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Hello Montana Democrats! Welcome to our October Democratic Newsletter, which
we send to stakeholders once a month to keep you up-to-date on all the
important work Montana Democrats are doing.

October means the election is right around the corner. The stakes have never
been higher – our voting rights, our health care freedom and privacy, the
independence of the judiciary, affordable housing, child care costs, Social
Security and Medicare, and so much more.

Join us on the Trail

We’re hitting the road for our Get Out the Vote Rallies – Join us on the
campaign trail!

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The Republican “Plan” If They Take Back The House Is to Cut Social Security,
Medicare, and Medicaid for Seniors

U.S. House Elections This November Will Determine Seniors’ Retirement

The House Republican Caucus has unveiled the legislative agenda
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they hope to deliver if they win back control of the House this November. They
laid out their agenda transparently: if they win back the House, they plan to
manufacture a debt-ceiling standoff
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in order to get leverage for gutting the bedrock programs that seniors rely on
to retire, including yourSocial Security benefits.
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Montanans deserve to know: Will Ryan Zinke and Matt Rosendale fall in line
behind the party bosses and vote to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
for Montana seniors? Do Zinke and Rosendale support their GOP bosses’ plan to
cut hardworking Montanans’ retirement and healthcare programs that would raise
prices on prescription drugs?

“The stakes are incredibly high – if Montana sends the Disaster Duo of Ryan
Zinke and Matt Rosendale to Congress, they will pull cheap political stunts at
the request of their D.C. party bosses and strip Montana seniors of their
Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid,”says Sheila Hogan, executive director
of the Montana Democratic Party. “Monica Tranel and Penny Ronning have made it
clear they’re willing to stand up to national bosses to put Montana and seniors
first.”

Dept. of Interior Whistleblower: Zinke will “be an empty seat with a cowboy
hat on it.”

Joel Clement shares his experience with Zinke’s corrupt dealings at Interior

Last week, Joel Clement, Zinke’s Whistleblower from the Department of the
Interior, flew to Montana to share with Montanans his firsthand experience
trying to maintain integrity while working in Zinke’s Interior Department.He
sat down with Cora Neumann
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on Tuesday.

Clement discussed what drove him to file a whistleblower complaint in the
first place, following Ryan Zinke’s retaliation against employees like Clement
who were speaking out about the dangers of climate change. The complaint was so
startling and blatant, that the Office of Special Counsel at the Interior began
their investigation immediately, unlike the traditional months-long waiting
process.

Neumann and Clement detailed how Zinke “cleared the path” and reassigned these
employees so he could curry favor with the oil and gas industry. He slowed
studies that would place safety regulations on oil and gas companies. “Why
would he do these things? Who is he actually serving?”asked Neumann. “That’s
not ‘government efficiency’, that’s corruption.”

When asked by an audience member why Ryan Zinke was fired from the Department
of the Interior, Clement responded, “Ryan Zinke was run out because of this
long list of scandals. You don’t leave unless the White House wants you to go.
And the Trump White House ran him out of town. If he goes back to the Hill,
he’s not going to be effective – he’s tainted. No one is going to want to work
with him. It’ll be an empty seat with a cowboy hat on it.”

After Zinke was fired from the Department of the Interior, he proceeded to
take cushy political lobbying jobs for the very companies he was supposed to
“regulate.” Just last year, he pulled in ahalf-a-million dollar paycheck from
Conoco-Philips.
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“Ryan Zinke is out for himself– plain and simple,” says Sheila Hogan,
executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Ryan will use this
opportunity to enrich himself, like he’s done with every job he’s ever had.
This November, Montana voters are not going to let Lyin’ Ryan get in spitting
distance of elected office once more.”

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BACKGROUND:

Clement served as a senior administrator in the U.S. Department of the
Interior for seven years before resigning his position following what he calls
a politically motivated demotion by incoming Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke.
Clement’s resignation letter blew the whistle on Zinke’s leadership and his
practice of retaliatory staff reassignments to“eliminate employees”
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who spoke out about the dangers of climate change. Read Clement’s resignation
letterHERE.
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From Polio Vaccine Denial to Dodging Nearly $2,000 in Vendor Bills: Meet
MTGOP’s Best & Brightest Legislative Candidates

Montana’s Legislative Elections are just as critical as our congressional
races – we thought it high time to remind voters the types of Republican
Legislative Candidates they’ll be seeing on their ballots this year.

Alden Tonkay (HD 82) - According to a Commissioner of Political Practices
(COPP) complaint filed by a local Helena Business, Tonkaywrote a bad $1,565
check
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to pay for printed materials in May. The check bounced for "Not Sufficient
Funds". When the business pursued payment, Tonkay repeatedly responded that
“the check was in the mail.” Tonkay dodged the bills for four months before the
business filed a complaint. When the COPP requested a comment from Tonkay on
the complaint,he emailed back
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saying “my response was mailed yesterday.” (Sound familiar?). A week later, the
COPP sent a follow up request for a response. Tonkay emailed back, and again
says hisresponse is in the mail.
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Tonkay’s behavior reflects a startling immaturity, a failure of responsibility
and a propensity to lie.

Brad Tschida (SD 49) - Brad Tschida’s reputation may precede him. One of the
GOP’s most far-right caucus members, Tschida gained national attention earlier
this year for his deeply creepy comments about how awoman’s womb has “no
specific purpose”
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to her life or wellbeing, and shouldn’t be considered hers to control. Tschida
is also one of the state’s loudest and most persistent election conspiracy
theorists, having spent taxpayer dollars to reimburse hisfanboy trip to hear
Mike Lindell
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– of MyPillow fame– at his election security conspiracy conference. Tschida also
begged
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the state’s Attorney General to sign a lawsuit challenging the 2020 US
election results.

Tschida’s radical, out-of-step conspiracy theories and misogynistic beliefs
are disqualifying and a disgrace to Montana.

Jeremy Trebas (SD 13) - Trebas doesn’t mind taking polarizing positions –
including, it turns out, taking the unusual position of beinganti-polio vaccine.
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lack of understanding how vaccines work hasn’t stopped him from weighing in on
health care policy in the session! Trebas has also made thecontroversial
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decision todefend a hunter in the Flathead who killed a domesticated husky dog.
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Kaitlyn Ruch (HD 84) - An incendiary 18-year-old, who’s running her first
race, is theauthor of the radical anti-choice language
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in the 2022GOP Party Platform
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the future of the MT GOP looks like Ruch, the party is sending a clear
messaging that they're moving away from common sense values to appease the
radical fringes of their party.

Jane Gillette (HD 64) - With no sense of irony or shame, Gillette showed up to
aMedicaid committee meeting
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to vote to kick Montana families off of their health care, carryinga $4,000
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Incidentally, she receives government health care herself. She also,according
to state emails,
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explicitly requested that exceptions for rape and incest be removed from her
bill <[link removed]> banning insurance
coverage for reproductive care.

“The Montana GOP legislative candidate bench is radical, out-of-step, and
running on deeply unpopular legislation,”says Scott McNeil, director of the
Montana Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. “This band of radicals is
coming after the Montana Constitution this November. It is no exaggeration to
say that your constitutional rights are on the ballot.”

Thank you for being a part of this fight. Ballots are already out – what’s
your voting plan? Make sure to drop off your ballots with plenty of time!



The Montana Democratic Party is the party of the people. We welcome to our
cause Montanans of every color, creed, and condition. Our history as a party
teaches us that by working together and speaking as one, we can move society
forward, especially when we raise our voices for those among us with little
money, influence, or acceptance.

CONTRIBUTE MONTHLY
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PAID FOR BY MONTANA DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR
CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE.


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