Nrsc – Tester Test Fact Check
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
NRSC – TESTER TEST FACT CHECK OVERVIEW • 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. • Matt Rosendale, a political opportunist who has run for political office 5 times in the last 8 years, would be nothing but a rubber stamp for the dark money special interests propping up his campaign. • Matt Rosendale-backed, budget-busting tax plan will add $2 trillion to the debt, threaten cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and disproportionately benefit the wealthiest Americans, insurance companies, and corporate executives. Jon has consistently fought to cut wasteful spending, end tax breaks for companies that hurt working families by shipping jobs overseas, and against an internet sales tax that would hurt Montana small business. • 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 has repeatedly opposed efforts to keep Montanans safe – he was one of only seven state senators to vote against legislation to toughen penalties for human trafficking and make the law more victim-centered, voted against creating a permanent sexual assault prosecution office in the Montana Department of Justice, and voted against funding a service to notify victims or sex crimes when their attacker was released from prison. CLAIM FACTS V/O: Can you pass the JON TESTER HAD 18 BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HAS Tester Test? BEEN PRAISED FOR WORKING ACROSS THE AISLE TO GET THINGS DONE ONSCREEN: CAN HEADLINE: “Tester Named One Of Congress’ Most Effective Senators.” [Missoula YOU PASS THE Current, 9/29/17] TESTER TEST Jon Tester’s Bill To Designate East Rosebud Creek As Wild And Scenic Was His 18th V/O: Which of these Bill Signed Into Law By President Trump. [Great Falls Tribune, 8/3/18] has voted against President Trump more • 2017: Center For Effective Lawmaking Named Jon Tester Among The Most than 60% of the time? Effective Lawmakers In Congress. [News Release, Center for Effective Lawmaking, 9/26/17] ONSCREEN: [Pictures of Nancy Pelosi, Bernie HEADLINE: “Tester’s Bipartisan Efforts Serving Our Veterans.” [Editorial, Bozeman Sanders, Jon Tester, Daily Chronicle, 7/14/17] and Elizabeth Warren] Which of These Has HEADLINE: “Tester Clearheaded On Issues Montanans Care About.” [Editorial, Montana Voted Against Standard, 2/22/18] President Trump More Than 60%? Daily Inter Lake Editor Frank Miele: “Sen. Tester Should Be Commended For Finding A Way To Get Things Done That Are Important.” [Frank Miele, Daily Inter Lake, 10/28/17] SOURCE: FiveThirtyEight Missoulian Editorial: “Jon Tester…[Has] Demonstrated A Willingness To Set Politics Aside In Order To Get Things Done For Montana.” [Missoulian, Editorial, 11/6/14] MATT ROSENDALE IS A POLITICAL OPPORTUNIST BACKED BY WASHINGTON SPECIAL INTERESTS AND PROPPED UP BY DARK MONEY SUPER PACS THAT HAVE FLOODED MONTANA WITH CASH MATT ROSENDALE MOVED TO MONTANA TO START A POLITICAL CAREER, AND HAS RUN FOR HIGHER OFFICE FIVE TIMES IN THE LAST EIGHT YEARS Associated Press: Matt Rosendale Was Attacked By His Republican Primary Opponent As A “Political Opportunist Seeking His Fifth Elected Office In Eight Years.” [Associated Press, 6/6/18] MATT ROSENDALE IS BACKED BY WASHINGTON SPECIAL INTERESTS AND HIS CAMPAIGN HAS BEEN PROPPED UP BY DARK MONEY SPENDING HEADLINE: “Conservative Groups Poured Millions Into Montana’s Senate Primary.” [Vox, 6/6/18] Vox: Matt Rosendale, “Outside Groups’ Preferred Candidate,” Won The Republican Primary Backed By Millions In Outside Spending. [Vox, 6/6/18] MTN News: “Political-Action Committees Bankrolled By An Illinois Billionaire Have Spent $1.2 Million On Radio And TV Ads In Montana, Promoting Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Matt Rosendale.” [MTN News, 4/12/18] July 2018: Dark Money Super PAC Aired Six-Figure Attack Ad Campaign Lying About Jon Tester’s Record And Erroneously Giving Him Ten Fingers. [National Journal, 7/13/18] Former Republican Statewide Elected Officials Marc Racicot, Stan Stephens, Denny Rehberg, And Rick Hill: “Montanans Deserve More Than A U.S. Senator Who Puts The Party Agenda And Endorsements From D.C. Insiders Above Montana.” [Marc Racicot/Stan Stephens/Denny Rehberg/Rick Hill, Helena Independent Record, 5/28/18] • Matt Rosendale Committed To Backing Mitch McConnell As Majority Leader. [Roll Call, 6/6/18] Koch-Backed Group Americans For Prosperity Spent $560,000 On Television And Digital Ads Attacking Jon Tester. [Helena Independent Record, 4/19/18] • 2015: Matt Rosendale Earned A 100 Percent Score From Americans For Prosperity For His Voting Record In The Montana State Senate. [2015 Legislative Scorecard, Americans for Prosperity – Montana, captured 7/19/17] V/O: Which one voted MATT ROSENDALE-BACKED TAX PLAN WILL ADD OVER $1.5 TRILLION TO THE no on tax cuts worth 22 DEBT, THREATENS CUTS TO MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY, AND ENRICHES hundred dollars for CORPORATE EXECUTIVES Montana families? REPUBLICAN TAX PLAN WILL ADD OVER $1.5 TRILLION TO OUR NATIONAL DEBT ONSCREEN: [Pictures of Nancy Pelosi, Bernie HEADLINE: “Final Tax Bill Could End Up Costing $2.2 Trillion.” [Committee for a Sanders, Jon Tester, Responsible Federal Budget, 12/18/17] and Elizabeth Warren] Which of These Voted University Of Pennsylvania Study: Republican Tax Plan “Increases Debt By Between NO on Tax Cuts? $1.9 Trillion To $2.2 Trillion Over The Next Decade.” [Penn Wharton Budget Model, University of Pennsylvania, 12/15/17] SOURCE: RCV #303, 12/2/17, RCV #699, • Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: Final Republican Tax Plan Could 12/20/17 Add Between $1.5 Trillion And $2.2 Trillion To The Deficit. [Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, 12/18/17] • FactCheck.Org: “Correct” That Republican Tax Plan Would Increase The Deficit By At Least $1.5 Trillion. [FactCheck.Org, 3/7/18] REPUBLICAN TAX PLAN WAS EXPECTED TO LEAD TO DRAMATIC CUTS IN PROGRAMS LIKE MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY HEADLINE: “After Tax Overhaul, GOP Sets Sights On Medicare, Social Security.” [U.S. News & World Report, 12/7/17] AARP: Republican Tax Bill Will Likely Lead To “Dramatic Cuts” To Medicare And Medicaid And Other Programs Serving Older Americans. [News Release, AARP, 12/18/17] U.S. News & World Report: “The Most Likely Targets For Cuts And Restructuring In The Coming Months Are Likely To Be Medicare And Social Security Benefits.” [U.S. News & World Report, 12/7/17] • New York Times: “Marco Rubio…[Told] Business Leaders That The Tax Cuts Were Just The First Step; The Next Is To Reshape Social Security And Medicare For Future Retirees.” [New York Times, 12/2/17] • Paul Ryan: “We’re Going To Have To Get Back Next Year At Entitlement Reform, Which Is How You Tackle The Debt And The Deficit…It’s The Health Care Entitlements That Are The Big Drivers Of Our Debt.” [Washington Post, 12/6/17] • Republican Joint Economic Committee Report: “Ultimately Entitlement Reform Is Necessary To Reverse The Unsustainable Trajectory” Of Federal Debt. [Joint Economic Committee, 3/13/18] HEALTH INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE USING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN REPUBLICAN TAX CUTS TO ENRICH EXECUTIVES, NOT TO LOWER PREMIUMS AND COSTS HEADLINE: “The Tax Overhaul Is Actually A Big Win For Insurers And Drugmakers.” [Washington Post, 12/20/17] Washington Post: Republican Tax Plan “A Pretty Big Boon” For The Health Insurance Industry, Expected To Reap “The Biggest Benefits” From Its Corporate Tax Cut. [Washington Post, 12/20/17] • Washington Post: “Here’s An Effect Of The Tax Overhaul That Is Clearer: It Means More Money In The Pockets Of Insurers And Probably Drugmakers, Too.” [Washington Post, 12/20/17] HEADLINE: “Tax Cuts Will Save Health Care Companies Billions — But Not Patients.” [Axios, 3/5/18] Axios: “Health Care Companies Will Add Tens Of Billions Of Dollars To Their Bottom Lines This Year Thanks To…The Republican Tax Cut Package. But Only A Fraction Of That Money Will Benefit Patients.” [Axios, 3/5/18] • Axios: “Even Though A Lower Corporate Tax Rate Frees Up More Cash For A Health Care System That More Patients Are Finding Increasingly Unaffordable, Patients Should Not Expect The Health Industry's Windfall To Lead To Lower Premiums [Or] Reduced Price.” [Axios, 3/5/18] Axios: “Most Of” The Estimated $10 Billion Tax Cut Expected By 21 Health Care Companies From The Republican Tax Bill Was Going To “Share Buybacks, Dividends, Acquisitions, And Paying Down Debt.” [Axios, 3/5/18] • Axios: “A Majority Of UnitedHealth’s Windfall Is Going To Wall Street And Executives…Even Health Care Companies That Didn't Forecast Specific Tax Savings Nevertheless Made It Clear Wall Street Will Get Its Fill.” [Axios, 3/5/18] University of Michigan Health Care Business Professor: Republican Tax Bill “Unlikely To Lead To Significant, Long-Lasting Savings For Patients.” [Axios, 3/5/18] REPUBLICAN TAX PLAN BENEFITS WERE TILTED TOWARDS THE WEALTHIEST Fortune: Republican Tax Bill Cut Income Tax Rates “For The Richest Americans.” [Fortune, 12/16/17] • Washington Post: Final Republican Tax Plan Included “A New Tax Cut For The Rich” That Amounted To “A Significant Tax Break For The Very Wealthy.” [Washington Post, 12/15/17] HEADLINE: “Trump’s Tax Cuts in Hand, Companies Spend More on Themselves Than on Wages.” [New York Times, 2/26/18] HEADLINE: “Tax Cut Scoreboard: Workers $6 Billion; Shareholders $171 Billion.” [CNN, 2/16/18] New York Times: Corporations Used “Much Of The Money” From The Republican Tax Plan To Buy Their Own Shares, With Nearly 100 Corporations Announcing More Than $178 Billion In Planned Buybacks.