Zinke stumps at the Blue Moon as election draws near

Congressman Ryan Zinke made a swing through Columbia Falls last week, stopping at the Blue Moon as he makes one last push across the state before election day.

“There ain’t nothing more Montanan than the Blue Moon,” Zinke said. Zinke didn’t give a speech to the friendly crowd, but just chatted it up with his constituents.

“There isn’t a person in this bar I don’t work for,” he said after spending a couple of hours shaking hands and talking issues.

Zinke talked about a couple of issues during a brief interview with the Hungry Horse News.

Recently Columbia Falls Junior High students expressed concern about terrorism and the threat of the Islamic State during their mock electioon.

Zinke said what Congress needs to do hold open hearings on an authorization to use military force which would force the Obama Administration to give Congress a plan of action. That would allow the country to plan a strategy to defeat ISIS.

Right now, Zinke is worried about the U.S.’s role in the conflict, as a variety of Iraqi and Iranian forces fight to take over ISIS controlled cities.

His main concern is there could be another refugee crisis — as many as 1.2 million displaced by the war.

On the home front, he provided a moderate view of the Affordable Care Act. He said there are parts of the act that work well, like the provision that requires insurers pay for treatment of pre-existing conditions, but there are big problems, as well.

He noted businesses are making decisions based on health care costs and people are taking second jobs just to pay for healthcare. He wasn’t in favor of simply dropping the ACA.

“We can’t repeal until we have a workable model,” he said.

He suggested Congress create “a bridge” to a “known destination” that would address the problems in the ACA.