Despite Frank Guinta’s desperate attempts this week to distance himself from his extreme right-wing Tea Party record, the former Congressman chose to participate in a series of “Tea Party Ten” interviews with ABC News in January and August 2011, in which he spoke at length about his support for a Tea Party agenda.
“Frank Guinta was proud to call himself a Tea Partier in these interviews, where he voiced extreme views about defaulting on our nation’s debt and tried to defend education cuts,’” said Marc Brumer of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
In the following interview excerpt, Guinta identifies himself as one of the Tea Partiers responsible for the first credit downgrade in U.S. history by fueling the debt-ceiling crisis: the video can be viewed here.
And in this excerpt, Guinta says that it’s “typical Washington speak” for teacher pay to be cut as a result of the extreme budget cuts he supports. Guinta slashed school funding as the Mayor of Manchester, and voted in Congress to cut education budgets across the board: the video can be viewed here.
Guinta proudly shared the interview with constituents, directing them to an article headlined “Tea Party to Washington: Pain Should be Shared.”
“Frank Guinta is right to be embarrassed by his extreme Tea Party positions, but he is wrong to deceive voters about his Tea Party affiliation,” said Brumer. “New Hampshire deserves to know the truth about Guinta’s destructive Tea Party agenda.”
BACKGROUND:
Proposed Lopping Five Percent from School District in FY 2009 Budget. In April 2008, Guinta’s fiscal 2009 budget proposal brought condemnation from school administrators for proposing to lop five percent from the district’s budget. According to administrators, at least 77 school district employees would be laid off. Class sizes would increase dramatically. Sports teams and other extracurricular programs would be cut. In an e-mail to employees, Acting Superintendent Henry Aliberti wrote, “All district programs, services and positions will be on the table for discussion.” [New Hampshire Union Leader, 4/02/08]
Cast Tie-Breaking Vote to Approve Budget with Drastic Cuts to Education. In June 2009, Guinta cast the tie-breaking vote on the Manchester school board in favor of a $146.4 million budget. Guinta had proposed $146 million. The budget passed 8-7. The new budget included enough funding to bring back some of the 78 teachers laid off in May, and all ten of the assistant principals pink-slipped in April. The superintendent’s proposal looked to attrition, layoffs and retirements to take $6.8 million in salaries off the district’s books. While district workers were technically not “laid-off,” Superintendent Tom Brennan said the district would lose the equivalent of 190 full-time employees – roughly 12 percent of its workforce. [New Hampshire Union Leader, 6/23/09]
Voted for House Republican Budget for FY 2013. In March 2012, Guinta voted for the House Republican budget for FY 2013. The budget resolution was adopted, 228-191. [H Con Res 112, Vote #151, 3/29/12]
Budget Would Cut Critical Education Programs. Under the House Republican budget, critical education programs would be cut. “The Department of Education would be cut by more than $115 billion over a decade. 9.6 million students would see their Pell Grants fall by more than $1000 in 2014, and, over the next decade, over one million students would lose support altogether. This would derail bipartisan education reforms and deeply undermine K-12 education and college opportunity,” the Office of Management and Budget stated. [OMB, 3/21/12]