Civil Rights & Justice

Brownback Sees Success in Running on Anti-Abortion Rights. According to Sen. Brownback, Judge Alito’s hearings showed that the Republican Party “can run on [restricting] abortion rights and win the public.” [1]

Brownback Said Children from Gay Marriages More Likely to Have Promiscuous Sex and Commit Suicide. In 2004, Brownback said “that weakening the institution of marriage could make children more likely to commit crimes, have early and promiscuous sex, and commit suicide.” [2]

Recent civil rights & justice stories

Brownback Tows the Far Right Line

Pushes no abortions for rape victims, and cites imaginary studies:

Read More · Link to this Article

Brownback Thinks He Has a Uterus

During Tuesday's debate, Sam Brownback repeatedly gestured to his own stomach when referring to the "womb." Is there something he's not telling us?

Read More · Link to this Article

Ethics

Brownback, Family Implicated In Campaign Finance Scandal. The Federal Election Commission fined Brownback’s campaign and his in-laws who had given more then $19,000 over the legal maximum by illegally routing their contributions through a network of PACs. The 2002 FEC ruling fined the in-laws $9,000 and ordered the Brownback campaign to give $19,000 to the U.S. Treasury, the result of years of investigations into a shadowy web of political organizations that supported Brownback’s 1996 Senate bid. In 2005 and 2006 a federal court ruled for the FEC in their case against Triad Management, one of the involved organizations, saying that they violated campaign finance laws. [3]

Environment

Brownback Voted Against Bill To Cap Future Emissions, Won’t Use Term “Global Warming.” The Wichita (KS) Eagle reported that Brownback voted against a bill in 2003 to cap 2010 emissions at their 2000 level.” In early 2007, he “declined to use the term 'global warming.'” [4]

Iraq

Brownback Voted To Support Bush Plan In Iraq. Brownback voted along party lines to support the Bush plan in Iraq, voting against a plan to withdraw most troops by 2008 [5]

Social Security

Brownback Backs Failed Bush Plan to Privatize Entitlements. Sam Brownback said Social Security can be fixed with private savings accounts, recycling President Bush’s risky plan to reduce guaranteed benefits and stake seniors’ economic security on the stock market. Brownback said, "The funds, instead of going into the government, are going into personal accounts that will be invested in the economy, creating capital and growth and economic activity. This would reduce the size of the federal government overall.” [6]

Taxes/Deficit

Brownback Voted For, Continues To Defend The Bush Tax Cuts: In 2001, Brownback voted twice to pass the Bush tax cut package which overwhelmingly directed its benefits to the wealthiest Americans. During the same debate, he voted repeatedly against plans to provide more help for those trying to pay for a college education. He continues to call for making the entire package permanent. [7]

Brownback Voted to Reduce Tax Rate of Wealthiest Americans by 3.6%. Senator Brownback voted to reduce the 39.6 tax bracket by one percentage point in 2002, one percentage point in 2005 and 1.6% in 2007. This bracket represents the wealthiest Americans. [8]

Brownback Supports Tax Relief for Wealthiest Americans. Brownback said, "The tax cuts are working and we are growing the economy," said Brownback. "Lower taxes spur economic growth, which means more jobs, healthier businesses, and a better fiscal outlook for all Americans. The economy is strong, jobless numbers are down, but we have more work to do. We should continue to grow our economy and reduce the deficit and I urge my colleagues in Congress to make the recent tax cuts permanent, especially the death tax which overly hurts small businesses and family farms." Brownbackcontinued, "President Bush and the Republican Congress are helping lower the deficitby embracing pro-growth and pro-job tax policies that help American taxpayers and businesses, instead of punishing them with higher taxes that create disincentives to economic growth. Lower taxes increase government revenues by stimulating economic activity, which increases tax receipts. Ironically, Democratic policies of raising taxes would not only hurt the economy but could decrease government revenues and dramatically increase our deficits." [9]

Veterans

Brownback One Of Only 13 To Vote Against $430 Million Needed for Veterans Health. Brownback was one of only 13 Senators to vote against adding $430 million needed for veterans healthcare in the wake of reports of massive shortfalls in the veterans health system. [10]

Footnotes

  1. [National Post, 1/21/06]

  2. [Kansas City Star, 7/14/04]

  3. [Topeka Capital-Journal, 12/6/02; Kansas City Star, 12/5/02; Federal Election Commission v. Malenick, US District Court for DC, #: 1:02-cv-01237-JR]

  4. [Wichita (KS) Eagle, 11/2/03; Associated Press, 1/31/07]

  5. [Vote #75, S. J.Res. 9, Rejected 48-50, 3/15/07; New York Times, 3/17/07]

  6. [Associated Press, 3/30/07]

  7. [2001 Senate Vote #165, #170, #155, #153, #114; Brownback Press Release, 10/6/06]

  8. [Vote# 170, HR 1836, Passed 58-33, 5/26/01]

  9. [Brownback Press Release, 10/6/07]

  10. [Vote # 98, Passed 84-13, 4/26/06; The Independent Budget, A Budget for Veterans by Veterans, 2/10/06; Newsweek, 1/19/06]