TX SEN: Mainstream Media Calls Cornyn’s Debate Performance “Less Than Senatorial” In Last Night’s Debate

The mainstream media is calling Senator John Cornyn’s performance in last night’s debate with Rick Noriega (D-Houston) “less than senatorial,” and for good reason.

For one, Cornyn simply flat-out lied about Cornyn’s record on children’s healthcare.

The fact is that Rick Noriega has been a champion for children’s health insurance and co-authored and voted in favor of a bill to expand eligibility and outreach for Texas’ uninsured children. It has expanded access for more than 100,000 children. Cornyn’s record in that area is less than stellar:

Cornyn voted SIX times against children’s health insurance and now he’s blatantly lying to avoid talking about his record,” said Martine Apodaca. “Clearly he doesn’t have the best interest of Texas kids at heart. Texans can’t afford six more years of John Cornyn.”

Here are the facts about Rick’s record:

Noriega Supported Expanding Eligibility for CHIP. Rick Noriega co-authored and voted in favor of a bill to expand eligibility and outreach of the state’s CHIP. Among changes to the program were allowing lower-income families to stay in CHIP for a year at a time rather than reapply every 6 months. The measure also eliminated the 90-day waiting period for uninsured children to be enrolled in CHIP and allowed families to deduct child-care costs when determining eligibility. The conference committee report was adopted 134-14 in the House and later was signed by the governor. [HB 109; Vote 1967; 5/27/07]

Noriega Supported Amendment Keeping Coverage at 200 Percent of Poverty Level. Rick Noriega supported an amendment to maintain Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage at 200 percent of poverty level or below. As it came to the House floor, the bill provided that CHIP cover children whose families earn 150 percent of federal poverty level or below. The amendment also struck language from the bill stating that if appropriated money was insufficient to sustain enrollment at the authorized eligibility level, then enrollment would be suspended, a waiting list would be established, and periodic or continued enrollment of applicants would proceed as the availability of money allowed. A motion to table the amendment was agreed to 79-65. [HB 2292; Vote 352; 4/25/03]

Noriega Supported Amendment to Restore CHIP Benefits. During the 2003 Third-Called Session, Rick Noriega supported an amendment to the omnibus transportation bill that would have provided money to restore, to the greatest extent possible, the income test, eligibility criteria, and benefits package for the Children’s Health Insurance Program that existed before any changes made to the program in HB 2292, legislation passed during the regular session that reorganized health and human services agencies. A motion to table the amendment was agreed to 83-59. [HB 2; Vote 11; 9/16/03]

Noriega Voted for State Kids Insurance Program. Rick Noriega voted in favor of a measure to provide funding for children of state workers to enroll in the Children’s Health Insurance Program. CHIP, a federal/state partnership, provides health insurance for children in economically disadvantaged families that cannot afford health coverage. While CHIP authorizes participation by children of state employees, it prohibits federal funds from being used to pay for their coverage. SKIP was created to provide a supplement for low-income state employees’ children who would otherwise qualify for CHIP. HB 1853 provided funding to cover the total cost of basic health coverage for a child who is a dependent of a state employee, would be eligible for CHIP if the child were not the dependent of a state employee, and is not eligible for the state Medicaid program. On third reading, the bill passed by a vote of 94-36. It later died in the Senate. [HB 1853; Vote 415; 5/11/01]

Noriega Voted For Children’s Health Insurance Program. Rick Noriega voted in favor of a bill that created the Texas Children’s Health Insurance Program. The bill provided health insurance for children from birth to age 19 if their parents earn up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The measure’s goal was to cover children who have fallen between the cracks of Medicaid and private health insurance. The bill passed the House 123-14 and later was signed by the governor. [SB 445; Vote 193; 4/30/99]

Noriega Supported Bill Providing Government Health Insurance to Children. Rick Noriega supported a measure to allow eligible children whose families leave the welfare rolls to continue to have government health insurance. Under the legislation, the Texas Department of Health would determine whether such kids still qualified for Medicaid and would automatically enroll them in the program if they did. The House passed the bill 80-62, with Noriega absent, excused. Senate amendments provided for provisional eligibility for medical assistance of not more than one month pending a recertification review and stipulated that the Act take effect only if a specific appropriation for its implementation was provided in the General Appropriations Bill. A motion to concur in Senate amendments was agreed to 138-0. [HB 820; Votes 261, 433; 5/6/99, 5/7/99, 5/22/99]

While Rick’s record speaks for itself, Cornyn spent most of the debate running from his own record.

John Cornyn tried to distance himself from his record and lay blame on anyone’s doorstep but his own, even stooping to the lies we mentioned a moment ago about Rick’s record on Children’s Health Insurance.

From the campaign:

“John Cornyn’s last-ditch effort to label the White House as ‘tone-deaf’ and ‘out of touch’ is a desperate attempt to undo his lock-step voting history with the White House over the last six years,” said Holly Shulman, Press Secretary. “It makes sense Cornyn would want to distance himself from his record of voting with President Bush 95% of the time and of taking record donations from the oil and financial industries. Cornyn even lied about Noriega’s record on children’s health care, in efforts to defend his own six indefensible votes against children’s health insurance. Texas families deserve better.”

The most recent poll, from Rasmussen, shows Noriega just seven points behind Cornyn – closing the gap from a 17 point margin in Rasmussen’s previous poll in June after Cornyn has spent $4 million on his campaign. As President Bill Clinton noted while endorsing Rick Noriega earlier this week, “He’s been outspent, but I learned a lot in this election year,” said Clinton. “You can be outspent and still win if you want it bad enough, and if people believe in you bad enough and if word of mouth is strong enough.”

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