Joe Donnelly’s Ridiculous Claims of Fiscal Responsibility Prove Shameful

Indianapolis, IN (October 12, 2012) – In recent days, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste and the National Taxpayers’ Union both endorsed Richard Mourdock for U.S. Senate, while criticizing Joe Donnelly’s continual votes to increase government spending and saddle middle class Hoosiers with higher taxes.

“Joe Donnelly’s attempt to recreate his fiscal record is a shameful display of deception to voters,” stated Mourdock spokesman Christopher Conner. “These respected citizen watchdog organizations call out Joe Donnelly’s true record on wasteful government spending, rather than the one he’s been touting on Indiana Television.”

During his time in Congress, Joe Donnelly voted for the $1 trillion ObamaCare three times, including a vote as recently as July 2012; to prevent a repeal of the health care law that he now claims to regret supporting.

Joe Donnelly also voted for the $787 billion stimulus plan, the failed TARP (which increased the debt limit to $11.315 trillion), the $700 billion Wall Street bailout, raised the debt ceiling several times, while opposing numerous attempts to cut government spending even one percent and opposing a balanced budget amendment as part of the Cut, Cap and Balance plan.

NTU President Duane Parde declared, “It will take vision and leadership to turn around the Senate’s sorry record on taxpayer issues, and Richard Mourdock is the man for the job. Try as he might, Joe Donnelly cannot claim to be a true Indiana-style fiscal conservative.”

CCAGW political action committee chairman, Tom Schatz, commented, “Throughout his career, Richard Mourdock has proven to be a fiscally conservative leader. As a U.S. senator, he will ease the burden of a cumbersome, bloated federal government. He has the ability to improve the future economic outlook by fighting to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse on behalf of all Hoosiers.”

“As Treasurer, Richard Mourdock has presided over one of the last fiscally responsible states in the country,” concluded Conner. “Richard knows how to work within a tighter budget, as many Hoosier families are doing. Harry Reid has refused to even pass a budget for over 3 years. We can’t afford for Harry Reid to lead the Senate anymore, which means we must elect Richard Mourdock to the U.S. Senate.”

Joe Donnelly’s REAL Voting Record:


• Joe Donnelly voted for the $1 Trillion ObamaCare three times; including a vote as recently as July 2012, to prevent a repeal of the law about which he now claims to have regret (H.R. 3590, CQ Vote #165, 3/21/10; H.R. 4872, CQ Vote #167, 3/21/10; H.R. 6079, CQ Vote #460, 7/11/12).
• Joe Donnelly voted to raise the debt ceiling by $12.104 trillion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1, CQ Vote #46, 1/28/2009).
• Joe Donnelly voted for the $787 Billion Stimulus Plan (H.R. 1, CQ Vote #690, 8/1/11).
• Joe Donnelly supported TARP, which increased the debt limit to $11.315 trillion (H.R. 1424, CQ Vote #681, 10/3/2008).
• Joe Donnelly voted for the $787 Billion Stimulus Plan (H.R. 1424, CQ Vote #681, 10/3/08).
• Joe Donnelly opposed a Balanced Budget Amendment as part of the Cut, Cap and Balance Plan (HR 2560, CQ Vote #606, 07/19/11).
• Joe Donnelly voted against numerous amendment attempts to cut spending, including:
o Joe Donnelly opposed an amendment to cut spending by 3% to administrative expense accounts in the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill (H.R. 5855, CQ Vote #346, 6/6/2012).
o Joe Donnelly opposed an amendment to cut spending by 0.27% in the E&W appropriations bill’s discretionary spending (H.R. 5325, CQ Vote #337, 6/6/2012).
o Joe Donnelly opposed an amendment to cut spending by 1% in the E&W appropriations bill’s discretionary spending (H.R. 5325, CQ Vote #335, 6/6/2012).
o Joe Donnelly opposed an amendment to cut spending by 1% in the Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill (H.R 5326, CQ Vote #221, 5/9/2012).
o Joe Donnelly opposed an amendment to cut spending for expenses associated with restoration of Pacific salmon populations by $15 million (H.R. 5326, CQ Vote #211, 5/8/2012).

• Joe Donnelly had 45 earmarks worth $32 million between 2007 and 2009.

• Joe Donnelly has a lifetime rating of 18 percent, classified as “hostile to taxpayers”, from the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste.

• Joe Donnelly has earned three “F” and two “D” grades from National Taxpayers’ Union annual rating of Congress. Joe Donnelly’s average annual score comes to 19 percent. 

• 1 of 67
• next ›

2012-10-12 08:44:04

Source: http://www.richardmourdock.com/news/joe-donnelly%E2%80%99s-ridiculous-claims-fiscal-responsibility-prove-shameful