Ethics

Hunter Was Implicated in the Duke Cunningham Investigation. Rep. Duncan Hunter was under investigation in connection to the Duke Cunningham scandal because of his close connections with both the congressman and contractor Brent Wilkes, who was indicted and charged with bribery of a public official. Hunter was accused of aiding Wilkes with securing numerous government contracts, and received thousands in campaign contributions from Wilkes and his employees. [1]

Hunter Falsely Reported the Size of His Home, Lowering Tax Bill: Duncan Hunter’s Alpine home was listed on tax rolls as a two-bedroom, 2 1/2 bath house with 2,946 square feet of living space, but the house was actually more than twice that size – 6,200 square feet, with six bedrooms, a 2,000 square foot guest house, a swimming pool and a tennis court. “The discrepancy resulted in Hunter paying less in taxes than others in similar-sized properties.” [2]

Environment

Hunter Voted to Weaken the Clean Air Act. In 2003, Duncan Hunter voted to move forward with plans to weaken the Clean Air Act’s anti-smog requirements by extending deadlines for certain cities that missed deadlines to clean up unhealthy air. [3]

Healthcare

Hunter Voted Against Lower Drug Prices, Allowing Drug Reimportation, And More Coverage For Low-Income Seniors. In 2003, Duncan Hunter voted against a plan to allow the government to negotiate lower drug prices, ease requirements for re-importation of American drugs from Canada; and allow Medicaid to supplement Medicare coverage for the low-income elderly and disabled. [4]

Hunter Voted for $270 Billion Cut to Medicare, Doubling Premiums. In 1995, Duncan Hunter voted for Gingrich’s extreme GOP budget, which cut Medicare by $270 billion — the deepest cuts in history — to pay for $245 billion in tax cuts for the wealthy. Republicans paid for the $270 billion Medicare cut by raising costs for the elderly, cutting payments to doctors and hospitals and nudging the elderly to move into private managed care plans. [5]

Hunter Has Repeatedly Opposed Expanding Federal Stem Cell Research. Duncan Hunter has repeatedly voted against expanding federal stem cell research, voting no on similar bills in 2007, 2006, 2005, 2003 and 2001. In 2005, Hunter said, "stem-cell research has yielded little success and continues to demonstrate inherent biological problems that make treatment for human disease unlikely." [6]

Iraq

Hunter Championed Bush’s Troop Surge Plan, Even Though it is Opposed by Many Military Experts and the Majority of American People. In announcing his presidential candidacy, Hunter expressed his strong “support for President’ Bush’s troop surge in Iraq.” Hunter also blasted Democrats in the House for debating Bush’s policy, arguing that the debate is misguided and insults the troops. [7]

Hunter Stalled Hearings on the Abu Ghraib Prison Scandal. Even though members of both parties agreed that Congress should do more to investigate the abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, then-House Armed Service Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter refused to schedule more hearings. He held one, and declared that to be an “appropriate amount of time” to deal with the subject. [8]

Recent Iraq stories

Duncan Hunter Contradicts Petraeus

Rep. Duncan Hunter, not very long ago:

Read More · Link to this Article

Social Security

Hunter Voted to Privatize Social Security. In 2001, Duncan Hunter voted against banning the White House from implementing the Bush Social Security privatization plan. The Commission’s proposals all would have required an increase on Social Security taxes, a return to the days of deficit spending, or a reduction in guaranteed benefits. Max Richtman, executive vice president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, said of the Commission’s proposals, “Each of the proposals put forward by the commission require specific, massive cuts in defined benefits - even for those who do not opt for the voluntary accounts.” [9]

Taxes/Deficit

Hunter Supported Irresponsible Republican Tax Cuts Over Funding Important Priorities. In 2004, Hunter voted against a bill to redirect tax cuts for those earning over $1 million and direct the $19 billion in savings to education, health, homeland security and debt reduction. [10]

Hunter Supports Repealing the Estate Tax on American’s Wealthiest. In 2005, Duncan Hunter voted in favor of the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act to end the estate tax on a handful of the wealthiest Americans. “By permanently repealing the death tax, business owners will be able to pass the rewards of their hard work on to their children without penalty,” Hunter said. [11]

Veterans

Hunter Has Consistently Received Poor Ratings From Veterans Groups. Duncan Hunter has repeatedly received less than stellar ratings from America’s veterans groups. Last year, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of American gave Hunter a grade of C. In 2006 and 2003, Hunter voted with the Disabled American Veterans only 50% of the time, while in 2005 and 2004, he voted with them 0% of the time. [12]

Hunter Defended Bush’s Refusal to Health Coverage To Reservists. Republicans removed a provision from the DOD budget that would extend military health coverage (TRICARE) to all reservists and their families. In an attempt to justify this action, Hunter said that the coverage already provided (90 days before mobilization until 120 days after they return) was enough. [13]

Hunter Voted To Cut Billions From Veterans & Health Programs To Make Room For Tax Cut Favoring The Wealthy. In 2003, Hunter voted for a budget resolution that introduced deep cuts in basic domestic programs over the next decade, including $14 billion from veterans programs. [14]

Footnotes

  1. [AP, 2/13/07; San Diego Union-Tribune, 12/4/05]

  2. [San Diego Union-Tribune, 10/8/06]

  3. [HR 6, Vote #598, 10/30/03]

  4. [HR 1, Vote #668, 11/21/2003]

  5. [HR 2491, Vote #812, 11/17/95; Washington Post, 10/12/95]

  6. [Copley News Service, 10/21/05]

  7. [San Diego Union Tribune, 1/25/07; AP, 2/19/07]

  8. [USA Today, 6/7/04]

  9. [HR 2590, Vote #273, 7/25/01; USA Today, 5/15/01; Dallas Morning News, 5/7/01; National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare press release, 12/11/01; New York Times, 12/11/01; New York Times, 12/27/01]

  10. [H. Res. 685, Vote #301, 6/24/2004; Associated Press, 6/25/04; Washington Times, 6/25/04]

  11. [Hunter Press Release, 4/13/05]

  12. [Project Vote Smart, www.votesmart.org]

  13. [Biloxi Sun Herald, 5/28/05]

  14. [HCR 95, Vote #82, 3/21/2003; Center for Budget & Policy Priorities, "Entitlement Cuts In House Budget Plan Could Have Serious Human Costs," 3/28/03; Center for Budget & Policy Priorities, "House Budget Contains Large Cuts In Medicaid And Other Domestic Programs," 3/24/03]