Newt
Gingrich supported cap and trade.
- FACT:
In 2007 Gingrich said he would “strongly support” a program that combined
carbon caps and a trading system. Gingrich: “I think if you have
mandatory carbon caps combined with a trading system, much like we did
with sulfur, and if you have a tax-incentive program for investing in the
solutions, that there’s a package there that’s very, very good. And
frankly, it’s something I would strongly support…If [George W. Bush] had
instituted a regime that combined three things I just said – mandatory
caps, a trading system inside the caps, as we have with clean air, and a tax
incentive to be able to invest in the new technology and to be able to
produce the new technology – I think we would be much better off than we
are in the current situation…” (PBS’
“Frontline,” 4/24/07)
Newt
Gingrich sided with Al Gore and Nancy Pelosi on global warming.
- FACT:
Gingrich shot an ad with Nancy Pelosi in 2008 calling for action on global
warming. The
Gingrich/Pelosi ad can be viewed on YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaZFfQKWX54
- FACT:
Al Gore asked Gingrich to participate in global warming ad - eventually
leading to ad with Nancy Pelosi. “The phone call came from Al to
Newt. Al Gore, the Democratic Party presidential nominee in 2000, wanted
to know whether Newt Gingrich, the former Republican U.S. House speaker,
would appear in a 2008 television ad calling for action to address climate
change. ... In an e- mail obtained by Bloomberg News that he wrote to the
former vice president, Gingrich thanked Gore ‘for the opportunity to
participate in the Protect Climate ad campaign.’ He signed the March 2008
note, ‘Your friend, Newt.’ Those exchanges led Gingrich, now a Republican
presidential candidate, to a chilly, rainy commercial set in April 2008,
sitting side-by-side, knee-to-knee on a love seat with then- Democratic
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with the cameras rolling.” (Julie
Hirschfeld Davis, Bloomberg, 12/1/11)
Newt
Gingrich backed government-sponsored enterprises.
- FACT:
Newt Gingrich took at least $1.6 from Freddie Mac. “Newt Gingrich
made between $1.6 million and $1.8 million in consulting fees from two
contracts with mortgage company Freddie Mac, according to two people
familiar with the arrangement.” (Clea Benson and
John McCormick, Bloomberg, 11/16/11)
- FACT:
On the Freddie Mac website in 2007, Gingrich said he “liked” GSE model.“From a section
of Freddie Mac’s web site in April 2007 labeled ‘Policy Talk’ ...
Gingrich: “I like the GSE model because it provides a more efficient,
market-based alternative to taxpayer-funded government programs. It
marries private enterprise to a public purpose. We obviously don’t want to
use GSEs for everything, but there are times when private enterprise alone
is not sufficient to achieve a public purpose.” (“Unearthed:
Gingrich Makes the Case for GSE’s on Freddie Mac’s Web Site in 2007/2008,”
Verum Serum blog, 12/1/11)
- FACT:
Gingrich in 2007: “There is not much support for the
idea of removing the GSE charters from Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. And I
think it’s clear why. The housing GSEs have made an important contribution
to homeownership and the housing finance system. We have a much more
liquid and stable housing finance system than we would have without the
GSEs. And making homeownership more accessible and affordable is a policy
goal I believe conservatives should embrace. Millions of people have
entered the middle class through building wealth in their homes, and there
is a lot of evidence that homeownership contributes to stable families and
communities. These are
results I think conservatives should embrace and want to extend as widely
as possible.
So while we need to improve the regulation of the GSEs, I would be very
cautious about fundamentally changing their role or the model itself.”(“Unearthed:
Gingrich Makes the Case for GSE’s on Freddie Mac’s Web Site in 2007/2008,”
Verum Serum blog, 12/1/11)
Newt
Gingrich favored amnesty for illegal immigrants.
- FACT: “How
many illegal immigrants could gain legal status under an idea proposed by
Newt Gingrich? Perhaps as many as 3.5 million, according to figures
published Thursday by the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington.” (Julia Preston,
The New York Times’ “Caucus Blog,” 12/1/11)
- FACT: “Still,
the word amnesty means simply forgiving groups of people who have broken
the law…. Words matter, and under a more straightforward
definition, Gingrich’s plan is clearly amnesty, though it may be
limited in scope.” (Angie Drobnic Holan,
Politifact.com, 12/2/11)
Newt
Gingrich supported an individual federal health care mandate.
- FACT: In
1993, Gingrich said individuals should be forced to have health insurance
- just like they are required to have auto insurance. “During the
interview, Gregory played a 1993 clip in which Gingrich said, ‘I am for
people, individuals — exactly like automobile insurance — individuals
having health insurance and being required to have health insurance.’” (Kendra Marr,Politico, 5/16/11)
Newt
Gingrich said he would support wealth redistribution.
- FACT: In
2005 appearance with Hillary Clinton, Gingrich said he would support
“transfer of finances” from rich to poor. “Gingrich, out
of elected office, was free to depart from his anti-government roots. With
Clinton nodding in support, he came out in favor of mandatory daily
physical education, healthful food in schools and a ‘transfer of finances’
from rich to poor. Some of this,’ Gingrich said after a long list of
concessions to the left, ‘may surprise you.’” (Dana Milbank, The
Washington Post,
7/22/05)
Newt
Gingrich said he supported funding stem cell research.
- FACT: Gingrich
said he supported federally-funded stem cell research in 2001.Gingrich: “[I]
agree with Senator Bill Frist, as the only medical doctor in the Senate
and as a world class heart surgeon. I think that there are ways to have
appreciation for life, to recognize the sanctity of life, but nonetheless
to look at fertility clinics where there are cells that are sitting there
that are not going to be used to create life. They literally today,
they're unregulated, they can be thrown away.” (Fox News’
“O’Reilly Factor,” 7/19/01)
- FACT: Gingrich: “[I] think the
president, I hope the president, will find a way to agree that there ought
to be federally funded research.” (Fox News’
“O’Reilly Factor,” 7/19/01)
Newt
Ginrich supported a big-government stimulus.
- FACT: Newt
Gingrich on the 2009 stimulus: “Considering that 40 percent of
his proposed stimulus package is in the form of tax cuts, it appears Mr.
Obama is truly trying to govern from the center and start his term with a
series of bipartisan achievements.” (“Newt Gingrich
Q&A,” Washington Times, 1/19/09)
Newt
Gingrich backed TARP.
- FACT: Gingrich
said he would have voted yes on second TARP bill. Van Susteran:
“Joining us live is former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Speaker,
I'm going to ask you in a second what you think of this bailout bill
that's now been rejected…” … Gingrich: “There was a long, painful, hard
negotiation. And the fact is that they dramatically improved the bill. I
said this morning if I had been in the Congress, I would have hated it, it
makes me very angry, but I would have voted yes.” (Fox News’ “On
The Record,” 9/30/08)
