Setting the Record Straight: Nixon Campaign Releases Facts to Debunk Hulshof Whoppers

SAINT LOUIS, Mo. -- Attorney General Jay Nixon’s campaign today released a fact sheet to debunk Congressman Kenny Hulshof’s recent string of whoppers.  Unable to defend his Washington record on economic issues, Congressman Hulshof has resorted to attacks that media organizations have called “misleading,” “unfair” and “untrue.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch Political Fix Blog, 09/15/08; St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 10/05/08]

After Congressman Hulshof wildly asserted in Saturday’s debate that Attorney General Nixon’s plans would cost the state $2.6 billion, the Congressman’s own campaign staff admitted in a press release that Nixon’s plans would cost just $326 million in new state funding.  Throughout the debate, the Congressman went on to tell additional whoppers about his own record and his health care plan.

“Down in the polls and unable to defend his Washington record, Congressman Hulshof has resorted to telling whoppers and pulling numbers out of thin air,” said Oren Shur, Nixon’s campaign spokesman. “Congressman Hulshof can’t talk about the economic crisis, the issue most important to Missouri voters, because he voted for the failed Washington policies that caused it.  So with just two weeks before the election, Congressman Hulshof has begun to panic.  The Congressman’s Washington-style attacks and fuzzy math will only serve to remind voters why they can’t trust a Washington politician to run our state.”

CONGRESSMAN HULSHOF’S DEBATE WHOPPERS: FACT VS. FICTION

Spending

FICTION: Kenny Hulshof Claims Jay Nixon’s Plans Would Cost $2.6 Billion.  During the Fox 2 debate, Kenny Hulshof claimed that Jay Nixon has proposed “$2.6 billion in additional spending.” [Fox 2 Gubernatorial Debate, 10/18/08]

FACT: Kenny Hulshof’s Claim Is So Wrong That It Has Already Been Debunked … By Kenny Hulshof’s Campaign.  While Kenny Hulshof continues to incorrectly claim that Jay Nixon’s proposed plans would cost the state $2.6 billion, Kenny Hulshof’s campaign issued a press release on October 18, 2008, that acknowledged that Jay Nixon has only “proposed $326 million in new spending from state general revenues.” [Hulshof for Governor, Press Release, 10/18/08]

Health Care

FICTION: Kenny Hulshof Claims The Jay Nixon’s Health Care Plan Will Cost the State of Missouri $1.6 Billion.  During the last two debates, Kenny Hulshof claimed that Jay Nixon’s health care plan will cost the state of Missouri $1.6 billion. [Fox 2 Gubernatorial Debate, 10/18/08; KCUR Gubernatorial Debate, 10/9/08]

FACT: Jay Nixon’s Health Care Plan Will Cost $265 Million In General Revenue.  Jay Nixon’s health care plan costs $265.4 million in general revenue.  This figure was provided by the Blunt administration’s Department of Social Services.  According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial, the $1.6 billion claim “Mr. Hulshof used is inflated and misleading because it combines the federal and state shares of Medicaid costs. In fact, the federal government pays more than 60 percent of the cost of Medicaid. When Missouri cut more than 100,000 people from those programs, it also lost hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money.”  Even Kenny Hulshof acknowledged this when he said during the Fox 2 debate that Jay Nixon’s health care plan was a “$265 million hit to general revenue.” In an earlier press release about his plan to use money from the rainy day fund, Congressman Hulshof also said “…instead of spending $265 million to put people back [on Medicaid], as Jay Nixon has proposed,” the $265 million should be used for a job-creation program.  [St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 10/13/08; Fox 2 Gubernatorial Debate, 10/18/08; Hulshof for Governor, Press Release, 10/16/08]

Cost To Missouri

FICTION: Kenny Hulshof Claims His Health Care Plan Will Cost the State of Missouri $50 Million. At the Fox 2 debate Kenny Hulshof claimed his health care plan will cost “$50 million to general revenue.” [Fox 2 Gubernatorial Debate, 10/18/08]

FACT: Kenny Hulshof’s Campaign Has Already Admitted His Plan Will Cost the State of Missouri $508 Million.  Implementing Kenny Hulshof’s plan would cost the state of Missouri $508 million.  On the day the Congressman announced his plan, he first said it would cost $50 million. Then, later that day, the campaign said it would be closer to $70 million. Finally, by the end of the day, the Congressman’s campaign admitted that the plan would cost $590 million in total ($508 in state funds and $82 million in matching funds).  The Hulshof campaign later was forced to say that “there was no attempt to pull the wool over anybody’s eyes.” [St. Louis Post-Dispatch Political Fix, 8/26/08; AP, 8/31/2008]

Drawing Down Federal Funds

FICTION: Kenny Hulshof Is Distorting The Facts Comparing His Health Care Plan’s Ability To Draw Down Federal Funds To Jay Nixon’s Plan. At the Fox 2 debate Kenny Hulshof claimed that his plan “access[es] federal dollars just as [Jay Nixon’s] does.” [Fox 2 Gubernatorial Debate, 10/18/08]

FACT: Jay Nixon’s Plan Draws Down $431 Million In Federal Funds Compared To Kenny Hulshof’s $82 Million.  Kenny Hulshof misleadingly compared his plan’s federal matching funds to Jay Nixon’s plan.  Kenny Hulshof’s plan would draw down would just $82 million in new federal health care matching dollars.  Jay Nixon’s health care plan, on the other hand, would draw drown $431 million in federal funds.  [Associated Press, 8/31/08]

State Children’s Health Insurance Program

FICTION: Kenny Hulshof Claims He Helped Write SCHIP. Fox 2 Debate: “I helped write the Children’s Health Insurance Program out of the federal government in 1997.” KCUR Debate: “On children, I helped write the bill.  I’m going to get blamed for all the sins of Washington; I should get some of the credit too.  Back in 1997 when Bill Clinton was in office, we passed the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, SCHIP.” [Fox 2 Gubernatorial Debate, 10/18/08; KCUR Gubernatorial Debate, 10/9/08]

FACT: There Is No Evidence To Support Hulshof’s Claim That He Helped Write SCHIP. SCHIP, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, was created in 1997 as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.  While Hulshof did vote for this huge budget bill, there is no evidence that he “helped write it.”  Hulshof did not sponsor or co-sponsor the bill or other SCHIP-related legislation in 1997.  [HR 2015, 1997]

Taxes

FICTION: Kenny Hulshof Claims He Has Never Voted For A Tax Increase.  During the last two debates, Kenny Hulshof claimed he never voted for a tax increase.  [Fox 2 Gubernatorial Debate, 10/18/08; KCUR Gubernatorial Debate, 10/9/08]

FACT: Kenny Hulshof Has Voted For Tax Increases.  For example, Kenny Hulshof, in 1997, voted to tax airline tickets and air cargo.  In another example, Hulshof, on November 9, 2007, voted against a bill “to shield more than 23 million Americans from a tax hike … under the alternative minimum tax – and hit up wealthy managers of private equity firms and hedge funds to make up the difference.”  This was “a $73.8 billion measure to protect millions of families from the alternative minimum tax and offer new tax breaks to middle-income homeowners and low-income parents.”  It offered “a mortgage interest deduction to families that do not itemize their deductions and expanded tax rebates to working parents too poor to pay the income tax.”  [House of Representatives Vote 27, 1997; House of Representatives Vote 1081, 2007; The Associated Press, 02/26/97; The Washington Post, 11/10/07; Los Angeles Times, 11/10/07]

FICTION: Kenny Hulshof Claims Jay Nixon Always Voted For Tax Increases.  During the KCUR debate Kenny Hulshof claimed Jay Nixon, while he was a legislator, “always voted for a tax increase” and “voted for every single [tax increase].” [KCUR Gubernatorial Debate, 10/9/08]

FACT:  Jay Nixon Voted To Cut Taxes and Against Tax Increases. When Jay Nixon was in the state legislature, he voted to cut taxes, including taxes paid into the Second Injury Fund, taxes on groceries, and taxes on investors in small businesses. Jay Nixon also voted against increasing taxes numerous times, including sales taxes, taxes on insurance policies and aviation fuel taxes.  [House Bill 1244, 1988; Senate Bill 204, 1987; Senate Bill 620, 1992; House Joint Resolution 58, 1988; House Bill 423, 1991; House Bill 279, 1989; Senate Bill 473, 1992]

Legislative Committee Contributions

FICTION: Kenny Hulshof Claimed He Was Not Accepting Legislative Committee Contributions.  At the KCUR debate, when asked if he had accepted any legislative committee money since the repeal of contribution limits, Kenny Hulshof replied, “Not to my knowledge.” [KCUR Gubernatorial Debate, 10/9/08]

FACT:  Kenny Hulshof Has Accepted More Than $270,000 In Legislative Committee Contributions Since The Repeal Of Contribution Limits.  Kenny Hulshof has accepted $271,431 in legislative committee contributions since the repeal of contribution limits.  He even reported contributions the day before and the day after his debate denial.  [Missouri Ethics Commission Data]