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Republican Leah Vukmir (left) is challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
Updated Nov. 4, 2018
The two major-party nominees for the U.S. Senate have been chosen — Wisconsin Democrat Tammy Baldwin, who is seeking a second term, will face Republican Leah Vukmir on Nov. 6, 2018.
Here we’re gathering all of the relevant fact checks from the Senate campaign.
Please tell us if you come across something we should check: [email protected].
TAMMY BALDWIN Incumbent from Madison
Statements made by Baldwin
Tomah VA: Says that after the overdose death of a Tomah VA veteran, she "brought both parties together to help pass a law" to "make the VA accountable and also to stop the overprescribing of" opioids. Mostly True.
Taxes: Under the Republican tax reform law, "83 percent of the benefits go to the top 1 percent of individuals and large multinational corporations." Half True.Trump: "President Trump continues to disrespect patriotic transgender Americans who want to serve their country." Mostly True.Trump:
Trump: Says the Trump administration "has banned the CDC even using the word ‘transgender.’" False.
Immigration: Says Donald Trump's executive order "doesn't address the over 2,000 children who are already separated from their parents, and it doesn't change the fact that we would be jailing children with their families." Mostly True.
Cheese: Says that "when federal bureaucrats wanted to prohibit the use of wooden cheese boards, which help make tens of millions of pounds of cheese a year" she "stepped in, helped eliminate the regulations." Mostly True.
Guns: Says 97 percent of gun owners support universal background checks. Mostly True.
Guns: The Las Vegas shooting was the "273rd mass shooting" in the United States so far in 2017. Half True.
Trump: Says Donald Trump "wants to kick thousands of kids off of BadgerCare." Half True.
Attacks by others on Baldwin
Taxes: Freedom Partners: "Tammy Baldwin voted for $5 trillion in higher taxes." Half True.
Tomah VA: Americas PAC says Tammy Baldwin was told by a whistleblower about "overmedicated veterans," she made "deadly mistakes" and "three veterans died" at the Tomah VA hospital. False.
Defense funding: Restoration PAC says Tammy Baldwin "supported legislation allowing citizens to withhold funding for our troops." Mostly False.
Sex education: Restore American Freedom and Liberty says Tammy Baldwin "wants to require children starting at age 5 to learn about gay sex!" False.
Attacks by Baldwin on Vukmir
Health care: "2.4 million people in Wisconsin have pre-existing conditions" and Leah Vukmir supports letting insurance companies "deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions." Half True.
Health care: Says Leah Vukmir was "just about the only legislator who stood with the insurance companies" and "voted against oral chemotherapy." Mostly True.
LEAH VUKMIR State senator from Brookfield
Statements by Vukmir:
Demonstrations: Says "I have been through the gauntlet, when we had riots in that Capitol." Pants on Fire.
Trump: "I have always been there with" Donald Trump. False.
Immigration: On separating families at the border. Half Flip.
Crime: In 2016, there were 5,570 people in Wisconsin "who committed crimes on probation and they were not revoked." Half True.
Attacks by Vukmir on Baldwin
Health care: Says Tammy Baldwin’s "Medicare for All" plan means senior citizens would "no longer have" Medicare. Mostly False.
Tomah VA: Says Tammy Baldwin was the only member of the Wisconsin congressional delegation "to have a report outlining that a doctor was overprescribing opioids" at the Tomah VA, "later a veteran died" and Baldwin "covered it up." Mostly False.
Crime: Says Tammy Baldwin's record includes "opposing harsher punishments for criminals who commit violent crimes near schools." Half True.
Patriotism: Says Tammy Baldwin "opposed displaying the flag and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance or singing the National Anthem in our classrooms." Mostly False.
Terrorism: Says Tammy Baldwin is "more worried about the mastermind of 9/11" than supporting CIA director nominee Gina Haspel. Pants on Fire.
‘Buy America’: Says Sen. Tammy Baldwin "claims to support a 'Buy America' philosophy, but her actions speak louder than her empty words." False.
Attacks by others on Vukmir
Open records: Club for Growth says Leah Vukmir "claimed the open records law didn't apply to her, got sued, lost and cost taxpayers $15,000 in legal fees." True.
'Leniency': Claim by Club for Growth says Leah Vukmir "wrote a letter seeking leniency for a fellow state legislator convicted of sexual assault." Mostly True.
Our Sources
PolitiFact Wisconsin items as noted
