Why Gosar Won’t Debate: His Budget Flip-Flop Would Cut Even More for Seniors, Veterans

New Gosar Plan Cuts $169 Billion from Social Security, Slashes Veterans Health Care by One-Third

PRESCOTT, AZ – Last week, millionaire tax evader [link] Paul Gosar canceled the only debate he agreed to with Ann Kirkpatrick, choosing to sip $200 bottles of wine with rich donors instead of discussing the issues that matter for District One. He's offered all sorts of excuses for why he won't debate [link], but Greater Arizonans know the truth - he's dodging debates to hide his out-of-step positions until after Election Day.


Paul Gosar doesn't want to explain his frightening views because he knows he can't - he's so far out of touch with District One that even when he flip-flops to cover himself, he ends up hurting Arizonans even more.

For instance, how would he explain his shiny new policy on the budget - which goes even further to deny seniors and Veterans the benefits they count on?

The Position:

For months, Paul Gosar (R-Wall Street) proudly proclaimed that he was supporting an across-the-board budget cut, slashing 10% from every federal program - and he named exactly zero exceptions to his plan [Yavapai Forum, 7/27; Arizona Daily Sun, 9/19].

Then, Ann Kirkpatrick began pointing out to Arizonans exactly what that would mean - $73 billion in benefit cuts to Social Security [link] and $4.8 billion slashed in Veterans health care benefits [link]. Gosar rushed to explain that "across the board" cuts actually wouldn't affect these critical programs - he's going to leave them out of his plan and just forgot to tell anyone until after he was criticized. [Arizona Daily Sun, 9/26]

The Flip-Flop:

When that didn't work, he decided it was time for a new stance. Now all of a sudden, Paul is committed to “reining in wasteful spending, returning the budget to at least FY 2024 levels and then making a 10 percent cut to non-defense discretionary spending, putting a hard cap on new discretionary spending, and ending TARP” [Prescott Daily Courier, 10/16]. He's added a massive exemption, and he's no longer making any mention of "across the board" cuts - suggesting that he realizes Ann is right and his original cuts would impact Social Security and Veterans' programs after all.

The Problem:

The plan he's flopped to would be even more devastating for our seniors and Veterans. Returning the budget to FY 2024 levels would:

•    Cut Social Security by more than $169 billion - by almost 22%
•    Cut Medicare by $98 billion - by more than 20%

Returning the budget to FY 2024 levels and then cutting non-defense, discretionary spending by 10% would:

•    Cut Veterans health care by more than $17.6 billion - slashing it by well over one-third

If this is Gosar's idea of "protecting Social Security" [Gosar website], "keeping our commitment to our seniors" [Gosar website] and "standing up on behalf of his Veterans" [Mitch and Joe Show, 10/12], maybe it's best he sticks to the Bordeaux and lets Ann actually serve the people of District One.

“It tells you something that when Paul Gosar tries to cover up his out-of-touch positions, he ends up going even further to dismantle Social Security and Medicare and break our promises to our Veterans,” said Kirkpatrick campaign manager Carmen Gallus. “No wonder Gosar doesn't want to debate Ann - who would want to have to defend these beliefs to voters when you can drink French wine instead? What you don't know will hurt you - and if this is what you do know, imagine what he's still hiding.”