Montana Republican Senate candidate Tim Sheehy wants more government expansion to invest in companies like his

According to a recent Bloomberg article, Montana Senate candidate Tim Sheehy wants a new branch of the federal government to provide better contracts for private contracting companies similar to the one he owns.

The article outlines Sheehy’s background as a Marine and later as the founder of Bridger Aerospace, a company that specializes in fighting wildfires. Bridger receives the majority of its earnings from federal contracts that Sheehy, a conservative, said he wants to see expanded.

“Ideally, he’d like a dedicated branch of federal government, akin to the Coast Guard, with its own staff and budget,” the article reads. “In the interim, he’s pushing for measures including better forest management, programs to make rural firefighting jobs more attractive, improved training and technology and longer-term contracts for private contractors.”

Since joining the Montana Senate race, Sheehy has touted reining in federal spending on multiple occasions. During an appearance on the KGVO radio station in Missoula last June, Sheehy criticized government spending and the pumping of “trillions of dollars into the economy.”

“Montanans look at the government, in my opinion, and I think we saw this during COVID, and they say government is not the solution to our problems,” Sheehy said.

Despite his words, Sheehy’s company received a $774,300 loan as a part of the Paycheck Protection Program in April 2020. This loan and the accrued interest was entirely forgiven because of federal dollars. Sheehy has also faced ethical concerns about retaining his role as the CEO of Bridger despite seeking a U.S. Senate seat.

Last week, Sheehy received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump just hours after U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale (R) entered the race. Rosendale suspended his campaign on Thursday night, just six days after starting it. Sheehy is now the frontrunner to face incumbent Sen. Jon Tester (D) in the general election this November. Although the race is still designated a tossup, recent polling has Tester nine percentage points ahead of Sheehy.