News

Despite President Trump repeatedly claiming that the spread of coronavirus in the United States is “under control,” reality would beg to differ. Today, the CDC issued a dire warning to Americans that an outbreak of coronavirus is “inevitable,” as experts and lawmakers pan the Trump administration’s readiness for such an event. What’s been made clear today is that Trump’s rosy rhetoric is geared toward propping up the stock market and his reelection chances and simply does not match the grim reality of the situation at hand. 

Trump	Reality
Coronavirus Is “Very Well Under Control In Our Country.” [Donald Trump, Press Conference, New Delhi, India, 2/25/20]	U.S. Coronavirus Outbreak Inevitable, CDC Official Says. [Politico, 2/25/20]
“I Think That We’re Doing A Great Job.” [Donald Trump, Press Conference, New Delhi, India, 2/25/20]	Trump’s Flailing Incompetence Makes Coronavirus Even Scarier. [Vox, 2/25/20]
“We’re Down To Probably About 10 [Cases]. Most Of The People Are Outside Of Danger Right Now.” [Donald Trump, Press Conference, New Delhi, India, 2/25/20]	53 People In The U.S. Diagnosed With Coronavirus. [Axios, 2/25/20]
“I Was Right” About Coronavirus Response. [@realDonaldTrump, 2/25/20]	Trump Has Sabotaged America’s Coronavirus Response. [Foreign Policy, 1/31/20]
“Stock Market Starting To Look Very Good To Me!” [@realDonaldTrump, 2/24/20]	U.S. Stocks Plunge As Coronavirus Crisis Spreads. [New York Times, 2/24/20]
“We Have It Very Much Under Control In This Country.”  [Donald Trump, Remarks Before Marine One Departure, Washington, DC, 2/23/20]	Coronavirus-Infected Americans Flown Home Against CDC’s Advice. [Washington Post, 2/20/20]
“It’s Going To Work Out Fine.” [KSAZ, 2/19/20]	Trump Has Already Hamstrung The U.S.’s Coronavirus Response. [Vanity Fair, 2/24/20]
“Everyone Is Saying We Did A Good Job.” [Donald Trump, Remarks to the National Border Patrol Council, Washington, DC, 2/14/20]	Why the Trump Administration’s Coronavirus Response Continues To Raise Concerns. [New York Magazine, 2/24/20]
“We’re In Very Good Shape.” [Donald Trump, Remarks to the National Border Patrol Council, Washington, DC, 2/14/20]	US Underprepared For Coronavirus Due To Trump Cuts, Say Health Experts. [The Guardian, 1/31/20]
“We Think And We Hope, Based On All Signs That The Problem Goes Away In April.” [Geraldo in Cleveland, 2/13/20]	CDC Contradicts Trump’s Prediction That Coronavirus Will ‘Miraculously’ Go Away by April. [Daily Best, 2/14/20]
“The Virus Is Going To Be — It’s Going To Be Fine.” [Fox Business, 2/10/20]	The Coronavirus Gives Trump His Biggest Outbreak Emergency Yet — And Experts Are Worried. [Stat, 1/28/20]
“We’re In Great Shape.” [Donald Trump, Remarks to the Governors’ Business Session, Washington, DC, 2/10/20]	Coronavirus Is Coming—And Trump Isn’t Ready. [The Atlantic, 1/30/20]

View the chart online here

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

• 1,258,000 Nevadans Have A Pre-existing Condition, including 163,100 Nevada children, 620,000 Nevada women, and 285,900 Nevadans between ages 55 and 64.

Washington, DC — Last night at his rally in Colorado, President Trump heaped praise on Senator Cory Gardner, telling the crowd that Gardner has “been with us 100%.” Cory Gardner’s “100%” backing of President Trump includes his unwavering support for the president’s disastrous health care agenda that puts the health care of millions of Coloradans at risk. In response to President Trump’s full-throated endorsement of Senator Gardner, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement: 

“President Trump is right, Cory Gardner has never wavered in his support for the president’s disastrous health care agenda. From refusing to condemn President Trump’s Texas lawsuit that would strip protections from nearly 2.5 million Coloradans with pre-existing conditions, voting to slash over $1 trillion in Medicare and Medicaid and supporting disastrous junk insurance plans that don’t cover protections for pre-existing conditions, when the president says Senator Gardner is with him “100%,” this is what he means. Voters in Colorado know that Gardner has always stood with President Trump while he tries to destroy their health care, and last night’s rally was just further confirmation that his priorities will never change.”

BACKGROUND:

Gardner Has Propped Up Trump-Backed Texas Lawsuit That Would Devastate Coloradans

• 2018: Gardner Refused To Condemn The Texas Lawsuit: “What I Hope Succeeds Is This Place Getting Together To Find A Way To Drive Down Healthcare Costs.” “I asked Cory Gardner, up in 2020 in a purple state, if he hopes the anti-ACA lawsuit succeeds. Not quite a yes? ‘What I hope succeeds is this place getting together to find a way to drive down healthcare costs,’ says ACA ‘failed’ to do that.” [@PeterSullivan4, 12/18/18] 
• 2019: Gardner Said The ACA Was “Unconstitutional.” “Asked if he supported the lawsuit, Gardner replied: ‘That’s the court’s decision. If the Democrats want to stand for an unconstitutional law, I guess that’s their choice.’ Republicans, including Gardner, have said they will provide protections for people with pre-existing conditions if the courts overturn the ACA. But Democrats argue the GOP proposals fall short of the protections enshrined in the 2010 law.” [The Hill, 8/8/19] 
• Gardner Voted For The Tax Bill Which Forms The Basis For The Trump-Republican Lawsuit. Gardner 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. 
• Gardner Refused To Support Authorizing The Senate Legal Counsel To Intervene In The Trump-Republican Lawsuit And Defend The ACA. Gardner 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 Trump And Gardner Get Their Way, Coloradans Would Lose Their Coverage

• 400,000 Coloradans Could Lose Coverage. According to the Urban Institute, 400,000 Coloradans would lose coverage by repealing the Affordable Care Act, leading to a 101 percent increase in the uninsured rate.
• 2,400,600 Coloradans Have A Pre-existing Condition, including 300,500 Colorado children, 1,180,000 Colorado women, and 550,000 Coloradans between ages 55 and 64. 
• 453,400 Coloradans Enrolled Through Medicaid Expansion Could Lose Coverage. Seventeen million people have coverage through the expanded Medicaid program, including 453,400 in Colorado. 
• Key Support For Rural Hospitals Would Disappear, leaving Colorado hospitals with $1 billion more in uncompensated care. 
• 56,531 Colorado Seniors Could Have To Pay More For Prescription Drugs. If the Trump-GOP lawsuit is successful, seniors could have to pay more for prescription drugs because the Medicare “donut” hole would be reopened. From 2010 to 2016, “More than 11.8 million Medicare beneficiaries have received discounts over $26.8 billion on prescription drugs – an average of $2,272 per beneficiary,” according to a January 2017 CMS report. In Colorado, 56,531 seniors each saved an average of $1,081.
• Reinstate Lifetime And Annual Limits On 1,902,000 Privately Insured Coloradans. Repealing the Affordable Care Act means insurance companies would be able to impose annual and lifetime limits on coverage for those insured through their employer or on the individual market.

Gardner Has Voted To Slash Medicare and Medicaid

• 2017: Gardner Voted To Cut Medicare By $473 Billion. Gardner 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: Gardner Voted To Slash $1.3 Trillion From Medicaid. Gardner 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]

Washington, DC — President Trump’s rally with Senator Cory Gardner in Colorado Springs, Colorado tonight comes after years of Gardner supporting the president’s disastrous war on health care — support that could lead to his defeat in November. Ahead of Trump’s rally, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement:

“Cory Gardner has voted seven times to rip coverage from 400,000 Coloradans, making him the perfect foot soldier in President Trump’s war on health care. Senator Gardner refuses to condemn President Trump’s Texas lawsuit that would strip protections from nearly 2.5 million Coloradans with pre-existing conditions, has voted to slash over $1 trillion in Medicare and Medicaid funding and has taken large donations from the drug companies while refusing to support giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices. Colorado voters are sick and tired of Cory Gardner’s health care lies and will reject him and President Trump’s disastrous health care agenda in November.” 

BACKGROUND:

Gardner Has Propped Up Trump-Backed Texas Lawsuit That Would Devastate Coloradans

• 2018: Gardner Refused To Condemn The Texas Lawsuit: “What I Hope Succeeds Is This Place Getting Together To Find A Way To Drive Down Healthcare Costs.” “I asked Cory Gardner, up in 2020 in a purple state, if he hopes the anti-ACA lawsuit succeeds. Not quite a yes? ‘What I hope succeeds is this place getting together to find a way to drive down healthcare costs,’ says ACA ‘failed’ to do that.” [@PeterSullivan4, 12/18/18] 
• 2019: Gardner Said The ACA Was “Unconstitutional.” “Asked if he supported the lawsuit, Gardner replied: ‘That’s the court’s decision. If the Democrats want to stand for an unconstitutional law, I guess that’s their choice.’ Republicans, including Gardner, have said they will provide protections for people with pre-existing conditions if the courts overturn the ACA. But Democrats argue the GOP proposals fall short of the protections enshrined in the 2010 law.” [The Hill, 8/8/19] 
• Gardner Voted For The Tax Bill Which Forms The Basis For The Trump-Republican Lawsuit. Gardner 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. 
• Gardner Refused To Support Authorizing The Senate Legal Counsel To Intervene In The Trump-Republican Lawsuit And Defend The ACA. Gardner 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 Trump And Gardner Get Their Way, Coloradans Would Lose Their Coverage

• 400,000 Coloradans Could Lose Coverage. According to the Urban Institute, 400,000 Coloradans would lose coverage by repealing the Affordable Care Act, leading to a 101 percent increase in the uninsured rate.
• 2,400,600 Coloradans Have A Pre-existing Condition, including 300,500 Colorado children, 1,180,000 Colorado women, and 550,000 Coloradans between ages 55 and 64. 
• 453,400 Coloradans Enrolled Through Medicaid Expansion Could Lose Coverage. Seventeen million people have coverage through the expanded Medicaid program, including 453,400 in Colorado. 
• Key Support For Rural Hospitals Would Disappear, leaving Colorado hospitals with $1 billion more in uncompensated care. 
• 56,531 Colorado Seniors Could Have To Pay More For Prescription Drugs. If the Trump-GOP lawsuit is successful, seniors could have to pay more for prescription drugs because the Medicare “donut” hole would be reopened. From 2010 to 2016, “More than 11.8 million Medicare beneficiaries have received discounts over $26.8 billion on prescription drugs – an average of $2,272 per beneficiary,” according to a January 2017 CMS report. In Colorado, 56,531 seniors each saved an average of $1,081.
• Reinstate Lifetime And Annual Limits On 1,902,000 Privately Insured Coloradans. Repealing the Affordable Care Act means insurance companies would be able to impose annual and lifetime limits on coverage for those insured through their employer or on the individual market.

Gardner Has Voted To Slash Medicare and Medicaid

• 2017: Gardner Voted To Cut Medicare By $473 Billion. Gardner 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: Gardner Voted To Slash $1.3 Trillion From Medicaid. Gardner 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] 

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer made clear that on drug pricing reform “our first goal is [the house bill]. Period.”

The chart below demonstrates why Senator Schumer is right: H.R. 3 is the only bill that truly reduces costs for both patients and taxpayers by giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prices and is the only meaningful way to put an end to the power of the big drug companies. Nearly 9 in 10 Americans, including 85 percent of Republicans, support Medicare negotiation.

Washington, DC — Tonight, President Trump is holding a campaign rally in Phoenix, Arizona with Senator Martha McSally where he will implore Arizonans to elect the unelected Senator they have already rejected at the polls. President Trump and Senator McSally have something else in common: they both support disastrous health care repeal efforts that would end protections for pre-existing conditions and take coverage away from millions of Americans. In response to tonight’s rally, Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse released the following statement: 

“President Trump has no better ally in his quest to repeal and sabotage health care than Martha McSally, who has spent years on the front lines of taking away protections for pre-existing conditions. In the House, Martha McSally led the charge in President Trump’s war on health care, imploring her colleagues to ‘Get this f***ing thing done’ and support the GOP’s disastrous repeal bill which would have kicked millions of Americans off of their coverage and gutted protections for people with pre-existing conditions. After being appointed to the Senate, McSally continues to give cover to President Trump as he wages his war to destroy Americans’ health care in the courts while refusing to support common sense action to lower prescription drug costs like giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices, the most effective way to do so. Arizonans already rejected Martha McSally for the Senate because of her relentless war on health care, and when they have another chance in November, they will reject her again.”

BACKGROUND:

2017: Martha McSally Voted For AHCA. McSally voted for passage of the American Health Care Act. [HR 1628, Roll Call Vote #256, 5/4/17] 

• McSally Encouraged Her GOP Colleagues To “Get This F–king Thing Done” And Repeal The ACA. “Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and his GOP leadership team held what amounted to a pep rally for rank-and-file members in the Capitol basement Thursday morning as they predicted victory in their push to repeal and replace ObamaCare. Leaders played the ‘Rocky’ theme song as lawmakers walked into the meeting. Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) put an image of George S. Patton on the screen and read inspirational quotes from the general. ‘Let’s get this f–king thing done!’ Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) told her colleagues, according to sources in the room.” [The Hill, 5/4/17] 

What Did AHCA Mean for Arizona? 

• In 2026, 465,200 Arizonans would lose coverage under this bill. 
• The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the American Health Care Act would have raised premiums 20 percent in 2018.
• The negative economic impact of the American Health Care Act would cause 60,714 Arizonans to lose their jobs by 2022.

2018: Martha McSally Said She Was “Getting My Ass Kicked” For Voting To Repeal The Affordable Care Act. “McSally was asked if she would vote again to repeal the health-care law on conservative commentator Sean Hannity’s radio show. ‘Well, Sean, I did vote to repeal and replace Obamacare on that House bill — I’m getting my ass kicked for it right now because it’s being misconstrued by the Democrats,’ she said. ‘They’re trying to, you know, invoke fear in people who have family members or loved ones with pre-existing conditions.’” [Arizona Republic, 10/29/18] 

POC’s March Bus Tour and 10 Days of Action Will Launch Ahead of the 10 Year Anniversary of the Passage of the ACA on March 23; Groundswell of Activity Will Also Include New Ads, Polling and Research 

Washington, D.C. — Ahead of the 10 year anniversary passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on March 23, Protect Our Care is announcing 10 days of action around the landmark anniversary including a multi state bus tour in key 2020 battleground states. Protect Our Care’s bus tour, corresponding days of action as well as new ads, polling and research will highlight the positive impact that the ACA has had on the lives of millions of Americans while bringing attention to the existential threat to Americans’ health care posed by the Trump administration and Republicans’ ongoing attacks on the law that puts the coverage of 20 million Americans at risk.  

Protect Our Care’s bus tour will kick off on March 15 in Minnesota and make stops in the key 2020 battleground states of Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Protect Our Care’s bus 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. 

Protect Our Care will also be working with partner organizations and advocates to lead 10 days of action across the country heading up to the anniversary to highlight the specific ways the Affordable Care Act has helped communities and make clear what’s at stake because of the Trump administration’s sabotage agenda and their effort to overturn the law in the courts. 

“There is no question that the Affordable Care Act has been a positive force in the lives of millions of Americans over the last 10 years who depend on the ACA for health insurance and critical protections like those for pre-existing conditions,” said Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse. “Over the ten days surrounding this landmark anniversary, Protect Our Care will travel the country and remind Americans how the ACA has improved and saved the lives of millions while making clear that the relentless and ongoing attacks on the law from President Trump and Republicans pose an existential threat to Americans’ health care. While the president doubles down on his efforts to repeal our health care and released a budget with over $1 trillion in devastating cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, Democrats have made clear they are the party that will protect, improve and expand health care for all Americans.” 

The Protect Our Care ACA Anniversary Bus Tour is making stops in: 

St. Paul, MN on Sunday, March 15 

Des Moines, IA on Monday, March 16

Cedar Rapids, IA on Monday, March 16

La Crosse, WI on Tuesday, March 17

Madison, WI on Tuesday, March 17

Lansing, MI on Wednesday, March 18

Detroit, MI on Wednesday, March 18

Wilkes-Barre, PA on Thursday, March 19

Allentown, PA on Friday, March 20

Philadelphia, PA on Friday, March 20 

Washington, DC on Monday, March 23

Charlotte, NC on Wednesday, March 25

Raleigh, NC on Wednesday, March 25

Washington, DC — Today, California reported a surge in new enrollees in their state exchange. A 41 percent increase in new enrollees lead to an overall enrollment of 1.5 million people. According to reporting in Politico, state officials “attributed the surge in new enrollments to additional state insurance subsidies, California’s restoration of the individual mandate and a robust marketing campaign.” In response to the successful open enrollment in California, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach released the following statement: 

“California’s enrollment numbers are a shining example of what happens when you actually promote the Affordable Care Act. Imagine how many more people would have coverage across the country if the Trump administration didn’t actively sabotage the law.” 

Background:

Health Care Sabotage Tracker