Subject: FW: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Poliquin Switches Vote to Allow Contractors to Discriminate Against LGBT Community
From: "Wei, Shu-Yen" <[email-masked]>
To: Comm_D <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 19 May 2016 12:50:10 -0700

From: Katie Baker [mailto:[email-masked]]
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2016 3:27 PM
To: Katie Baker
Subject: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Poliquin Switches Vote to Allow Contractors to Discriminate Against LGBT Community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 19, 2016

CONTACT: KATIE BAKER
                                                            Office: 207-622-6233
                                                                                                                        Cell: 740-485-1125
                                                                                                Email: [email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>

Poliquin Switches Vote to Allow Contractors to Discriminate Against LGBT Community
Poliquin cast deciding vote in measure that failed 212-213

AUGUSTA, Maine – Maine Democratic Party Chairman Phil Bartlett today called out U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin for switching his vote<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/house-lgbt-amendment-discrimination-fight-223366> against an amendment that would have barred federal contractors from discriminating against members of the LGBT community.

The amendment would have passed, but failed 212-213 after several Republicans, including Poliquin, changed their votes.

“In what appears to be another backroom deal, Congressman Poliquin turned his back on the LGBT community,” said Chairman Bartlett. “If Bruce Poliquin had not changed his vote, this amendment would have passed. Republican leadership even tried unsuccessfully to keep Poliquin’s sudden switch a secret. This betrayal of the LGBT community is just the latest proof that Bruce Poliquin’s loyalty will always lie with Washington Republicans, rather than with his constituents in Maine.”

Poliquin’s tendency to conceal his true stance on important issues is nothing new. For months, Poliquin has evaded questions about Donald Trump – planning to skip<https://twitter.com/mikeshepherdME/status/719893767415861248> the national Republican convention so he wouldn’t have to cast a vote, refusing to say<http://bangordailynews.com/2016/03/05/politics/ted-cruz-pulls-off-surprise-win-in-maine-gop-caucuses/?ref=inline> for whom he caucused, and even escaping into an elevator<http://stateandcapitol.bangordailynews.com/2016/03/18/poliquins-uncomfortable-pause-on-donald-trump/?ref=inline>.  However, last week, while speaking to a right-wing organization at an event held at the Portland Yacht Club, Poliquin disclosed that he believed Trump would “win it all<http://thetippingpoint.bangordailynews.com/2016/05/13/on-the-campaign-trail/rep-poliquin-trump-will-win-and-ill-help-him-implement-policy/>” and that the presumptive Republican nominee would personally turn to him to help implement policy, explaining “that’s why these meetings are happening now.”

Several days after the event, when another reporter asked Poliquin whether he would support Trump, the Congressman “refused to answer or acknowledge the questions<http://stateandcapitol.bangordailynews.com/2016/05/16/poliquin-dodges-trump-questions-after-audiotape-leak/>” and “stared straight ahead and occasionally looked at his phone.”

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Katie Baker, Communications Director
Maine Democratic Party
[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>
Cell: 740-485-1125
Twitter: @muckrakerbaker<https://twitter.com/muckrakerbaker>