FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 3, 2006 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Brett Garner Office: (801) 983-7383 Cell: (801) 573-4759 Ashdown Calls Amendments "Divisive" Incumbent "Asleep at the Piano" for Utah's Real Needs SALT LAKE CITY, UT--Democratic nominee for the US Senate Pete Ashdown released the following statement on his opponent's repeated, election-year attempts to amend the US Constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage and flag burning. "Despite his avowed love of the 'Greatest Constitution in the World,' my opponent has chosen to sponsor or co-sponsor Constitutional amendments almost 80 times, usually during election years. This year is no different; because Senator Hatch cannot win re-election on a platform of unifying Utahns, he will attempt again to win by dividing Utahns apart. "This state and this nation have important issues and needs, needs that are being ignored by Senator Hatch. He is asleep at the piano for Utahns, refusing to use his seniority and purported powers to stop--really stop--Divine Strake, Private Fuel Storage, or nuclear waste coming through Utah to Yucca Mountain. As a US Senator, I would fight to stop these horrible, Federally-approved actions. "This week he said that the Department of Homeland Security 'shortchanged Utah.' There are two responses I have to that, both of which justify a new Senator for Utah: first, it wasn't DHS that 'shortchanged Utah,' it was Senator Hatch, who was too busy floating amendments to notice that Utah was being hurt. Second, as we have also learned this week, part of the reason New York lost anti-terror funding was because they faxed their application instead of electronically submitting it. We have a national security apparatus stuck in the 1970s fighting against enemies who are exploiting today's technologies for the most catastrophic effect. We already know that Secretaries Chertoff and Rumsfeld don't even use email. If Utah--and America, for that matter--had one Senator knew more about technology, I think our national security would be in better hands. Last month, the state legislature failed to fully fund emergency Medicare vision, dental, and disability benefits for our poorest Utahns. If the incumbent wasn't too busy boasting about these amendments, perhaps he could have inserted something into a bill to pay $2 million into this jointly funded Federal-State program. If I were in the Senate, the Governor or any concerned legislator could have called me up and I would be on the Senate floor in a second. As Hugh B. Brown stated, 'I am a Democrat because I believe they are kinder to the poor.' That's the difference between Republicans and Democrats this year, both in State and Federal races, and that's why I am a Democrat. "Regarding the specific question of S.J. Res. 1: government involvement in the most intimate of affairs should be zero. I stand for the ideal of minimal government and find no way to reconcile this with interference in matters between consenting adults. However, if the adults are too closely related, I am for government involvement in stopping and punishing it. "The question of medical benefits to same-sex, no-sex, house mates or relatives is moot when everyone is insured as is covered in my health care plan. Regardless of what health care system is used, I strongly believe that states' rights and decisions should be preserved and respected by the Federal government. "Under my tax plan all income is taxed equally, regardless of individual status. In a free country, individuals should have the liberty to determine who their benefits are bestowed upon, who inherits their wealth, and who takes care of their children when they are gone instead of the federal government and insurance companies making these choices for them. I would vote against "message bills" regarding marriage because this is best left to an individual's faith for definition. This vote would be cast equally against bills that would ban or affirm any form of marriage." Ashdown will speak and campaign at the Utah Pride Festival at Library Square in Salt Lake Sunday afternoon. Monday at 10:30 AM, he will also speak and campaign at the Sandy Senior Center 9310 S. 1300 E. Wednesday he will hold several campaign events in St. George.