By Grant Fredericks — The LeClaire Report
The audience at Spokane’s Bing Crosby Theater was hostile to Rep. Michael Baumgartner from the start of his September 9 debate with challenger Carmela Conroy. He was booed and heckled repeatedly, and moderator Emry Dinman intervened multiple times to quiet the room. The interruptions did not stop Baumgartner from making some of the night’s most inflammatory and contentious claims. They included statements that Congress had already authorized force against Iran; border “gotaways” [people detected crossing illegally who were not caught] had fallen to zero; and people he called “survivors” of gender-affirming care had “important body parts” removed by doctors.
A review of 103 statements Baumgartner made during the debate, checked against primary records, found 14 false and 37 misleading claims. Another 11 could not be resolved from the available evidence. The remaining 41 were accurate. The false and misleading descriptions consistently stripped away facts that complicated or contradicted the policies and positions Baumgartner was defending, leaving the audience with a version that the statutes, government data and official records did not support.1
The No Taxes Falsehoods
Baumgartner told voters that “we passed legislation on no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, no taxes on interest on American made cars.”
Conroy responded moments later. “The tips on taxes and overtime, those are not eliminating taxes, those are temporary deductions,” she said.2
Conroy was correct; Congress did not end the tax on overtime. Washington’s minimum wage is $17.13 an hour. A worker earning time-and-a-half makes about $25.70 an hour for overtime, but only the extra $8.57 qualifies for the federal deduction. The regular $17.13 remains subject to federal income tax. For an individual, the deduction is capped at $12,500 a year and expires after 2028.3
Congress did not eliminate taxes on tips either. It created a federal income-tax deduction for qualified tips that customers voluntarily pay. A mandatory service charge added to a restaurant bill does not qualify for the deduction. And even tips that do qualify remain subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes. That deduction also expires after 2028.4
Congress did not eliminate taxes on interest for American-made cars either. It created a federal income-tax deduction for interest on loans used to buy qualifying new vehicles assembled in the United States. Used cars do not qualify, and neither do leased vehicles. The deduction is limited to $10,000 a year, phases out for higher-income taxpayers and expires after 2028.5
A Tax Break for the Ages
On Social Security, Baumgartner corrected Trump. “You heard President Trump talk about no taxes on on social security,” he said. “It’s not exactly that, it’s about 88% of folks.”6
But Baumgartner’s correction was still wrong. Congress did not change how Social Security benefits are taxed. It created a deduction of up to $6,000 for people 65 and older. A 65-year-old who receives no Social Security can qualify for the deduction. A Social Security recipient under 65 cannot. Baumgartner’s official congressional website continues to boast the false headline ‘Social Security Tax Relief.’7
Selling the Medicaid Cuts
In May 2025, the National Republican Congressional Committee told House Republicans how to sell their Medicaid changes. The memo said the legislation “must be a key piece of Republicans’ 2026 strategy” and instructed members to “keep the message simple.” Its message was that Republicans were strengthening Medicaid by removing people who should not receive it, including immigrants in the country illegally, and imposing work requirements. It cited polling showing 72 percent support for work requirements.8
Republican members of Congress began using those arguments publicly. During the debate, Dinman asked Baumgartner what he had done during his first term to defend Social Security and Medicare. Baumgartner ignored the question and diverted his answer to Medicaid and food stamps. His response was misleading. Congress had “actually strengthened Medicaid and food stamps,” he said, by removing people who should not receive them and imposing work requirements. Those requirements save money and are “very popular with American people,” he told the audience.9
But the people Baumgartner described as being removed from Medicaid were not all immigrants in the country illegally. People in the country illegally were already generally barred from federally funded, full-scope Medicaid. The 2025 law narrows federal Medicaid eligibility, beginning October 1, 2026, for some people who are legally in the United States, including refugees and people granted asylum. Separate provisions also impose new Medicaid eligibility requirements on U.S. citizens and other expansion enrollees, including work requirements that must take effect by January 2027. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the law’s Medicaid provisions would increase the number of people without health insurance by 7.5 million in 2034.10
His claim that work requirements are “very popular” also omitted what happened when respondents were given more information. A June 2025 KFF poll initially found 68 percent support. KFF then told supporters that most people on Medicaid already work or cannot work because they are disabled or caring for a family member, and that paperwork requirements could put many at risk of losing coverage. Support fell to 35 percent.11
Zero Gotaways
Baumgartner told the audience that the country had gone “from 15 to 20 million people entering the country unlawfully to now zero getaways [sic] the last 16 months.” Gotaways are people Border Patrol detects crossing the border illegally but does not catch.12
Illegal border crossings had fallen dramatically. But the number of people detected crossing illegally without being caught had not fallen to zero. Data provided to Congress showed that Border Patrol detected about 394,000 illegal crossings in fiscal year 2025. Agents caught or turned back about 323,000 of them. More than 70,000 crossed without being caught.13
The numbers continued to fall. But CBP data obtained by NewsNation showed that by April 2026, Border Patrol was still recording about 48 people a day crossing illegally without being caught, nearly 10,000 during fiscal year 2026 alone. All of those crossings occurred within the 16-month period Baumgartner said the number was zero.14
The Phantom War Authorization
Dinman asked Baumgartner whether the United States was at war. Baumgartner answered by saying Congress had authorized the use of force against Iran.
“Congress has authorized uh you the use of force uh in something called an AUMF, authorization the use of military force uh against Iran uh as support for and any actors that support terrorism,” he said. “So, they do fit under that definition.” He called it “an older definition” and said it “should be updated.”15
Congress had passed no authorization for the use of military force against Iran. The 2001 AUMF that Baumgartner appeared to invoke did not authorize force against countries simply because they supported terrorism. It authorized force against those responsible for the September 11 attacks and those who harbored them.16
This was not an obscure question that had never come before Baumgartner. By the night of the debate, he had voted five times on House resolutions invoking Congress’s powers under the War Powers Resolution to end U.S. hostilities with Iran. He voted against all five. Two ultimately passed the House.17
The distinction goes directly to Congress’s constitutional role in war. Article I gives Congress the power to declare war. The War Powers Resolution states that presidential authority to introduce U.S. forces into hostilities is exercised only pursuant to a declaration of war, specific statutory authorization, or a national emergency created by an attack on the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces. The Trump administration did not claim that Congress had authorized the Iran operation. In opposing congressional efforts to end the hostilities, it relied instead on the president’s authority under Article II.18
Another Two Years
Many of Baumgartner’s false and misleading claims concerned laws he helped pass and policies he had voted to impose on the people he represents. Whether he misunderstood those laws or knowingly described them falsely, his constituents received an inaccurate account of the work they sent him to Congress to do.
A member of Congress is entrusted with power by the constituents he represents. They cannot hold him accountable for how he uses that power if he does not faithfully tell them what he did with it. The voter is left to judge a record that has been materially altered in its telling.
Baumgartner came to the debate asking the people of Eastern Washington to give him that power for another two years.19
Fifty-one false and misleading claims in a 75 minute debate is disqualifying.
Endnotes
1. Indivisible: The High Ground, statement-by-statement review of the debate transcript, The Spokesman-Review and KSPS PBS, “Northwest Passages and KSPS: Candidate Conversation and Debate - 5D Congressional Race,” YouTube, September 9, 2026.
2. The Spokesman-Review and KSPS PBS, “Northwest Passages and KSPS: Candidate Conversation and Debate - 5D Congressional Race,” YouTube, September 9, 2026, at 01:03:03 and 01:04:09.
3. Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, “Minimum Wage,” 2026. https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/
26 U.S.C. § 225, Qualified overtime compensation. https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title26-section225&num=0&edition=prelim
Internal Revenue Service, “Questions and answers about the new deduction for qualified overtime compensation,” FS-2026-01, January 2026. https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/questions-and-answers-about-the-new-deduction-for-qualified-overtime-compensation
4. 26 U.S.C. § 224, Qualified tips. https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title26-section224&num=0&edition=prelim
Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service, “Occupations That Customarily and Regularly Received Tips; Definition of Qualified Tips,” final regulations, 91 Fed. Reg. 19026, April 13, 2026. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/04/13/2026-07104/occupations-that-customarily-and-regularly-received-tips-definition-of-qualified-tips
Internal Revenue Service, “Tip recordkeeping and reporting,” reviewed July 31, 2026. https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/tip-recordkeeping-and-reporting
5. 26 U.S.C. § 163(h)(4), Qualified passenger vehicle loan interest. https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title26-section163&num=0&edition=prelim
Internal Revenue Service, “Working Families Tax Cuts: Tax deductions for working Americans and seniors,” FS-2025-03, July 14, 2025, updated July 25, 2025. https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/one-big-beautiful-bill-act-tax-deductions-for-working-americans-and-seniors
6. The Spokesman-Review and KSPS PBS, “Northwest Passages and KSPS: Candidate Conversation and Debate - 5D Congressional Race,” YouTube, September 9, 2026, at 00:52:55.
7. 26 U.S.C. § 151(d)(5). https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title26-section151&num=0&edition=prelim
T. Lynn Sears, “Taxation of Social Security Benefits and the Senior Deduction in P.L. 119-21: In Brief,” Congressional Research Service, R48613, August 1, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48613/R48613.2.pdf
Office of Rep. Michael Baumgartner, “One Year of Putting Working Families First,” July 3, 2026. https://baumgartner.house.gov/2026/07/03/one-year-of-putting-working-families-first/
Office of Rep. Michael Baumgartner, “Your Voice in Congress: July 10, 2026 Update from Rep. Baumgartner,” July 10, 2026. https://baumgartner.house.gov/2026/07/10/your-voice-in-congress-july-10-2026-update-from-rep-baumgartner/
8. National Republican Congressional Committee, memorandum, “‘Big, Beautiful’ Messaging: How to Go on Offense & WIN,” May 22, 2025. https://www.nrcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/NRCC-OBBB.pdf
Misty Severi, “House GOP campaign arm tells lawmakers to tout reconciliation bill, Dems predict it’ll cost majority,” Just the News, May 22, 2025. https://justthenews.com/government/congress/house-gop-campaign-arm-tells-lawmakers-tout-reconciliation-bill-dems-predict
9. Office of Sen. John Barrasso, “Barrasso for The Daily Caller: Republicans are Strengthening Medicaid and Fixing Democrats’ Mess,” June 18, 2025. https://www.barrasso.senate.gov/barrasso-for-the-daily-caller-republicans-are-strengthening-medicaid-and-fixing-democrats-mess/
Office of Sen. John Thune, “Thune: Republicans’ Bill Protects, Preserves, and Strengthens Medicaid,” June 17, 2025. https://www.thune.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2025/6/thune-republicans-bill-protects-preserves-and-strengthens-medicaid
The Spokesman-Review and KSPS PBS, “Northwest Passages and KSPS: Candidate Conversation and Debate - 5D Congressional Race,” YouTube, September 9, 2026, at 00:54:52, 00:55:16 and 00:55:42.
10. Congressional Research Service, “Noncitizen Eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP,” IF11912, updated March 10, 2025. https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2025-03-10_IF11912_ed2235ba3b8e9f483492ddc533f58c8d8b2f2031.pdf
Public Law 119-21, §§ 71109 and 71119, July 4, 2025. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-119publ21/html/PLAW-119publ21.htm
Congressional Research Service, “Health Provisions in P.L. 119-21, the FY2025 Reconciliation Law,” R48633, August 18, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48633
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, State Health Official Letter SHO #26-001, April 8, 2026. https://www.hhs.gov/guidance/sites/default/files/hhs-guidance-documents/AID/sho26001.pdf
Congressional Budget Office, “Public Law 119-21, to Provide for Reconciliation Pursuant to Title II of H. Con. Res. 14, Title VII, Finance, Subtitle B, Health, Chapter 1, Medicaid,” cost estimate, October 28, 2025. https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61837
11. KFF, “KFF Health Tracking Poll: Views of the One Big Beautiful Bill,” June 17, 2025. https://www.kff.org/medicaid/kff-health-tracking-poll-views-of-the-one-big-beautiful-bill/
12. The Spokesman-Review and KSPS PBS, “Northwest Passages and KSPS: Candidate Conversation and Debate - 5D Congressional Race,” YouTube, September 9, 2026, at 01:01:13.
Pete R. Flores, Acting Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, written testimony, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, May 15, 2025, footnote 5. https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP15/20250515/118243/HHRG-119-AP15-Wstate-FloresP-20250515.pdf
13. Ali Bradley, “Gotaways create border vulnerabilities, leave DHS with work to do,” NewsNation, April 22, 2026. https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/gotaways-border-vulnerabilities-dhs/
Ian Hanchett, “Fmr. Border Patrol Chief: ‘Don’t Want to Say That the Border Is Secure’,” Breitbart, April 23, 2026. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/04/23/fmr-border-patrol-chief-dont-want-to-say-that-the-border-is-secure/
14. Ali Bradley, “Gotaways create border vulnerabilities, leave DHS with work to do,” NewsNation, April 22, 2026. https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/immigration/gotaways-border-vulnerabilities-dhs/
Ian Hanchett, “Fmr. Border Patrol Chief: ‘Don’t Want to Say That the Border Is Secure’,” Breitbart, April 23, 2026. https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/04/23/fmr-border-patrol-chief-dont-want-to-say-that-the-border-is-secure/
15. The Spokesman-Review and KSPS PBS, “Northwest Passages and KSPS: Candidate Conversation and Debate - 5D Congressional Race,” YouTube, September 9, 2026, at 00:23:35 and 00:25:07.
16. Authorization for Use of Military Force, Pub. L. 107-40, § 2(a), September 18, 2001. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-107publ40/html/PLAW-107publ40.htm
H.J.Res. 176, 119th Cong., “2026 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iran,” introduced May 7, 2026. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hjres176ih/html/BILLS-119hjres176ih.htm
U.S. Government Publishing Office, bill status, H.J.Res. 176, 119th Cong. https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/119/hjres/BILLSTATUS-119hjres176.xml
17. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Roll Call 85, H.Con.Res. 38, March 5, 2026. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202685
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Roll Call 114, H.Con.Res. 40, April 16, 2026. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2026114
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Roll Call 170, H.Con.Res. 75, May 14, 2026. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2026170
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Roll Call 199, H.Con.Res. 86, June 3, 2026. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2026199
Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives, Roll Call 282, H.Con.Res. 89, July 23, 2026. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2026282
18. U.S. Constitution, art. I, § 8, cl. 11, Constitution Annotated. https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/article-1/section-8/clause-11/
50 U.S.C. § 1541(c). https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title50-section1541&num=0&edition=prelim
Office of Management and Budget, Statement of Administration Policy, H.Con.Res. 38, March 4, 2026. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/SAP-HConRes38.pdf
Office of Management and Budget, Statement of Administration Policy, H.Con.Res. 40, April 16, 2026. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/SAP-HCR40.pdf
Office of Management and Budget, Statement of Administration Policy, H.Con.Res. 86, June 3, 2026. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SAP-HCR86-6.3.26.pdf
Office of Management and Budget, Statement of Administration Policy, H.Con.Res. 86, June 23, 2026. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SAP-Senate-HCR86.pdf
Office of Management and Budget, Statement of Administration Policy, H.Con.Res. 89, July 23, 2026. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/SAP-HCR-89.pdf
19. The Spokesman-Review and KSPS PBS, “Northwest Passages and KSPS: Candidate Conversation and Debate - 5D Congressional Race,” YouTube, September 9, 2026, at 01:15:11.
Excellent fact checking and summary. He has repeatedly openly stated when he doesn’t know how to vote, he just asks Mike Johnson how to vote. We didn’t elect Johnson to represent our district and hopefully this will be the last time we have such an inept representative as Baumgartner.
Voters have a very obvious choice between Conroy and Baumgartner. We need truth, honesty, and service from our elected officials. No one needs to make up stories just to please the man in the people's White House. Vote wisely. Our Democratic Republic Deserves it and so do we.