News

Last night, President Trump addressed the nation after the World Health Organization declared the spread of coronavirus a global pandemic. After weeks of downplaying the seriousness of the virus, the president used xenophobic rhetoric while laying out a new set of ineffective policies that ignore the fact that the virus is already spreading throughout the United States. Trump imposed a travel ban on most of Europe, but spared the countries where he owns resorts to shield himself from any economic impact. Trump also failed to address the backlog of testing and potential for overwhelmed hospitals, leaving Americans without much-needed certainty during this crisis. 

Associated Press Analysis: Analysis: Facing Virus Outbreak, Trump’s Tactics Fall Short. “In an address to the nation Wednesday night, Trump announced a sweeping travel ban for much of Europe as well as a package of proposals to help steady the teetering economy. But he continued to play down the severity of the situation, painting it as a foreign threat that soon will be banished rather than focusing on managing the growing number of cases at home.” [Associated Press, 3/12/20] 

New York Times: In Oval Office Speech, Trump “Appeared To Minimize The Damage The Virus Has Wreaked Across The Country.” “He also appeared to minimize the damage the virus has already wreaked across the country, where there are now more than 1,200 active cases. Instead, he heaped praise on his administration’s response when in reality, his attempts to play down the health crisis have been under fierce criticism for weeks. There were also surprising — and significant — inaccuracies in the speech, which administration officials and the president had to clarify almost immediately afterward. Mr. Trump said in his address he would suspend ‘all travel from Europe to the United States,’ but the ban in fact applies to foreign citizens. And while he said the measure would ‘apply to the tremendous amount of trade and cargo’ across the ocean, the order in fact affects only people.” [New York Times, 3/12/20] 

Bloomberg: Trump’s Error-Laden ‘Foreign Virus’ Speech Has Investors Spooked. “He blamed allies for not adopting tough immigration measures that he said had prevented a wider outbreak in the U.S. But the combative approach and small-bore measures seemed only to highlight the president’s struggles to confront the most consequential moment of his presidency. And even in a 10-minute address, Trump couldn’t stick to the facts. He overstated the European travel restrictions, saying he was ‘suspending all travel’ from the continent, and suggested they would also apply to trade. He tweeted later that trade wouldn’t be affected, and the Department of Homeland Security clarified that the restriction applies generally to foreigners who’ve been in Europe within 14 days.” [Bloomberg, 3/11/20] 

Associated Press: “Trump Left Unaddressed The Testing Backlog That Is Hampering Efforts To Learn Just How Many Americans Already Are Infected.” “In his remarks, Trump focused more on the threat of travel continuing to bring in illness when, in fact, in parts of the country there already is ‘community spread’ — meaning people who don’t have a known travel exposure are becoming infected. In an omission that Democratic leaders called ‘alarming,’ Trump left unaddressed the testing backlog that is hampering efforts to learn just how many Americans already are infected. And while he warned the elderly to avoid risky crowds, advised nursing homes to suspend visitors and told sick people to stay home from work, he didn’t address one of the biggest concerns — whether hospitals are equipped to handle the sick or will be overwhelmed.” [Associated Press, 3/12/20] 

Vox: Trump’s Coronavirus Speech Was Laced With Xenophobia. “Seated behind his desk in the White House Wednesday, Trump looked into the camera and warned Americans of an enemy who has infiltrated our borders. We are at war, he said, with a ‘foreign virus.’ It’s a tactic meant to distract from what his administration has and hasn’t done, in this case to combat the coronavirus pandemic.” [Vox, 3/11/20] 

The New York Times: “In The Course Of His Speech, Mr. Trump Mischaracterized His Own Policies.” “The president made a point of referring to it as a ‘foreign virus’ and blamed the European Union for having ‘failed to take the same precautions’ as he had in limiting travel from China, where the outbreak got its start, even though Europe has not been a major source of known infections so far in the United States…In the course of his speech, Mr. Trump mischaracterized his own policies, even though he was reading from the teleprompter. He said he was ‘suspending all travel from Europe to the United States,’ when in fact it applies only to foreigners, and he said it would ‘apply to the tremendous amount of trade and cargo’ across the ocean, when in fact his order affects only people. He corrected the latter afterward on Twitter, saying ‘The restriction stops people not goods.’” [New York Times, 3/11/20] 

Washington Post: Besieged Trump Announces Drastic Measures In Effort To Stem Coronavirus Pandemic. “Since the first known case of coronavirus was reported in the United States on Jan. 21, Trump has addressed the matter with sporadic and slapdash comments. It took until Wednesday evening for the president to deliver a formal set of prepared remarks, with guidance for the public about what to do and assurance that the federal government is fully engaged in seeking to mitigate the crisis. For the 11 minutes he addressed the nation Wednesday, Trump turned in a laboring performance — one intended to project calm competence that instead seemed to reveal uncertainty.“ [Washington Post, 3/11/20] 

TIME: Why President Trump Wants To Frame COVID-19 As A ‘Foreign Virus.’ “While Trump’s appearance had all the set pieces for showcasing leadership and uniting the country in the face of a crisis, he flubbed the description of his travel ban and inadvertently said that cargo from Europe would also be cut off, along with passengers. After the speech, White House aides scrambled to clear up the error before the prospect of hundreds of millions of dollars in trade coming to a standstill roiled financial markets further.” [TIME, 3/12/20] 

POLITICO: Trump’s Travel Ban Sidesteps His Own European Resorts. “President Donald Trump’s new European travel restrictions have a convenient side effect: They exempt nations where three Trump-owned golf resorts are located.” [POLITICO, 3/12/20]

Ahead of the 10th anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on March 23, Protect Our Care is holding 10 days of action to raise awareness of the most critical components of the law which has improved the lives of millions of Americans. Working with partner organizations and health care advocates, Protect Our Care will highlight a different aspect of the law each day while making clear what’s at stake if the Trump administration is successful in overturning the law through the courts.  

“The Affordable Care Act has been an incredibly positive force for Americans over the last 10 years, but particularly for the 20 million who have gained health insurance through the law,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Over the course of the next 10 days, Protect Our Care will travel across the country to remind Americans how the ACA has improved the lives of millions while making clear that President Trump and Republicans’ lawsuit to overturn the law poses an existential threat to Americans’ health care.” 

Days of Action: Day 1 of 10 focuses on Coverage For More Than 20 Million. To learn more about our days of action, visit our website.

Where U.S. Health Care Stands A Decade After Passing Of The Affordable Care Act: 

• GAINED: Protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions. 
• GAINED: Medicaid expansion, which covers 17 million people. 
• GAINED: Nearly 12 million seniors pay less for prescription drugs. 
• GAINED: 2.3 million adult children are able to stay on their parents’ insurance. 
• GAINED: Three million children nationwide gained coverage. 
• GAINED: Insurance companies are banned from charging women 50 percent more than men.
• GAINED: Financial assistance that helps 9 million people purchase health care in the marketplace.
• GAINED: Key support for rural hospitals. 
• GAINED: Ban on insurance companies having lifetime caps on coverage.
  GAINED: Requirements that insurance companies cover prescription drugs and maternity care.

Thanks To The Republican Lawsuit, 20 Million People Could Lose Their Coverage. 

• According to the Urban Institute, 19.9 million people could lose coverage by repealing the Affordable Care Act, meaning the number of uninsured Americans would increase from 30.4 million to 50.3 million, representing a leading to a 65 percent increase in the uninsured rate. As the uninsured rate swells, so will the amount of uncompensated care, which Urban predicts will grow by at least 82 percent.

If The Texas Lawsuit Succeeds, The Individual Marketplace And Financial Assistance That Helps Individuals Purchase Health Insurance Will Be Eliminated. 

• 11 Million People With Comprehensive Insurance Through The ACA Marketplace Could Lose Their Coverage. Without the ACA, more than 11 million people nationwide enrolled in the individual marketplace could lose coverage.
• Nine Million People In The Marketplaces Would Pay More For Coverage. Nearly 9 million people would lose financial assistance that helps them purchase health care in the marketplace. In 2019, the average monthly premium tax credit was $514.

POC Launches $250K TV Buy with Ad Highlighting Daines’ Record of Voting to Strip Coverage from 112,000 Montanans, Scrap Medicaid Expansion and Take Protections Away from 429,900 with Pre-Existing Conditions While Urging Him to Put the Health of Montanans First

Washington, DC — With the fear of coronavirus on the rise, Protect Our Care is launching a new ad today calling out Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) for his repeated attempts to take health care away from Montanans. The ad titled “Montanans First” is backed by a $250,000 buy and highlights Senator Daines’ disastrous record on health care which includes voting repeatedly to strip coverage from 112,000 Montanans and protections for 429,900 with pre-existing conditions. The 30 second ad will run on broadcast television and cable in Montana starting today. 

In the Senate, Steve Daines claimed he would “work tirelessly” to repeal the Affordable Care Act and demonstrated that by voting five times to repeal the law, refusing to condemn the Texas lawsuit that would overturn it in court and putting the interests of drug and insurance companies over his constituents while they raise costs on Montanans. 

View the ad HERE

“Since arriving in the Senate, Steve Daines has remained dead set on taking away Montanans’ health care and stripping protections for Montanans with pre-existing conditions,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “By voting five times to repeal the health care law and his refusal to condemn the Texas lawsuit which would overturn it in court, Steve Daines has made clear he wants to take coverage from 112,000 Montanans and protections from 425,900 with pre-existing conditions. It’s time Steve Daines voted for, not against, Montanans’ health care.” 

Ad script (30 seconds):

Too many Montana families go to sleep at night worried about health care. coverage, costs, now the fear of coronavirus.

That doesn’t worry Steve Daines. He voted to:

Eliminate protections for 425,000 Montanans with pre-existing conditions 

Rip coverage away from over 100,000 people and scrap Montana’s Medicaid expansion

And let insurance and drug companies drive up health care and prescription drug costs for seniors 

Call Senator Daines – tell him it’s time he put the health care of Montanans first

As the coronavirus continues to spread across the country, the Trump administration’s failure to prepare for a pandemic in the United States has left Americans vulnerable. Coverage makes clear that testing shortages and inadequate guidance from the administration have contributed to the virus’ spread, and now health officials are shifting from a strategy of containment to bracing for widespread impact. 

New York Times: ‘It’s Just Everywhere Already’: How Delays In Testing Set Back The U.S. Coronavirus Response. “Even now, after weeks of mounting frustration toward federal agencies over flawed test kits and burdensome rules, states with growing cases such as New York and California are struggling to test widely for the coronavirus. The continued delays have made it impossible for officials to get a true picture of the scale of the growing outbreak, which has now spread to at least 36 states and Washington, D.C.” [New York Times, 3/10/20] 

POLITICO: U.S. Coronavirus Testing Threatened By Shortage Of Critical Lab Materials. “A looming shortage in lab materials is threatening to delay coronavirus test results and cause officials to undercount the number of Americans with the virus. The slow pace of coronavirus testing has created a major gap in the U.S. public health response. The latest problem involves an inability to prepare samples for testing, creating uncertainties in how long it will take to get results.“ [POLITICO, 3/10/20] 

Bloomberg: Coronavirus Containment Chance Missed, U.S. Aims To Blunt Impact. “In the early stages of an outbreak when the number of cases is small, health officials can focus on tracking down and isolating individual cases. It’s akin to stomping out a few embers that have jumped from a fire. [CDC Director Robert Redfield] said the U.S.’s failure to quickly roll out tests for the virus had impeded the U.S.’s early efforts. Because of flaws with the original CDC tests, it took weeks for state and local labs to get working tests for the virus, hobbling their attempts to identify patients and isolate them.” [Bloomberg, 3/10/20] 

NBC News: The U.S. Has Tested More Than 8,500 Specimens For Coronavirus. That Doesn’t Equal 8,500 Patients. “Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has promised millions of tests will be made available throughout the U.S. by the end of this week. But he acknowledged Monday that he did not know how many patients had been tested so far…While it’s not known exactly how many individuals have been tested, the U.S. still lags far behind other nations, which have already run tens of thousands of tests. In South Korea alone, more than 140,000 people have been tested.” [NBC News, 3/10/20] 

Yahoo News: Only 6,563 Americans Have Been Tested For The Coronavirus So Far. “Confusion about that exact number persists even at the highest reaches government. Earlier on Tuesday, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said he couldn’t provide the figure. That number stands in stark contrast to the promises made by leading members of the Trump administration’s coronavirus task force, who have variously asserted that 75,000 people would be tested by last week’s end and that laboratories across the United States would have the capacity to conduct 1.5 million tests by the beginning of this week.” [Yahoo News, 3/10/20] 

Business Insider: One Chart Shows How Many Coronavirus Tests Per Capita Have Been Completed In 8 Countries. The US Is Woefully Behind. ”In the US, test-kit shortages have hampered health authorities’ ability to get a clear sense of how many Americans are infected. Compared with many other countries affected by the coronavirus, in fact, the US has done the fewest COVID-19 tests per capita.” [Business Insider, 3/9/20] 

POLITICO: Trump’s Health Secretary Can’t Say How Many Americans Have Been Tested For Coronavirus. ”Public health labs across the country are testing people for the coronavirus, and those labs are required to report their findings to the CDC. But private labs — which Azar said account for the bulk of the tests — don’t have to report the number of tests they conduct or negative results to the CDC, leaving major holes in data key to understanding how many people in the U.S. are being tested for the virus.” [POLITICO, 3/9/20] 

View the video

Washington, DC — On Sunday, March 15, Protect Our Care will set out on a multi-state bus tour in key 2020 battleground states ahead of the 10 year anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act on March 23. In a new video for Protect Our Care released today, former President Barack Obama marks the landmark anniversary and helps launch POC’s “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” by highlighting the importance of his signature health care law which has allowed 20 million Americans to receive health coverage and continues to ensure protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions. 

President Obama concludes the video by saying: “So even as we celebrate, we commit ourselves to protecting the progress we’ve made until we finish the job for good with quality affordable coverage for every single American. Thank you to Protect Our Care for leading that fight, and to everyone who joins them.”

POC’s tour will kick off this Sunday in St. Paul, Minnesota before traveling to the key 2020 battleground states of Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. The tour will also include a stop in Washington, DC on March 23 where President Obama and other key health care leaders will hold a panel discussion to mark the anniversary.

Stops along the “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” will include members of Congress, state and local lawmakers, health care advocates, doctors and patients who will speak about how the ACA has made a difference in the lives of those in their communities and how Republicans’ relentless war on health care, including their ongoing lawsuit to overturn the ACA, threatens their health care. The tour will hold vulnerable Republicans like U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (IA) and Thom Tillis (NC) accountable for failing to stop the Trump-Republican war on health care and will promote the work of newly elected House Democrats who are leading the charge to improve and strengthen the health care law and lower costs for Americans’ health care.  

Video script:

President Obama:
It’s been ten years since we passed the Affordable Care Act.
With your help, it’s the closest we’ve ever come to universal coverage in America.
There are people alive today because of what you did.
There are 135 million Americans whose pre-existing conditions are now protected because of what you did.
Young people who have been able to stay on their parents plans,
Seniors who’ve had an easier time affording their medicine,
Women who can’t be charged more just because they’re women, and a lot more.
That’s something worth celebrating, but it’s also progress worth protecting.
You helped protect it with your vote in 2018.
But even with a House of Representatives committed to building on the Affordable Care Act, Republicans will keep trying both in Congress and in the courts to rip away the care that millions of Americans rely on and to raise costs for millions more.
So even as we celebrate, we commit ourselves to protecting the progress we’ve made until we finish the job for good with quality affordable coverage for every single American.
Thank you to Protect Our Care for leading that fight, and to everyone who joins them.

Full “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” schedule (more speakers to be added):

Sunday 3/15: St. Paul, MN

WHO: U.S. Senator Tina Smith, stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard
WHAT: Protect Our Care “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” Press Conference
WHERE: St. Paul, MN
WHEN: 1:00 PM CT

Monday 3/16: Des Moines, IA

WHO: Stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard and local elected officials
WHAT: Protect Our Care “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” Press Conference
WHERE: Iowa State Capitol, 1007 East Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA 50139
WHEN: 10:00 AM CT

Monday 3/16: Cedar Rapids, IA

WHO: Stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard and local elected officials
WHAT: Protect Our Care “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” Press Conference
WHERE: Cedar Rapids, IA
WHEN: 2:00 PM CT

Tuesday 3/17: La Crosse, WI

WHO: U.S. Rep. Ron Kind (WI-03), stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard
WHAT: Protect Our Care “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” Press Conference
WHERE: La Crosse, WI
WHEN: 10:00 AM CT

Tuesday 3/17: Madison, WI

WHO: WI Attorney General Josh Kaul, stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard
WHAT: Protect Our Care “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” Press Conference
WHERE: Madison, WI
WHEN: 2:00 PM CT

Wednesday 3/18: Lansing, MI

WHO: Stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard and local elected officials
WHAT: Protect Our Care “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” Press Conference
WHERE: Lansing, MI
WHEN: 10:00 AM ET

Wednesday 3/18: Canton, MI

WHO: U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11), stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard, Beaumont Health Chief Operating Officer
WHAT: Protect Our Care “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” Press Conference
WHERE: Beaumont Canton Hospital, 7300 N Canton Center Road, Canton, MI 48187
WHEN: 2:00 PM ET

Thursday 3/19: Wilkes-Barre, PA

WHO: U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-08), stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard
WHAT: Protect Our Care “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” Press Conference
WHERE: Wilkes-Barre, PA
WHEN: 1:00 PM ET

Friday 3/20: Allentown, PA

WHO: U.S. Rep. Susan Wild (PA-07), stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard
WHAT: Protect Our Care “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” Press Conference
WHERE: Allentown, PA
WHEN: 10:00 AM ET

Friday 3/20: Philadelphia, PA

WHO: PA Attorney General Josh Shapiro, stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard  
WHAT: Protect Our Care “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” Press Conference
WHERE: Philadelphia, PA
WHEN: 2:00 PM ET

Monday 3/23: Washington, DC

WHO: Former President Barack Obama, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, AU President and former HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach, former HHS Secretary and Governor of Kansas Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (PA), Governor of Kentucky Andy Beshear, U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14), stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard, political analyst and former senior White House official Paul Begala
WHAT: Protect Our Care Panel Conversation Marking the 10th Anniversary of the Passage of the Affordable Care Act
WHERE: American University, School of International Services Atrium, 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016
WHEN: 12:30-3:30 PM ET

Wednesday 3/25: Charlotte, NC

WHO: Stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard and local elected officials
WHAT: Protect Our Care “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” Press Conference
WHERE: Charlotte, NC
WHEN: 9:30 AM ET

Wednesday 3/25: Raleigh, NC

WHO: Stage four cancer survivor Laura Packard and local elected officials
WHAT: Protect Our Care “ACA 10 Anniversary Tour” Press Conference
WHERE: Raleigh, NC
WHEN: 2:30 PM ET

***MEDIA ADVISORY FOR MONDAY MARCH 23***

Washington, DC — Former President Barack Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will be welcomed by American University President and former Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Sylvia M. Burwell for a conversation marking the 10th anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This conversation will be preceded by a panel discussion led by Protect Our Care featuring additional elected officials and policy leaders who have been fierce advocates for Americans’ health care. 

WHO:
Former President Barack Obama
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Sylvia M. Burwell, AU President and former HHS Secretary
Leslie Dach, Chair, Protect Our Care
Kathleen Sebelius, former HHS Secretary and Governor of Kansas
Bob Casey, U.S. Senator, Pennsylvania
Andy Beshear, Governor of Kentucky
Lauren Underwood, U.S. Representative, Illinois
Andy Slavitt, former Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Laura Packard, Stage 4 cancer survivor and health care advocate
Paul Begala, panel moderator, political analyst and former senior White House official 

WHEN:
12:30-3:30 PM on Monday, March 23, 2020

WHERE:
American University
School of International Services Atrium
4400 Massachusetts Ave NW (campus map)
Washington, DC 20016

RSVP:
Media interested in covering this event must RSVP by Monday, March 16 at noon to [email protected]. Please note that space for this event is limited. RSVP does not guarantee attendance but must be received in order to be considered for admittance. You will be notified of your credential status and all event details by Thursday, March 19 at noon.

Daines Supports Repealing The Health Care Law Which Would Strip Coverage From More Than 112,000 Montanans And Protections For 425,900 Montanans with Pre-Existing Conditions

As Governor Steve Bullock (D), a supporter of the health care law who pushed through Medicaid expansion in Montana, announces his run for the U.S. Senate today, his opponent, Republican incumbent Steve Daines, is actively trying to rip the law apart and deny protections for over 400,000 Montanans with pre-existing conditions. When it comes to health care, Steve Daines is not on Montanans side and not the Senator they need. 

Senator Daines Voted Five Times To Repeal The Health Care Law: 

2013: Daines Voted For A Total Repeal Of The ACA. Daines voted for HR 45, an act “to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.” [HR 45, Roll Call Vote #154, 5/16/13] 

2014: Daines Campaigned On Repealing The ACA. “The Affordable Care Act (also known as ‘Obamacare’): Opposes it and wants to repeal it. Says he supports some elements, such as prohibiting insurers from considering pre-existing health conditions when setting prices, but that it’s a “series of broken promises” imposing unnecessary costs and bureaucracy on the health-care system. Says more competition should be injected into health-care and insurance markets and that individuals should get tax breaks for buying health insurance.” [Billings Gazette, 10/12/14] 

2015: Daines Voted To Repeal Most Of The ACA. Daines voted for legislation that gutted the Affordable Care Act by eliminating the insurance exchanges and subsidies, and repealing the Medicaid expansion accepted by 30 states, including Nevada. [HR 3762, Roll Call Vote #114, 12/3/15] 

• Daines Promised To “Work Tirelessly To Repeal Obamacare.” “Senator Steve Daines today hailed the passage of legislation that repeals the President’s failed health care law and puts states on a glide path toward creating locally driven health care solutions, upholding the promise Daines made to Montanans to continue fighting to repeal Obamacare. ‘Last year, when I decided to run for Montana’s open Senate seat, I promised the people of Montana that I would work tirelessly to repeal Obamacare. Today, I upheld that promise and voted to repeal President Obama’s broken health care law,’ Daines stated. ‘President Obama will now have to decide whether to put the American people first, or if he’ll continue imposing fines and substandard care on the hardworking people of this country. If the President rejects the will of the American people and vetoes this bill, I will continue working to protect Montanans from rising health care costs.’” [Sen. Steve Daines Press Release, 12/3/15] 

What would full repeal of the Affordable Care Act eliminate?

• Protections for 425,900 Montanans with pre-existing conditions, if they buy coverage on their own
• Improvements to Medicare, including reduced costs for prescription drugs
• Allowing kids to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26
• Ban on annual and lifetime limits
• Ban on insurance discrimination against women
• Limit on out-of-pocket costs
• Medicaid expansion currently covering roughly 85,000 Montanans
• Rules to hold insurance companies accountable
• Small business tax credits
• Marketplace tax credits and coverage for up to 37,193 Montanans

2017: Daines Voted For The Senate “Repeal And Delay” Plan. Daines voted for Obamacare Repeal and Replacement Act was a Republican effort to repeal the ACA without a replacement. Known as “repeal and delay,” the bill repealed major sections of the ACA, including the Medicaid expansion and premium tax credits, in 2020. [HR 1628, Roll Call Vote #169, 7/26/17] 

• If Repeal and Delay became law, 32 million fewer people would have health insurance by 2026. 18 million Americans would lose health coverage just in the first year after repeal. 
• Health insurance premiums would double for those in the individual market.

2017: Daines Voted For The Better Care Reconciliation Act. Daines voted for the Better Care Reconciliation Act, which repealed and replaced the ACA. [HR 1628, Roll Call Vote #168, 7/25/17] 

• BCRA would have eliminated coverage for 15 million Americans in 2018.
• The bill gutted Medicaid by more than $2 trillion over the next two decades and eliminated Medicaid expansion. 
• Individual premiums would have increased 20 percent in 2018 and comprehensive coverage would become “extremely expensive” in some markets. 

2017: Daines Voted For “Skinny Repeal” Of The ACA. Daines voted for “Skinny Repeal” of the ACA, which repealed the individual mandate and delayed the employer mandate while leaving most of the rest of the law in place. [HR 1628, Roll Call Vote #179, 7/28/17] 

According To CBO, Skinny Repeal Would Have Resulted In The Largest Coverage Loss in American History: 

• • At minimum, 15 million Americans would lose coverage in 2018. This would have been the biggest one-year increase in our nation’s history. 
  • Premiums would go up by roughly 20 percent 

2017: Daines Was Furious After The Senate Failed To Repeal The ACA. In a press release titled “Daines Blasts Failure to Repeal Obamacare,” Daines said, ‘Montanans have made it clear in election after election, they want Obamacare to be repealed and replaced. These families have paid far too much and have faced an increase of 133 percent in their premiums over the past five years. We must help these families and not let them suffer under this broken law anymore.’” [Sen. Steve Daines Press Release, 7/28/17] 

Daines Refuses To Condemn The Texas Lawsuit That Would Rip Coverage Away From More Than 112,000 Montanans

President Trump is trying to rip away our health care by going to court to eliminate the Affordable Care Act in its entirety. If the Texas lawsuit is successful, it will strip coverage from millions of Americans, raise premiums, end protections for people with pre-existing conditions, put insurance companies back in charge, and force seniors to pay more for prescription drugs. 

2020: Daines Refused To Answer Questions About The Texas Lawsuit. “Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.), who could face a challenge from his state’s governor, Democrat Steve Bullock, did not directly answer when asked if he supports the lawsuit, simply saying ‘we’re going to be talking about a lot between now and next year’ before walking into the Senate chamber. Daines spokeswoman Katie Schoettler later added in an email: ‘Obamacare has been disastrous for Montana and dramatically increased healthcare costs for Montanans. The Senator thinks that regardless of the outcome, Congress must protect people with preexisting conditions.’” [The Hill, 3/6/20] 

Daines Voted For The Tax Bill Which Forms The Basis For The Trump-Republican Lawsuit. Daines was a key vote for the Republican tax bill, which repealed a key provision of the Affordable Care Act that required most people to have health coverage and which is the basis of the Trump-Republican lawsuit seeking to overturn the Affordable Care Act. 

Daines Refused To Support Authorizing The Senate Legal Counsel To Intervene In The Trump-Republican Lawsuit And Defend The ACA. Daines refused to sponsor a resolution (S. Res. 18), which would authorize Senate legal counsel to defend the Affordable Care Act against attack in Texas v. Azar.

If the Texas lawsuit is successful:

• 112,000 Montanans could lose coverage. According to the Urban Institute, 112,000 Montanans would lose coverage by repealing the Affordable Care Act, leading to a 126 percent increase in the uninsured rate.
• 7,000 Montana young adults with their parents’ coverage could lose care. Because of the Affordable Care Act, millions of young adults are able to stay on their parents’ care until age 26.
• Montanans would lose important federal health care funding — an estimated reduction of $1.1 billion in the first year. The Urban Institute estimates that a full repeal of the ACA would reduce federal spending on Montanans’ Medicaid/CHIP care and Marketplace subsidies by $1.1 billion, or 49.2 percent in the first year.
• Insurance companies would be put back in charge, ending protections for the 425,900 Montanans with a pre-existing condition. 425,900 Montanans have a pre-existing condition, including 54,000 Montana children, 206,000 Montana women, and 116,400 Montanans between ages 55 and 64. 

Daines Has Voted To Slash Medicare And Medicaid

2017: Daines Voted To Cut Medicare By $473 Billion. Daines voted for the FY 2018 budget resolution, which included $473 billion in cuts to Medicare over 10 years. [H Con Res 71, Vote #245, 10/19/17; Vox, 10/26/17] 

2017: Daines Voted To Slash $1.3 Trillion From Medicaid. Daines voted for the FY 2018 budget resolution, which cut funding for non-Medicare health programs, most notably Medicaid, by 1.3 trillion, a 20 percent cut over the course of 10 years, increasing to a 29.3 percent cut by 2027. [H Con Res 71, Vote #245, 10/19/17; Vox, 10/26/17] 

Daines Was Supportive Of The Graham-Cassidy-Heller Bill Which Would Have Slashed Medicaid Funding For Montana. “Republican Steve Daines said the GOP’s latest attempt at a health care re-do could be good for Montana. The Graham-Cassidy bill would replace current flow of the federal money for Medicaid and other ACA subsidies with block grants. Those block grants will be smaller than current federal ACA support levels in some states, but Daines said it looks like Montana will receive more money. Dating back to his 2013 term in the U.S. House, Daines has been a consistent yes vote for repealing the ACA. ‘You look at what’s going on in Montana with the fiscal situation,’ Daines said. ‘The governor has a train wreck going on. Under the current Obamacare legislation, Medicaid is on a glide path, down from 100 percent to 90 percent. That shift, under current law, will even add more fuel.’” [Billings Gazette, 9/20/17] 

• Avalere: $4 Trillion Cut To States Over Next Two Decades, Including $11 Billion Cut To Montanans. Independent analysts at Avalere estimated that states collectively would lose $215 billion from 2020 to 2026 from the plans block grants and Medicaid cap, another $283 billion in 2027 when the block grant funding disappears altogether and $4 trillion over the next two decades. Montana would see a $1 billion reduction in 2027 and a $11 billion cut over two decades.
• 54,775 Montanans Enrolled Through Medicaid Expansion At Risk. The Graham-Cassidy bill would eliminate Medicaid expansion, which has helped 54,775 Montanans receive quality, affordable coverage, and put part of its funding into inadequate block grants. The bill would further punish states that expanded Medicaid by redistributing funds to states that did not expand Medicaid.

Daines Supports “Junk” Insurance Plans That Can Refuse To Cover Pre-Existing Conditions

2019: Daines Voted To Uphold The Expansion Of “Junk” Insurance Plans. Daines voted against a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn a Trump administration health care policy that allows the expansion of short term health care plans that do not have to guarantee coverage for pre-existing conditions or cover essential health benefits. [SJ Res 52, Roll Call Vote #337, 10/30/19] 

2018: Daines Voted To Allow The Expansion Of “Junk” Insurance Plans. Daines voted against a resolution to block President Trump from expanding access to short-term health care plans. [SJ Res 63, Roll Call Vote #226, 10/10/18] 

Junk plans allow insurance companies to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, limit care, and put consumers at risk of financial ruin and limit the care consumers get: 

• Junk Plans Are Allowed To Discriminate Against People With Pre-Existing Conditions. “Policyholders who get sick may be investigated by the insurer to determine whether the newly-diagnosed condition could be considered pre-existing and so excluded from coverage.” [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2/9/18]
• As Many As 130 Million Nonelderly Americans Have A Pre-Existing Condition. [Center for American Progress, 4/5/17]
• 1 in 4 Children Would Be Impacted If Insurance Companies Could Deny Or Charge More Because Of A Pre-Existing Condition. [Center for American Progress, 4/5/17]
• Junk Plans Can Refuse To Cover Essential Health Benefits. “Typical short-term policies do not cover maternity care, prescription drugs, mental health care, preventive care, and other essential benefits, and may limit coverage in other ways.” [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2/9/18]
• Under Many Junk Plans, Benefits Are Capped At $1 Million Or Less. Short-term plans can impose lifetime and annual limits – “for example, many policies cap covered benefits at $1 million or less.” [Kaiser Family Foundation, 2/9/18]
• Commonwealth Fund: “Cost Sharing Designs In Short-Term Coverage Leave Members Facing Major, Unpredictable Financial Risk.” “The out-of-pocket maximum for each best-selling plan is higher than that allowed in individual or employer plans under the ACA, when adjusting for the shorter plan duration. When considering the deductible, the best-selling plans have out-of-pocket maximums ranging from $7,000 to $20,000 for just three months of coverage. In comparison, the ACA limits out-of-pocket maximums to $7,150 for the entire year.” [Commonwealth Fund, 8/11/17]
• Short-Term Junk Plans Can Retroactively Cancel Coverage After Patients File Claims. “Individuals in STLDI plans would be at risk for rescission. Rescissions are retroactive cancellations of coverage, often occurring after individuals file claims due to medical necessity. While enrollees in ACA coverage cannot have their policy retroactively cancelled, enrollees in STLDI plans can.” [Wakely/ACAP, April 2018]

Daines, A Big Recipient Of Pharmaceutical Cash, Has Refused To Support Medicare Drug Price Negotiations

After nearly a full term in office, Steve Daines has never taken a position on allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, while accepting more than $100,000 in campaign contributions from pharmaceutical giants.  Daines also voted for the 2017 GOP tax law — a giveaway to big pharma so large that just four pharmaceutical companies pocketed a massive $7 billion in tax savings in 2018 alone, all while prices for patients continue to rise. 

Daines Has Received Over $100,000 In Pharma Contributions Over His Career. From 2007-2020 Daines has received $110,000 in contributions from pharmaceutical companies. [Kaiser Health News, 9/3/19] 

• Daines Claims That He Doesn’t Let His Contributions From Big Pharma Affect His Votes. “Greg Findley pointed to data compiled by Kaiser Health News that shows Daines has accepted $50,000 from pharmaceutical companies so far this election cycle. Tester has received $12,500, while Rep. Greg Gianforte, a Bozeman Republican, has received $4,000. ‘Might it be better if we got pharmaceutical money and big industry money out of politics?’ he asked. Daines said he doesn’t let donations affect the way he votes. ‘If the pharma companies go home unhappy and Montanans go home happier, I’m doing the right thing,’ he said.” [Bozeman Daily Chronicle, 9/14/19] 

Daines Supports Drug Pricing Legislation From Chuck Grassley That Does Not Include Medicare Negotiations. “A bipartisan attempt to cut prescription drug costs more than $100 billion passed out of Senate Finance Committee with the support of the U.S. Sen. Steve Daines. […] The bill is known as the ‘Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019.’ ‘What we saw today is that bipartisan compromise isn’t dead. Today was about making life easier for Montanans,’ Daines said in a post-vote press conference. Daines is a Senate Finance Committee member. ‘It’s about cutting out-of-pocket costs and lowering prescription drug costs for seniors, for hardworking moms and dads, for grandmas and grandpas, frankly for Montanans in every corner of our state.’” [Billings Gazette, 7/25/19] 

Daines Claims That Rural Hospitals Are “Critical” But His Policies Could Force Hospital Closures In Montana

Daines Called Rural Hospitals Critical. “U.S. Senator Steve Daines today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Tom Price regarding health care in rural America. The letter emphasizes the importance of rural health-care providers and their critical role in rural communities. ‘As you take on this new leadership role at HHS, we request that you work with us to ensure that the federal government does not act as an impediment to providing health care in rural communities,’ Daines wrote. ‘Overreaching and onerous regulations from Washington disproportionately harm rural America. We believe that together we can enact and implement effective policies that help providers innovate in care delivery and enable them to make efficient use of available resources.’” [Sen. Steve Daines Press Release, 2/15/17] 

HEADLINE: “Rural hospitals rely on Medicaid expansion to stay open, study shows” [PBS Newshour, 1/9/18] 

ACA Repeal Like The Bills Daines Voted For Could Cost Montana Rural Health Providers Millions Of Dollars And “Cripple Rural America.” “The election in November of Republican majorities in the House and Senate and a Republican president means the Affordable Care Act is likely to be repealed when the new Congress convenes in January. But many Montanans, despite significant criticism of the law known as Obamacare, wonder what the future of affordable health care will look like for thousands of people in this state if it goes away. In an effort to understand community perspective, Senator Jon Tester met with some of those Montanans, along with about 25 healthcare professionals from various facilities, at Missoula’s Providence St. Patrick Hospital Saturday afternoon for a Missoula Healthcare Roundtable. Although Tester, a Democrat, started the discussion with introductions, he quickly turned it over to the participants with a single question: How would a potential partial or full repeal of the ACA impact your community? For Mineral County, a repeal of the ACA without an immediate similar or better healthcare plan could mean the loss of the county’s only hospital, according to Ron Gleason, CEO of Mineral Community Hospital. The hospital treats everyone in Mineral County, which Gleason said has a large low-income and veteran population, and is operating with a minimum staff. Gleason said the hospital will be closing its assisted living center in February and a repeal of the ACA would mean a loss of even more funding. If Mineral Community Hospital closed, Gleason said there wouldn’t be another health center for miles, and much of the population would move or be left without care. […] Rural Community Health Centers, which serve more than 100,000 people, could face the loss of 70 percent of their funding. Tester said Lincoln County alone could lose up to $2.5 million a year in asbestos-related disease screening and support. Ken Burd, a Granite County Hospital board member, said the loss of the ACA would set off a series of unintentional events that would eventually cripple rural America. Rural America, Burd said, depends on blue collar, industrial jobs and recreational outdoor activity, both of which are injury prone. Without affordable emergency care, people will stop working industrial jobs and move away from rural America. ‘So this would have larger impacts socially and economically than I think people are looking at now,’ Burd said.” [Missoulian, 1/7/17] 

Rural Health In Montana By The Numbers: 

• 64 percent of Montana’s non-elderly population lives in a non-metro rural area or small town. 
• 17 percent of Montanans living in rural areas are uninsured, compared to 17 percent of Montanans living in nonrural areas.
• Since the Affordable Care Act, the uninsured rate has fallen by 10 percent in rural parts of Montana.
• 17 percent of Montanans living in rural areas have health coverage through Medicaid. 
• The Affordable Care Act led to a $40 million reduction in Montana uncompensated care costs. Between 2013 and 2015, Montana hospitals’ uncompensated care costs decreased by $40 million, or roughly 22 percent.
• In Montana, where lawmakers expanded Medicaid, no rural hospitals have closed since 2010.

The news coverage on the spread of the coronavirus is rapidly evolving making it easy to miss some of President Trump’s most egregious comments about his bungled response to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. President Trump continues to focus more on his own reelection and trying to boost the stock market than taking responsibility and doing the work necessary to keep Americans safe.

1. He “Stopped” The Coronavirus

At the signing of the $8 billion emergency spending package today, President Trump falsely claimed, “we closed it down…we stopped [the virus].” Meanwhile, U.S. cases continue to surge, with new cases reported in Maryland and the death toll reaching 14 Americans as of this morning.

2. Silver Lining: People Are Spending Money In The United States

At a Fox News town hall in Scranton, President Trump said there was a silver lining to coronavirus, which is that “People are now staying in the United States, spending their money in the US — and I like that.” This came amid reports of catastrophic losses for the domestic travel industry and panic buying by American consumers as well as another nearly 1,000 point loss in the stock market. Trump concluded “It’s all going to work out. Everybody needs to be calm. We have plans for every single possibility.”

3. Obama Administration Is At Fault For Difficulties Testing People For Virus

At a meeting with airline executives, President Trump blamed the Obama administration for difficulties with the coronavirus test saying, “The Obama administration made a decision on testing that turned out to be very detrimental to what we’re doing & we undid that decision a few days ago so that testing can take place in a much more accurate and rapid fashion.”

4. People With Symptoms Should Go To Work

On Wednesday night Trump appeared on Sean Hannity’s program on Fox News and provided dangerously incorrect information to the roughly 3.5 million viewers of the show. Trump said he believed WHO estimates of the coronavirus death rate are “false” and that based on his “hunch,” he believes the actual number is “way under 1%.” Trump then said “a lot of people will have this and it’s very mild” and implied that it was all right for people to continue to go to work while sick, directly contradicting directives from the CDC and state and local public health authorities.

5. Vaccine Is Three To Four Months Away

Speaking to the press while meeting with President Ivan Duque of Colombia, President Trump said that he has asked pharmaceutical companies to “accelerate whatever they’re doing in terms of a vaccine,” and reassured his supporters that it is “very safe” for him to continue to hold campaign rallies during the outbreak. At the meeting with pharmaceutical executives, Trump said he heard that a vaccine can be ready in three to four months and was corrected by Dr. Anthony Fauci who said the vaccine won’t be ready to deploy for at least a year.

At his rally in North Carolina on Monday night, Trump celebrated the stock market rebound and praised pharmaceutical executives who he said would have a vaccine ready “relatively soon” as well as “something that makes you better, and that’s going to actually take place we think even sooner.” Trump accused Democrats of politicizing the crisis and “denigrating the noble work of our public health professionals” and attacked “fringe globalists” who want to keep borders open and allow infection into the US.

Washington, DC — Yesterday, President Trump participated in a Fox News town hall in Scranton, Pennsylvania where he continued to spread misinformation about the coronavirus, doubled-down on his support for the disastrous Texas lawsuit that would overturn the Affordable Care Act, and announced his intention to cut Medicare and Medicaid if he’s elected to a second term. In response, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach released the following statement:

“The president once again showed his true colors on health care. He’s willing to spread misinformation about the potential impacts of the coronavirus while leaving Americans unprepared because he’s apparently more interested in his politics than in protecting America. He doubled-down on his disastrous health care agenda — including his lawsuit that would rip coverage from millions of people and threatening to cut Medicare and Medicaid — at a time when access to quality, affordable care is more important than ever to combat coronavirus. It’s clear to the American people that President Trump’s relentless war on Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act is threatening their health.”

BACKGROUND:

Trump Is All-In On The Texas Lawsuit, Threatening Health Care For Millions. After failing to repeal the health care law, Trump took his war on America’s health care to a new level and went to court seeking to strike down the entire Affordable Care Act–including protections for pre-existing conditions. If President Trump and his Republican allies have their way, 20 million Americans will lose their insurance coverage, 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions will be stripped of their protections, and costs will go up for millions. Meanwhile, his administration has said there is “not a need” for a replacement plan.

Trump Has Repeatedly Sought Cuts To Medicaid and Medicare. In his 2021 budget, Trump proposed more than $1 trillion in cuts from Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act. Through his support for repeal and the Texas lawsuit, President Trump has supported eliminating Medicaid expansion which has provided coverage to 17 million Americans in 37 states. His administration has also attacked Medicaid by championing block grants and work requirements.

Trump Is Spreading Misinformation About The Outbreak. President Trump said there was a silver lining to coronavirus, which is that “People are now staying in the United States, spending their money in the US — and I like that.” This came amid reports of catastrophic losses for the domestic travel industry and panic buying by American consumers as well as another nearly 1,000 point loss in the stock market. Trump concluded “It’s all going to work out. Everybody needs to be calm. We have plans for every single possibility.” 

Protect Our Care Discussed President Trump’s Decision to Put Politics Over Preparedness on Coronavirus and New Poll Showing Americans’ Grave Concerns Over His Response on a Press Call Today

Listen to the call HERE

Washington, DC — On a press call this afternoon, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Protect Our Care called out President Trump for his disastrous response to the threat of coronavirus and discussed how his failure to adequately prepare for this public health crisis makes Americans less safe. While health experts warn the public about the spread of coronavirus, the president continues to spout false information and contradict their advice at every turn. President Trump’s focus on politics has also eroded Americans’ confidence in his administration’s response. On the call, Protect Our Care unveiled a new poll from Public Policy Polling conducted for POC that shows a majority of voters are both very concerned about the spread of coronavirus and disapprove of the job the Trump administration is doing in preparing America for the growing threat.

Key findings from the poll:

• 72% of voters say they’re concerned about the impact the coronavirus virus will have on the economy, including 36% who say they’re ‘very concerned.’ 
• By a 20-point margin, voters say the Trump administration’s handling of the virus makes them less likely to vote for Trump this fall.
• Independents say they’re less likely to vote for Trump by 32 points because of how he’s dealt with this issue.
• Only 37% of voters agree with Trump’s assessment that his administration is doing a “great job” dealing with the coronavirus, while 53% disagree.
• Voters are also concerned about the administration’s failure to commit to an affordable coronavirus vaccine – 67% of voters have serious concerns about the administration’s statement that “they can’t control that price.

“In many ways, this is the moment that a lot of us have worried about. A true public health threat presented to the country that this president was not ready to meet,” said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT). “From the very beginning, this administration has not taken coronavirus seriously enough. I wish that we had an administration that understood there is no way to confront an epidemic of this potential size without a robust, early, federal response.”

“The president’s continued focus on politics over preparedness has eroded Americans’ confidence in his ability to keep them safe at a time when they need a leader they can trust,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach, who coordinated the global Ebola response for HHS under President Obama. “President Trump’s politicized response and disregard for the facts and the experts about the threat of coronavirus continues to put American lives at risk. The more the president spouts false information and contradicts health experts, the less prepared the public will be as the threat of the coronavirus grows.”