FACT CHECK
The latest in the recurring series: Another outside group ad, more “inaccurate” and “misleading” claims about Dr. Joe Heck’s record
Here are the facts about End Citizens United attack Ad “Cold Hard Cash”.
“The outside interest groups propping up the Masto campaign have little use for the facts when it comes to Dr. Joe Heck’s record,” said Brian Baluta, spokesman for the Heck for Senate campaign. “Nevadans won’t be deceived by groups who don’t have Nevada’s best interests in mind and come November will cast their votes for Dr. Heck because of his real-world experience and record of finding bipartisan solutions to the challenges facing our state and nation.”
CLAIM - Dr. Joe Heck’s votes support a partisan agenda.
FACT - Dr. Joe Heck always votes with the best interests of his constituents and all Nevadans. He has been rated by the Lugar Center and Georgetown University as one of the most bipartisan Members of Congress. That’s because he identifies problems faced by Nevadans, finds Democratic colleagues whose districts face the same challenges, and together they craft legislation that can get passed by the House and Senate and signed into law. His bills signed into law include:
Three Kids Mine Act - allows for clean-up and redevelopment of a toxic mine site at no cost to taxpayers. It is expected to create as many as 3,000 new jobs.
Hoover Power Allocation Act - protects and ensures Nevada’s access to stable, low cost and clean hydro power until 2067.
Stolen Valor Act - protects the honor of military awards, and the men and women who earn them, by making it a crime to knowingly benefit from misrepresenting the receipt of certain military medals.
Enhancing Services for Runaway and Homeless Victims of Youth Trafficking Act - provides increased support to runaway and homeless youth who are victims of human trafficking.
Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act - would help reduce veteran homelessness.
Meanwhile….Catherine Cortez-Masto was the most partisan Attorney General in Nevada’s history.
Catherine Cortez Masto was picked by Harry Reid because she was one of the most partisan AGs in Nevada history, indicting popular Republican Lieutenant Governor and potential Reid-challenger Brian Krolicki on bogus charges and letting Democrat Assemblyman Moose Arberry off on felony charges with a slap on the wrist.
Las Vegas Sun, 10/23/11: “Arberry case reinforces double standards”
As one Democrat — yes, Democrat — said of the Arberry deal made for a Democrat by a Democrat: “Horrific. Embarrassing for all of us.”
“The perception is even worse for an attorney general who indicted a GOP lieutenant governor (Brian Krolicki) for financial mismanagement but never alleged he enriched himself — as Arberry did — before the case fell apart. Many will argue Cortez Masto was willing to go to the wall for a lesser offense against a Republican while letting an outrageous crime by a Democrat go virtually unpunished. (Arberry, claiming destitution, has a $100-a-month restitution requirement, which means he has to pay it off before his 175th birthday.)”
CLAIM - Dr. Heck voted to protect billions in tax breaks for big oil but would risk good-solar energy jobs here at home.
FACT - Dr. Heck supports an all-of-the-above energy policy aimed at harnessing ALL of America’s energy resources - fossil fuels and renewable energy. In Congress, Heck is a champion of Nevada’s energy and economic future, introducing bipartisan legislation aimed at allowing Nevada to leverage its unique geography and vast amounts of public lands to develop renewable energy sources, especially solar and geothermal. This bill would not only help reduce energy costs by boosting local renewable energy production, it would create good-paying jobs for Nevadans as well. ( H.R. 2663, the Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act)
Dr. Heck has regularly opposed amendments brought before the House during Energy and Water Appropriations debates that would cut funding for renewable energy research and development in order to spend on more fossil fuel R&D because he recognizes that Nevada is poised to lead the nation in the development of solar and geothermal energy. (Roll Call 114th 1st session: 195, 196, 199, 200. 114th 2nd Session: 243, 244)
Dr. Heck’s first bill to become law focused on ensuring Nevada would continue to receive its full allocation of clean, renewable, affordable hydro-energy. In 2011, Dr. Heck introduced H.R. 470, the Hoover Power Allocation Act. With the Hoover Dam power contracts set to expire in 2017, Dr. Heck’s bill authorized the distribution of electricity from Hoover Dam for 50 years. The bill became law in December of 2011, ensuring Nevada continues to receive its allocation of clean, renewable, affordable electricity from the Hoover Dam. (https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/470)
CLAIM - Heck proposed a plan that would risk Social Security benefits on the stock market.
FACT - According to Nevada PolitiFact, “Heck has never suggested a mandatory privatization of the entitlement system that would forcibly “turn our savings over to Wall Street.” That quote comes from an article entitled “Union-backed ad repeats inaccurate claim that Joe Heck wants to privatize Social Security.” The article goes on to say, “But the main claim of the ad, that Heck would “privatize” Social Security and subsequently jeopardize the program’s fiscal stability, is one that PolitiFact and other Nevada journalists have called inaccurate on multiple occasions.” Yet outside groups who don’t care about Nevada keep repeating those claims in a transparent attempt to mislead voters. (http://politifact.com/nevada/statements/2016/aug/15/afscme/union-backed-ad-repeats-inaccurate-claim-joe-heck-/)
Dr. Joe Heck is the only candidate in the race for United States Senate who has actually proposed a plan to strengthen Social Security for current beneficiaries. Heck’s SENIORS COLA Guarantee Act provides a guaranteed minimum COLA for seniors, based on income level, every year to provide financial security and ensure seniors can meet their economic needs. This legislation was recently endorsed as the #2 resolution of the National Silver Haired Congress, a national organization which describes itself as a “non-partisan advocate for Federal-level issues and concerns of importance to older citizens.”
