Local TV stations today forced the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) to take down its new attack ad that falsely claimed that then-Governor Hassan increased gas prices 23 percent — a claim that is demonstrably false. In fact, the price of gas actually decreased while Senator Hassan was governor.
“Mitch McConnell’s lies about Senator Hassan’s record of fighting for Granite Staters are so egregious that they had to be pulled off the air,” said Maggie for NH Campaign Manager Aaron Jacobs. “The latest, desperate attempt by Mitch McConnell to falsely attack Senator Hassan for her record of working to lower gas prices for Granite Staters just failed miserably. While McConnell and his allies spread falsehoods, Senator Hassan will remain laser focused on fighting for a gas tax holiday to provide Granite Staters much-needed relief at the pump.”
BACKGROUND:
The NRSC, backed by Big Oil and other corporate special interests, launched a TV ad this week attacking Senator Hassan for her efforts to pass a gas tax holiday — a policy that is opposed by the Republican primary candidates. Almost immediately, local TV stations forced the NRSC to pull down the ad because it included a blatant falsehood that Senator Hassan raised gas prices as governor — when in fact gas prices actually decreased while she was governor.
Senator Hassan has been leading the fight to lower gas prices by pushing for a suspension of the gas tax holiday for the rest of the year. On February 9, Senator Hassan proposed gas tax holiday legislation — which her leading opponents immediately came out against. In April, Mitch McConnell and Republican Senators blocked her call to immediately pass a gas tax holiday on the Senate floor. And Chuck Morse, one of Senator Hassan’s leading opponents, was responsible for killing bipartisan legislation that would have suspended the state gas tax.
FACT CHECK:
The Lie: The NRSC inaccurately claims that then-Governor Hassan increased gas prices by 23 percent as governor and the source, an NHPR article from 2014, never even makes that claim.
The Truth: Sources show that while she was Governor, gas prices fell in New Hampshire.