Correct the Record: Carlos Curbelo’s Misleading Debate Statements on This Week in South Florida
MIAMI, FL – During today’s debate on This Week in South Florida, Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo made statements that deserve some attention:
Curbelo On Trump: I took a principled stand.
Curbelo says he cannot support Donald Trump because of his principles, but his principles do not prevent him from picking up the phone and asking extreme Republicans and Trump donors for money:
- Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson has spent millions of dollar trying to elect Trump, and Curbelo has received almost $22,000 from Adelson for his campaign and PAC.
- Extreme Republican Francis Rooney stood by Trump after his 2005 sexist comments were revealed. He has given Curbelo over $20,000 for his election.
- TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts and his family gave $1 million in support of Trump last month alone and sent Curbelo thousands of dollars as well.
Curbelo on women: “I respect women.”
Curbelo says he respects women, but not enough to give them an opportunity to earn as much as men.
- Curbelo blocked consideration of the Paycheck Fairness Act, twice, which would have given women the right to seek legal action for wage discrimination.
- Curbelo sponsored a toothless Republican equal pay bill that gives women no legal recourse against wage discrimination.
Curbelo on being a moderate: I have worked with both sides.
While Carlos Curbelo says he is moderate, he has sided with his party and special interest when it counts.
- Curbelo voted against consideration of a bill requiring background checks for gun purchases and voted 8 times against a bill that would prevent suspected terrorists from buying guns. The Brady Campaign has called him a “Lap Dog” for the NRA and the gun lobby.
- Curbelo voted to allow coal polluters to store their waste in aquifers impoundments that leak into the groundwater, including the waters surrounding Florida’s 78 coal waste storage facilities.
- Curbelo voted to give Florida Governor Rick Scott and his regulators control of Biscayne National Park, even after his policies caused disastrous algae blooms.
Curbelo on education: “I have passed bills…on education”
While Curbelo tries to change his history on education, he has shown that he votes against the interest of our children and students in Congress.
- Curbelo voted to cut Pell Grants by $84 billion, despite the fact 31,000 students from his district count on the assistance to go to college.
- Curbelo voted to make it harder for children in low-income families to get free school lunches, hurting their ability to learn.
Curbelo on a woman’s right to choose: “I am pro-life.”
Again, Curbelo says he respects women, but not quite enough to allow them to make their own healthcare decisions.
- Curbelo voted to defund Planned Parenthood multiple times, taking away healthcare services from women in underserved communities.
- Curbelo voted to impose a 48 hour waiting period and mandatory counseling on women who are making a difficult health decision
Curbelo on Obamacare: We have to replace it with something better.
Curbelo says he wants to replace Obamacare, but he and his party have failed to present a replacement plan, even as they continue voting to strip millions of Americans of their healthcare.
- Curbelo voted seven times to rollback or repeal Obamacare and replacing it with nothing.
- Curbelo wants to take us back to a system that discriminates against people with pre-existing conditions.
- Curbelo wants to take us back to a system that charges women more than men for healthcare simply because they could get pregnant.
Curbelo on Social Security and Medicare: “I have proposed reform… I have proposed means testing.”
Curbelo says he wants to preserve Social Security and Medicare, but private comments and public statements tell us the opposite is true.
- During a private Republican meeting, Curbelo called Social Security a Ponzi scheme just like Donald Trump, and called Medicare a Ponzi scheme too.
- During the debate, Curbelo said he supports means testing and other methods that hurt the most disadvantaged.
- Curbelo supported the Paul Ryan budget that tried to privatize Social Security and would have turned Medicare into a voucher system.
No Comment