Tag: Health Care

Republicans cower in fear of their constituents

Around the country, Republicans are running scared from their constituents because they know their dangerous “Trump First” policies are opposed by mainstream Americans.

Whether it’s stripping away health care from 32 million Americans, giving tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires, or supporting Donald Trump’s autocratic rule that is making our country less safe, Republicans are afraid of their constituents holding them accountable.

Unfortunately for Republicans, it’s only week two of Donald Trump’s presidency and Republicans won’t be able to duck their constituents’ accountability forever. Republican lawmakers need to stop hiding and face their constituents since things are set to only get worse for the American people.

Examples of some of the Republicans who have fled or refused to meet with their constituents:

Rep. Dave Brat (VA): “The women are in my grill no matter where I go.”

Rep. Barbara Comstock (VA)

Rep. Mike Coffman (CO)

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (CA)

Read more after the jump.

American Bridge Statement on Kelly Ayotte’s Disastrous Debate

Statement from Jessica Mackler, president, American Bridge, on Senator Kelly Ayotte’s disastrous debate this morning:

“Kelly Ayotte continues to prove that she supports nearly all of the conservative policies of Donald Trump and her special interest billionaire backers, the Koch brothers. Whether it’s taking away health care for thousands of Granite Staters by repealing the Medicaid expansion or cutting Social Security and seniors’ benefits, Ayotte won’t stand up to Donald Trump – she’d be a rubber stamp for his extreme and dangerous agenda.”

Read more after the jump.

Pence Twice Voted Against 9/11 First Responders Health Care Bill

When Mike Pence had the opportunity to put his money where his mouth was on supporting 9/11 first responders, he let them and their families down.

“[T]he true legacy of 9-11 cannot be found among political leaders of the day,” wrote then-Rep. Mike Pence in a 2011 op-ed, “but in the citizen soldiers and public safety personnel who answered that day with courage and selflessness.” 

Pence continued: “To our police, fire and public safety personnel who ran in when others ran out, who braved the flames…belongs the credit for this day.”

But when asked to vote to that effect, Pence — who on another occasion had the nerve to invoke 9/11 when expressing his displeasure with the Supreme Court’s 2012 decision upholding the Affordable Care Act — didn’t live up to his own lofty rhetoric:

In July and September of 2010, Pence voted at least twice against the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and […]

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Under Pressure, Toomey Claims To Care About PA Coal Miners’ Retirement Security

Losing bigly in the polls, Trump supporter Senator Pat Toomey is scrambling to hide where he stands on key issues to convince Pennsylvanians he’s someone he’s not — namely, a senator who has their best interests at heart.

This week, Toomey shifted on legislation that would protect “[r]etirement and health-care funds [that] currently support about 120,000 former miners and their families nationwide.”

Just two days ago (2!) Toomey refused to publicly take a position on the bill; but now, after attacks from Democrats, he’s reversed course, claiming he’ll support the legislation.

Before he faced criticism that threatened to increase his polling deficit, Toomey was seemingly fine with denying Pennsylvania’s coal miners retirement security, prioritizing partisan politics over the needs of his constituents.

It’s as clear as ever that Pennsylvanians deserve better than Pat Toomey.

Read more after the jump.

Zika Spreads; Rubio Balks

“Florida officials on Friday announced the first local spread of Zika virus through infected mosquitoes in the continental United States,” according to the Washington Post, but Marco Rubio still can’t seem to influence Republican obstructionism on Zika funding.

Sure, Rubio sent a letter calling for currently available funds to be spent more quickly, but that’s just posturing. Rubio has talked a big game on Zika funding since at least April, but he’s yet to get any results. Instead, Florida’s now has 383 Zika cases on the books — including 55 cases involving pregnant women.

Florida voters deserve better than an absentee senator who’s made a career of hardline partisanship but remains so ineffective that he can’t even convince his fellow Party of Trump obstructionists to address a looming public health crisis.

Ignoring Rubio, Speaker Paul Ryan and congressional Republicans have instead cynically purposed their already-underfunded Zika measure as an attack on […]

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The Ryan-Trump Healthcare Plan: Repeal ACA, Then, Uh, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Paul Ryan at CNN’s town hall talked about his Affordable Care Act replacement plan has a lot of repeal, but not much replace. In April, Donald Trump unveiled his healthcare reform agenda — the most detailed component of the plan calling for the “repeal and replace of Obamacare with something much better.”

It’s been more than half a decade since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. Trump and Republicans somehow still don’t have a detailed alternative. All we know is they still want to “repeal and replace” the law — Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has called doing so their “most urgent” objective late last year — and that Republicans have repeatedly held dozens of pointless votes to dismantle it.

The closest Republicans have come to proposing an alternative is Speaker Ryan’s recent June proposal to — yet again — repeal and replace the law. Unveiled as part of Ryan’s […]

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Portman, Toomey, & Kirk Voted Against Drug Abuse Prevention And Treatment

The public health crisis that is the drug epidemic remains among top voter concerns in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois, a new Real Clear Politics report details:

Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois all face major problems with drug addiction and overdose deaths, and all have Republican senators seeking second terms in contests that will help determine which party holds the majority in the Senate next year.

Meanwhile: Just last month, Sens. Rob Portman, Pat Toomey, and Mark Kirk all voted against a measure to “improve mental health and substance use prevention and treatment.”

Read more — Real Clear Politics: In Key Senate Races, Drug Use Tops Voters’ Concerns

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Sen. Toomey Would Take Away Health Care From 2.6 Million Pennsylvanians

Senator Pat Toomey and Senate Republicans are set to repeal Medicaid expansion and defund Planned Parenthood, taking away healthcare coverage from 2.6 million Pennsylvanians and denying women access to important health procedures such as cancer screenings.

Here’s what Pat Toomey wants to take from Pennsylvania families: 

439,000 Pennsylvanians have enrolled in expanded Medicaid.
Women rely on health services provided by Planned Parenthood at Pennsylvania’s 36 centers.

“Pat Toomey’s vote to repeal Medicaid expansion is a vote to end health care for millions of state residents including more than 230,000 children while simultaneously attacking women’s access to quality health care through Planned Parenthood. This another example of Sen. Toomey putting the extreme, partisan agenda of the Koch brothers — who have already spent over $1 million propping him up — ahead of what’s best for working families across Pennsylvania,” said American Bridge 21st Century President Jessica Mackler. “Sen. Toomey’s record speaks for itself. He’s voted at least 15 times to take away quality health insurance from […]

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Sen. Portman Would Take Away Health Care From Nearly 3 Million Ohioans

Senator Rob Portman and Senate Republicans are set to repeal Medicaid expansion as well as defund Planned Parenthood, taking away healthcare coverage from nearly 3 million Ohioans and denying women access to important health procedures such as cancer screenings.

Here’s what Rob Portman wants to take from Ohio families: 

Crucial substance abuse treatment is provided across Ohio and the country through Medicaid expansion.
Between 2013 and 2014, nearly 57,000 Ohio women relied on health services provided by Planned Parenthood at Ohio’s 20 centers.

“Rob Portman’s vote to repeal Medicaid expansion is a vote to end funding for life-saving substance abuse counseling and treatment programs while simultaneously attacking women’s access to quality health care through Planned Parenthood. This another example of Sen. Portman putting the extreme, partisan agenda of the Koch brothers — who have already spent over $1 million propping him up — ahead of what’s best for working families across Ohio,” said American Bridge 21st Century President Jessica Mackler. “Sen. Portman’s record speaks for […]

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“Being Like Romney Is A Good Thing, Right?” — Jeb Bush, Probably

Yesterday morning, Marco Rubio joined his mentor Jeb Bush in criticizing the “free stuff” strategy. Apparently Jeb saw that as an opening to double-down on his “free stuff” rhetoric last night. After being asked by Fox News’s Sean Hanity about the Affordable Care Act, Social Security, and Medicare, Jeb told Hanity that “offering free things to people [is] not working.”

Unfortunately for Jeb, not only are the ACA, Social Security, and Medicare important programs that provide necessary safety nets for millions of Americans, they’re also a whole lot more popular than the former front-runner.

 

Read more after the jump.