{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221012317/http://www.vitter.senate.gov/newsroom/press/gen-clark-refuses-to-respond-to-vitter-on-free-cell-phones", "Gen. Clark Refuses to Respond to Vitter on Free Cell Phones", "2013-12-13", "2013", "2013-12", "Republican", "House", "LA", "David Vitter", "V000127", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "Gen. Clark Refuses to Respond to Vitter on Free Cell Phones\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tIn a third letter, Vitter urges Gen. Clark to agree to free cell phone debate, disclose campaign\u2019s financial supporters\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFriday, December 13, 2013\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t(Washington, D.C.) \u2013 U.S. Sen. David Vitter today followed up to previous requests to Gen. Wesley Clark regarding Vitter\u2019s invitation to publicly debate Clark\u2019s campaign for free government cell phones. Vitter has also asked Clark to disclose the financial contributors to his advocacy campaign promoting free cell phones. In Clark\u2019s first response, he did not disclose his campaign\u2019s financial supporters nor did he commit to any of the dates Vitter proposed for a debate. Vitter asked Clark at a Senate committee hearing this week too. Click here to read Vitter\u2019s Dec. 10 letter.\n\u201cGeneral Clark has still refused to come clean about where his campaign funding is coming from,\u201d Vitter said. \u201cI\u2019m ready to debate the fraud-ridden Lifeline phone program publically as soon as he is, but he hasn\u2019t officially agreed to a debate yet. Clark was never a coward in the Army, and shouldn't be a political coward now.\u201d\nVitter first challenged Clark to a debate after Clark criticized Vitter\u2019s efforts to end the free government cellphone program known as Lifeline during a visit to Louisiana. Vitter has authored legislation to end the free cell phone portion of Lifeline and cites massive fraud surrounding the program. Clark agreed to a debate in a phone conversation with Vitter. Click here to read more.\nClick here for the news report about Clark\u2019s first visit to Louisiana and Vitter\u2019s response.\nBelow is a copy of Vitter\u2019s third letter back to Clark.\n  December 13, 2013\nGeneral Wesley K. Clark   Wesley K. Clark & Associates, LLC  P.O. Box 3276  Little Rock, Arkansas 72203\nVIA ELECTRONIC MAIL\nDear General Clark:\nI'm sorry that you have not responded to my letter from this past Tuesday regarding any financial ties you may have to companies that make money on the free government cell phone program. You specifically committed to answering this important question in writing in our October 8 telephone conversation.\nOf course, as you and I both know, your one sentence statement at the unrelated hearing on Wednesday did not answer the question in any adequate or precise way. Therefore, I re-ask the question (for the fourth time?):\nThe press report of your last Louisiana visit quotes your spokesperson as saying vaguely that a \u201cpublic affairs company that represents veterans advocacy groups\u201d sponsored your trip. Who are this company and its financial backers? In particular, do any companies who receive funds from the fraud-ridden Lifeline program financially support this public affairs company, you, your liberal political PAC, or any company in which you have a significant interest?\nDuring our October 8 phone conversation, you also committed to meet me for one or more fair, public debates on the issue in Louisiana. I have provided six dates so far on which I'm available, but you refuse to respond. Here are three more: January 6 in Lafayette, January 10 in Baton Rouge, and January 13 in Shreveport.\nYou were never a coward in the Army. Don't be a political coward now. Please do what you promised on the two above points.\nSincerely,\n  David Vitter  U.S. Senator", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140221012317/http://www.vitter.senate.gov/newsroom/press/gen-clark-refuses-to-respond-to-vitter-on-free-cell-phones"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.445956226438284, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}