Casten Calls Out Roskam’s Abysmal Record on Pre-Existing Conditions,
Threats to Medicare and Social Security

(Downers Grove, IL) October 23, 2018 – Following the final 6th District Congressional Candidates’ debate, here’s a look at Roskam’s misrepresentation of his extreme agenda:

FACT CHECK: ROSKAM’S TAX SCAM

Last night, Peter Roskam claimed that his tax scam brought tax relief to Illinois’ sixth district.

FALSE: Roskam’s tax law is a giveaway to the wealthy and his corporate donors.

• Peter Roskam’s Trump tax law was a “significant tax break for the very wealthy” and “a massive tax cut for corporations.” [Washington Post, 12/15/17]

• 83% of the law’s benefits go to the wealthy at the expense of the middle class. [Tax Policy Center, 12/18/17]

• The law eliminated the SALT deduction, which nearly 50% of 6th District households depended on. 49.3% of Households in IL-06 used the SALT deduction in 2014, more than all but 11 Congressional Districts across the country. [Tax Policy Center, 6/13/17]

• Peter Roskam’s Trump tax law will raise taxes on 86 million middle class households. [NY Times, 11/30/17]

  • More than 1 in 5 people making $40,000 to $50,000 per year would see a tax hike by 2027 [NPR, 11/14/17]

• Roskam’s tax scam was so damaging that the majority of the Illinois Congressional Delegation sent a letter to Governor Rauner urging him to “mitigate the disastrous impact the Republican tax bill will have on Illinoisans.”

• The Koch Brothers stand to benefit from $1.4 billion in tax breaks thanks to Peter Roskam. To pay Roskam back, the billionaire Koch Brothers are investing lots of money in Peter Roskam’s campaign. [Americans for Tax Fairness, 1/24/18, Chicago Tribune, 8/30/18

FACT CHECK: ROSKAM’S TAX LAW  THREATENS SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE

During last night’s WTTW debate, Peter Roskam tried to distance himself from GOP leader Mitch McConnell’s comments about cutting Social Security and Medicare to pay for the tax scam.

FALSE: Roskam has voted time and again to turn Medicare into a voucher program and has supported privatizing Medicare and Social Security.

• Roskam Has Called Medicare Recipients “Entitled Individuals”: In August, Peter Roskam referred to 115,162 of his constituents as “entitled individuals” and discussed the need to cut the program.

• Peter Roskam Has Voted to Turn Medicare Into Voucher Program

• Roskam Has Backed Extreme GOP Plan To Privatize Social Security

 

FACT CHECK: ROSKAM ON PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS

Once again, Peter Roskam attempted to mislead voters about his record of voting for legislation that jeopardizes protections for pre-existing conditions.

FALSE: Roskam voted for the AHCA, which would have gutted protections for people with pre-existing conditions and caused more than 30,000 people In IL-06 to lost their health coverage.

• Roskam Voted For The American Health Care Act – The Republican Health Care Repeal Bill. Among it’s components, it would allow states to receive waivers to exempt insurers from having to provide certain minimum benefits, would provide $8 billion over five years for individuals with pre-existing conditions whose insurance premiums increased because the state was granted a waiver to raise premiums based on an individual’s health status. [HR 1628, Vote #256]

• Politifact Found That AHCA “Would Weaken Protections” For Those With Pre-Existing Conditions, “Would Allow States To Give Insurers The Power To Charge People Significantly More.” [Politifact, 5/24/17]

• Los Angeles Times: AHCA’s MacArthur Amendment “Would Effectively End Obamacare’s Guarantee Of Insurance Coverage For Those With Preexisting Conditions.” [Los Angeles Times, 5/2/17]

• More Than 30,600 People In IL-06 Would Lose Their Health Care As A Result Of The AHCA. [Center for American Progress, 5/25/17]

• Roskam repeatedly voted to repeal or weaken the ACA

 

FACT CHECK: ROSKAM’S EXTREME POSITIONS ON GUNS

At the end of last night’s debate, moderator Carol Marin asked rapid fire questions about measures to end gun violence in schools and communities. Roskam tried to appeal to independent voters

FALSE: Peter Roskam has a long record of opposing common sense gun safety measures.

• Peter Roskam had an A rating from the NRA, and is the third largest recipient of NRA funds in Illinois, with $32,216 in overall support. [News Gazette 02/20/18; Chicago Tribune 10/5/17]

• Opposing an assault weapons ban, and claiming that armor-piercing bullets have a “sporting use.” [1994 Assault Weapons Ban, Chicago Daily Herald, 9/4/06; Letter to ATF, 3/5/15]

• Refused to attend a local gun-safety forum sponsored by the Parkland school-shooting students. [Naperville Sun 4/6/18]

• Sponsored legislation that would have destroyed gun purchase records after 90 days in Illinois. [Chicago Tribune, Editorial 10/26/05]

 

FACT CHECK: ROSKAM’S HISTORY OF PARTISANSHIP

Peter Roskam attempted to obscure his partisan record by touting his Lugar Center, “bipartisanship score” in the debate last night.

FACT CHECK: Peter Roskam is a career-politician with a history of extreme partisanship.

• Roskam votes with the Trump Administration 94% of the time [FiveThirtyEight, Accessed 10/21/18]

• Roskam calls himself the author of the tax bill, which Republicans jammed through the House and Senate without a single Democratic vote.

• Roskam served for years in GOP leadership, which refused to allow votes on bipartisan compromises like the 2013 comprehensive immigration reform bill that overwhelmingly passed the Senate.

• Roskam has previously been in the middle of the pack by the authors of the study he likes to cite, as the 153rd, and 113th most bipartisan member.