Aug 20, 2012

FACT CHECK: Congressman Scott Rigell Falsely Claims To Be Protecting Seniors

In a new television commercial funded by the National Republican Campaign Committee, Congressman Scott Rigell (VA-02) today falsely claimed to be protecting seniors and saving Medicare.

In reality, Congressman Scott Rigell voted for Congressman Paul Ryan's radical budgets that end Medicare in order to pay for more tax breaks for millionaires, special interests and Big Oil. The Rigell-Ryan budgets raise health care costs by $6,400 for Virginia seniors, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, while giving people earning at least $1 million a year a $265,000 tax cut, according to the Tax Policy Center. In addition, Congressman Rigell supports an extreme plan would create a 23% spending tax on all seniors – from gas to groceries, rent to prescription drugs to doctor’s visits.

"Born again moderate" Scott Rigell continues to try to rewrite his Tea Party voting record in Washington that has put millionaires and big corporations over hardworking Virginia families and seniors.

FACT CHECK:

Congressman Scott Rigell Voted to End Traditional Medicare. "Ryan's budget bill also would end traditional Medicare by capping spending and offer vouchers to buy private insurance." [Bloomberg, 8/13/12]

  • The Economist: The House Republican budget "ends the guarantee that all American seniors will have health insurance." [The Economist, 4/5/11]
  • Wall Street Journal: The Republican budget "would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills." [Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11]
  • McClatchy: The House Republican budget "effectively would end Medicare for seniors." [McClatchy-Tribune News Service, 4/5/11]

Congressman Scott Rigell Voted for the Ryan Budgets That Would Hurt Seniors. Congressman Rigell voted for two budgets authored by Congressman Paul Ryan. These budgets that would end Medicare’s guaranteed benefit and provide people earning more than $1 million a year with an average tax cut of $265,000. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office estimated it will increase health care costs by an extra $6,400 by 2022 for future Medicare beneficiaries. [H Con. Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11; H Con Res 112, Vote #151, 3/29/12; Center for American Progress, 3/20/12; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/27/12; CBO, 4/5/11]

Rigell Supported 23 Percent Tax on Prescription Drugs.  In March 2011, Rigell signed onto the Fair Tax Act, a bill that would impose a national sales tax of 23 percent. The tax would apply to healthcare services such as prescription drugs and nursing home care, food, and other goods and services currently exempt from the sales tax.[HR 25 Cosponsors; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 8/07/10]

Rigell Received 82% Score for Tea Party Record. In 2012, Rigell received an 82 percent from the Club for Growth for his record of “fealty to the Tea Party movement.” Rigell ranked 28th out of the 87 House Republican freshmen, placing him in the top 35 percent. [Club for Growth, accessed 5/15/12]

Congressman Rigell Voted with Party Leadership 92% of the Time.  As of August 2012, Rigell had a party score of 92% in the 112th Congress which is the same percentage as Michele Bachmann and Allen West. [Washington Post, accessed 8/7/12]

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