Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer Speaks to Success of Recovery Act in Montana

For Immediate Release
August 19, 2009

Contact: Frank Benenati, 202-590-5603

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer Speaks to Success of Recovery Act in Montana

Despite Republicans Spreading Blatant Falsehoods on Recovery Act, MT Projects Already Underway and Jobs Saved

To listen to audio of the call, click here: http://www.democrats.org/page/-/audio/calls/ConfCall130p081909_1-2.mp3

Helena, MT -- Today, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer spoke first-hand to the local benefits of President Obama’s Economic Recovery Act on a conference call with reporters. On the call, he discussed the tremendous progress already made throughout the state from the Recovery Act passed earlier this year.

Monday marked six months since the signing of the landmark legislation by President Obama. In the face of an economic crisis, the magnitude of which we have not seen since the Great Depression, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act represents a strategic – and significant -- investment in our country’s future. The call also came in response to the many falsehoods spread by Republicans in Montana and Washington, DC about the success of the Recovery Act both nationally and state-wide.

On the call, the Governor spoke to the many projects already underway and jobs created by the Recovery Act. For example, he was asked if the recovery funds are getting into the state quickly enough to actually make their way to construction projects. In response, the Governor cited the Billings Shiloh road project – a $28 million project being paid for through the Recovery Act. For several years the people of Billings have been pushing for construction to begin and thanks to the Recovery funds, it finally has. Schweitzer said, “the Shiloh road will make their roads safer, it will decrease congestion in west Billings and it will allow a safer way to commute to work or get your kids on the school bus.”

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer:

“These recovery dollars are used in a great way in Montana for really making the highways safer so that when you or your spouse or your children are traveling to work or school you don’t have to worry about a bridge collapsing, or having a traffic light that is not repaired break down and create some problems. It makes the drinking water safer… our waste water systems healthier… and our state buildings and our schools more energy efficient, so that it will cost us less money to run our state in future years and it will decrease our dependence on foreign oil.”

“If you’re traveling across Montana, I will guaren-dang-tee ya that you’re gonna be stopped along the way and there will be people in hard hats driving big yellow tractors, pushing dirt around, fixing bridges, building bridges, repairing roads, making our highways safer. If you are traveling to Montana during this summer season, you’ll find construction crews working in many of our schools, making them more energy efficient. More than a thousand people are already working in Montana.”