Guns, God and Land

Note: Congressman Zinke will debate House candidate and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau at Frazer School on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public.

A couple weeks ago, my good friend, Congressman Trey Gowdy visited Montana. I shared with him the history of our logging and mining industries. Explained how agriculture is not monolithic in our state, and talked about tourism in the west and coal, oil and gas in the east. So after about 450 miles of windshield time, around 1:30 a.m. he said to me, “Ryan, Montana is absolutely massive, we’ve been driving forever and we’ve talked about a variety of different things that are important in Montana. What are the top issues that really unite the whole state?” That was easy: guns, God and land. 

The Second Amendment is woven into the fabric of who we are as Montanans. My granddad took me out hunting when I was just a boy. It was those formative years that instilled in me both the importance of responsible firearm ownership and also a deep appreciation of our land and the duty we have to be good stewards. But I know that the Second Amendment is about more than hunting. It’s about self-defense and the principle of a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Our Second Amendment Rights protect all the others. 

I’m proud to have been endorsed by the NRA and have earned an A rating many times over my public service. Last year, when the Obama Administration started an ammo grab, I was on the front lines protecting our rights and preserving our access to ammunition. I’ve also continually fought for more and better access for sportsmen on our public lands. I assure you, I will keep fighting for our Second Amendment rights if you give me the opportunity. Should Hillary Clinton make it to the White House, Montana is going to need a steadfast Second Amendment ally in Congress. 

One nation under God. I see it every day when I buy a cup of coffee and the paper. America was founded on the principle that we get our rights from God, not from government. Whether you’re a Missouri Synod Lutheran like me, or Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, or even an Atheist, you know that government did not create you or your rights. Our rights are inalienable. There’s a reason that the Founders included protection for freedom of religion in the Bill of Rights.  

Lastly, our land. In Montana, our land and water is our way of life. And like you, I believe our land is best managed at the most local level – not by unelected bureaucrats in expensive buildings in Washington, D.C. These bureaucrats implement land grabs in the name of conservation. The Department of Interior claims they want to save the sage grouse, but what they really want to do is control our land. If the Obama/Clinton DOI had their way, coal, oil, and gas workers would be an endangered species – but you wouldn’t see the same protections as the sage grouse gets. Washington, D.C., and their liberal allies always think they know how to manage Montana better than Montana. Just look at the EPA: It’s completely out of control. We all agree on the importance of clean air and clean water, but the EPA’s crusade against agriculture is obscene. Waters of the U.S. has to go. I’ve proudly voted to defund and repeal WOTUS at every turn and will continue to do so.

There’s a lot at stake for Eastern Montana in this election. I may have been born in Bozeman but my family is from Glasgow. My grandparents helped to build the Fort Peck Dam and taught in a one room schoolhouse in Richey. I don’t just send staff to northeast Montana, I come and visit with you. I sit in your backyards and kitchen tables and talk about bison, trade with Canada, taxes, and whatever else is stuck to the refrigerator that day. I believe that’s just part of my job as your Congressman, and quite frankly I enjoy it. I look forward to earning your trust once again, and am working hard to earn your vote come November.

Ryan Zinke is the Republican congressman for Montana’s at-large congressional district.