Obamacare

How Grover Norquist Anti-Tax Pledge Could Foil GOP's Latest Obamacare Repeal Push

Brian Beutler | November 9, 2011, 3:28PM

Grover Norquist

Here's one example of how Grover Norquist's Taxpayer Protection Pledge boxes in Republican members, even on issues near and dear to the GOP base.

The details here were first reported by Inside Health Policy but it illustrates a point Republicans on the deficit Super Committee are all too familiar with. Starting in 2014, the health care law will automatically start providing tax credits for individual market health care policies -- the subsidies that will help uninsured people buy coverage.

Republicans want to stop the money from going out before it starts, so they've introduced legislation to repeal the subsidies. Except, since these are tax credits and not direct spending, repealing them could count as a tax increase as far as the taxpayer protection pledge is concerned.

Read more »

Medicare

At Least Two House Republicans Publicly Nervous About Ending Medicare

Benjy Sarlin | April 20, 2011, 8:36AM

Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) and Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT)

Democrats are launching a broad effort to drive a wedge into the House GOP using Paul Ryan's plan to replace Medicare with a voucher system and already at least two lawmakers are looking very skittish on the GOP proposal.

The Washington Post's Greg Sargent highlights quotes from Rep. Dave McKinley (R-WV) and Denny Rehberg (R-MT) in the local press in which they express serious concerns about the Medicare overhaul's effect on seniors. Both voted against the GOP budget, two of only four Republicans to do so.

"The Congressional Budget Office determined that some of the out-of-pocket costs could double for seniors and that sent up a red flag for me that we need to look at it," McKinley told the Charleston Daily Mail, adding he was "uncomfortable" with the idea.

Rehberg told the Great Falls Tribune that "there are still too many unanswered questions with regard to Medicare reform, and I simply won't support any plan until I know for a fact that Montana's seniors will be protected."

112th Congress

Rep. Denny Rehberg Pushed On Minimum Wage

Benjy Sarlin | March 8, 2011, 12:31PM

Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT)

Democratic operatives are circulating a video of Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT), who is challenging Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) for his seat in next year's election, in which Rehberg is asked what the current minimum wage is in Montana. Rehberg has voted several times in the past against increasing the minimum wage, which is currently $7.35 in Montana.

"Congressman Rehberg is more out of touch than we ever could have imagined," Democratic Senatorial Campaign Communications Director Eric Schultz said in a statement. "This is not the first time Congressman Rehberg has shown a disdain for the working men and women of his state. Time and again he has voted against giving Montanans a livable wage. But today he has sunk to a new low."

A spokesman for Rehberg, Jed Link, noted that Rehberg voted for a minimum wage increase that passed in 2007 as well as for an earlier attempt to raise the minimum wage in 2006 as part of a package cutting the estate tax.

Read more »

Senate '12

Poll: Montana Senate Seat Could Go To GOP in 2012

Jon Terbush | February 24, 2011, 3:45PM

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT)

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) could be on his way out of the Senate after just one term.

In a new poll of likely voters conducted by 47 North Communications, Tester trails Rep. Denny Rehberg (R) in a hypothetical 2012 match-up. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they would vote for Rehberg, while only 44% said they would back Tester.

Earlier this month, Rehberg formally announced that he would take on Tester in next year's election.

Read more »

MT-SEN

GOPer Rehberg: How Can We Put Activist Federal Judges On The Endangered Species List? (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | February 8, 2011, 11:24AM

Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-MT)

Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT), who is running for the U.S. Senate against Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, has let loose his criticisms of a recent ruling by a federal judge to keep the gray wolf on the endangered species list -- saying he would like to put "some of these judicial activists" on the endangered list.

Rehberg spoke Monday before the state legislature. As the Helena Independent Record reports. "When I first heard his decision, like many of you I wanted to take action immediately," Rehberg said. "I asked: How can we put some of these judicial activists on the Endangered Species list?"

Rehberg was then quickly denounced by the executive director of the state Democratic Party, Ted Dick: "Congressman Rehberg's veiled threat against federal judges he disagrees with is in light of the murder of a federal judge in Tucson less than a month ago."

Read more »

MT-SEN

Tester Attacks GOP Opponent For Bachmann Connection

Eric Kleefeld | February 2, 2011, 4:34PM

Sen Jon Tester (D-MT) & Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN)

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) is already taking the gloves off against his soon-to-be Republican opponent, Rep. Denny Rehberg, pointing out that Rehberg will reportedly be launching his campaign at a state GOP dinner this weekend featuring...Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann!

In an appearance on ABC's Top Line Web program, Tester tied Rehberg to Bachmann's recent budget proposal, which calls for freezes and cuts in veterans' benefits.

Read more »

MT-SEN

Report: GOPer Rehberg To Challenge Dem Sen. Tester In Montana

Eric Kleefeld | February 1, 2011, 10:06AM

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT)

A top-tier Senate race in 2012 is now gearing up, with Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) set to announce that he is challenging first-term Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.

Roll Call reports:

"It's happening Saturday," said a knowledgeable Montana GOP political operative. "He's running. There is a lot of support and enthusiasm back home, and Denny knows he can win."

Roll Call also reports that the operative shared an internal Rehberg campaign poll, which gave Rehberg 49% to Tester's 43%. This is fairly similar to a Public Policy Polling (D) survey from this past NOvember, which had Rehberg edging out Tester by a margin of 48%-46%.

Read more »

Tea Party Caucus

House Tea Party Caucus Members Requested Over $1 Billion In Earmarks

Eric Kleefeld | December 2, 2010, 10:40AM

Hmm, something seems odd about the House Tea Party Caucus -- the group founded to promote cuts in government spending. As National Journal reports, a new study finds that the caucus' 52 members requested a total of more than $1 billion in this past Congress.

According to a Hotline review of records compiled by Citizens Against Government Waste, the 52 members of the caucus, which pledges to cut spending and reduce the size of government, requested a total of 764 earmarks valued at $1,049,783,150 during Fiscal Year 2010, the last year for which records are available.

"It's disturbing to see the Tea Party Caucus requested that much in earmarks. This is their time to put up or shut up, to be blunt," said David Williams, vice president for policy at Citizens Against Government Waste. "There's going to be a huge backlash if they continue to request earmarks."

Read more »

Denny Rehberg

GOP Rep. Rehberg: With Obama As President, We Need More Trigger Locks

Eric Kleefeld | September 9, 2010, 4:36PM

Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-MT)

Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT) offered some advice to a local company in his state that makes parts for guns: With President Obama in office, you'll need to develop more trigger locks.

As the Ravalli Republic reports:

But as a politician who bills himself as a straight shooter, Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg also had a bit of off-color advice for Bonnie and Randy Jones, proprietors of Bitterroot Tool and Machine, makers of airplane bolts, grain mills and bullet-loaders.

"If Obama is president, maybe you need to spend more time developing a gun lock, a trigger lock," Rehberg said with a chuckle, sitting across a lunchroom table from the Joneses in a suede jacket emblazoned with the U.S. government seal.

The comment came in response to Randy Jones asking about gun rights.

Read more »