Bill told the AFL-CIO…Why won’t he tell us?
Even though he promises transparency, Bill Halter has consistently refused to tell Arkansas voters where he stands on the Employee Free Choice Act, no less than 23 times in fact. The Employee Free Choice Act is the issue that drew D.C. unions into the Arkansas Senate race, yet Bill refuses to divulge what he promised them in return for their overwhelming support…more than $5 million in campaign and independent expenditures so far. And after refusing to answer, he now dismisses it as a “non-issue.” [Read more here] Senator Lincoln has shown that she can make the tough choices when it comes to standing up for Arkansas. Can Bill Halter answer a simple question?
Bill Halter Has Refused to Reveal His Position on the Employee Free Choice Act No Fewer Than 23 Times Since Filing to Run for U.S. Senate:
1. Following the final Senate Democratic Primary Debate, when asked by Jason Tolbert about his position on the Employee Free Choice Act, Halter interrupted and said, “Jason, I’m just going to cut you off, I gave you the answer there today, I know that Republican groups and others would love to keep focused on this non-issue. I’m focused on the issues that are important to Arkansans, I’m focused on creating jobs, focused on improving education, focused on taking on special interest groups in Washington. I appreciate what you do, but the fact is, everybody here knows that you have a particular ideological leaning. I doubt very much that you’re going to be voting in the Democratic primary…But here’s the point, there are issues that are on the minds of Arkansans. I will tell you that in countless town hall meetings, countless town hall meetings, that issue has never been brought up, not once.” [Tolbert Report, 5/14/2010]
2. At the Political Animals-Clinton School Debate, when asked by Steve Barnes, “Can you give a definitive up-or-down answer to card check?,” Halter replied, “Definitively, card check is dead in the United States Senate. It’s not going anywhere, labor leadership is not pushing for it…” [Political Animals Democratic Senate Primary Debate, 5/14/2010]
3. When pressed by Barnes, who said, “Before it died, can you, would you have supported it?,” Halter said, “I will tell you that here’s what I’m in favor of: I am in favor of streamlined Democratic secret ballot elections, I am in favor of them occurring more rapidly so there’s less opportunity to coerce workers, I’m in favor of increased penalties on either side if there’s an attempt to coerce workers…” [Political Animals Democratic Senate Primary Debate, 5/14/2010]
4. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Halter “refused to say whether he would vote for or against the Employee Free Choice Act.” [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 5/11/2010]
5. According to the Washington Post, “Asked about it [Employee Free Choice Act] in an interview, Halter did not say how he would vote because the bill ‘is no longer being discussed.’” [Washington Post, 5/10/2010]
6. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, when informed of Sen. Pryor’s assertion that the Employee Free Choice Act and the card check position are not “off the table,” Halter’s “campaign responded that Halter stands by his previous statement” and pointed to a column by John Brummett. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 5/6/2010]
7. At a Halter town hall meeting in Conway, when asked about his position on card check, Halter answered, “Folks have asked about the Employee Free Choice Act, and I’ve talked with labor leaders, I’ve talked with business leaders, and the fact is the provision, the majority check-off provision…the labor leaders that I’ve spoken with understand that that is no longer operative, they don’t have the votes to get that.” [Halter Conway Town Hall, 4/27/2010]
8. At the second debate, when challenged by Sen. Lincoln to reveal his position on Employee Free Choice to the voters of Arkansas, Halter said, “The fact is I’ve said very clearly, said clearly to Bill Simmons just now and I’ll say it again, there’s a compromise that is being discussed by a number of Senators, in which these very principles will be put into place…” [Associated Press Democratic Senate Primary Debate, 4/24/2010]
9. Later in the debate, when asked if card check were “back on the table,” would he support it, Halter answered, “Card check’s not going to be brought back on the table. It’s really just that simple. You can talk to labor leaders and they will tell you that the card check provision is not something that can get passed. It’s not something that can get passed in the current Senate, it’s not something that will get passed in the likely next Senate.” [Associated Press Democratic Senate Primary Debate, 4/24/2010]
10. When asked again, “well, would you support it in principle,” Halter pivoted and said, “The principles that I support Janie, are the ones I outlined: speedier elections, putting more rigorous enforcement on either side if they try to inhibit those free elections…” [Associated Press Democratic Senate Primary Debate, 4/24/2010]
11. At the first Democratic Senate Primary Debate, when asked by KATV’s Jessica Dean, “The Employee Free Choice Act or card check, would make it easier for unions to organize. Do you agree with this or support it, yes or no?” Halter responded, “Well, in fact, the Employee Free Choice Act, or card check, as it has been called, is really no longer operative. If you talk to labor leaders or management leaders, that’s no longer on the table…” [KATV Democratic Senate Primary Debate, 4/23/2010]
12. Halter did not fill out a questionnaire from the Arkansas group, the Coalition for Arkansas Jobs, which asked about candidates position on the Employee Free Choice Act, and card check specifically. [Blake’s Think Tank, 4/19/2010]
13. Asked about the Employee Free Choice Act at a Texarkana town hall, Halter “said he had not seen a compromised legislation draft and it’s not been released.” He said, “I agree with the principles being discussed. It would impose sanctions if it got in the way of a Democratic vote or undue influence.” [Texarkana Gazette, 4/14/2010]
14. At a Halter town hall meeting in El Dorado, when asked about his position on card check, Halter replied, “I’ve talked with a number of folks in labor and in business and the initial card check legislation that you’re, the Employee Free Choice Act, that legislation is, the discussions that are going on about that now are about a compromise. And the card check part of it, the check-off part, is now no longer operative.” [Halter El Dorado Town Hall, 4/8/2010]
15. According to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Halter “declined to say where he stands on the pending legislation. He said he would favor a compromise that ‘streamlines the [union] election process and imposes additional penalties on either side if they attempt to get in the way of a democratic election.’” [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 3/28/2010]
16. At a Halter town hall meeting in Jonesboro, when asked “What I want to ask about is the card check, what is your stand on that?” Halter responded, “It’s important for everybody to know that the card check legislation that was put forward, the just check a box provision, has been put aside…” [Halter Jonesboro Town Hall, 3/24/2010]
17. During an appearance on Rachel Maddow’s show on MSNBC, when asked by the host, “Would you support card check, the Employee Free Choice Act, to make it easier for people to join unions?” Halter responded, “…I’ve talked to labor leaders. I’ve talked to business leaders. I’ve talked to folks on all sides of this particular issue. And the fact is that the debate and the discussion is moving beyond the initial card-check legislation. What is being discussed now, and what’s being discussed as a compromise, is a compromise bill that would allow for faster elections. It would put some tighter restrictions upon the ability to harass or intimidate workers as they make a decision whether or not to collectively bargain, and they would do that through the normal democratic process. I’m looking forward to seeing the specific language emerge. But I will tell you that those two concepts I do support.” [Maddow, 3/3/2010]
18. When asked by reporters on Filing Day where he stands on card check, Halter responded, “On what’s been referred to as card check, what’s happening now in the Senate is that the card check bill as initially drafted has been moved away from by the advocates of card check. They have negotiations and discussions on now about crafting a compromise. I have not seen that bill, but I have heard about portions of it, but that bill has not yet been released…” [Press Gaggle on Filing Day, 3/2/2010]
19. According to CQ Politics, when asked about card check, “Halter said it wouldn’t be productive to discuss the version of the legislation that caused so much tension between Lincoln and labor unions last year.” He said, “As you know, the the previous legislation that was labeled as ‘card check,’ it’s no longer on the table…The negotiations now have moved beyond that and have moved into a discussion of can we make elections occur more rapidly and how can we ensure that workers have a process where they have the ability to decide collectively for themselves how they want to be represented in negotiations.” [CQ Politics, 3/2/2010]
20. Asked by Ed Schultz if he could “unequivocally” support the Employee Free Choice Act, Halter said, “Well, I can tell you this, Ed. I’ve talked with business leaders and labor leaders. The debate has now moved beyond the initial card-check legislation. There’s now conversations and discussions going on to strengthen worker protections, to speed up democratic elections for representation. I’ve spoken with labor leaders about that. And I am supportive of their efforts to do that, because I think that it is in the context of the history that we’ve had for decades of allowing workers to decide how they’re going to represent themselves in negotiations… I mean, I’ve had discussions with labor and business leaders, and they have moved away from the initial card-check bill. But they’re moving toward something that I think you can fashion a compromise around, and it’s something that, you know, people of good will on both sides of this issue can come together around.” [“Ed Show,” MSNBC, 3/2/2010]
21. According to an interview with liberal blog Talking Points Memo, Halter was “inclined to support” the previous card check bill that came before the Senate, but, “The fact is, the discussions have moved beyond that…The final language hasn’t emerged yet…but the fact is, we do need to provide working men and women with the ability to come together and decide whether or not they want to be represented in a union.” Halter “said that he supports current union-backed efforts to revise EFCA to make it easier for workers to unionize by speeding up the elections process and making it tougher for employers to stand in the way.” [Talking Points Memo, 3/2/2010]
22. According to Roll Call,“Halter said it wouldn’t be productive to discuss the version of the bill that caused so much tension between Lincoln and labor unions last year.” He said, “As you know, the previous legislation that was labeled as ‘card check,’ it’s no longer on the table…The negotiations have moved beyond that and have moved into a discussion of can we make elections occur more rapidly and how can we ensure that workers have a process where they have the ability to decide collectively for themselves how they want to be represented in negotiations … I want people to be able to come together and discuss straightforward, common-sense changes to labor law that are going to be fair to working men and women and their ability to decide how they would like to collectively negotiate.” [Roll Call, 3/2/2010]
23. Halter has still not released his answers to the AFL-CIO Candidate Questionnaire. Sen. Lincoln’s responses have been public since March.
In the last remaining days of the Primary Election, down-in-the-polls Bill Halter is hurling desperate lies at Senator Lincoln’s record.
Perhaps Bill Halter is trying to distract Arkansas voters from his failure to report extravagant office furnishings paid for with taxpayer dollars, or being caught in his own lie about the Employee Free Choice Act.
BLANCHE LINCOLN’S RECORD STANDING UP FOR SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE
Bill Halter alleges Sen. Lincoln will cut Social Security and Medicare, but the truth is she has been a fierce advocate for the programs that Arkansas seniors rely on.
Sen. Lincoln: I Will Never Vote to Decrease Social Security Benefits. At the May 14 debate, Sen. Lincoln said, “I did not support a decrease in benefits to Social Security benefits… I don’t propose to balance the budget by decreasing Social Security benefits.” [Political Animals Club Democratic Senate Primary Debate, 5/14/2010]
Sen. Lincoln: We Must Keep Our Promise to America’s Seniors. During the first April 23 debate, Sen. Lincoln promised never to cut Social Security benefits, saying, “Well I certainly believe that keeping our promise to working Americans that Social Security benefits will be there for them in their Golden Years is a promise we must keep….I do not support a reduction in current guaranteed Social Security benefits.” [KATV Democratic Senate Primary Debate, 4/23/2010]
Read more about Sen. Lincoln’s record of standing up for Social Security here.
Bill Halter, on the other hand, said to balance Social Security, benefits will have to be cut…
Halter: Balancing Social Security Requires “Benefit Reductions.” “Now, for Social Security reform, the fact is that in the past when we have needed to improve the solvency of Social Security, we’ve always had a balanced package of revenue increases and benefit reductions…With a balanced package of revenue increases and spending reductions, we can in fact balance Social Security for the long term.” [KATV Democratic Senate Primary Debate, 4/23/2010]
Sen. Lincoln has stood up for Medicare and ensured it’s solvency with her vote for health care reform.
Sen. Lincoln Supported Health Care Reform, Which Extends Solvency of Medicare. Sen. Lincoln voted for the Senate health care reform bill, which extends the solvency of the Medicare Hospital trust fund, adding $358 billion to the fund over ten years. [Senate Vote #396, 12/24/2009; Congressional Budget Office, 1/22/2010]
Sen. Lincoln Has Voted at Least 12 Times to Protect Medicare Funding. [2006 Senate Vote #62; 2005 Senate Votes #303, 363; 2003 Senate Votes #7, 89, 101; 2001 Senate Vote #67, 79, 137; 2000 Senate Vote #198; 1999 Senate Vote #84, 229]
HALTER ACCUSES LINCOLN OF ADVOCATING FOR REPEAL OF AN ESTATE TAX…THAT HAS ALREADY EXPIRED
Bill Halter has alleged that Sen. Lincoln is seeking a tax break for millionaires in her efforts to reform the estate tax and falsely accused her of advocating for its complete elimination, even though the estate tax is not even in place currently. In fact, Sen. Lincoln clearly outlined her support for the estate tax to be reinstated, at a level that is fair to Arkansas small businesses and family farms.
Halter Falsely Alleged That Sen. Lincoln Was Seeking Complete Elimination of Estate Tax. In an appearance on MSNBC’s The Ed Show, Bill Halter said of Sen. Lincoln, “She’s still proposing either massive cuts in the estate tax or the complete elimination of the estate tax.” [MSNBC, The Ed Show, 5/14/2010]
Sen. Lincoln Called for Reinstatement of Estate Tax That Does Not Burden Arkansas Small Businesses Employing 97% of the State’s Workforce. During the debate, Sen. Lincoln said, “The important thing to remember is that there is no estate tax right now and I don’t think that’s appropriate. In 2010, the estate tax went to zero, it was eliminated, and I think it’s most appropriate that we come back with an estate tax that really fits the economy of today. Those that are hit hardest by the estate tax are small businesses, farms, ranches, those that are really producing the jobs in this country.” [Political Animals Democratic Senate Primary Debate, 5/14/2010]
Sen. Lincoln’s Estate Tax Proposal Is Fully Paid For And the Exemption Level is $5 Million Per Person. Senator Lincoln’s estate tax proposal, which was voted on and passed the Senate in 2009, is “deficit-neutral,” and “calls for a 35 percent rate and an inflation-adjusted $5 million per-person exemption.” [Senate Vote #146, 4/2/2009; Congressional Quarterly, 4/2/2009]
Today, the SEIU began airing a negative attack ad misrepresenting Senator Lincoln’s longtime fight for an end to insurance discrimination against patients with pre-existing conditions. Senator Lincoln has been a champion for health care reform, fighting specifically to end the practice of discrimination based on a person’s health status. Senator Lincoln supported the Senate health care bill, which ended this practice, and which President Obama signed into law on March 22. In addition, in every Congress since 2004, Senator Lincoln has introduced legislation aimed at helping small businesses and their workers access health insurance coverage, which included a ban on pre-existing condition exclusions. Her bill was endorsed by the SEIU and the NFIB.
The woman that appears in the SEIU ad, Nancy Shaw of Hot Springs, contacted Sen. Lincoln’s office in December to thank Sen. Lincoln for her vote for the health care reform bill that became law and ends pre-existing discrimination by insurance companies. She also consented to issuing a statement for inclusion in a Lincoln press release. Now, 709,968 Arkansas children will no longer be susceptible to insurance company’s decisions to exclude them from coverage based on a pre-existing condition.
Nancy Shaw one of Many Arkansans Who Praised Senator Lincoln’s Support of Health Care Reform
Nancy Shaw Thanked Sen. Lincoln For Voting For Health Care Reform. In December 2009, Nancy Shaw was featured in a press release praising Senator Lincoln’s support for the health care overhaul bill. She said, “I have a daughter with Down syndrome and I’m self employed. I can’t get her health insurance, so I think health care reform will help us… “[Lincoln’s vote] really says she’s paying attention to the people that voted for her. The fact that she voted for it really says it does matter.” [Lincoln Press Release, 12/24/2009]
President Obama: Sen. Lincoln “Took on Big Insurance Companies by Voting to End Discrimination Against Arkansans With Pre-Existing Conditions”
President Obama: Sen. Lincoln “Took on Big Insurance Companies.” In a radio ad airing across Arkansas, President Obama thanks Sen. Lincoln for her work on health care reform, saying, “On health care, Blanche took on big insurance companies by voting to end discrimination against Arkansans with pre-existing conditions and fought for tax credits that will help thousands of local small businesses provide insurance to their employees.” [President Obama Radio Ad]
Reconciliation Never Would Have Been Possible Without Lincoln’s Vote on Health Care Reform
Lincoln Cast “Decisive Vote” on Health Care Reform. In November 2009, Sen. Lincoln “cast the decisive vote to open the Senate’s health-care debate…Lincoln’s was the necessary 60th vote on a procedural motion to head off a Republican filibuster.” [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 11/22/2009]
Lincoln Delivered “Deciding Vote” On Health Care. In November 2009, Sen. Lincoln announced “she’d deliver the deciding vote to push forward with a sweeping health reform plan.” [Politico, 11/21/2009]
Sen. Lincoln Supported Health Insurance Reform Law Signed Into Law Which Ends Pre-Existing Discrimination By Insurance Companies
Lincoln Voted For Passage of a Landmark Overhaul of the Nation’s Health Insurance System. In December 2009, Lincoln voted for the health insurance reform law which bar “insurers starting in 2014 from denying coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions.” [CQ Today, 12/24/09; Senate Vote #396, 12/24/2009]
Senate Bill Prevents Insurance Companies From Denying Coverage Based on Pre-existing Conditions. According to CNN, “At heart, the House and Senate versions of healthcare reform legislation are very much the same… Both would ban insurance firms from denying anyone coverage due to pre-existing health conditions.” [Christian Science Monitor, 12/21/2009]
Senate Bill Would End Denials of Insurance for Children Based on Pre-existing Conditions Six Months After Enactment. Under the Senate health insurance bill, six months after enactment, “insurance companies wouldn’t be able to deny children coverage because of a pre-existing condition or drop any patients because they get sick.” [Washington Times, 12/21/2009]
Lincoln Voted for Bill in Senate Finance Committee That Ended Pre-Existing Condition Discrimination. In October 2009, Senator Lincoln voted for the Senate Finance Committee’s health care overhaul bill, which “would prevent health insurance companies from denying coverage based on a pre-existing condition.” The bill “would allow people with pre-existing conditions to enroll in a high-risk plan within one year of enactment.” [CQ Committee Coverage, 10/13/2009]
Fighting to End Pre-Existing Condition Discrimination
Since 2004, Senator Lincoln has Introduced Legislation to Help Small Businesses Access Health Insurance, Included Ban on Pre-Existing Condition Denials. In every Congress since 1994, Senator Lincoln has introduced legislation to make health care more affordable for Arkansas’s small businesses through the creation of health care exchanges. A main component of this legislation was a ban on pre-existing exclusions for plans participating in the exchanges. Senator Lincoln’s legislation became the basis for the health insurance reform that she voted for in the Senate and was signed into law by President Obama. [SHOP Act Description, accessed 5/11/2010]
- SEIU Supported Lincoln’s SHOP Act. SEIU joined Senator Lincoln in introducing the SHOP Act in 2008. Mary Kay Henry, the incoming president of SEIU and then-Executive Vice President, said, “Too many hardworking people in this country are struggling under the strain of health care costs that are rising every year, without any relief… Too many hardworking people in this country are struggling under the strain of health care costs that are rising every year, without any relief.” [SEIU Press Release, 4/2/2008]
Fighting Big Health Insurance Companies
Senator Lincoln Fought to Ensure That Insurance Company Executives Would Not Receive Personal Windfall From Health Insurance Reform. From her position on the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Lincoln successfully fought to include an amendment in the health insurance reform bill that would limit the amount of executive compensation paid by health insurance companies as a deductible business expense to $500,000 annually, per employee. [Congressional Quarterly, 10/2/2009]
Lincoln Sought to Further Limit Executive Compensation During the Full Health Care Debate. On the Senate floor, Senator Lincoln offered an amendment to further limit the amount health insurance companies are allowed to deduct per executive, to $400,000 annually or whatever the compensation of the President was for that year. Lincoln said that her amendment would encourage health insurance companies to “put premium dollars toward lower rates and more affordable coverage, not in the pocketbooks of their executives.” [Senate Vote #365, 12/6/2009; Congressional Quarterly, 12/6/2009]
Obama radio ad: “On health care, Blanche took on big insurance companies by voting to end discrimination against Arkansans with pre-existing conditions and fought for tax credits that will help thousands of local small businesses provide insurance to their employees.”
D.C. unions continue to pour millions into Arkansas on behalf of Bill Halter, with the SEIU today releasing an ad falsely attacking Sen. Lincoln’s record. Below are the FACTS.
| SEIU Ad | FACTS |
| “Hollywood fantasies won’t change the facts.It was Blanche Lincoln who voted to ship our jobs to Mexico and China, helping corporations and hurting us. “ | FACT: Arkansas Has Benefited From Free Trade Agreements. Between 1993 and 2008, the value of Arkansas agricultural exports increased by 181 percent to $3.2 billion. In the last 20 years, due to free trade agreements, exports of Arkansas rice, soybeans, cotton, wheat and poultry have nearly doubled and generated 20,000 new jobs in the state. [USDA Data] FACT: Senator Lincoln Has Repeatedly Stood Up to Protect Workers Whose Jobs are Sent Overseas and To Repeal Tax Privileges for Companies Who Profit From Outsourcing. [Vote #204, 9/23/2008; Vote #63, 3/17/2005; Vote #83, 5/5/2004; Vote #80, 5/4/2004; Vote #41, 3/11/2004; #32, 3/4/2004] FACT: Senator Lincoln Has Repeatedly Voted to Expand the Trade Adjustment Assistance Program and Provide Relief to Workers Affected by Foreign Trade. [Senate Vote #80, 5/4/2004; Senate Vote #41, 3/11/2004; Senate Vote #207, 8/1/2002; Senate Vote #128, 5/23/2002; Senate Vote #114, 5/16/2002; Senate Vote #111, 5/15/2002; Senate Vote #353, 11/3/1999] |
| “And Lincoln voted to use our tax dollars to bailout Wall Street Banks.” | FACT: Lincoln Has Introduced Toughest Bill on Wall Street. As Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Sen. Lincoln has introduced “the toughest limits yet” on Wall Street banks’ “ability to profit from…derivatives.” [Associated Press, 4/21/2010] FACT: Over 250 Groups, Including SEIU Have Endorsed Lincoln’s Legislation. Americans for Financial Reform, which is made up of “over 250 consumer, employee, investor, community and civil rights groups,” including SEIU, wrote a letter to every U.S. Senator urging them to support Sen. Lincoln’s proposal. They write that the proposal “will sharply reduce the possibility of taxpayer bailouts for speculative activity that does not serve the real economy.” [Americans for Financial Reform Letter, 5/3/2010] FACT: Lincoln Voted Against Authorizing Further Funds for Wall Street Bailout. In 2009, Senator Lincoln voted for a resolution disapproving of the Troubled Asset Relief Program that would have prevented the release of $350 billion in bailout funds. Lincoln argued, “The program has provided little to no benefit to mainstream American businesses, consumers or homeowners. [Senate Vote #5, 1/15/2009; Lincoln Press Release, 1/15/2009] FACT: Lincoln Voted To Terminate the Failed Troubled Asset Relief Program. In 2010, Lincoln voted for an amendment to terminate the Troubled Asset Relief Program and that the repayed funds be used to pay down the debt. [Senate Vote #2, 1/21/2010] |
| “Bill Halter opposed the bailout…” | FACT: Halter’s So-Called ‘Crusade’ Against Wall Street Began the Day He Filed to Run For U.S. Senate. While Sen. Lincoln’s record on demanding accountability dates back years, Halter’s Johnny-come-lately crusade against Wall Street first began March 1, the day he announced for U.S. Senate.” [MSNBC, 3/1/2010] FACT: Halter First Acknowledged He Would Have Opposed the Bailout On April 23rd, After Evading the Question for Nearly Two Months. Halter spent the better part of his campaign attacking Sen. Lincoln’s record, while refusing to say how he would have voted on the bailout, until he was asked point-blank in the first debate. [KATV Democratic Senate Primary Debate, 4/23/2010] “Interestingly, Mr. Halter, who has been blasting the program (he calls it a bank bailout) in his television advertising, still won’t state whether he would have voted against it. I agree with the Lincoln campaign, this is Monday morning quarterbacking at its finest.” [Blake Rutherford, Blake’s Think Tank, 4/12/2010] “If he isn’t willing to say he would have voted against it (something I think might actually hurt him) then he shouldn’t criticize her for doing it.” [Blue Arkansas, 4/12/2010] “Halter, however, wouldn’t say how he would have voted on the measure. Instead, he says, he would have proposed amendments to improve the bill.” [Associated Press, 4/12/2010] In an interview with ABC News’ “Top Line,” when asked if he would have voted against the Troubled Asset Relief Program in 2008, Halter refused to answer one way or another, instead saying, “Let’s put some accountability in there…” [ABC News' "Top Line" Interview, 4/6/2010] |
| “…and fought to keep Wall Street from taking over Social Security.” | FACT: While Bill Halter was Leading High-Tech Companies, Sen. Lincoln was Fighting to Protect Social Security: Senator Lincoln Has Repeatedly Opposed Republican Attempts to Privatize Social Security. [Senate Vote #65, 3/13/2008; Senate Vote #89, 3/22/2007; Senate Vote #68, 3/16/2006; Senate Vote #49, 3/15/2005; Senate Vote #60, 3/24/1999] As President Bush Prepared to Take His Privatization Plan to the People of Arkansas, Lincoln Stood in Opposition. Lincoln said of President Bush’s plan to divert tax money into personal accounts, “I’m opposed to what the president presumably wants to do. It puts in jeopardy a program that is vital to the people of Arkansas and is misleading to the young people about what they’re going to end up with.” [New York Times, 2/1/2005] Lincoln Argued That Working Arkansans Would Disproportionately Bear the Risk of Privatizing Social Security. During a Democratic Policy Committee Hearing on President Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security, Sen. Lincoln noted, “50 percent of Arkansans have an adjusted gross income of less than $25,000, and 80 percent of them have an adjusted gross income of less than $50,000…They don’t have the time nor the resources to spend towards investigating and figuring out and becoming economists to invest those dollars…They’re the ones that are going to be subjected to more risk, and they’re the ones that need it the least, in terms of risk.” [Hearing of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, 5/13/2005] On Anniversary of Social Security, Lincoln Toured Cities in Arkansas to Promote Opposition to Privatization. On the 70th anniversary of Social Security in 2005, Sen. Lincoln visited four cities in Arkansas where “she criticized President Bush’s plan to partly privatize the pension program…Meaningful reforms to shore up the federal entitlement program won’t advance in Congress until privatization is off the table, Lincoln said.” [Associated Press, 8/2/2005] Lincoln Co-Authored Letter to President Bush Expressing Concern Over Privatization Plan. In 2005, Sen. Lincoln, along with 8 other Democratic Women Senators, authored a letter to President Bush expressing “their deep concern over news reports outlining President Bush’s intention to include survivor benefit cuts in his Social Security privatization plan.” [Senator Patty Murray Press Release, 5/12/2005] |
| “Halter will fight unfair trade deals and is helping thousands of Arkansas students afford college.” | FACT: Halter Took Part in Trade Mission to China in 2009 to Promote Arkansas Exports, Noted China is Third-Largest Export Market for Arkansas. In August 2009, Halter took part in a trade mission to China where he “said he hopes to help Arkansas farmers and businesses access China’s markets.” In a press release, Halter noted, “China’s market is the third-largest export market for Arkansas products, after Canada and Mexico. Our state exported $320 million worth of Arkansas products to China in 2008, a tenfold increase from 2000.” [Associated Press, 8/20/2009; Halter Press Release, 8/25/2009] FACT: Halter Said Increased Trade With Mexico “Will Lead to Tremendous Opportunities” For Arkansans. When the Mexican consulate opened in Little Rock, AR in 2007, Bill Halter “welcomed the consultant as another avenue to increase Arkansans’ trade with the rest of the world. State statistics show Mexico was Arkansas’ second-largest export destination, with $415 million worth of goods heading there in 2005.” Halter said, “I hope that as a result of the establishment of this consulate here, that Mexico will be competing with Canada to be the No. 1 trading partner with the state of Arkansas…This will lead to tremendous opportunities for us to export our agricultural products and manufacturing products.” [Associated Press, 4/26/2007] Halter Sat on Board of Company While it Outsourced Jobs. Halter sat on the corporate board of WebMethods, which outsourced jobs to Bangalore India. [SEC.gov, accessed 3/18/2010; William A. Halter Statement of Financial Interest, Years 2005-2007; Washington Post, 9/18/2006; webMethods, Inc Annual 10-k, filed 6/22/2006] |
SENATOR LINCOLN’S RECORD OF STANDING UP FOR SOCIAL SECURITY
Senator Lincoln has consistently fought to ensure that government keeps its promise to working Americans that Social Security will be there for them in their golden years. As the Chair of the Senate Finance Committee Social Security Subcommittee, Senator Lincoln has fought for Arkansas seniors, making clear that she will not support a reduction in benefits, privatization, and increases on Social Security taxes for working Arkansans.
Helping Seniors in Tough Economic Times
As Chair of Social Security Subcommittee, Senator Lincoln Developed Plan to Aid Seniors Not Receiving Cost of Living Increase. As the chair of the Senate Finance Committee’s Social Security Subcommittee, Senator Lincoln announced a plan to help the 637,000 Arkansans who will not receive a Social Security Cost of Living Increase in 2010. Her plan would provide economic relief payments of $250 to compensate Arkansans. [Lincoln Press Release, 10/29/2009]
Protecting Funding for Social Security
Senator Lincoln Has Voted at Least 21 Times to Protect Social Security And Extend It’s Solvency. [2005 Senate Vote #47, 46; 2003 Senate Vote #201, 147, 93, 58; 2002 Senate Vote #27; 2001 Senate Vote #221, 137, 22; 2000 Senate Vote #192, 198, 162; 1999 Senate Vote #314, 236, 229, 228, 82, 81, 59; 1995 House Vote #40]
Fighting Against Privatization
Senator Lincoln Has Repeatedly Opposed Republican Attempts to Privatize Social Security. [Senate Vote #65, 3/13/2008; Senate Vote #89, 3/22/2007; Senate Vote #68, 3/16/2006; Senate Vote #49, 3/15/2005; Senate Vote #60, 3/24/1999]
As President Bush Prepared to Take His Privatization Plan to the People of Arkansas, Lincoln Stood in Opposition. Lincoln said of President Bush’s plan to divert tax money into personal accounts, “I’m opposed to what the president presumably wants to do. It puts in jeopardy a program that is vital to the people of Arkansas and is misleading to the young people about what they’re going to end up with.” [New York Times, 2/1/2005]
Lincoln Argued That Working Arkansans Would Disproportionately Bear the Risk of Privatizing Social Security. During a Democratic Policy Committee Hearing on President Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security, Sen. Lincoln noted, “50 percent of Arkansans have an adjusted gross income of less than $25,000, and 80 percent of them have an adjusted gross income of less than $50,000…They don’t have the time nor the resources to spend towards investigating and figuring out and becoming economists to invest those dollars…They’re the ones that are going to be subjected to more risk, and they’re the ones that need it the least, in terms of risk.” [Hearing of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee, 5/13/2005]
On Anniversary of Social Security, Lincoln Toured Cities in Arkansas to Promote Opposition to Privatization. On the 70th anniversary of Social Security in 2005, Sen. Lincoln visited four cities in Arkansas where “she criticized President Bush’s plan to partly privatize the pension program…Meaningful reforms to shore up the federal entitlement program won’t advance in Congress until privatization is off the table, Lincoln said.” [Associated Press, 8/2/2005]
Lincoln Co-Authored Letter to President Bush Expressing Concern Over Privatization Plan. In 2005, Sen. Lincoln, along with 8 other Democratic Women Senators, authored a letter to President Bush expressing “their deep concern over news reports outlining President Bush’s intention to include survivor benefit cuts in his Social Security privatization plan.” [Senator Patty Murray Press Release, 5/12/2005]
Halter Campaign: Avoiding the FACTS
In “Fact Checking” Sen. Lincoln’s TV ad on Dollar Bill Halter’s outsourcing practices while leading a high-tech company, the Halter campaign actually AVOIDED the facts. We decided we need to Fact Check their “Fact Check”.
| Blanche Lincoln for Senate “Dollar Bill” Ad |
Bill Halter ‘Fact Check’ | Fact Checking the ‘Fact Check’ |
| Narrator: “One of his companies outsourced jobs to India because of lower personnel costs.” |
HALTER RESPONSE: SEC Records do not indicate anything about “outsourcing jobs to India.” Webmethods is a global company with offices all over the world, and they opened up a development center in India. (SEC Form 10-K, 2006)
HALTER RESPONSE: The sources Blanche Lincoln uses to claim Bill Halter outsourced jobs to India say nothing about sending American jobs to India. The Sep. 18, 2006 Washington Post article talks about an acquisition in India and the opening of a development center in India in 2004, but makes no mention of sending American jobs overseas. (Washington Post, Sep. 18, 2006) The Sep. 29, 2006 Washington Business Journal she cites is once again talking about the acquisition of a company with employees in India. (Washington Business Journal, Sep. 29, 2006) HALTER RESPONSE: The 10-K that Bill Halter signed does not say ANYWHERE in the document that the company outsourced jobs in India at the expense of American jobs. All it mentions is that jobs in India were added. (10-K, 2006) |
FACT: Washington Post Article Refers to WebMethods Action as “Outsourcing.” The September 18, 2006 Washington Post article in fact refers to what WebMethods did directly as “outsourcing.” [Washington Post, 9/18/2006] FACT: WebMethods Purchased Company Whose Employees Were Based in India, Instead of Investing in American Workers, To Cut Costs and Increase Profits. According to the Washington Business Journal, Infravio, the company WebMethods purchased for $38 billion, “has 65 employees – 50 of them in India.” The Washington Post noted that the purchase “plays into the cost-cutting strategy WebMethods has adopted after four years of falling stock prices, roller-coaster revenue and accounting problems.” By opening its development center in India, the Post notes, WebMethods “chopped millions of dollars from its budget.” [Washington Busienss Journal, 9/29/2006; Washington Post, 9/18/2006] Research Analyst: WebMethods Trying to Move as Much Research and Development Offshore as Possible. Irit Elrad-Jakoby, analyst that was following WebMethods for Next Generation Equity Research LLC in Chicago is quoted in the article, noting, “WebMethods is trying to rationalize its costs by having as much research and development offshore as the possibly can.” [Washington Post, 9/18/2006] FACT: SEC Document Bill Halter Signed Specifically Notes How Much the Company Saved by Moving Jobs Overseas. Halter’s signature is on the company’s SEC Form 10-K from 2006, which explicitly states, “Research and development expense for fiscal year 2006 decreased $4.3 million, or 10%, compared to fiscal year 2005. The decrease was primarily due to a $4.6 million decrease in personnel costs and related overhead charges, primarily as a result of the increased utilization of our product development center in Bangalore, India during fiscal year 2005, which has lower personnel costs and operating expenses than our product development centers in the United States.” [WebMethods, Inc. Annual 10-K, filed 6/22/2006] |
| “Another of Bill Halter’s companies sold $100 million in stock.” |
HALTER RESPONSE: In the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that the company sold $102 million in stock in their IPO and follow-on offering. Bill Halter is not named ANYWHERE in this lawsuit. (Case #: 4:07-cv-04972-CW, US District Court, California Northern District) |
FACT: Halter Sat on Board of Directors When Threshold Defrauded Investors and Lied to the Public. Bill Halter was a paid director of Threshold while they “lied to the public” and “offered false hope to people stricken with a deadly disease.” [Associated Press, 10/3/2009; William A. Halter Statement of Financial Interest, Years 2005-2009] |
| “even though they knew their cancer drug was dangerous” |
HALTER RESPONSE: This case had NOTHING to do with “a dangerous cancer drug” or patient care– it was strictly a financial matter. (Case #: 4:07-cv-04972-CW, US District Court, California Northern District) |
FACT: The Suit Was Based on Threshold’s Overstated Effects of a Cancer Drug and Inflating Stock Prices Based on That Deception. The 2007 suit alleged that Threshold “grossly overstated” the effects of an experimental cancer drug in order to dramatically inflate their stock prices. [Jerry Twinde v. Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Filed 9/6/2007] |
| “The company was successfully sued for defrauding a pension fund.” |
HALTER RESPONSE: Bill Halter is not named ANYWHERE in this lawsuit, and the lawsuit was settled – there was no “successful” verdict against Threshold. The judge in the case dismissed nearly all of the plaintiff’s allegations on two separate occasions, and she only ruled that the lawsuit was allowed to proceed. Threshold made a decision to settle purely for financial reasons. In the settlement, Threshold admitted no wrongdoing, saying they settled to avoid the expense and distraction of a long litigation and the related uncertainties. (Case #: 4:07-cv-04972-CW, US District Court, California Northern District) |
FACT: Court Ruled Threshold Failed to Disclose Harmful Effects of Their Drug. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California concluded “the defendants were aware of and failed to disclose an incident involving a 30-fold elevation in liver transamine ALT levels in one study patient. Moreover, by the May 10, 2006, release of the company’s quarterly report, the company undoubtedly had information about the severity of other patient results that led the FDA, one day later, to place a partial hold on the clinical trials. These allegations were sufficient to support the element of scienter with regard to plaintiffs’ § 10(b) claims.” [Securities Class Action Reporter, 4/30/2009] FACT: Halter Likes to Brag He Led Five High-Tech Companies, Yet Refuses to Take Responsibility for Their Actions. In a 2006 ad, Halter bragged, “I’ll take my experience leading five high-tech companies…” Now, faced with the fact that one of the companies was sued for lying to the public Halter simply responds, “There are company lawsuits every day…” [KARK 4 News, 3/31/2010; Halter 2006 Campaign Ad] |
Corporate Millionaire Bill Halter Continues to Distort Blanche Lincoln’s Record of Standing Up For Working Arkansas Families
Today Bill Halter continued to spread lies about Sen. Blanche Lincoln’s record, claiming she has hurt working Arkansans and stood up for special interests. This is just a latest in a string of blatantly false representations of Senator Lincoln’s record of fighting for Arkansans. Senator Lincoln has stood up to Wall Street, voting to end TARP and cut back executive pay at organizations receiving bailout funds. Senator Lincoln has also fought for Arkansas jobs, voting to end the preferential tax treatment for companies that send jobs overseas. Bill Halter likes to cherry-pick Senator Lincoln’s record, attacking her for her support for financial reform in 1999 that passed the Senate by a vote of 90-8 and that President Clinton, Halter’s former boss, heralded as “truly historic.” Get the facts here:
Sen. Lincoln has Stood Up To Wall Street Banks…
Lincoln Voted Against Authorizing Further Funds for Wall Street Bailout. In 2009, Senator Lincoln voted for a resolution disapproving of the Troubled Asset Relief Program that would have prevented the release of $350 billion in bailout funds. Lincoln argued, “The program has provided little to no benefit to mainstream American businesses, consumers or homeowners. [Senate Vote #5, 1/15/2009; Lincoln Press Release, 1/15/2009]
Lincoln Voted To Terminate the Failed Troubled Asset Relief Program. In 2010, Lincoln voted for an amendment to terminate the Troubled Asset Relief Program and that the repayed funds be used to pay down the debt. [Senate Vote #2, 1/21/2010]
Senator Lincoln Introduced Bill to Stop Recycling of TARP Funds. In 2009, Senator Lincoln introduced a bill that “would require any TARP funds returned to the U.S. Department of the Treasury to be placed in the general fund in order to pay down the nation’s debt.” [Lincoln Press Release, 6/12/2009]
Senator Lincoln Pushed for Stricter Limits on Executive Compensation. During the TARP debate in the fall of 2008, Senator Lincoln pushed for stricter limits on executive compensation. [Senator Lincoln Letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, 9/26/2008; Letter to Secretary Henry Paulson, 11/14/2008]
Senator Lincoln Cosponsored Legislation to Limit Executive Pay. In 2008, Senator Lincoln cosponsored legislation that would limit the amount of compensation of executives at institutions receiving TARP money. [S.3693, Introduced 11/19/2008]
Senator Lincoln Introduced Legislation To End Special Tax Treatment of Executives’ Pay at Bailed-Out Companies. In 2009, Senator Lincoln joined a bipartisan effort introducing legislation that would require companies and their executives who received TARP funds to pay an excise tax on bonuses. [S.651, Introduced 3/19/2009]
Sen. Lincoln Has Fought for Jobs of Working Arkansans…
Senator Lincoln helped secure an expected 400 new jobs in Fort Smith. Lincoln worked with other federal, state, and local officials to encourage Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas Inc. (MPSA) to select Fort Smith as the location for its new wind turbine manufacturing facility. Mitsubishi plans to invest $100 million in the facility, which could employ as many as 400 people. Construction is planned to start by early 2011. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 12/19/2009]
Senator Lincoln Successfully Pressured President to Provide Relief to Domestic Tire Industry Workers and Keep Arkansas Jobs. In 2009, Senator Lincoln successfully pressured President Obama to increase tariffs on tire imports from China to provide relief to domestic tire industry workers and protecting 1,700 jobs in Texarkana, AR. [Lincoln Press Release, 6/29/2009; Reuters, 9/11/2009; Texarkana Gazette, 6/3/2009]
Senator Lincoln Has Repeatedly Stood Up to Protect Workers Whose Jobs are Sent Overseas and To Repeal Tax Privileges for Companies Who Profit From Outsourcing. [Vote #63, 3/17/2005; Vote #83, 5/5/2004; Vote #80, 5/4/2004; Vote #41, 3/11/2004; #32, 3/4/2004]
As the new Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Sen. Lincoln is using her position to put 700 Arkansans back to work. In January, she forced the Department of Agriculture to deliver a $4 million increase in funding for the Ouachita and Ozark National Forests, which will put more than 700 Arkansans back to work while helping to restore the health of our forests and to keep our mills running. [Lincoln press release, 1/19/2010]
Sen. Lincoln is fighting for manufacturing jobs, like the 1,800 people employed by Whirlpool in Fort Smith. Sen. Lincoln has secured Senate passage of tax relief legislation that provides a tax credit to U.S. producers of energy efficient appliances. The tax credit would help Arkansas manufacturers such as Whirlpool in Fort Smith, which employs 1,800 people. [Lincoln press release, 3/8/2010, 3/10/2010, 4/1/2010]
Sen. Lincoln Does Not Accept Contributions From Organizations Receiving Money Under TARP…
Effective January 1,2009, Sen. Lincoln’s campaign ceased accepting contributions from executives, employees or Political Action Committees associated with TARP-assisted financial institutions headquartered outside the state of Arkansas.
Halter Allies Air False Ad Claiming Senator Lincoln Cost Worker Her Job at Whirpool. Bill Halter’s union sponsors have recently begun airing a false and irresponsible ad featuring a former Whirlpool-Ft. Smith worker who claims her job was sent to Mexico. However, according to Whirlpool, the worker was not laid off when the ad claims and she recently turned down an offer to return to Whirlpool, opting to continue attending college under benefits Lincoln helped make possible. Read more here.
Halter Lied About Sen. Lincoln’s Record on Health Care. On MSNBC, Halter claimed Senator Lincoln had been “indecisive” about her position on health care and unclear with Arkansas voters. Yet, after years of advocacy for the uninsured, Blanche Lincoln’s record on health care and the public option is clear…It’s Bill Halter who in just a few weeks of campaigning has demonstrated he’s all over the map on a government-funded public option. Read more here.
Halter Has Repeatedly Misrepresented Senator Lincoln’s Record on TARP, But Still Refuses to Take a Position. Bill Halter continues to attack Senator Lincoln as standing up for Wall Street and bailing out banks, but has ignored her fight to terminate the TARP program and rein in excessive payments to CEOs. It’s Bill Halter who refuses to be held accountable to Arkansas voters, continuing to dodge the question of how he would have voted on the bailout. Just today, according to the Associated Press, “Halter…wouldn’t say how he would have voted on the measure.” Read more here. [Associated Press, 4/12/2010]
Halter Claimed Lincoln Put Special Interests Before the People of Arkansas. In a blast email, Bill Halter attacked Sen. Lincoln’s proven record on health care, claiming she is standing up for special interests instead of working people in Arkansas. But Sen. Lincoln has stood up time and time again for the people of Arkansas, while D.C. labor unions continue to fight Bill Halter’s battles. Read more here.
Bill Halter’s “ducking the issues” campaign for the United States Senate took a new and bizarre twist today.
Halter earned millions as a leader of corporations before moving back to Arkansas, yet he declines to answer questions about his actions in those positions, particularly the outsourcing of jobs overseas.
“Bill campaigned in 2006 on his experience leading five high-tech companies, yet when confronted by SEC records showing he authorized outsourcing of jobs to India to save money, he denies any knowledge,” Lincoln Campaign Manager Steve Patterson said. “Senator Lincoln has fought hard to create jobs in Arkansas, like the 400 Mitsubishi Power Systems jobs she helped bring to Fort Smith yesterday.”
The Lincoln campaign also released a copy of its new ad today demonstrating Halter’s hypocrisy on jobs. Watch the ad here.
Meanwhile, Halter’s advertising message continues to misrepresent Senator Lincoln’s record on the Wall Street bailout. At the same time, he refused to answer a direct question during an ABCNewsOnline interview on how he would have voted on the same measure in 2008.
“Bill Halter lies about his own record, and now he’s lying about Senator Lincoln’s record,” Patterson said. “The Senator’s voting record doesn’t lie. She voted against giving more money to Wall Street when it was time to renew TARP. She voted to terminate TARP. She voted consistently to stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas. These votes support everything she has stated in this campaign.”
The Facts:
Bill Halter Refused to Say How He Would Have Voted on TARP. In an interview with ABC News’ “Top Line,” when asked if he would have voted against the Troubled Asset Relief Program in 2008, Halter refused to answer one way or another, instead saying, “Let’s put some accountability in there…” [ABC News' "Top Line" Interview, 4/6/2010]
Lincoln Announced 400 New Mitsubishi Jobs in Forth Smith. Yesterday, Senator Lincoln joined state and local officials in celebrating the decision of Mitsubishi Power Systems America (MPSA) to build a new wind turbine manufacturing facility at Fort Smith’s Chaffee Crossing. “MPSA will invest $100 million in the facility, which will employ up to 400 people.” Senator Lincoln worked with Governor Beebe and others for several months to help bring this project and these jobs to Arkansas. [KARK 4 News, 4/6/2010]
Lincoln Voted Against Authorizing Further Funds for Wall Street Bailout. In 2009, Senator Lincoln voted for a resolution disapproving of the Troubled Asset Relief Program that would have prevented the release of $350 billion in bailout funds. Lincoln argued, “The program has provided little to no benefit to mainstream American businesses, consumers or homeowners. [Senate Vote #5, 1/15/2009; Lincoln Press Release, 1/15/2009]
Lincoln Voted To Terminate the Failed Troubled Asset Relief Program. In 2010, Lincoln voted for an amendment to terminate the Troubled Asset Relief Program and that the repayed funds be used to pay down the debt. [Senate Vote #2, 1/21/2010]
Senator Lincoln Introduced Bill to Stop Recycling of TARP Funds. In 2009, Senator Lincoln introduced a bill that “would require any TARP funds returned to the U.S. Department of the Treasury to be placed in the general fund in order to pay down the nation’s debt.” [Lincoln Press Release, 6/12/2009]
Lincoln Voted to Rein in Credit Card Companies With Much-Needed Reform. In 2009, Senator Lincoln voted for the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights, meant to put a stop to unfair rate increases and excessive fees. Lincoln said, “Enough is enough,” with the credit card companies’ unfair practices that have lead “to an inescapable state of debt for working families already struggling through the economic crisis.” [Senate Vote #194, 5/19/2009; Lincoln Press Release, 5/19/2009]
Senator Lincoln Has Repeatedly Stood Up to Protect Workers Whose Jobs are Sent Overseas and To Repeal Tax Privileges for Companies Who Profit From Outsourcing. [Vote #63, 3/17/2005; Vote #83, 5/5/2004; Vote #80, 5/4/2004; Vote #41, 3/11/2004; Vote #32, 3/4/2004]
Senator Lincoln has voted at least 26 times to extend or expand unemployment benefits, as recently as March. [2010 Senate Vote #48, 32; 2009 Senate Vote #384, 334, 254, 64; 2008 Senate Vote #206, 162; 2005 Senate Vote #234; 2004 Senate Vote #88, 18; 2003 Senate Votes #269, 199, 167, 162, 152, 14; 2002 Senate Vote #44, 6; 2001 Senate Vote #338, 293; 1993 House Vote #615, 509, 142, 88, 41]
Senator Lincoln helped secure an expected 400 new jobs in Fort Smith. Lincoln worked with other federal, state, and local officials to encourage Mitsubishi Power Systems Americas Inc. (MPSA) to select Fort Smith as the location for its new wind turbine manufacturing facility. Mitsubishi plans to invest $100 million in the facility, which could employ as many as 400 people. Construction is planned to start by early 2011. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 12/19/2009]
Senator Lincoln Successfully Pressured President to Provide Relief to Domestic Tire Industry Workers and Keep Arkansas Jobs. In 2009, Senator Lincoln successfully pressured President Obama to increase tariffs on tire imports from China to provide relief to domestic tire industry workers and protecting 1,700 jobs in Texarkana, AR. [Lincoln Press Release, 6/29/2009; Reuters, 9/11/2009; Texarkana Gazette, 6/3/2009]
Senator Lincoln Has Repeatedly Stood Up to Protect Workers Whose Jobs are Sent Overseas and To Repeal Tax Privileges for Companies Who Profit From Outsourcing. [Vote #63, 3/17/2005; Vote #83, 5/5/2004; Vote #80, 5/4/2004; Vote #41, 3/11/2004; #32, 3/4/2004]
As the new Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Sen. Lincoln is using her position to put 700 Arkansans back to work. In January, she forced the Department of Agriculture to deliver a $4 million increase in funding for the Ouachita and Ozark National Forests, which will put more than 700 Arkansans back to work while helping to restore the health of our forests and to keep our mills running. [Lincoln press release, 1/19/2010]
Sen. Lincoln is fighting for manufacturing jobs, like the 1,800 people employed by Whirlpool in Fort Smith. Sen. Lincoln has secured Senate passage of tax relief legislation that provides a tax credit to U.S. producers of energy efficient appliances. The tax credit would help Arkansas manufacturers such as Whirlpool in Fort Smith, which employs 1,800 people. [Lincoln press release, 3/8/2010, 3/10/2010, 4/1/2010]
Sen. Lincoln successfully fought for Arkansas’s steel workers, including Nucor employees in Mississippi County. To preserve Arkansas jobs at Nucor Steel in Blytheville, Sen. Lincoln introduced legislation with Congressman Marion Berry in 2001 that would strengthen U.S. trade laws by closing a loophole that allowed foreign steel producers to dump their under-priced and highly subsidized product on the U.S. market. In 2009, Sen. Lincoln again fought to protect Arkansas workers from unfairly subsidized steel pipe imports from China, appearing before the ITC and urging them to ensure that unfairly traded imports from China are not allowed to inflict additional harm on the domestic market. [Lincoln press release, 12/1/2009, 12/31/2009]
With Sen. Lincoln’s support, the Recovery Act is securing jobs in Arkansas. Some examples include:
123 constructed-related jobs and 87 research-related positions for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. UAMS was awarded nearly $10.5 million to support construction of a 12-story expansion tower to the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute—Arkansas’s only academic cancer research center. Grant will fund completion of the 9th and 11th floors in the institute’s second tower, resulting in an additional 33,660 net square feet of research space. The project is expected to create 123 construction-related jobs and 87 research-related positions. Expected completion of the floors is mid-2011. [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2/22/2010]
Two full-time staff members for the Boys and Girls Club of Saline County in Benton. Organization received $42,500 to hire two full time staff members, cover supplies and operating costs, and implement new programming. The organization served 3,812 kids in 2009. [Lincoln press release, 2/19/2010]
Aviation Technology Job Training for 600 participants. Two of the state’s community colleges have received Job Training Grants through the Department of Labor. Mid-South Community College (West Memphis) received $3,391,053 to provide aviation technology training for 600 participants, and South Arkansas Community College (El Dorado) received $3,520,612 to provide training for nursing, information technology and other jobs in the health care industry. [Lincoln press release, 2/12/2010; West Memphis Evening Times, 3/11/2010]
Blanche Lincoln: Keeping Jobs in Arkansas
“The record on Jobs…As a corporate board member, Bill Halter outsourced American jobs to Bangalore India.”
- Bill Halter Sat on Board of web Methods, Inc. From 2003-2007. According to SEC filings and Bill Halter’s financial disclosures, Halter sat on the board of webMethods, Inc from 2003 until 2007. [SEC.gov, accessed 3/18/2010; William A. Halter Statement of Financial Interest, Years 2005-2007]
- 2004: webMethods Outsourced Development Center to Bangalore, India. According to the Washington Post, in 2004, webMethods “opened its 58-person India Development Center in Bangalore, and chopped millions of dollars from its budget as a result.” [Washington Post, 9/18/2006]
- Bangalore Center Has “Lower…Expenses” Than in the United States. The company said that they have saved money by shipping jobs to Bangalore because they have “lower personnel and operating expenses than our product development centers in the United States.” [Washington Post, 9/18/2006]
- 2006: webMethods Inc. Purchased Another Company Who Outsources to India. In September 2006, webMethods Inc. purchased “Cupertino, Calif.-based Infravio, which provides service-oriented architecture services…The company has 65 employees – 50 of them in India.” [Washington Business Journal, 9/29/2006]
“It’s in official SEC records where you can see for yourself. Halter said it would save his company millions in personnel costs.”
- Halter Signed SEC Report Acknowledging Increased Use of Outsourcing to India. The company’s 10-k from 2006 acknowledges their outsourcing to India: “Research and development expense for fiscal year 2006 decreased $4.3 million, or 10%, compared to fiscal year 2005. The decrease was primarily due to a $4.6 million decrease in personnel costs and related overhead charges, primarily as a result of the increased utilization of our product development center in Bangalore, India during fiscal year 2005, which has lower personnel costs and operating expenses than our product development centers in the United States.” Halter signed the report on June 26, 2006. [webMethods, Inc Annual 10-k, filed 6/22/2006]
“Blanche Lincoln is fighting to keep jobs in Arkansas.”
- Lincoln Voted To Repeal Tax Breaks for Companies That Ship Jobs Overseas. In 2005, Lincoln voted to repeal the tax subsidy for certain domestic companies which move manufacturing operations and American jobs offshore. [Senate Vote #63, 3/17/2005]
- Lincoln Voted to Require Corporations To Pay Taxes On Offshore Productions. In 2004, Lincoln supported an amendment that “would have required companies to pay federal taxes on their foreign factories when goods produced there are imported into the United States.” [Senate Vote #83, 5/5/2004]
- Lincoln Voted For An Amendment To Provide Assistance To Workers Whose Jobs Move Overseas. In 2004, Lincoln voted for an amendment that provides that existing Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits be made available workers whose company moves overseas to any other country. [Senate Vote #80, 5/4/2004]
- Lincoln Supported Tax Incentives For Companies Who Keep Jobs in the U.S and Protecting U.S. Workers. In 2004, Lincoln voted for an amendment that would provide funding for employment initiatives, including tax credits for companies that create new U.S.-based manufacturing jobs. It would also prohibit the use of tax dollars to outsource non-defense and non-homeland security government contracts abroad and require that employers provide advanced notice to workers whose jobs may be moved abroad. [Senate Vote #41, 3/11/2004]
- Lincoln Voted to Prohibit Funding for the Outsourcing of Federal Contracts. In 2004, Lincoln voted for an amendment that would prohibit a federal government contract, including state contracts with any federal funding, from being performed outside the United States. [Senate Vote #32, 3/4/2004]
“She saved 1,700 Cooper Tire employees from losing their jobs to Chinese imports.
- Senator Lincoln Successfully Pressured President to Provide Relief to Domestic Tire Industry Workers and Keep Arkansas Jobs. In 2009, Senator Lincoln successfully pressured President Obama to increase tariffs on tire imports from China to provide relief to domestic tire industry workers and protecting 1,700 jobs in Texarkana, AR. [Lincoln Press Release, 6/29/2009; Reuters, 9/11/2009; Texarkana Gazette, 6/3/2009, 6/19/2009]
“And voted to reduce healthcare costs for small businesses so they can create jobs.”
- Senator Lincoln Supported Senate Healthcare Reform Bill, Which Provides Tax Credits to Small Businesses to Purchase Health Care for Their Employees. [Senate Vote #396, 12/24/2009]
