This exchange occurred last night at the debate in Danville:
Question (Annie Johnson of Blue Ridge Business Journal): The health coverage tax credit is intended to pay 80% of health insurance premiums for trade affected workers of many of those laid off in Southside Virginia. That credit was extended under the recovery act and is set to expire in December. I am curious to know whether any of you guys support or oppose extending that tax credit to voters in this district.
Answer (Robert Hurt): As I’ve said throughout this campaign, I would have voted against the stimulus package, and I don’t support extending the provisions that are in it.
See that. This subsidy is in the stimulus bill, so he opposes it. Never mind whether it is a good idea. Never mind the people in Southside who depend on this help. Never mind who gets hurt.
(more on the flip)
Here is a list of VA-05 employers currently under TAA health care subsidies that Robert Hurt would allow to expire:
– Techma–Gretna
– Stanley Furniture–Stanleytown
– StarTek- Collinsville
– White’s Metal Works–Bassett
– Wooden Creations–Martinsville
– Gildan Activewear- Martinsville
– Bassett Fiberboard–Bassett
– Hyosung, USA–Scottsville
– Bassett Mirror–Bassett
– EDS–Danville
– Motion Control Industries– South Hill
– Frank Chervan, Inc–Bedford
– Corning–Danville
– Martinsville Emulsion Products Company —
Martinsville
– Clover Yarns–CLover, VA
– Thomasville Furnite–Appomattox
– Carbone Kirkwood–Farmville
– BSI Safety Textiles–South Hill
Robert Hurt supports tax breaks for companies that outsource jobs. Then, once those jobs are lost, in the service of the large corporate interests that have funded his campaign, he advocates ending unemployment for the workers thrown out of those jobs, and he advocates ending subsidies for health care for these workers and their families.
Why? From what I can tell, he doesn’t even have a reason. According to his answer, it is simply a part of a larger piece of legislation, the Stimulus Bill, that the national party has told Hurt to oppose, and Hurt himself can’t be bothered to read the law, to understand it, to have an appreciation for the needs of people in the district, or to form an independent opinion on the legislation.
Simply stunning.
Can someone tell me why this guy even wants to be a Congressman?
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