(Big Sandy, Mont.) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester, Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today released the following statement in honor of Montana’s fallen on Memorial Day:

“Our country stands on the shoulders of hundreds of thousands of Americans who died fighting to defend our freedom and protect our democracy. On Memorial Day, we remember and honor each of those who lost their lives in service to this country. These are the heroes that have made Montana the Last Best Place, and our country the greatest in the world. I’ll never stop fighting for them.”

In a statewide op-ed, Tester honored Montana’s fallen heroes and underscored our country’s sacred obligation to continue honoring their loved ones and fellow servicemembers through real actions, not just words.

As Chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Tester has worked to improve the delivery of health care services and benefits for veterans and their families. This includes laws authored by Tester to deliver for toxic-exposed veterans and survivors under the PACT Act, strengthen support for women veterans under the Deborah Sampson Act, bolster mental health care services under the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act (Hannon Act), as well as bolster veterans’ access to community care and expand VA caregiver benefits to veterans of all eras and their families under the VA MISSION Act.