We recently had a chance to catch up with Montana’s newly elected Senator Tim Sheehy and talked to him about his experience in office so far. The following are excerpts from our conversation. What inspired you to pursue public service? There is no higher calling in life than serving your country. My wife, Carmen, and I met at the Naval Academy and were both proud to serve our country: Carmen as a Marine and me as a Navy SEAL. We both know how rewarding it is to live a life of service. After I was wounded, I was blessed to live the American Dream — starting a business with an all-veteran team, creating hundreds of Montana jobs, protecting communities from wildfires, and donating millions across Montana to increase access to critical health care. After 9/11, thousands of us volunteered to serve our nation. When I saw Joe Biden’s disgraceful Afghanistan retreat, I knew we were in a tough spot as a country. I never considered entering politics until Biden’s disastrous withdrawal washed away the sacrifices made by our family and closest friends. It was heart-wrenching looking into my children’s eyes, knowing this failure marked an inflection point for America. That’s when I realized something was seriously wrong with our leadership back in D.C. and decided it was time to get involved in politics. I’ve been proud to serve our country since I was 18 years old, and it’s the honor of my life to serve each one of you as Montana’s U.S. Senator. My solemn promise to you is that, just as I did on the battlefields of Iraq, Afghanistan and on the frontlines of wildfires across the American West, I will never tire in my commitment to fight for you and the future of your kids and grandkids. As a newly elected Senator, has anything surprised you about working in D.C.? In such a polarized time in our nation, I think most people would be surprised at the willingness of many of my Senate colleagues to work across the aisle to get stuff done. For example, with the tragic January wildfires in southern California, we saw a culmination of modern wildfire dysfunction, and since then, I’ve been working with a number of Democrats — from New Jersey to California — to introduce a slate of bills to improve our federal wildland firefighting apparatus. Behind closed doors, many of my colleagues’ focus is on getting stuff done, not the political theater you often see on TV. I came to D.C. to solve problems and deliver results. That’s why I will work with Republicans and CATCHING UP WITH SENATOR Tim Sheehy 12 MONTANA AUTO DEALER
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