Senate Reform Fund – Turned Fact Check
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SENATE REFORM FUND – TURNED FACT CHECK FACT CHECK • Senate Reform Fund is a dark money group that deliberately organized itself to avoid disclosing its funding for months while it airs attack ads against Jon Tester. • Jon Tester has had 18 bills signed into law by President Trump and has been recognized as one of the most effective lawmakers in Congress and for working across the aisle to get things done for Montana. • Jon Tester worked to ensure any final Clean Water Rule worked for Montana farmers and ranchers, and has a track record of beating back onerous Washington regulations on things like cow pies, farm dust, and spent grain. Matt Rosendale is a multimillionaire developer from Maryland who bought a $2 million trophy ranch, calls himself a rancher but doesn’t own any cattle, turned Montana farmland into real estate, and voted for “unanimously pro- developer” legislation that would have hurt Montana farmers. • Jon Tester, who helped create the Healthy Montana Kids program in Montana, relentlessly fought to secure long- term funding and certainty for the Children’s Health Insurance Program and for Montana Community Health Centers – and succeeded. Matt Rosendale, who rubberstamped rate hikes up to 23 percent on Montanans, voted to sustain legislation that would have penalized Montana critical access hospitals and Community Health Centers for using a drug discount program and cut rural access to care, for legislation that would have reduced eligibility for Healthy Montana Kids, and against Montana’s Medicaid Plan that has strengthened Community Health Centers. • Jon Tester has backed tough sanctions against the Iranian regime and its Hizballah allies, and was a leader in strengthening the security of the visa waiver program to prevent terrorists from entering the United States. Matt Rosendale has consistently opposed legislation to keep Montanans safe, from voting to slash funding for the agency that coordinates counterterrorism in Montana, to opposing ending the terror gun loophole, to voting against toughening prosecution of sex criminals. • Jon Tester, as Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, has been a leader in working with the Trump Administration to secure our borders, and has fought tirelessly throughout his career to put more boots on the ground and deploy technology to secure the Northern and Southern borders. Matt Rosendale was one of 7 Senators to vote against bipartisan legislation to crack down on human trafficking in Montana, and supported the tax plan that adds $2 trillion to the debt, threatens cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and disproportionately benefits the wealthiest Americans, insurance companies, and corporate executives. CLAIM FACTS V/O: Jon Tester says JON TESTER HAD 18 BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HAS he's a Montana BEEN PRAISED FOR WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE TO GET THINGS DONE moderate. HEADLINE: “Tester Named One Of Congress’ Most EffectIve Senators.” [Missoula ONSCREEN: JON Current, 9/29/17] TESTER TURNS LIBERAL Jon Tester’s BIll To DesIgnate East Rosebud Creek As WIld And ScenIc Was His 18th Bill SIgned Into Law By PresIdent Trump. [Great Falls Tribune, 8/3/18] V/O: But he turned liberal, voting with • 2017: Center For EffectIve Lawmaking Named Jon Tester Among The Most EffectIve Nancy Pelosi for EPA Lawmakers In Congress. [News Release, Center for Effective Lawmaking, 9/26/17] regulations that hurt Montana farmers HEADLINE: “Tester’s BIpartIsan Efforts ServIng Our Veterans.” [Editorial, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 7/14/17] ONSCREEN: VOTED FOR EPA RULES HEADLINE: “Tester Clearheaded On Issues Montanans Care About.” [Editorial, Montana THAT HURT Standard, 2/22/18] MONTANA FAMERS. DaIly Inter Lake EdItor Frank MIele: “Sen. Tester Should Be Commended For Finding A SOURCE: ROLL Way To Get ThIngs Done That Are Important.” [Frank Miele, Daily Inter Lake, 10/28/17] CALL VOTE 296 11/3/15, ROLL CALL Missoulian EdItorIal: “Jon Tester…[Has] Demonstrated A WIllIngness To Set PolItIcs VOTE 297 11/4/15, AsIde In Order To Get ThIngs Done For Montana.” [Missoulian, Editorial, 11/6/14] ROLL CALL VOTE 5 1/21/16, ROLL CALL JON TESTER RELENTLESSLY PUSHED TO ENSURE THE CLEAN WATER RULE WAS VOTE 45 1/13/16 FAIR TO MONTANA FARMERS AND RANCHERS 2015: Jon Tester On The FInal Waters Of The UnIted States Rule: “For Rural EconomIes To Thrive, This Rule Needs To Protect Habitat And Our DrInkIng Water, And It Needs To Be FaIr For Agriculture.” [Great Falls Tribune, 5/27/15] Jon Tester Voted For Clean Water Rule Amendment StressIng The Importance Of ProtectIng Watersheds And MaIntaInIng ExIstIng ExemptIons For AgrIculture Under The Clean Water Act. [CQ, 3/25/15; S.Amdt. 755 to S.Con.Res. 11, Vote 87, 3/25/15; E&E News Daily, 3/26/15] Bozeman DaIly ChronIcle: Jon Tester Wrote A Letter “UrgIng CautIon” On ImplementIng The EPA’s Waters of the UnIted States Rule “When It Comes To The Needs Of Farmers And Ranchers.” [Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 10/25/14] • Jon Tester Urged EPA AdmInIstrator McCarthy To Ensure “Adequate PrIvacy ProtectIons” For Farmers And Ranchers Under The FInal Waters Of The UnIted States Rule. [Jon Tester letter to the EPA Administrator McCarthy, Army Secretary McHugh, and USDA Secretary Vilsack, 10/20/14; Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 10/25/14] JON TESTER, THE ONLY WORKING FARMER IN THE SENATE, HAS BEEN A RELENTLESS ADVOCATE FOR MONTANA AGRICULTURE HEADLINE: “Senators StandIng Up For Farmers And Ranchers.” [Editorial, Williston Herald, 7/22/17] Jon Tester-Cosponsored Measure To Permanently ElIminate A RegulatIon RequIring Small FamIly Farmers And Ranchers To Report EmIssIons From AnImal Waste Was Signed Into Law. [Great Falls Tribune, 3/21/18; Cosponsors, S. 2421, Library of Congress, 3/20/18; Public Law 115-141, 3/23/18] • Montana Stockgrowers AssocIatIon And Montana Farm Bureau Endorsed “Common Sense” FARM Act For CuttIng Burdensome Regulations And Protecting Montana Ranchers. [Great Falls Tribune, 3/21/18; News Release, Montana Farm Bureau, 3/22/18] MissoulIan: Jon Tester Led A BIpartisan Group Of Western Senators PushIng Federal Trade Officials To Confront India’s Imposition Of 50 Percent Tariffs On Pulse Crop Exports. [Missoulian, 11/24/17] Jon Tester Successfully Pushed The U.S. Department Of Agriculture To Suspend Imports Of BrazilIan Beef. [Letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, 6/21/17; Reuters, 6/22/17] • U.S. Cattleman’s AssocIatIon “Commend[ed]" Jon Tester For RaIsIng Issues WIth BrazilIan Beef And BeIng “Adamant About The U.S. Cattle Industry’s Concerns WIth Brazil.” [High Plains Journal, 7/5/17] Jon Tester Helped Pressure The Obama AdmInIstratIon To Back Off Proposed RegulatIon Of Family Farm GraIn Storage. [Letter to OSHA Acting Director William Perry, 1/14/14; Farm Week Now, 2/17/14] • HEADLINE: “OSHA Backs Off RegulatIons On Small Farms' GraIn Storage.” [Mississippi Business Journal, 2/13/14] UnIversIty of Montana Professor: Jon Tester Was A “Hero” To Small Farmers For “EnsurIng Folks That Market Locally Won’t Be Saddled In RegulatIons” In Food Safety ModernIzatIon BIll. “ [Missoulian, 1/3/11] Montana Standard: Obama AdmInIstratIon FDA KIlled “Onerous” Spent GraIn RegulatIons On Brewers And Ranchers After Jon Tester “Demand[ed] That The Agency Drop The Proposal.” [Montana Standard, 10/1/14] BIllIngs Gazette: EPA Released New Clean AIr Regulations WIth No Mention Of Farm Dust After “Jon Tester…Pressed EPA To Leave Farm Dust Alone.” [Billings Gazette, 12/15/12] MATT ROSENDALE IS A MULTIMILLIONAIRE DEVELOPER WHO BOUGHT A $2 MILLION TROPHY RANCH AND TURNED FARMLAND INTO REAL ESTATE MTN News: “Matt Rosendale: The State AudItor And Real-Estate Manager From Glendive Reported Assets Valued From $7 Million To $32 Million.” [MTN News, 2/15/18] • August 2002: Matt Rosendale Purchased A WorkIng Ranch At AuctIon For $2.175 MillIon In GlendIve. [Glendive Ranger-Review, 8/22/02] Great Falls Tribune: Matt Rosendale Planned “A Large ResIdentIal Development On 300 Acres He Bought” In Great Falls That Was PrevIously Farmland. [Great Falls Tribune, 3/10/04] MATT ROSENDALE REPEATEDLY BACKED PRO-DEVELOPER MEASURES THAT WOULD HURT AGRICULTURE IN MONTANA PolItIFact: Matt Rosendale Supported LegIslatIon “UnanImously CharacterIzed…As Pro-Developer” That “Would Have Hurt Some Farmers” In Montana. [PolitiFact, 8/9/18] HEADLINE: “House Endorses Pro-Development Rewrite Of SubdIvIsIon Laws.” [Billings Gazette, 2/22/11] 2011: Matt Rosendale Voted For And Spoke In Support Of A “Pro-Developer” Change To Montana Subdivision Review Laws That Would Restrict How Planners Could ConsIder A Development’s Impacts On AgrIculture Or Future Land Use. [Vote 1516, HB 542, 4/2/11; Billings Gazette, 2/22/11] • BIllIngs Gazette: “Opponents…SaId HB542 Is A ‘Fundamental Change’ In State Law, WhIch Is Meant To Protect And Preserve AgrIcultural Land In The Face Of Urban And Suburban Development.” [Billings Gazette, 2/22/11] HEADLINE: “SB 147 A StrIke AgaInst Montana AgrIculture.” [David Tyler, Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 4/22/13] 2013: AssocIated Press: Matt Rosendale Voted For Measure That “Would Have Restricted Local Governments’ AuthorIty To RevIew A SubdivisIon’s Effect On Agricultural OperatIons.” [Vote 249, SB 147, 2/1/13; Associated Press, 4/23/13] • Bozeman DaIly ChronIcle: “Developers And Real Estate Groups Favor SB 147 Because It Would Reduce The Hurdles For SubdIvIsIon Approval.” [Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 3/16/13; Montana Realtor’s Digest 2013, published 7/20/14] V/O: Turned liberal JON TESTER HELPED CREATE THE CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM IN with Bernie Sanders, MONTANA AND PUSHED TO FULLY FUND IT voting to put illegal aliens over sick kids in 1999: Jon Tester Cosponsored LegIslatIon CreatIng The Montana Healthy Kids Montana. Program. [Associated Press, 5/7/99; Montana Senate Journal, 1/6/99] ONSCREEN: PUT HEADLINE: “Tester Wants CHIP, Health Centers Funded.” [Havre Daily News, 12/14/17] ILLEGAL ALIENS AHEAD OF Jon Tester Cosponsored BIpartIsan LegIslatIon To Provide Funding For The Children’s CHILDREN'S Health Insurance Program For FIve Years.