Former Lt. Governor John Walsh (D. MT) who is running and was appointed to Senator Max Baucus' (D. MT) Senate seat came out swinging in his first speech on the U.S. Senate floor:
http://missoulian.com/...
In his first floor speech as a U.S. senator, Montana Democrat John Walsh on Thursday said he wants to cut the nation’s debt and “wasteful spending,” but not impact veterans, children or senior citizens.
“We need to find the courage to stand up to special interests and to cut wasteful spending, but we must not do it on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens,” he said.
He said he’s heard from Montana veterans frustrated with how far they must travel to get medical care from the Veterans Administration and delays in processing disability claims.
The country must do a better job helping veterans, both in delivering benefits and helping them transition to civilian society after combat, including mental health services, he said.
“I know how difficult that transition can be,” Walsh said. “I have experienced it. I have witnessed it. And I will take responsibility to improve it.” - The Missoulan, 2/27/14
Walsh, a retired colonel in the National Guard, has been talking up his military record on the campaign trail. His first speech echoed what he's been talking about on the campaign trail. But Walsh also called for cutting wasteful military spending and defending civil liberties:
http://mtstandard.com/...
On reducing the nation’s debt, Walsh said a good starting point would be reducing waste in military contracting and procurement. For example, the Armed Forces spend “millions” to hire private firms to check identification at military bases, rather than have service members do the job, he said.
He also said he’s spent his career protecting the freedoms enjoyed by Americans, and that as senator, he will work to protect civil liberties, which the government is not doing enough to preserve.
“Bulk data collection with no transparency, whether by the government or by private corporations, is unacceptable,” Walsh said. - The Montana Standard, 2/28/14
You can watch Walsh's speech here:
Walsh has also come out in support of cracking on down on sexual assault in the military by backing Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's (D. NY) Military Justice Improvement Act:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Walsh has also joined Senator Mark Udall (D. CO) in cracking down on the NSA by passing the USA FREEDOM Act:
Here in Montana, we value our privacy. But despite all the attention that it gets in the news, Washington has done little to stop the NSA from blatantly violating our constitutionally guaranteed freedoms.
In one of my first acts as senator, I teamed up with many of my colleagues -- including my friend Jon Tester and Senator Mark Udall of Colorado -- to co-sponsor a bipartisan bill that would sharply limit the NSA’s surveillance program.
Become a citizen co-cosponsor of the USA FREEDOM Act now to join me in protecting all Americans’ civil liberties and right to privacy.
http://johnwalsh2014.com/...
The NSA has collected the records of law-abiding Americans, chipping away at our fundamental right to privacy.
Aaron, the USA FREEDOM Act puts an end to all that. And if that’s not enough, it’s supported by the top names in the tech industry—Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, and more.
Here’s what our bipartisan bill would accomplish:
Prohibit government from using ‘back-door searches’ to scan for Americans’ records in information collected on foreign targets.
Establish reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Court, which oversees the NSA’s surveillance activities.
Ends the FISA Amendments Act – the law that allows the government to spy on phone calls, text messages, and emails – in June 2015 – much earlier than originally planned.
Fighting to fix irresponsible policies like this one is very important to me as a U.S. Senator and as a candidate. Montanans deserve a leader who has the courage to secure our nation without sacrificing our freedoms.
Join me in supporting the USA FREEDOM Act now. Let’s show Washington we won’t back down.
http://johnwalsh2014.com/...
Thanks,
John
You can click here to add your name:
http://johnwalsh2014.com/...
And if you want to donate or get involved with Walsh's campaign, you can do so here:
http://johnwalsh2014.com/