Tony Strickland
California's 26th District (CA - 26)
Updated: Oct 25, 2012
Young voters respond well to this online message, also a strong message for television audiences:
Julia Brownley, endorsed by President Bill Clinton, strongly supports a woman’s right to choose and has fought to ensure that health insurance companies cover birth control. Strickland has opposed a woman’s right to choose even in cases of rape and incest, voted against requiring insurance companies to cover birth control and maternity care, and even blocked funding to keep local domestic violence shelters open.
See more on Strickland's extreme positions here and here.
Strickland Opposed Abortion in Cases of Rape and Incest. In 1998, Strickland filled out a pro-life questionnaire and said that yes he would “vote for a law that would prevent abortions, except those necessary to prevent the death of the mother.” [Strickland California Pro-Life Questionnaire, 3/6/98]
Strickland Opposed Requiring Health Insurers to Provide Coverage for Contraceptives. In 1999, Strickland opposed AB 39, legislation that would “require health insurers to provide coverage for contraceptives… The bill would require those plans that offer a prescription drug benefit to include coverage of contraceptive pills and devices such as diaphragms.” [Ventura County Star, 3/10/99; AB 39, 3/9/99]
Strickland Voted Against Requiring Health Insurance Companies Cover Maternity Services. In 2004, Strickland voted against legislation that required health insurance companies cover maternity services including prenatal care, pregnancy complications, neonatal care and hospital maternity care. [Assembly Floor Analysis and Roll Call, Senate Bill 1555, 7/2/04; Roll Call SB 1555, 8/25/04; Los Angeles Times, 10/3/04]
Strickland One Of The GOP State Senators Who Held Up Domestic Violence Refunding Bills. Strickland was one of the GOP State Senators who held up SB 13, a bipartisan bill that restored $16.3 million in funding for domestic violence shelters. The Ventura County Star reported, “But the decisive ancillary issue was the Republicans' blanket refusal to vote for two-thirds majority bills. Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Moorpark, was among those who held firm.” [Ventura County Star, 9/15/09]
Strickland Voted Against the Violence Against Women Act. In September 2002, the California Legislative Women’s Caucus issued a press release stating that the Violence Against Women Act - Civil Remedy Legislation was signed by Governor Davis. Strickland voted against AB 1928. The analysis of the bill read “This bill is modeled after a civil remedy provision, creating a cause of action for those harmed by gender-motivated violence that was included in the federal Violence Against Women Act.” [AB 1928, Analyses; AB 1928, Assembly Floor, 8/23/02; California Legislative Women’s Caucus, press release, 9/24/02]
Brownley Worked to Stop Health Insurance Companies from Unfairly Raising Rates. In 2010, Brownley co-authored AB 2578, which would have required the Department of Managed Health Care or the California Department of Insurance to approve proposed increases in health plans’ premiums, co-payments or deductibles. [AB 2578, 2/19/10]
Red Alert
Updated: Sep 27, 2012Latino voters need to hear in Spanish that: Brownley is on our side while Strickland sides with special interests and extremists. Brownley is fighting for middle class families by making college more affordable and stopping health insurance companies from unfairly raising rates. Tony Strickland supports altering Social Security and turning Medicare into a voucher system, wants to let insurance companies deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, and took money from pesticide companies and then voted against protecting children from cancer-causing pesticides sprayed near Ventura schools.
Brownley Authored Bill to Make College More Affordable. In 2010, Brownley authored AB 2297, which allows the governing board of a California Community College (CCC) to use an alternative method for calculating nonresident fee amounts that would allow nonresident fees to be set at an amount comparable to that of other states. The bill intended to give CCCs greater authority to charge nonresidents a fee that could be used to increase the quality of education. [AB 2297, 2/18/10]
Brownley Worked to Stop Health Insurance Companies from Unfairly Raising Rates. In 2010, Brownley co-authored AB 2578, which would have required the Department of Managed Health Care or the California Department of Insurance to approve proposed increases in health plans’ premiums, co-payments or deductibles. [AB 2578, 2/19/10]
Strickland Didn’t Oppose Turning Medicare into a Voucher Program for Those Under the Age of 50. Strickland said he thought Paul Ryan's plan to turn Medicare into a voucher system deserves “a lot of credit,” and didn’t oppose turning Medicare into a voucher program for seniors under that age of 50. [Blog, Ventura County Star, 8/14/12]
Strickland Advocated for Changes to Social Security. In 2012, Strickland was asked about his position on Medicare and Social Security. He said there a needed to dialogue with thirty and forty year olds because the system wasn’t solvent. “Let me be crystal clear about my position on Social Security. I’m against any plan that will take social security from seniors. Period. End of story. And also, I’m against any plan that will take, or even take away from seniors who are about to enroll in social security. What we need to do is have the dialogue for those thirty and forty year olds who we know are paying in to the system today and it’s not fiscally solvent.” [Cal Lutheran University & Acorn Newspaper Candidate Forum, 1:01:44, 5/7/12]
Strickland Would Vote to Repeal the Affordable Care Act. In 2012, it was reported that Strickland would vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. [Ventura County Star, 5/3/12]
Strickland Accepted Campaign Money from Pesticide Companies. Between 2007 and 2012 Strickland accepted over $30,000 in campaign cash from pesticide companies. [Strickland Campaign Finance, accessed 9/25/12]
Strickland Voted Against Legislation Protecting School Children from Pesticide Spraying. In 2002, Strickland voted against final passage of legislation that gave counties county agriculture commissioner’s greater authority to regulate pesticide spraying near sensitive areas such as schools. The idea for the legislation came about when pesticide spraying at Ventura's Mound School in 2000 caused 20 students to become sick. [Ventura County Star, 8/28/08]
Voters ages 50, especially independent and Republican women over 50, are particularly troubled by Strickland’s position on turning Medicare it into a voucher system. The Republican plan would charge seniors $6,400 a year more for the same health care while at the same time cutting taxes for millionaires. Julia Brownley, on the other hand, will protect Medicare and is supported by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.
Strickland Didn’t Oppose Turning Medicare into a Voucher Program for Those Under the Age of 50. Strickland said he thought Paul Ryan's plan to turn Medicare into a voucher system deserves “a lot of credit,” and didn’t oppose turning Medicare into a voucher program for seniors under that age of 50. [Blog, Ventura County Star, 8/14/12]
Republicans Voted to End Medicare, Give Tax Breaks to Millionaires, Protect Tax Breaks for Big Oil. On April 15, 2011, Republicans voted for a budget which “would essentially end Medicare” and cost seniors an extra $6,359. If enacted, this budget would begin affecting millions of seniors almost immediately by increasing the costs on prescription drugs and long-term care. For future beneficiaries, the Congressional Budget Office estimates it will increase health care costs by an extra $6,359 by 2022. The Republican plan would also lower the top tax rate to 25% and will provide people with incomes over $1 million an average tax cut of $125,000 per year. The plan would secure no deficit-reduction contribution at all from closing special interest tax breaks, such as breaks for big oil companies. [H Con. Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11; Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11; National Journal, 6/2/11; CBO, 4/5/11; Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/20/11; [Congressional Joint Economic Committee, 5/20/11]
Men ages 18-49 are concerned that Tony Strickland is part of the problem in Sacramento. Strickland wasted more money on promotional mail than almost any other Sacramento politician during one session, took thousands of dollars in free trips to Disneyland, and was investigated for paying himself and his wife with special interest campaign money.
Spent Over $20,000 in Taxpayer Money on Mail Pieces While Running for Congress. In 2012, it was reported that Strickland used taxpayer money to invite constituents to coffee while he was running for Congress. Strickland was in a contested congressional race and ranked in the top 10 for mail pieces sent by members of the Senate. Strickland was the 5th highest spender on mail pieces in the first four months of 2012 – sending out 75,742 mail pieces for $20,070.05. [Sacramento Bee, 6/3/12]
Strickland’s Received Thousands in Theme Park Tickets from Disney. In 2012, Strickland received $1,200 in theme park tickets from Disney. His wife Audra Strickland received $2,000 in theme park tickets from Disney. “Many California families save for months to afford a trip to Disneyland. Many California legislators go for free, courtesy of the Walt Disney Company.” [Sacramento Bee, 8/17/12]
Headline: A GOP candidate for controller and his wife have moved $138,000 to self-owned businesses. [Los Angeles Times, 4/13/06]
