FACT CHECK: Rosendale Voted Against Montana’s Veterans

1. Rosendale repeatedly voted against funding for a Butte veterans’ home.
2. Rosendale voted to “force the privatization” of the Columbia Falls veterans’ home.
3. Rosendale voted against creating a home loan program for first-time veteran and Gold Star family homebuyers that has provided more than 200 home loans.
4. Rosendale voted against providing scholarships to increase higher education access and affordability for Montana resident Purple Heart recipients.

Background:

MATT ROSENDALE HAS A RECORD OF VOTING AGAINST MONTANA VETERANS

MATT ROSENDALE VOTED TO PRIVATIZE THE MONTANA VETERANS HOME IN COLUMBIA FALLS

HEADLINE: “Montana GOP Looks To Privatize Columbia Falls Veterans’ Home To Save State Money.” [Missoulian, 3/10/11]

Matt Rosendale Voted Against Eliminating Budget Provision “Forc[ing] The Privatization” Of The Columbia Falls Veterans Home And Cutting The Home’s Funding By More Than $3 Million. [Billings Examiner, 3/29/11; Vote 940, HB 2, 3/11/11; Amendment 033, HB 2, 3/11/11; Version 2, HB 2, 3/11/11; Billings Gazette, 3/26/11]

• Public News Service: “More Than 2,000 People In Columbia Falls Have Signed A Petition Opposing Privatization Of The Home.” [Public News Service, 3/11/11]
• Montana VFW Judge Advocate Dean House: “The Big Thing Is, When A Home Gets Privatized, The Care Goes Out The Window.” [Daily Inter Lake, 2/27/11]
• Montana VFW State Senior Vice Commander Michael Bennett Jr. On Proposed Privatization Of The Columbia Falls Veterans Home: “Veterans Are Tired Of Corporations Making A Profit Off Our Wounds And Disabilities.” [Hungry Horse News, 3/23/11]
• Columbia Falls Veterans Home Nurse’s Aide Farrahl Johnson: “I’ve Worked In Private Facilities, And I Really Think It’s A Bad Idea…It’s A Great Place (Now). We Didn’t Get The Five-Star Rating For Nothing. You Privatize It, That Rating Is Going To Go Down.” “[Missoulian, 3/10/11]

Republican State Sens. Ryan Zinke And Jon Sonju Opposed Proposal To Privatize And Cut Funding For The Columbia Falls Veterans Home. [Hungry Horse News, 3/23/11]

• Republican Rep. Duane Ankney On Proposed Privatization Of The Columbia Falls Veterans’ Home: “It’s Pretty Simple: If You Don’t Want To Care For Them As A Taxpayer Then Don’t Send Them (To War).” [Associated Press, 3/12/11]

MATT ROSENDALE VOTED REPEATEDLY AGAINST BUILDING THE BUTTE VETERANS HOME

Matt Rosendale Voted Against A Funding Plan To Cover A Federal Match For A Southwest Montana Veterans’ Home In Butte. [Vote 1941, HB 296, 4/18/11; Montana Standard, 1/30/11]

• HEADLINE: “Vets’ Home Funding: One Of Two Sources Pass House.” [Montana Standard, 4/19/11]

Matt Rosendale Voted Against A Bonding Bill That Included $5 Million To Construct The Southwestern Montana Veterans’ Home.. [Vote 2158, HB 439, 4/28/11; Montana Standard, 4/29/11]

• HEADLINE: “Butte Veterans Home Affected: State Bond, Construction Bill Fails House Vote.” [Montana Standard, 4/27/11]

HEADLINE: “Third Veterans Home Needed In Montana.” [Editorial, Great Falls Tribune, 4/3/15]

Montana Standard Editorial: “For Butte…One Of The Most Important Bills To Follow Will Be The Funding For The Proposed Veterans Home That Will Serve All Of Southwest Montana.” [Editorial, Montana Standard, 1/7/11]

• 2015: Estimated 34,000 Veterans, Roughly One-Third Of Montana’s Veteran Population, Lived In Southwest Montana Hundreds Of Miles From The Existing State Veterans Home Facilities In Columbia Falls And Glendive. [Montana Standard, 12/1/15]
• Planned 60-Bed Butte Veterans’ Home Would Be Montana’s Third Veterans’ Home And Was Expected To Create 100 Jobs And An Annual Economic Impact Of $3.5 Million. [Montana Standard, 1/30/11; Editorial, Montana Standard, 1/7/11]

MATT ROSENDALE VOTED AGAINST CREATING A FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER LOAN PROGRAM FOR MONTANA VETERANS AND GOLD STAR FAMILIES THAT HAS HELPED 211 VETERANS

HEADLINE: “Loans Help Montana Veterans Into First Homes.” [Missoulian, 11/11/11]

Matt Rosendale Voted Against Creating Montana Veterans’ Home Loan Program To Help Montana Veterans And Gold Star Widows Afford Their First Homes. [Vote 1806, SB 326, 4/12/11; Missoulian, 11/11/11]

• 2011–2016: Montana Veterans’ Home Loan Provided 211 Loans Averaging $179,076 Per Loan. [RE: Montana Veterans’ Home Loan Program Update — Revised, Montana Board of Housing, 8/31/16]

ROSENDALE VOTED AGAINST SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MONTANA PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS

Matt Rosendale Was One Of Six Senators To Vote Against A Measure To Provide $1,000 Per Semester University System Scholarships “Intended To Increase Access And Affordability For Montana Resident Purple Heart Recipients.” [Vote 1656, HB 447, 4/16/13; Purple Heart Scholarship Eligibility Form, University of Montana, accessed 10/30/17; Great Falls Tribune, 11/11/13]