Rep. Rehberg, Meet Rep. Rehberg

Two Conflicting Versions of Rep. Dennis Rehberg Leave Montanans Guessing: Where Does He Really Stand on Health Care and Government Spending?

Helena - Montana’s lone U.S. Rep. Dennis Rehberg is doing his best to give the state a second congressman in Washington.  Except rather than add another seat in the next Census, he’s chosen to just be two people at once by flip-flopping on health care reform and government spending.

“Montanans deserve to know who the real Dennis Rehberg is,” said Kate Downen, Montana Democratic Party Spokeswoman. “One minute he’s railing against government spending, and the next he’s using taxpayer dollars to campaign as a champion of health care reform—even as he’s voted time and time again against health care. He needs to stop trying to be two people at once, and come clean on where he really stands.”

Recently Rehberg took to the floor of the U.S. House to complain about road signs marking projects as funded by money from the Recovery Act. According to Rehberg, these signs are a waste of taxpayer money and motivated by politics.

But Rehberg also recently sent a colorful, campaign-style mailing at taxpayers' expense to tell voters about his commitment to health care reform, despite a long track record of opposing health care issues.

The Rehberg Health Care Record: 

• Opposed funding for troops and the H1N1 flu. [HR 2346, Vote #348, 6/16/09]
• Has flip-flopped in his support of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and even called it an “extremist political ideology.” [HR 3963, Vote #1009, 10/25/07; HR 3963, Vote #1008, 10/25/07; HR 3162, Vote #787, 8/1/07]
• Opposed maintaining state health coverage for childbirth, breast and cervical cancer screening, mental illness, and other diseases. [HR 525, 7/26/05, Vote #425]
• Supported budget cut that saved HMOs $22 billion. [HR S. 653, Vote #4, 2/01/06]
• Supported budget that underfunded health needs by $20 billion. [HCR 376, Vote #158, 5/18/06]