Shadow of the Former Senator’s Failed Re-election Campaign and His Support for Trump’s Disastrous Health Care Record Looms Large Over the President’s Rally in Las Vegas Today
Washington, DC — President Trump is holding a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada today, his first since failing to re-elect former Senator Dean Heller in the 2018 midterms. Voters rejected Dean Heller because of his support for Trump’s disastrous health care agenda, and it’s clear voters haven’t forgotten Trump’s war on health care that puts Nevadans at risk when he takes the stage tonight. Ahead of Trump’s rally, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement:
“Nevadans won’t hear about President Trump’s disastrous and unpopular health care record at his rally today. President Trump continues to lie when he claims that he has ‘saved’ protections for people with pre-existing conditions and would never take away Medicaid benefits. The truth is that the president’s disastrous Texas lawsuit would strip protections from more than 1.2 million Nevadans with pre-existing conditions and his budget cuts hundreds of millions of dollars from Medicaid, jeopardizing coverage for millions of children, seniors and veterans across the country. Nevadan’s already rejected President Trump’s disastrous health care agenda when they ousted Senator Dean Heller in 2018, and in November, they will take their frustration to the ballot box and reject President Trump once and for all.”
BACKGROUND:
Trump Stood By Heller, But Voters Knew Better
October 20, 2018: Trump: “There’s No Better Partner That I Had In Washington Than Dean Heller.” “I got to know Dean very well. And I’ll tell you, once we understood each other — and he’s a tough guy and he’s a smart guy and he loves this state a lot — once we really got to know each other and understand, there’s no better partner that I had in Washington than Dean Heller. And he’s a fantastic guy with an incredible family, wife, who I just — we just flew in together. But when it came to tax cuts, there was nobody tougher, there was nobody smarter. When it came to all of the things we’re doing, including what we’re doing, we got rid of the individual mandate, which is the worst, most unpopular thing from Obamacare.” [Donald Trump, Rally, Elko, NV, 10/20/18]
September 20, 2018: Trump: “Dean Heller Is Going To Be With Us All The Time.” “Dean Heller, is going to be with us all the time. Come on up here, Dean! Come on up here, Dean. Dean Heller. […] Thank you, Dean. Thank you, Dean. And Dean really is a — a champion, and I can tell you, I work with him. He’s a champion for our workers, our families, and for our veterans. And we have to keep him.” [Donald Trump, Rally, Las Vegas, NV, 9/20/18]
Trump-Backed Texas Lawsuit Would Devastate Nevadans
If Trump Gets His Way, Nevadans Would Lose Their Coverage
- 282,000 Nevadans Could Lose Coverage. According to the Urban Institute, 282,000 Nevadans would lose coverage by repealing the Affordable Care Act, leading to a 75 percent increase in the uninsured rate.
- 19,000 Nevada 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.
- 74,000 Nevada Children Could Lose Their Coverage. Almost three million children nationwide gained coverage thanks to the ACA. If the law is overturned, many of these children will lose their insurance.
- 95,900 Nevada Latinos Could Lose Coverage. The percentage of people gaining health insurance under the ACA was higher for Latinos than for any other racial or ethnic group in the country. According to a study from Families USA, 5.4 million Latinos nationwide would lose coverage if the lawsuit succeeds in overturning the ACA.
- 211,700 Nevadans Enrolled Through Medicaid Expansion Could Lose Coverage. Seventeen million people have coverage through the expanded Medicaid program, including 211,700 in Nevada.
If Trump Gets His Way, Insurance Companies Would Be Put Back In Charge, Ending Protections For The 135 Million People Nationwide With A Pre-Existing Condition