As a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2006, Democrat Jon Tester (D-MT) routinely preached the importance of fiscal responsibility, and promised Montanans he would “lead efforts to balance the federal budget.” 

But today, Tester voted with his Washington party bosses against even considering a measure to balance the federal budget while cutting runaway spending now and capping Washington’s spending in the future – just the latest in a long pattern of Tester putting his liberal Washington agenda ahead of keeping his promises to Montanans.

“Sadly, it’s not surprising that Senator Tester would break his promise and vote against even considering a balanced federal budget today.  But Montanans are no doubt wondering how Tester explains his vote today to kill a balanced budget in light of his repeated promises to lead the fight for a balanced budget in Washington.” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond today.

Since coming to Washington, Tester has routinely abandoned his previous support for fiscal responsibility, instead choosing to rubberstamp President Barack Obama’s reckless spending agenda – including the failed $787 billion stimulus and $2 trillion health care overhaul.

In fact, it’s been 814 days since Tester and his fellow Senate Democrats have proposed any federal budget, much less the balanced budget Tester promised to spearhead.  Meanwhile, in yet another indication that Tester and Obama’s deficit spending has failed to create the jobs they promised, Montana’s unemployment rate rose in June to 7.5 percent in the wake of the failed $787 billion stimulus.