For over a year, health care has been the dominant issue for voters of all backgrounds, and the midterm elections were no different. Health care was the top issue overall. Health care was the top issue for independents by a 2-1 margin. And in states Donald Trump won in 2016, health care powered Democrats to victory in senate seats and governors’ offices.
Washington Post: Health Care Was The Top Issue. [Washington Post, 11/7/18]
It was the most important issue when voting for the House:
It was the most important issue among Democratic voters, who flipped 28 House seats:
In Competitive Republican-Held Seats Democrats Win, Health Care Was The Dominant Issue. “Across the competitive Republican-held seats – the ones Democrats needed to win to take the majority – health care was a defining issue for an overwhelming majority (63%) and Democrats had an 8 point advantage (52% to 44%) on the issue.”
Republicans Lost On Pre-Existing Conditions. “Voters trust Democratic candidates over Republican candidates by 17 points (51% to 34%) to protect health care for people with pre-existing conditions, including by 33 points among independent voters, 56-23.”
Democrats Were Significantly Trusted On Health Care. “By an 8 point margin (52% to 44%) voters trusted Democrats over Republicans and President Trump on the issue of health care. This lead expanded to 22 points with independents at 57/35.”
NBC News: Health Care Was The Most Important Issue For Independent Voters By 2-1 Margin.
NBC News: Health Care Was The Top Issue For The First Time In A Decade. “Voters were highly concerned about health care, according to preliminary exit polls on Tuesday, with more citing it as their top concern than the economy or any other issue — the first time in at least a decade that has happened. A plurality of 41 percent identified health care as the issue most important to their vote, which Democrats made the centerpiece of their campaign in races throughout the country.” [NBC News, 11/7/18]
Voters Overwhelmingly Trusted Democrats On Pre-Existing Conditions. “Asked which party would better address Americans with pre-existing conditions, 58 percent said Democrats versus 34 percent who said Republicans.” [NBC News, 11/7/18]
ABC News: Voters Overwhelmingly Backed Democrats On Health Care. “Health care: Voters by 58-34 percent pick the Democratic Party over the Republicans as more likely to protect health care for people with pre-existing conditions, another central focus of the 2018 campaign.” [ABC News, 11/6/18]
Associated Press: “Health Care Was At The Forefront Of Many Voters’ Minds.” “Health care was at the forefront of many voters’ minds: 26 percent named it as the most important issue facing the country. Immigration was not far behind, with 23 percent naming it as the most important issue.Nearly 4 in 10 of those who voted for a Democratic House candidate named health care as the most important issue facing the nation, while about as many Republican voters considered immigration to be the top issue.” [AP, 11/6/18]
CBS News: Health Care Was Overwhelmingly The Number One Issue. [CBS News, 11/6/18]
In Ohio, Where Trump Won By 8 Points In 2016, Health Care Was Top Issue For 40 Percent Of Voters, Who Overwhelmingly Backed Sherrod Brown. “Forty percent of Ohio voters say health care is their top issue. They went for Sherrod Brown 79-19.” [Geoff Garin Twitter, 11/6/18]
In West Virginia, Where Trump Won By 42 Points In 2016, Health Care Was Top Issue For 41 Percent Of Voters, Who Overwhelmingly Backed Joe Manchin. “Forty-one percent of West Virginia voters said health care was their most important issue, and they voted 72-21 for Joe Manchin.” [Geoff Garin Twitter, 11/6/18]
In Nevada, 65 Percent Of Voters Named Health Care A Top Issue, And They Backed Jacky Rosen By 40 Points. “65% of voters said that health care was either a very important issue, or the most important issue to them. Those voters supported Rosen over Dean Heller 68-28.” [Public Policy Polling, 11/7/18]
In Wisconsin, Where Trump Won In 2016, Health Care Was The Top Issue For 68 Percent Of Voters, Who Overwhelmingly Backed Tony Evers. “68% of voters said that health care was either a very important issue, or the most important issue to them. Those voters supported Evers over Scott Walker 65-33.” [Public Policy Polling, 11/7/18]
Also In Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin Led 4-to-1 Among Voters Who Said Health Care Was The Most Important Issue. “Baldwin led Vukmir by especially large margins among women, independents, and moderates. She led 4-to-1 among voters who said health care was the most important issue facing the country — and those voters represented about half the electorate.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11/6/18]
In Kansas, Where Trump Won By 20 Points In 2016, Health Care Was A Top Issue For Voters, Who Backed Laura Kelly To Flip The Governor’s Mansion. “About a quarter of Kansas voters considered health care to be the most important issue.” [AP, 11/6/18]
Traveling Nearly 12,000 Miles, Care Force One Made 49 Stops in 24 States to Hold Republicans Accountable for Voting to Take Away Our Care
Care Force One in St. Louis, Missouri.
This afternoon, Protect Our Care is wrapping up its nationwide bus tour at a joint rally in West Palm Beach, Florida, with Nuns on the Bus. Over the past six weeks, Protect Our Care took the health care fight to communities as its bus, Care Force One, traveled 12,000 miles, making 49 stops in 24 states.
“No matter where we went, we heard the same thing,” said Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care. “Americans all over are sick and tired of the Republican-led war on health care. And you know what else? They’re fired up about their chance to fight back next week at the polls.”
“Like a touring country band,” Care Force One visited Connecticut, Maine, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
Joining Protect Our Care’s leaders Leslie Dach and Brad Woodhouse and cancer survivor Laura Packard on the bus tour were former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius; U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Tom Udall (D-NM); U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Jacky Rosen (NV-03), Dina Titus (NV-01), and Jim Cooper (TN-05); former Georgia House Minority leader Stacey Abrams; Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro; South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg; former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards; American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten; Center for American Progress President Neera Tanden; television personality Montel Williams, and many more.
“I’m alive because of the Affordable Care Act,” said health care advocate Laura Packard, who was on the tour for all 49 stops. “I’m a stage four cancer survivor and I traveled across the country to defend our attacks against the GOP. President Trump may have blocked me on Twitter, but he can’t stop me and the American people from fighting to protect our care.”
At a time when health care is consistently ranked as a top issue for the public, the tour highlighted that the Republican war on health care is very much alive, with GOP leaders doubling down on their calls to repeal health care and cut billions from Medicare and Medicaid, all while using regulations and the courts to continue their attacks on protections for the 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, for women, older Americans, and Medicaid and Medicare enrollees.
Here’s a snapshot of what happened on the tour:
At Care Force One’s kickoff event, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal and businessman Ned Lamont were joined by nearly 100 community members outside a Bridgeport Community Health Center to call attention to Republicans’ ongoing war on health care care.
“Connecticut made the decision to try to make the Affordable Care Act work, not undermine it like many other states did,” said Senator Chris Murphy. “Think about the 20 million Americans who have been given access to health care, whose lives have been changed. Just imagine what that number would be if every other state approached the Affordable Care Act the way Connecticut did.”
Traveling north from Connecticut, Care Force One made its way up to Maine, where U.S. Senator Angus King and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree joined state representatives and Mainers with pre-existing conditions at Portland City Hall to speak out against the devastating repercussions of health care repeal.
“We’ve got to continue to fight against repeal,” said Senator Angus King. “I call it a zombie proposal because it keeps coming back, and it’s a terrible idea and we have to keep trying to push that back to try and protect Medicare as well as the Affordable Care Act.”
Care Force One then headed west for three events in Pennsylvania, where state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, former Congresswoman and current Erie County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper, state senators, state representatives, and Pennsylvanians of all backgrounds hosted rallies in Harrisburg, Erie, and Pittsburgh to defend the ACA and Medicaid.
“The Affordable Care Act has expanded coverage for millions of Pennsylvanians, especially those living with pre-existing conditions, and I will do everything in my power to protect that coverage,” said Attorney General Josh Shapiro. “Now more than ever, we need our elected officials to stand up and defend the protections created by the ACA.”
In its second week, Care Force One was welcomed to South Bend, Indiana by Mayor Pete Buttigieg. “This isn’t about politics, this is about our lives, our livelihoods, and our well being,” said Mayor Pete Buttigieg. “This is our opportunity to raise our voices and say enough is enough when it comes to baseless attempts to take away the protection of our health care.”
(Photo by C.S. Hagen, High Plains Reader)
(Photo by C.S. Hagen, High Plains Reader)
After stops in Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota, week three brought Care Force One to Fargo, North Dakota, where the bus was joined by State Sen. Jim Dotzenrod, former State Sen. Mac Schneider, former State Rep. Ben Hanson, and North Dakotan Jennifer Restemeyer, who shared the story of her daughter, Allison, who suffers from a genetic disorder. As the High Plains Reader reported, Allison “wouldn’t be alive today if the Affordable Care Act hadn’t been passed.”
From there, Care Force One headed west to Montana, for a series of health care roundtables at health centers in Billings, Butte, and Missoula with local elected officials, health care professionals, representatives from the office of Sen. Jon Tester, and Montanans who have gained coverage under the ACA. After enactment of the law, the states has seen its uninsured rate cut in half.
Week four of the tour found Care Force One in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado with a number of elected officials, including U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Tom Udall, U.S. Representatives Jacky Rosen and Dina Titus, and former U.S. Representatives Ann Kirkpatrick and Steven Horsford.
“The Trump Administration’s repeated efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act threaten to put the cost of health care out of reach for too many families and once again allow insurance companies to discriminate against people with preexisting conditions,” said Senator Catherine Cortez Masto in Las Vegas. “I’ll continue fighting to improve the ACA, make premiums more affordable, and ensure that every Nevadan is able to access quality, affordable health care.”
“Right now, our health care system is under attack from the Trump Administration and Republicans in Washington,” said Congresswoman Jacky Rosen. “I’m fighting in Congress to stabilize the markets, bring down the cost of premiums and prescription drugs, and ensure hardworking Nevadans with pre-existing medical conditions are protected. It’s time for Republicans to work with Democrats to protect and improve our health care system instead of sabotaging and dismantling it.”
“Washington should protect our health care – overwhelmingly, New Mexicans want us to protect people with pre-existing conditions from being gauged by insurance companies or thrown off their insurance altogether,” Senator Tom Udall said. “Overwhelmingly, they want to keep the Medicaid expansion. And the American people don’t want the Trump administration or the Republicans in Congress dismantling Medicare.”
Care Force One kicked off week five in Kansas City, Missouri at a lively event with former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Sharice Davids.
“Instead of protecting people with pre-existing conditions, politicians like Attorney General Josh Hawley and Congressman Kevin Yoder have joined the assault against them – forcing millions of families across Missouri and Kansas to live in fear of their coverage being taken away,” said Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “These Republicans have tried every trick in the book to let insurance companies go back to discriminating against people based on their medical histories. I’ve seen first-hand the lifesaving impact these protections have had, and today people across the heartland are standing up, speaking out and calling on Republicans to stop this harmful war on health care once and for all.”
After stops in St. Louis and Springfield, Missouri, Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, Richmond, Virginia, and Raleigh, North Carolina, Care Force one visited Atlanta, Georgia, for a star-studded event with Stacey Abrams, former Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, former U.S. Representative Donna Edwards, and Georgians of all backgrounds concerned over GOP attempts to take away Americans’ health care.
“I know what it’s like to lose everything and to not necessarily have children or family members to step up and help,” said Stacey Abrams. “800,000 people in Georgia live in a household where there’s a full-time worker and yet they do not have coverage. This is a solvable problem in the state of Georgia, and that’s why I’m fighting so hard for Medicaid expansion.”
“The most important work that we did was creating an alliance with folks all across the country to pass the Affordable Care Act,” said formerPlanned Parenthood President Cecile Richards. “Because of the Affordable Care Act that women no longer have to pay more for the same health care coverage that men recieve. It’s because of the Affordable Care Act women can’t be denied coverage because they’ve been pregnant or had breast cancer… Because of the ACA, being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition in the United States of America.”
“When I was in Congress, I presided over the debate and passage of the Affordable Care Act. At the time, I thought it was about everybody else’s health care coverage, but when I was set to depart congress I was diagnosed with ms. It was a shock to me,” said former Congresswoman Donna Edwards. “Today, I’m afraid that with the current administration and the moves of Republicans in congress that my pre-existing condition will no longer be protected and I will lose my care altogether.”
And in its final week, Care Force One barnstormed Florida, making stops in Sarasota, Orlando, Miami, Port Saint Lucie, and West Palm Beach, where the bus was joined by an all-star cast of Floridians, including Mary Barzee Flores, Lauren Baer, and David Shapiro, and a special guest who stepped into the fight to protect our care: Montel Williams.
“Less than five months ago, I suffered a major hemorrhagic stroke that would have killed half the people who had it. I’m still standing today because I was blessed enough to have a career that’s given me an opportunity to pay into an insurance policy that covered me. But I’m not just here because of me. In the last three years, I’ve had a daughter who went through two bouts of lymphoma. We’re very blessed that she survived it, but she was only able to survive it because she was covered by the Affordable Care Act,” said Montel Williams. “Had a normal family suffered this kind of catastrophic medical issue, they would be not just poor, but living on the street.”
Although today’s final rally in West Palm Beach marks the end of the bus tour, you can be sure that Protect Our Care and its supporters nationwide will continue to hold Republicans accountable for their attacks on our care.
“Care Force One” Makes Stop in Las Vegas on National Bus Tour
Sen. Cortez Masto speaks in front of Care Force One in Las Vegas, Nevada.
(Las Vegas, Nevada) – Today, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Congresswoman Jacky Rosen, Congresswoman Dina Titus, former Congressman Steven Horsford, and Susie Lee joined Joe Merlino, Allison Stephens, and Nevadans with pre-existing conditions at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada to speak out against the devastating repercussions of health care repeal. You can watch the full press conference here.
The event was part of Protect Our Care’s nationwide bus tour calling attention to Republicans’ attempts to sabotage health care, including a lawsuit that would gut protections for Nevadans with pre-existing conditions.
The 1,215,300 Nevadans living with a pre-existing condition would be in jeopardy if a judge sides with President Trump and the GOP in their lawsuit.
“The Trump Administration’s repeated efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act threaten to put the cost of health care out of reach for too many families and once again allow insurance companies to discriminate against people with preexisting conditions. I’ll continue fighting to improve the ACA, make premiums more affordable, and ensure that every Nevadan is able to access quality, affordable health care,” said Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto.
“Right now, our health care system is under attack from the Trump Administration and Republicans in Washington,” said Rep. Jacky Rosen. “I’m fighting in Congress to stabilize the markets, bring down the cost of premiums and prescription drugs, and ensure hardworking Nevadans with pre-existing medical conditions are protected. It’s time for Republicans to work with Democrats to protect and improve our health care system instead of sabotaging and dismantling it.”
Rep. Dina Titus echoed this, saying, “I’m proud to stand with the Protect Our Care campaign and the millions of Americans speaking out against the Republican attacks on our health care. Democrats are standing with our children, with our seniors, with women, with persons with disabilities, with the most vulnerable in our communities to say health care is a right for all, not a privilege for the rich and powerful.”
“Health care is a deeply personal issue to me,” said Susie Lee. “My parents nearly lost their home due to medical bills after being denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. I am proud to stand here today to defend the protections and coverage that Nevadans depend on.”
“Donald Trump and Cresent Hardy will make it their number one priority to strip health care away from millions of Americans and thousands of Nevadans with pre-existing conditions. Nevadans need someone to fight for them, not a rubber-stamp for the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act,” said former Rep. Steven Horsford.
Joe Merlino, a Nevadan with a pre-existing condition, said, “If it weren’t for the ACA and its Medicaid expansion, I surely wouldn’t be standing here right now, a cancer survivor, to tell you my story.”
Nevada health care advocate Allison Stephens, who brought her son who has a pre-existing condition to the event, said, “Republicans are using every trick in the book to take away the health care of millions. Nevadans are sick and tired, and we are not going to take it anymore. That’s why we’re here – to hold Republicans accountable for their votes to take away our care.”
“The stakes have never been higher for Nevadans’ health care,” said Andres Ramirez of Protect Our Care Nevada. “Since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, approximately 294,000 Nevadans have gained health insurance. This is all in jeopardy due to Republicans’ repeal and sabotage agenda, including Sen. Dean Heller’s votes to repeal health care. Nevadans want this Republican war on health care to end, plain and simple. That’s why we’re here today.”
You can watch the full event here. The bus was in Reno yesterday and travels to Arizona tomorrow. More details about upcoming stops can be found here.
Protect Our Care Continues 11,505 Mile Bus Tour With Stops in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado
Washington, D.C. – This week, Protect Our Care is continuing its nationwide bus tour, a 49-stop, 24-state bus tour highlighting the Republican war on health care and its impact on Americans from coast to coast. In its fourth week, Care Force One is traveling to Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.
The tour will continue highlighting that the Republican war on health care is very much alive, with GOP officials using legislation, regulations, and the courts to continue their attacks on protections for the 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, for women and older Americans, and on Medicaid and Medicare.
The week kicked off in Nevada with an event in Reno yesterday morning. Another will take place tomorrow in Las Vegas:
What: Protect Our Care Nevada Rally – Las Vegas:
Who: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto
Rep. Jacky Rosen
Rep. Dina Titus
Former Rep. Steven Horsford
Susie Lee
Leslie Dach, founder and chair of Protect Our Care
Laura Packard, cancer survivor
Nevadans with pre-existing conditions and concerns over GOP actions
Where:Medical Center of Southern Nevada 1800 W Charleston Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89102
When:Tuesday, October 16
10:00 AM
Livestream:The event will be streamed on the Protect Our Care Facebook page
The Care Force One bus will then travel to Arizona:
What: Protect Our Care Arizona Rally – Tucson:
Who:Former Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick
Leslie Dach, founder and chair of Protect Our Care
State Rep. Charlene Fernandez
Jeff Jeans, cancer survivor
Laura Packard, cancer survivor
Arizonans with pre-existing conditions and concerns over GOP actions
Where:Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger Health Center 2255 N Wyatt Dr Tucson, AZ 85712
When:Wednesday, October 17
2:00 PM
Livestream:The event will be streamed on the Protect Our Care Facebook page
And later in the week, Care Force One will visit Albuquerque, New Mexico and Denver, Colorado.
Check out protectourcarebustour.com for the latest information on the tour. The remaining schedule of Care Force One appearances is below:
Washington, D.C. – Following the Trump Administration’s decision to use a lawsuit brought by Republican attorneys general and governors in 20 states that would repeal the Affordable Care Act to attempt to strike down protections for people with pre-existing conditions, women, and people over 50, today House Democrats Jacky Rosen, Steny Hoyer, Richard Neal, Frank Pallone, Jr., Jerrold Nadler, and Bobby Scott introduced a resolution authorizing the House’s legal counsel to go to court and defend our health care law and protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care, released the following statement in response: “House Republicans have repeatedly said they want to protect people with pre-existing conditions, but at every opportunity they’ve voted to repeal these protections or turned a blind eye to the Trump Administration’s campaign to get rid of them. Now, they have a chance to make it right. The Trump Administration has gone to court to try to strike down protections for the 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions including cancer, diabetes and asthma — and passing this resolution would help defend these Americans’ care. If Republicans in the House won’t endorse and help pass this, they’ll once again show they’re on the side of insurance companies rather than everyday Americans. Thank goodness Democrats haven’t stopped fighting for the protections that prevent insurance companies from jacking up premiums for people with pre-existing conditions — or denying us care altogether — because if they had, these protections would be long gone.” BACKGROUND: Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI): “We believe in giving everybody the ability and the resources to buy affordable health care coverage, including people with pre-existing conditions.” [Politico, 1/27/17]
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA): “Protecting people with pre-existing conditions isn’t just good policy, it’s a personal mission.” [The Spokesman-Review, 6/13/18]
Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR): “We want to make sure that people with pre-existing conditions continue to get covered.” [The Hill, 1/26/17]
Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ): “Committed to ensuring that individuals with pre-existing conditions have access to affordable coverage options and cannot be denied health insurance.” [Tucson Weekly Dispatch, 3/1/17]
Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO): “I will protect those with pre-existing conditions… I will maintain that commitment.” [Politico, 4/13/17]
Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI): “I am committed to protecting patients living with pre-existing conditions. it’s only fair.” [Holland Sentinel, 2/27/17]
Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ): “I have never and will never support legislation” that does not cover pre-existing conditions. [MacArthur Statement, 4/12/17]
Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME): “I have pushed to make certain that those with pre-existing conditions would be covered.” [Rep. Bruce Poliquin Press Release, 3/24/17]
Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN): “Rep. Paulsen has long supported protections for individuals with pre-existing conditions, and he continues to do so.” [Star Tribune, 6/23/18]
Rep. John Faso (R-NY): “I support keeping provisions of the ACA dealing with pre-existing conditions.” [Daily Freeman, 2/6/17]
Rep. Steve Knight (R-CA): “I will keep pre-existing conditions.” [Los Angeles Times, 4/18/17]
Rep. Mimi Walters (R-CA): “I have been clear and unwavering in my strong support of ensuring those with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied health insurance coverage.”[Mimi Walters Tweet, 6/13/18]
Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO): “Ensuring that patients with pre-existing conditions have access to health insurance will continue to be one of my top priorities.” “[Rep. Scott Tipton Press Release, 1/27/17]
Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL): “We also need to ensure that patients with pre-existing conditions won’t be denied coverage.” [Palm Beach Post, 3/9/17]
Rep. David Young (R-IA): “I have always believed patients with pre-existing conditions must have the ability to find safe, secure, and stable coverage.” [Rep. David Young Newsletter, 2/19/17]
Rep. Kevin Yoder (R-KS): People with pre-existing conditions ought to be protected. [Rep. Yoder Facebook Post, 2/21/17]
Rep. David Trott (R-MI): “Patients with pre-existing conditions need to be protected and have access to the coverage they need.” [Rep. Trott, Website, 4/20/17]
Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ): Pledged not to support legislation that rolls back coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. [The Hill, 4/12/17]
Rep. Scott Taylor (R-VA): “We will protect those with pre-existing conditions.” [Republican Party of Virginia, 3/10/17]
Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE): “Supports coverage for those with pre-existing conditions.” [Omaha World Herald, 3/19/17]
Rep. John Culberson (R-TX): “Health care should be accessible for all, regardless of pre-existing conditions or past illnesses.” [Rep. Culberson Website, 4/20/17]
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