News

Voters in Arizona, Iowa and Colorado Name Health Care as a Top Priority

Washington, DC — A new Change Research poll on behalf of Protect Our Care released today shows voters in states with competitive Senate races overwhelmingly disapprove of the Trump-Republican lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act that would rip coverage from more than 20 million Americans and remove protections for more than 135 million people with a pre-existing condition. Despite this, Republican senators continue to rush through President Trump’s anti-ACA nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett, expecting she will be the deciding vote to eliminate the entire ACA in the middle of a pandemic. Voters in Arizona, Iowa and Colorado identify health care as a top issue in November, especially seniors. Overall, voters in these states trust the Democratic candidates for Senate on health care over the Republican incumbents who have been supporting President Trump’s war on the Affordable Care Act. 

“Voters overwhelmingly reject the Trump-Republican lawsuit to completely eliminate the ACA in the middle of a pandemic. Republican Senators are putting themselves at grave risk by rushing through the nomination of anti-ACA Judge Amy Coney Barrett. COVID-19 is in the White House, in the Senate and in the Pentagon, yet Republican Senators are irresponsibly supporting taking away health care from millions of Americans. Voters know President Trump and his Republican allies in the Senate will stop at nothing to rip away their health care and end protections for pre-existing conditions — even during this crisis,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. 

See the full Change Research memo and toplines.

Key Findings:

• Health care is a top factor in determining the outcome of the 2020 race. Voters choose health care as the number two issue in all three states behind the economy and ahead of crime, taxes, and immigration. Independents are in the middle ranking COVID as a top issue along with many others. Seniors in Arizona and Iowa rank health care at the top (46% economy in AZ, 45% health care in AZ, – 50% health care, 47% economy in IA) and second in Colorado (44% economy, 39% health care, 39% Supreme Court vacancy). The voters who select health care as a top issue are overwhelmingly supporting the Democratic senate candidate – 71% for 25% Mark Kelly in Arizona, 81% to 14% for John Hickenlooper in Colorado, and 69% to 23% for Theresa Greenfield in Iowa.
• Majorities of voters in these key swing states disapprove of the Trump Administration lawsuit at the Supreme Court that seeks to overturn the Affordable Care Act. In Arizona, 53% disapprove of this lawsuit while just 41% approve of it. Voters in Colorado (55% disapprove, 40% approve) and Iowa (52% disapprove, 43% approve) feel similarly. Most of those who disapprove of this lawsuit strongly disapprove of it (49% in AZ, 52% in CO, and 47% in Iowa). Women, in particular, hate this lawsuit as 60% in Arizona, 64% in Colorado, and 63% in Iowa disapprove of it. Independents in Arizona (20% approve-71% disapprove) and Iowa (32% approve-51% disapprove) oppose this lawsuit.
• Republicans, Independents, and Democrats all strongly support a variety of proposals on health care, proposals that the Trump Administration’s upcoming lawsuit in front of the Supreme Court puts at risk. This includes giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices, guaranteeing insurance companies cannot charge women more than men, guaranteeing insurance companies cannot charge higher premiums to those with pre-existing conditions, prohibiting insurance companies from charging older Americans up to five times more than younger Americans, and prohibiting insurance companies from putting a lifetime cap on benefits. Not only do voters support these proposals overall, more than 70% strongly support them. President Trump is out of step even with his own party — three-quarters or more of Republicans in all three states support these proposals.
• Voters trust the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate over their Republican opponents on health care policies most important to voters. Voters trust Democrats the most on protecting Medicare, protecting those with pre-existing conditions, and making health care more affordable and accessible. Voters also place their faith in Mark Kelly, John Hickenlooper, and Theresa Greenfield more than Martha McSally, Cory Gardner, and Joni Ernst to safely reopen schools and the economy, underscoring how poorly these sitting Republican senators have responded to the challenges of our time.

 

 

 

 

Read the Report Here

Washington, DC — Today, Protect Our Care is releasing a new report detailing the impact that overturning the Affordable Care Act would have on people with pre-existing conditions. The report comes as Senate Republicans work to obscure their records on pre-existing conditions protections by voting for meaningless bills in an effort to falsely reassure voters. At the same time, Senate Republicans are rushing to confirm President Trump’s anti-ACA nominee for the Supreme Court vacancy, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, so she will be on the court to rule on California v. Texas, the lawsuit to dismantle the ACA. The court will hear oral arguments in the case one week after the election, and if successful, the Trump-Republican lawsuit would remove protections for more than 135 million Americans with a pre-existing condition.

Report: Why the ACA Is the Gold Standard for Protecting People with Pre-Existing Conditions

“This report shows the Affordable Care Act is the gold standard for making sure people with pre-existing conditions can get the health care coverage they need,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Republicans can’t credibly claim to want to protect people with pre-existing conditions and simultaneously work to repeal the ACA. The ACA protects more than 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, and Republicans are desperate to hide that they want to overturn the law in the middle with a pandemic with no plan to keep our entire health care system from falling into chaos.”

Ads Target Senators Cory Gardner, Martha McSally, Joni Ernst, Thom Tillis and Lindsey Graham on Their Rush to Confirm Anti-ACA Supreme Court Justice 

Washington, DC — Today, Protect Our Care is expanding its ad campaign targeting Senate Republicans calling on them to let the next President pick the next Supreme Court Justice and stop their rush to confirm President Trump’s anti-ACA Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Judge Barrett has a history of opposing the Affordable Care Act, and it’s clear that Trump is trying to tilt the balance of the court in his favor ahead of oral arguments in his lawsuit to dismantle the ACA, one week after election day. If Trump’s lawsuit is successful, it will end protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions and rip coverage from more than 23 million people. Senators Martha McSally (R-AZ), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are rushing through the confirmations of Judge Amy Coney Barrett in an effort to throw the entire American health care system into chaos by overturning the ACA in the middle of a pandemic. 

Watch Your Health Care Is On The Line: Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina and South Carolina

“One week after the election, the Supreme Court will hear the Trump-Republican lawsuit that would end protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions and rip coverage from more than 23 million people in the middle of a raging pandemic. These Republicans’ vote for Trump’s justice is a vote to take away peoples’ health care and they know it,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. 

Script for Your Health Care Is On The Line

The next Supreme Court justice will decide whether 135 million Americans lose protections for pre-existing conditions and over 20 million people lose their health care. 

The winner of the presidential election should pick the next justice — but Martha McSally disagrees.

She wants to rush a justice onto the court who will repeal our health care.

Call Senator Martha McSally and tell her that the next president should pick the next Supreme Court justice. 

Virtual Tour “Hit the Road” for Events with Members of Congress and Elected Officials in Iowa and Maine

On the third week of Protect Our Care’s 16-state “Your Health, Your Vote” virtual bus tour Protect Our Care held events in Iowa and Maine. During each stop, elected leaders, health care advocates and storytellers from each state met in a virtual format to discuss President Trump’s complete mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic and highlight the danger of allowing President Trump to pick the next Supreme Court justice. California v. Texas, the Trump-Republican lawsuit to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, will be heard one week after the election. If successful, the lawsuit would take away protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions and rip coverage away from over 20 million Americans in the middle of a pandemic.

IOWA

Thursday, October 1, 2020: Protect Our Care’s nationwide virtual “Your Health, Your Vote” tour arrived in Iowa to highlight Republicans’ ongoing war on health care and failed coronavirus response. Headlined by former Sen. Tom Harkin along with U.S. Representatives Cindy Axne (IA-03) and Abby Finkenauer (IA-01), the event highlighted how Trump’s health care sabotage, including a lawsuit to completely dismantle the Affordable Care Act during a pandemic, would impact Iowans’ care. They also called on Sen. Joni Ernst to denounce Trump’s war on health care and discussed Democrats’ agenda to improve health care and lower costs for Americans.

Watch the Event Here

MAINE

Friday, October 2, 2020: This morning, Protect Our Care’s nationwide virtual “Your Health, Your Vote” tour arrived in Maine to highlight Republicans’ ongoing war on health care and failed coronavirus response. Headlined by Maine Speaker of the House Sara Gideon and Maine Senate President Troy Jackson, the event highlighted how Trump’s health care sabotage, including a lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act during a pandemic, would impact Mainers’ care. They also called on Sen. Susan Collins to denounce Trump’s war on health care and discussed Democrats’ agenda to improve health care and lower costs for Americans.

Watch the Event Here

Washington, DC — Today, Senate Republicans voted to support President Trump’s lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in California v. Texas one week after the election. If Trump and the Republicans get their way, the court will include nominee Amy Coney Barrett who has already publicly expressed her opposition to the ACA. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“Make no mistake, Senate Republicans voted today to take away your health care and rip away protections for people with pre-existing conditions. By blocking this bill by Senate Democrats, the Republicans voted in support of President Trump’s lawsuit to dismantle the ACA and rip health care from more than 20 million Americans and end protections for 135 million people with pre-existing conditions. Senate Republicans can no longer hide from voters where they stand on health care. They have voted time and again to repeal the ACA. They are rushing to confirm an anti-ACA Supreme Court nominee to tilt the balance of the court in favor of overturning the law. And now, they have voted to support Trump’s lawsuit to get rid of the ACA in the middle of a pandemic. This vote proves they are on board with President Trump’s disastrous health care sabotage record. A Republican vote against this bill serves as a clear endorsement of DOJ’s effort to strike down the ACA.”

Tillis Bill Could Get a Vote as Early as Tonight, Fails to Meaningfully Protecting People with Pre-Existing Conditions

In a blatant attempt to cover his abysmal health care record, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) released bill text for the “The Protect Act.” Despite its name, this bill does not fully protect people with pre-existing conditions. 

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), a law that Senator Tillis has repeatedly voted to repeal, already provides comprehensive protections for people with pre-existing conditions. However, the ACA is currently in danger of being overturned in the courts in a lawsuit brought by the Trump administration and its Republican allies in the states. If successful, the lawsuit would rip coverage away from more than 23 million and eliminate protections for 135 million people with pre-existing conditions. Republicans have made clear they want to put insurance companies back in charge and return to the days when insurers could charge more and limit care all while their profits soar. 

Any Bill That Meaningfully Protects People With Pre-Existing Conditions Must Include Four Key Provisions: 

• GUARANTEED ISSUE: Rule that forbids insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. 
• COMMUNITY RATING: Rule that prevents insurers from charging people with pre-existing conditions more. 
• ESSENTIAL HEALTH BENEFITS: Requirements that insurance companies cover essential health benefits, such as prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment, and maternity care.
• LIFETIME & ANNUAL CAPS: Ban on insurance companies having lifetime caps on coverage.

PEOPLE WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS WOULD NOT BE PROTECTED UNDER THOM TILLIS’ BILL: 

What Tillis’ Bill Looks Like In Practice:

If Tillis’ bill replaced the Affordable Care Act, 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions would be put at risk. 

For example, without the ban on annual and lifetime limits, a patient with cancer – whose costs for treatment average about $150,000 – could quickly reach their plan’s coverage limit and face the devastating choice of continuing treatment or facing financial ruin. Moreover, while Tillis’s bill claims to prohibit insurance companies from excluding coverage of treatments based on a person’s pre-existing condition, insurers could deny coverage of certain treatments across the board. So insurance companies could still refuse to cover this person’s chemotherapy drugs because they would no longer need to cover essential health benefits. This is all assuming that the patient wasn’t already paying higher premiums for being a woman or over the age of 50. 

Last night, President Trump told lie after lie about his health care record. One of his most egregious lies was about prescription drug prices, when he falsely claimed that he had lowered drug costs by “80 or 90 percent” and that insulin was as cheap as water. The truth is, President Trump is in court right now arguing in favor of California v. Texas, his lawsuit to terminate the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. If Trump’s lawsuit is successful, nearly 12 million seniors will have to pay more for prescription drugs because the Medicare ‘donut hole’ will be reopened, requirements that insurance companies cover prescription drugs will be eliminated and our entire health care system will be thrown into chaos.

COVERAGE: 

Stat: Trump Claims His Policies Made Insulin ‘So Cheap, It’s Like Water.’ But for Most People, It Costs Just as Much as Before. “Not only has he lowered drug prices, President Trump claimed in the first 15 minutes of Tuesday’s debate — but he has helped lower the price of insulin, specifically, so that it is so cheap that it’s ‘like water.’ In reality, insulin still retails for roughly $300 a vial. Most patients with diabetes need two to three vials per month, and some can require much more.” [Stat, 9/29/20] 

• Stat: “Trump Also Didn’t Mention the Long List Of Drug Pricing Failures He Has Racked Up Over the Last Four Years.” “But Trump, who also suggested Tuesday that drug prices ‘will be coming down 80 or 90 percent’ under his leadership, has largely struggled to meaningfully lower drug prices. Trump also insisted during Tuesday’s debate that he had implemented a ‘most-favored nations’ policy that would radically lower drug prices, but that plan still hasn’t been implemented. He suggested, too, that he was letting states import drugs from Canada, but it could be months or even years before any state is ready to submit a plan to do so, under rules that were only released last week. Trump also didn’t mention the long list of drug pricing failures he has racked up over the last four years: His idea to require drug makers include their drug prices in TV ads was struck down in court, and his administration has repeatedly flip-flopped on his idea to eliminate the discounts negotiated between drug prices and middlemen.” [Stat, 9/29/20] 

Washington Post: On Trump’s Claim That Drug Prices Have Fallen 80 or 90 Percent, “There Is Just No Evidence for This Pie-in-the-Sky Prediction.” “There is just no evidence for this pie-in-the-sky prediction. In fact, prescription drug prices are up 3 percent since Trump’s first full month in office through August, according to the consumer price index. In 2019, we found generic prescription drug prices had fallen slightly under Trump, while branded drugs were becoming costlier, according to numerous studies.” [Washington Post, 9/29/20] 

AP Fact Check: Trump’s Claim That “Drug Prices Will Be Coming Down 80 Or 90%” Is “Not A Reality.” “That’s a promise, not a reality, and it’s a big stretch. Trump has been unable to get legislation to lower drug prices through Congress. Major regulatory actions from his administration are still in the works, and are likely to be challenged in court. There’s no plan on the horizon that would lower drug prices as dramatically as Trump claims. Prescription drug price inflation has been low and slow during the Trump years, but it hasn’t made a U-turn and sped off in the other direction. Prices have seesawed from year to year. Looking back at the totality of Trump’s term, from Jan. 2017, when he was inaugurated, to the latest data from Aug. 2020, drug prices went up 3.6%, according to an analysis by economist Paul Hughes-Cromwick of Altarum, a nonprofit research and consulting organization.” [Associated Press, 9/30/20] 

NPR: “Trump Claims on Drug Prices Aren’t Accurate.” “When President Trump was asked to explain what health care plan would replace the Affordable Care Act, he pivoted to drug prices…Trump has tried a variety of tactics to bring down drug prices, recently signing four executive orders to lower drug prices on July 24, but health policy experts say they will likely offer only minimal relief and take a long time to implement. Some may not be implemented at all.” [NPR, 9/29/20] 

Washington Post: The Health 202: “Trump’s Claim About Insulin Was Hardly the Only Way He Misrepresented His Record on Health Policy.” The administration has capped co-pays for insulin at $35 a month in some Medicare prescription drug plans. But insulin remains expensive for millions of Americans with private health coverage or no coverage at all, often adding up to hundreds or thousands of dollars in monthly costs for them. Trump’s claim about insulin was hardly the only way he misrepresented his record on health policy. Just minutes into the debate, the two candidates clashed over his approach to the Affordable Care Act. Biden noted the president’s failure to repeal and replace the law and his administration’s refusal to defend the law before the Supreme Court. Trump continually interrupted him, loudly countering that the law’s penalty for being uninsured was repealed.” [Washington Post, 9/30/20] 

Call Audio Available Here

Washington, DC — Today, U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) joined Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach to discuss the consequences of Donald Trump’s years-long war on health care and what’s at stake in the upcoming election. Senators Brown and Baldwin also discussed California v. Texas, the Trump-Republican lawsuit to overturn the Affordable Care Act. On November 10, 2020 — one week after the election — the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case that could end protections for 135 million Americans with pre-existing conditions, rip coverage from more than 23 million Americans and throw our entire health care system into chaos in the midst of an ever-worsening pandemic.

“President Trump and Leader Mitch McConnell are willing to drop everything, and move heaven and earth to put another corporate special interest judge on the Supreme Court – a judge who we have every reason to believe will take away Americans’ health care in the middle of a pandemic,” said Senator Sherrod Brown. “Americans’ health care is at stake with this seat and the American people deserve to have their voices heard.”

“We have a public health and economic crisis that has gotten worse because President Trump’s failure of leadership and last night’s debate made it clear once again that Trump’s only plan is to ‘terminate’ the Affordable Care Act and take away people’s health care and protections for pre-existing health conditions in the middle of a pandemic,” said Senator Tammy Baldwin.

“Trump continues to lie to voters about his health care record including his botched coronavirus response, his war on people with pre-existing conditions and his failure to lower prescription drug prices. Last night, he did his best to obscure his health care sabotage record from voters,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “No matter what Donald Trump tries to tell you, health care is on the ballot this November.”

Trump Misleads Voters About His Health Care Record and Failed Coronavirus Response

Washington, DC — Tonight, Donald Trump took the debate stage and continued what he’s been doing since he took office — lying to voters about his health care record. One of his most egregious lies was about prescription drugs, when he falsely said he lowered drug costs by “80 or 90 percent” and that insulin was as cheap as water. From his failed response to the coronavirus pandemic to his relentless attacks on the Affordable Care Act and people with pre-existing conditions, President Trump has been waging a war on health care. In response, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse issued the following statement: 

“With a vacancy on the Supreme Court and the coronavirus pandemic continuing to ravage our nation, it’s clear that health care is on the ballot, and Donald Trump is working overtime to try to lie to voters about his record. Here’s the truth: Trump has consistently attacked the Affordable Care Act, and his lawsuit to completely overturn the entire law will be heard by the Supreme Court one week after the election. Now, Trump is trying to install anti-ACA Judge Amy Coney Barrett to tilt the balance of the court in his favor so he will be able to eliminate protections for 135 million people with pre-existing conditions and rip health care from more than 23 million Americans during a devastating pandemic, which he made worse.

“After repeatedly downplaying the severity of the virus, undermining his own experts, and deliberately misleading the American people, Trump owns this crisis that has killed more than 200,000 Americans. Now, he pledges to make it even worse by throwing away the health and safety of everyone in this country. Voters know our health care is at stake and the contrast between Donald Trump and Joe Biden Americans saw tonight could not be more stark.” 

BACKGROUND

After Four Years, the Trump Administration’s Talk is Cheap, But Drug Prices Still Aren’t

FACT CHECKS: Trump Lies About Protecting People with Pre-Existing Conditions While Trying to Destroy the ACA in Court

With a vacancy on the Supreme Court and the coronavirus pandemic ravaging our country, health care is on the ballot, and President Trump is hard at work spinning lies to obscure his disastrous war on health care. The truth is that since taking office, Trump has taken every opportunity to rip away Americans’ health care. Time and again, Trump has tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Now, he is suing to dismantle the ACA and has selected Judge Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court vacancy, in part because of her opposition to the ACA, to help stack the court in his favor. Voters cannot afford another four years of Trump’s relentless attacks on health care. 

Lies You’ll Hear From Trump

Trump claims he supports protections for people with pre-existing conditions, but he has a case before the U.S. Supreme Court to dismantle these protections. Trump has peddled the bizarre lie that he has put protections for people with pre-existing conditions into place. He hasn’t. The Affordable Care Act — the law he is actively trying to destroy and attempted to repeal in Congress — already protects Americans with pre-existing conditions. The Washington Post fact-checker gave this claim its worst rating: “bottomless Pinocchio,” noting that, by June, Trump had falsely said he would protect pre-existing conditions nearly 100 times. After Trump repeated this claim at the State of the Union, Vox described it as “the biggest lie” in his speech. 

President Trump touts his record on prescription drugs, but the truth is that the cost of prescription drugs continues to skyrocket. Donald Trump promised that he would lower drug costs, but instead he gave drug companies billions in tax breaks. The year after the tax bill passed, the largest drug companies made $50 billion in profits and subsequently used their savings to invest billions more in stock buybacks for their shareholders. Meanwhile, more than 4,000 drugs saw price increases averaging 21 percent in 2019, and drug prices are steadily rising even as the nation fights the coronavirus crisis. Trump has rejected common sense reforms, like giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prices. Instead of taking action to lower prices, he is making false promises to seniors about $200 drug reimbursements, without a plan for implementation. 

Trump has repeatedly claimed that coronavirus is no big deal, that we’re turning the corner, and the problem will just disappear any day now. That’s nonsense. At every turn Donald Trump has sought to downplay the danger of the virus, despite admitting privately that he knew how deadly and dangerous it was. He has a long history of blatantly lying about transmissibility, claiming children are virtually immune when we know they are an important contributor to community spread, and pushing junk science and miracle cures like hydroxychloroquine, which have been debunked over and over. There’s no evidence that the virus will just disappear, despite Trump’s repeatedly making that inexplicable claim. The only way this virus will be defeated is by doing what Donald Trump repeatedly refuses to do – letting the experts and science lead, ramping up testing, and encouraging mitigation efforts like masks and social distancing until it’s safe. 

What Trump Won’t Tell You

Trump is before the Supreme Court trying to overturn the entire ACA with no plans to replace it, and now, he’s trying to pack the court in his favor. Trump notoriously tried and failed multiple times to repeal the Affordable Care Act. All of the repeal bills that went through Congress would have caused millions of Americans to lose their health coverage and raised premiums for millions more. Now the Trump administration has thrown its full support behind a lawsuit that would do the same. If the Republican lawsuit is successful, 23 million Americans will lose their coverage and more than 135 million people will lose protections for pre-existing conditions, including the millions of Americans who contracted the coronavirus. The lawsuit will be heard one week after the election, and Trump hopes to have already installed his new anti-ACA nominee to help tilt the decision in his favor. 

Millions of people have lost coverage under Trump. Census data revealed in 2018 that the uninsured rate rose for the first time since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, increasing from 7.9 percent in 2017 to 8.5 percent in 2018, or by approximately 2 million people. The uninsured rate reached 9.2 percent in 2019, meaning 30 million Americans went without health insurance last year. Additionally, more than one million children lost Medicaid coverage between 2017 and 2019. Health care experts have pointed to a “chilling effect” from Trump-backed policies, including Medicaid work requirements. And as a result of Trump’s failed coronavirus response, 12 million people have lost employer-sponsored coverage since February, according to estimates from the Economic Policy Institute. 

The coronavirus pandemic didn’t have to be this bad, but Trump botched his response from day one. The United States has the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world, leading with the most deaths – more than 205,000 – and the most cases – more than 7.1 million. And the pandemic is continuing to get worse, with the numbers moving in the wrong direction in more than 21 states. The reason is simple: Donald Trump and his administration have failed. While comparable nations were able to get the virus under control after the initial spike by working together to ramp up testing and enforce mitigation efforts, Trump did none of that. He sought to undermine his own experts, he repeatedly lied to American people and downplayed the danger of the virus, he mocked mitigation efforts like masks, and pushed states and schools to reopen before it was safe to do so. All the while, thousands of Americans died and the economy cratered. All of this could have been avoided with effective leadership that put the health and safety of Americans first. Instead, Donald Trump looked out for his own political interests and made matters worse.