Pennsylvania Voters Reject GOP Repeal & Sabotage Agenda
Washington, D.C. – As a PPP exit poll shows that dissatisfaction with Republicans’ war on health care drove voters to deliver a Democratic victory in a district that Donald Trump won by nearly twenty points in 2016, Protect Our Care Campaign Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement:
“Yesterday’s historic win in Pennsylvania should be the clearest message yet to Republicans that their war on health care is not just a political loser, but an albatross around the neck of any candidate who supports their destructive repeal-and-sabotage agenda.
“Rick Saccone has became the latest candidate to throw his lot in with President Trump’s war on health care and then suffer a once-unthinkable defeat. While Saccone called for a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act and backed the unpopular GOP repeal bills that would have thrown tens of millions of Americans off of their insurance and raised costs for millions more, Conor Lamb defended the Affordable Care Act and called for legislative action to improve the law and expand on its successes – and Pennsylvania voters responded by sending him to Washington.
“A PPP exit poll of PA-18 voters shows they broke for Lamb because of his commitment to improving the Affordable Care Act and opposition to the Republican repeal-and-sabotage agenda. In a district that voted Trump by almost 20 points, a majority of voters now support the Affordable Care Act, and last year’s repeal efforts were a drag on the Republican candidate, making 41% of voters less likely to support him.
“Last night’s exit poll makes it crystal clear that health care decided this race, echoing recent elections in Virginia, and across the country, as voters across the nation continue to say: enough is enough – it’s time to stand up to Republicans and stop the war on our care.”
BACKGROUND
Lamb: Congress Should Be Working Together To Build On ACA’s Progress, Fix What Isn’t Working, And Make The Law Better.
On his campaign website, Lamb writes, “I believe that every American has a right to go see a doctor when they’re sick, and that means every American has a right to health insurance they can afford. The Affordable Care Act has flaws, but it has provided affordable coverage to more than a million Pennsylvanians who were previously uninsured. Our representatives in Congress should be working together to build on that progress, fix what isn’t working, and make the law better. Instead, Republicans in Congress spent the past year trying to take health insurance away from people with no plan to replace it. Now, costs are likely to go up for many of us, especially those with preexisting conditions. That is unacceptable, and it’s a failure of leadership.” Conor Lamb Campaign Website, Priorities, Affordable Health Care]
Lamb: GOP Leaders Have Not Even Allowed A Vote To Stabilize ACA Markets.
On his campaign website, Lamb writes, “Republican leaders have not even allowed a vote on a bipartisan, common-sense effort to strengthen the ACA and stabilize the markets. And it took the threat of a government shutdown for both parties to come together and fund the children’s health program (CHIP), something they’d ignored for months while the program was forced to survive on week-to-week bailouts. These legislative failures show what is wrong with the status quo in Washington. I’ll work with anyone from either party who wants to help people with pre-existing conditions, improve the quality of care, and reduce premiums, out-of-pocket costs, and prescription drug prices.” [Conor Lamb Campaign Website, Priorities, Affordable Health Care]
Saccone Called For Full Repeal Of The ACA And Said AHCA Did Not Go Far Enough.
Saccone, in an interview on 790 WAEB, agreed that the AHCA does not go far enough. When the show’s host trashed AHCA as insufficiently right wing, Saccone said the host was “absolutely right.” Later, when asked if he favors full repeal of the ACA, Saccone replied, “absolutely; got to go.” [WAEB, 3/9/17]
Saccone Promised To “Fix” Obamacare By Utilizing “Free-Market Principles To Fix Our Healthcare Crisis.”
Under the heading “Fixing Obamacare,” Saccone’s website states, “Under Obamacare, health insurance has become unaffordable. Rick Saccone will utilize free-market principles to fix our healthcare crisis.” [RickSaccone.com, accessed 3/13/18]
Saccone Dismissed Concern About People Losing Health Coverage As “Typical Democrats Talking Points.”
“Conor Lamb, the Democratic candidate in the special election wasn’t available to speak on camera on Wednesday. On his campaign website, he claimed Republicans have been ‘trying to take health insurance away from people with no plan to replace it. Now, costs are likely to go up for many of us, especially those with preexisting conditions. That is unacceptable, and it’s a failure of leadership.’ Told of Lamb’s stand, Saccone said, ‘That’s typical Democrats talking points. Look, the price of health care was skyrocketing under Obamacare.’” [WTAE, 1/31/18]
Club For Growth Endorsed Saccone Because Of His Commitment To Repealing The ACA.
“Today, the Club for Growth PAC announced its endorsement of Rick Saccone for the U.S. House of Representatives. Saccone is running for the open seat vacated earlier this year by Tim Murphy (PA-18). ‘Club for Growth PAC is proud to endorse Rick Saccone in his run for Congress,’ stated Club for Growth PAC President David McIntosh. ‘Rick is a constitutional conservative who supports lower taxes, repealing Obamacare, and limiting the size of government. In his time serving in the General Assembly, Rick has proven to be a strong conservative voice and been a strong advocate for Pennsylvania’s taxpayers.’” [Club for Growth Press Release, 12/19/17]
Saccone Applauded Repeal Of The Individual Mandate.
“I am pleased that the House and Senate have come together and passed a repeal of the onerous and punitive Obamacare mandate that was forced upon the country by the liberal wing of the Democratic Party led by Nancy Pelosi. The repeal was supported by 63% of Americans who agreed that the individual mandate tax was an excessive encroachment on taxpayers. Alarmingly, the mandate disproportionately hurt low-income households – the very people Obamacare was to care for. According to the IRS, nearly 80 percent of households that pay the penalty make less than $50,000 annually. As a result, low-income families paid up to $2,085 this year not being able to afford health insurance. Obamacare premiums have skyrocketed so high that millions of Americans were forced to pay the penalty because they could not afford coverage.” [Rick Saccone for Congress Press Release, 12/21/17]
Saccone: “While Health Care Coverage Is Vital To All Of Us, The Government Should Not Involve Itself In Our Health Care Decisions.”
“While health care coverage is vital to all of us, the government should not involve itself in our health care decisions. We are all too aware of the inefficiencies of government bureaucracy, and the last thing that we need is for them to meddle with our health. I join the majority of Americans today in applauding Congress for repealing the Obamacare mandate penalty that will no longer burden taxpayers.” [Rick Saccone for Congress Press Release, 12/21/17]