Senator Jon Tester said the path out of the country's economic malaise is investment in infrastructure during a wide-ranging conference call with reporters last week.

"We all know what dire straights the economy is in," he said. "I strongly believe the answer is building the economy from the ground up."

The senator cited infrastructure projects and job creation as key, saying that the tax revenue created by the new jobs would help pay the initial debt incurred back down.

He said that since there will be no earmarks in the bill that it's impossible to say what, if any, Montana projects might be included. Tester did respond to a question about the qualifications of the proposed Highway 93 bypass in Kalispell that it seemed like "a very good fit for the stimulus plan."

Tester characterized the progress on that bill as being "in the first inning."

On other issues Tester said he looked forward to working with controversial new Illinois Senator Roland Burris, who was sworn in on the Senate floor during the call.

Tester said that fears about President Barack Obama's "common sense gun control" were unfounded in the face of much more pressing issues for legislators.

"I have not heard one whimper about gun control in the halls of Congress," he said. "I think it's the least of our worries at this time and I am a strong supporter of the second amendment."