Jon Tester in 2012 Montana Senate Debates
On Government Reform:
Citizens United is scary for democracy
Early on in the debate, both candidates were asked several questions about outside spending and the relentless negative advertising voters have been subjected to this cycle. Rehberg attempted to steer the topic back toward one of his favorite talking
points. "It's not about campaign spending," he said of the Senate race. "It's about government spending." This race has seen close to $20 million in spending by third party groups.Tester, ever the opponent of Citizens United, acknowledged the problem
in his closing statement. "We're back in 1912," he said, harkening back to the days of Montana's Copper Kings. "We've come back to a time when corporations can give unlimited amounts of money, secret money, and influence the political
structure of this country. And that's scary for a democracy."
But Rehberg, who had no response when asked directly how much outside interests had spent in this race, doesn't seem to be too troubled by where that money is coming from.
Source: Missoula News on 2012 Montana Senate debate
Oct 22, 2012
On Tax Reform:
Extend Bush exemption for inheritance tax up to $10M
[The debate] marked yet another tired back-and-forth on the estate tax, referred to by conservatives as the "death tax." Tester favors extending the Bush-era tax cut exemption for couples inheriting estates worth less than $10 million;
Rehberg wants to deep-six the tax completely. The discussion between the candidates didn't, and never has, addressed the fact that, according to a study conducted by a trio of
IRS researchers, only two to three percent of all deaths in the U.S. were subject to estate taxation even under the Clinton-era exemption of $1 million.
In 1998, only 50,089 of the 103,892 people who filed estate tax returns actually paid any taxes. That's the type of fact we'd like to see dropped in a debate like this.
Source: Missoula News on 2012 Montana Senate debate
Oct 22, 2012
On Budget & Economy:
$787B in stimulus spending was step in the right direction
Tester defended the $787 billion stimulus spending as critical at a time when the country was hemorrhaging jobs and spiraling toward a depression, while Rehberg criticized it as a failure.Tester said the spending was a step in the right direction
as it built infrastructure and created jobs, which would be his No. 1 priority if re-elected. The senator pointed to the ongoing construction of the Kalispell bypass and the rehabilitation of the Going-to-the-Sun Road as projects enabled by the stimulus
package. "We're still not where we need to be. But it was a step in the right direction to help us move forward," he said. "We couldn't sit back and do nothing."
Rehberg called his opponent fiscally irresponsible, and drew again and
again on Tester's record of aligning with the administration of President Barack Obama. "I didn't vote for it then and I wouldn't vote for it now," Rehberg said of the stimulus bill. "It didn't create jobs."
Source: Billings Gazette on 2012 Montana Senate debates
Oct 15, 2012
On Corporations:
Prevent abuses by "too-big-to-fail" banks on Wall Street
Rehberg said, "As the government grows bigger, we lose our freedoms and our opportunities," referring to the heavy-handedness of the EPA and Dodd-Frank banking regulations that have hindered local lending and economic development.
Earlier in the debate, Tester defended the Dodd-Frank legislation as being important to prevent abuses from "too-big-to-fail" financial institutions on Wall Street. The legislation put "more cops on the beat to make sure Wall Street won't do it again."
Source: Daily Inter Lake on 2012 Montana Senate debates
Oct 14, 2012
On Government Reform:
Oppose Citizens United: limit corporate political spending
Tester was critical of the Citizens United Supreme Court case that has allowed corporations to have unfettered involvement in political spending. "We've seen tens of millions of dollars of secret money come into this state to define me as something
I'm not," said Tester, who called for transparency about who contributes to political action committees.
Rehberg appeared to speak favorably of Citizens United, saying political free speech is the most important, but he added that he supports 100 percent transparency with campaign donations.
The problem,
Tester pointed out, is that Citizens United doesn't require transparency in reporting political contributions.
Source: Daily Inter Lake on 2012 Montana Senate debates
Oct 14, 2012
On Health Care:
Protect people with pre-existing medical conditions
Tester defended the Affordable Care Act at times, citing provisions that protect people with pre-existing medical conditions and protect sick people from having their insurance policies terminated.
There are parts of the health care bill "that will help" working families and small businesses, he said. "To listen to the Congressman talk, you would think that the old system was just grand. It wasn't grand," Tester said.
Source: Daily Inter Lake on 2012 Montana Senate debates
Oct 14, 2012
On Homeland Security:
Irresponsible to put two wars on credit card
Rehberg, the Republican challenger, once again aimed to connect Tester, the Democratic incumbent, to big government and the "failed policies" of President Barack Obama's administration.Tester depicted
Rehberg as an irresponsible spender during his 12 years in Congress. He described Rehberg as a politician who used a "credit card" to vote for a new federal prescription drug program and two wars, among other spending.
Source: Daily Inter Lake on 2012 Montana Senate debates
Oct 14, 2012
On Tax Reform:
Limit inheritance tax to estates over $5 million
Asked about an inheritance tax being reinstated on Jan. 1, Tester said he favors having an exemption for the first $5 million in inheritance.
Rehberg said he favors eliminating the "death tax" entirely.
Source: Daily Inter Lake on 2012 Montana Senate debates
Oct 14, 2012
On Technology:
Stimulus for Going-to-the-Sun National Park roads
Tester defended the $830 billion stimulus bill, saying it paid for, among other things, part of the Going-to-the-Sun Road reconstruction project in Glacier National Park and the Kalispell U.S. 93 bypass, as well as supporting fire departments and police
departments.Rehberg described the stimulus as a failure. "You don't spend $1 trillion and hope to create an asset. I don't think government should be picking winners and losers. Government should be creating an environment of liberating Main Street."
Source: Daily Inter Lake on 2012 Montana Senate debates
Oct 14, 2012
On Immigration:
Touts bipartisanship; voted against DREAM Act
Tester has touted his independence: running ads emphasizing his farming roots, his work on bipartisan Veterans Affairs legislation and his habit of bringing Montana bison meat back from his farm to Washington, D.C. He also voted against the
DREAM Act, which would provide a path to citizenship for some undocumented immigrants brought here as children.
Source: The Hill coverage of 2012 Montana Senate debate
Jun 25, 2012
On Environment:
Sought removal of wolves from the endangered list
Rehberg persistently hammered Tester as a front-man for the Obama administration. Tester touted legislation he sponsored or supported to help seniors, veterans and the uninsured.
Tester dismissed claims that he's sided with Obama and the Democrats on the vast majority of issues.
He cited the auto industry bailout, proposals to regulate farm dust and youth labor and the removal of wolves from the endangered list as instances when he's gone against members of his party.
Rehberg spoke of the need for "Montana solutions" and declared his support for government assistance to ensure rural areas of the state are provided adequate highways and air and train service.
Source: The Republic on 2012 Montana Senate debates
Jun 17, 2012
On Government Reform:
Citizens United ruling puts democracy at risk
Jon Tester stated that the widely criticized Citizens United ruling puts democracy at risk by giving corporations more power than people. The Supreme Court ruling undid past restrictions on political spending by corporations and special interest groups.
The decision has been derided by many Montana politicians. Montana, 21 other states and the District of Columbia have asked the high court to rule that Citizens United doesn't apply to Montana's or other state laws regulating corporate campaign
spending.
Rehberg said he supported the 2010 ruling, although he added that there should be full transparency on where campaign money is coming from. "There should be nothing more free than political free speech," he said.
Tester responded that "corporations are not people. Because of Citizens United, corporations have more rights when it comes to donations than people do," he said.
Source: The Republic on 2012 Montana Senate debates
Jun 17, 2012
On Corporations:
Citizens United puts democracy at risk
Stark disagreement over the Citizens United campaign finance ruling highlighted Montana's first U.S. Senate debate on Saturday, as Republican challenger Denny Rehberg defended the Supreme Court decision as vital to free speech.Incumbent Democrat Jon
Tester responded that the widely criticized ruling puts democracy at risk by giving corporations more power than people. The Supreme Court ruling undid past restrictions on political spending by corporations and special interest groups.
Rehberg said he supported the 2010 ruling, although he added that there should be full transparency on where campaign money is coming from. "There should be nothing more free than political free speech," he said.
Tester responded
that "corporations are not people. Because of Citizens United, corporations have more rights when it comes to donations than people do," he said.
Source: New England Cable News on 2012 Montana Senate debate
Jun 16, 2012
Page last updated: Dec 04, 2018