifted. All this is an issue because Montana workers know the importance of energy to our local economy.

"Without a strong economy, we can't have anything else. Growing jobs in agriculture, energy and tourism are critical to Montana's economy and our nation's success. That's why I hold these public meetings: I need to hear first-hand how the issues impact the small towns in our state, and let folks know that I'm on top of it."

Congressman Zinke's schedule from the week is below. Note: local press and members of the public were invited to all public events and given more than a week's notice.

Source