SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Why our opponent has a credibility problem

Our opponent routinely uses false attacks and distortions to advance his partisan narrative. Devoid of vision and inspiration, his campaign represents all that is wrong with American politics. Here are just a few of the most egregious and oft-repeated false attacks.
False claim: [Gibson] quickly began supporting the Tea Partys radical agenda. [Julian for NY Press Release, August 14, 2012]And his voting record is not one of a moderate. [Timestamp: 3:30] Fact: Congressman Gibson enjoys broad support across the political spectrum, from conservative Republicans and pragmatic Independents to moderate Democrats. The Washington Post ranks him as the 3rd most independent Republican in the House of Representatives [U.S. Congress Votes Database, Washington Post, Accessed August 30, 2012] and he was ranked at the center of the House by National Journal in 2011. [Members in the Middle: House Members with Centrist Records, National Journal, March 2, 2012]. False claim: Congressman Chris Gibson has voted to effectively end Medicare as we know it by turning it into a coupon program. [Julian for NY Website, Accessed August 30, 2012] Guaranteed coverage is gone [Politics of Fear Target Elderly, Times Union, August 22, 2012] Fact: The non-partisan fact-checker organization, Politifact, called the claim that the Republicans voted to end Medicare the 2011 lie of the year. With the nonpartisan Medicare trustees estimating Medicare will go broke in a little over a decade, what ends Medicare is the status quo. That is not an option Congressman Gibson believes we owe it to those who built this country to fulfill our pledges and commitments we made to them. He has supported two different proposals to date that ensure we honor those pledges. The premium support proposal in the Republican budget would allow future seniors -those 54 and younger - to choose between a variety of federally pre-approved plans (like 25 percent of Medicare beneficiaries already do) to pick the coverage option that best meets their needs. Plans would be required to offer coverage to every senior (they could not cherry pick beneficiaries), and lower income seniors and the chronically ill would receive more money from the government while the wealthiest seniors would receive less. Anyone 55 or older would have absolutely no change in their benefits. The most recent iteration of the premium support model would have the option to choose between traditional Medicare or a pre-approved plan, with the government paying the full cost for at least two plan options. This year Congressman Gibson supported the bipartisan budget proposal (Cooper-LaTourette) that incorporates an accountable care approach, broader access to discount drugs, and additional measures to combat fraud, waste, and abuse. Congressman Gibson has demonstrated a willingness to work together with Democrats to ensure we save Medicare from bankruptcy and strengthen it for future generations. [Additional Resources: Republicans Voted to End Medicare is 2011 Lie of the Year, Politifact; $6,400 Myth, Wall Street Journal, August 19, 2012; Despite Democrats Warnings, Private Medicare Plans Find Success, New York Times, August 25, 2012] False claim: one area where a majority of Republicans went one way and [Gibson] broke with them was support for the small business innovation research fund....He was against it when even a majority of Republicans supported it. [Timestamp: 3:39] Fact: Congressman Gibson voted four times (H.R. 366, H.R. 2608, S. 1082, and H.R. 1540) to extend and reauthorize the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. [Library of Congress THOMAS]

PAID FOR BY CHRIS GIBSON FOR CONGRESS

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Why our opponent has a credibility problem
False claim: Congressman Gibson has voted tocut support for rural broadband. [Timestamp: 8:15] Fact: After funding for the Rural Utility Service Broadband Loan Program was zeroed out in the FY2012 Agriculture Appropriations Bill, Congressman Gibson introduced an amendment to restore funding for the program. Congressman Gibsons amendment passed the House with strong bipartisan support (90 Republicans and 131 Democrats). [Roll Call Vote #442] False claim: [Gibson] has ended up following the path of this Tea Party agenda, instead of focusing on the needs of the community. [Timestamp: 5:28] Fact: Congressman Gibsons top priorities have been on local issues. From storm relief, Lyme Disease, and expanding access to broadband to supporting renewable energy initiatives, working for New York has always come first. (Hes gotten rave reviews. He is a very middle-of-the-road guyHe hasnt focused on Cut, Cap, and Balance. Hes focused on Lyme Disease and rural broadband and issues that are more bread and butter issues to his district. [David Wasserman, National Journal Forum, August 29, 2012]. Rather, he impresses us as one of the most balanced, intelligent, knowledgeable, reasonable and grounded politicians out there. He has palpable leadership skills, and he emphasizes governing rather than politics - especially governing by compromise, as the U.S. Constitution prescribes. [Rep. Gibson Continues to Impress, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, March 22, 2012]) False claim: Congressman Gibson has repeatedly supported budget-busting tax cuts for the super-wealthy, tax breaks for Big Oil despite that industrys record profits, and tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas [Julian for NY Website, Accessed August 30, 2012] Fact: Congressman Gibson sent a letter to the members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction encouraging them to include comprehensive tax reform, and specifically the elimination of special tax credits and deductions for oil and gas companies, as part of their plan to reduce our nations growing deficit. [Source: Letter to the JSCDR] Congressman Gibson also voted for the only bipartisan budget in 2012. [Source: Gibson Votes Against Ryan Budget Due to Military Spending, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, March 30, 2012] False claim: [Congressman Gibson] voted to cut all funding for cancer screenings for women... [Email from Jonathan Levy, July 30, 2012]. [Congressman Gibson] has voted against a womens right to choose five times. [Julian for NY Website, Accessed August 30, 2012]. Voting to criminalize abortion even in cases of rape and incest [Julian Schreibman Facebook, Accessed August 30, 2012]. Fact: Congressman Gibson voted for Title X funding in the 2011 Continuing Resolution (Roll Call #268)and H.R. 2055, the 2012 Consolidated Appropriations Act (Roll Call #941). In addition to family planning, Title X-supported clinics provide a number of preventive health services such as: education and counseling; breast and pelvic examinations; breast and cervical cancer screening according to national standards of care; sexually transmitted disease (STD) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prevention education, counseling, testing and referral; and pregnancy diagnosis and counseling. Congressman Gibson believes that while in a perfect world there would be no abortions, we live in the real world where abortions will occur. He believes that more emphasis is needed to help women in crisis with comprehensive counseling and reforming laws to make adoption an easier and more accessible choice. He opposes all late term abortions and the use of federal taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions (except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is threatened). [H.R. 3 Bill Text]

PAID FOR BY CHRIS GIBSON FOR CONGRESS