Issued October 07, 2016
WASHINGTON – AFSCME and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) launched a new TV ad campaign in North Carolina today against Republican Senate incumbent Richard Burr. The campaign slams Burr for supporting legislation that benefited gas companies even as he held personal investments in the oil and gas industry while in office. “Burr had over one hundred thousand dollars in oil and gas stocks while he backed legislation giving tax credits benefitting gas companies,” says the narrator in the ad.
The $1,793,040 ad buy, entitled “Halls,” will run in the Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Greensboro-High Point-Winston-Salem, and Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson markets from Oct. 7 to Oct. 20. The ad represents the first major independent expenditure investment by both unions in North Carolina.
“North Carolinians deserve a Senator who will work for them, not write legislation to benefit his personal investments while cozying up to corporate interests,” said Shirin Bidel-Niyat, AFSCME’s Assistant Director of Political Action. “We’re investing in North Carolina because we see a path to success for candidates that will fight for an economy that works for everyone, not the wealthy few.”
“The record shows Senator Burr is on his own side and he’s on the big oil and gas companies’ side, and that means he’s not standing with North Carolina’s working families,” said SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry. “It’s time to send somebody to Washington who isn’t thinking about his own bank account.”
View the AFSCME Ad: https://youtu.be/YqoUJYGyfhI
View the SEIU Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVo1E-Sy67E
Transcript: Narrator: After twenty years in Washington, we’re learning lots about Richard Burr.
Narrator: First: he opposed a bill prohibiting insider trading by Members of Congress.
Narrator: Now we learn Burr had over one hundred thousand dollars in oil and gas stocks while he backed legislation giving tax credits benefitting gas companies.
Narrator: And Oil and gas companies donated over half a million dollars to Burr’s campaigns.
Narrator: No wonder Richard Burr’s wealth has increased over 500% since he’s been in Congress.
Narrator: That's making Washington work for him.
SEIU COPE is SEIU’s political action fund, supported by small-dollar contributions from the janitors, nurses, home care and child care providers and many other working women and men who members of SEIU.