Across the Country, Patients, Advocates and Providers Demand Their Senators #StopKavanaugh
In Key States, Protect Our Care Doubles Down on Highlighting Health Care is #WhatsAtStake
POLITICO Playbook: Protect Our Care Launches $150,000 Push To Educate Public About What’s At Stake With Brett Kavanaugh’s Nomination To The Supreme Court. “Protect Our Care is going up with one week of TV and radio health care-focused ads in Maine, Alaska and Nevada targeting Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Dean Heller (Nev.). The group is spending $150,000 on the push in what a spokesman for the group described as an ‘opening salvo’ in its effort to ‘educate the public about what’s at stake for health care with Trump’s SCOTUS pick.’ Protect Our Care will also be engaging in field activity all week in those three states, along with 11 others, focused on talking about pre-existing conditions protections, Medicaid and women’s health.” [POLITICO Playbook, 8/6/18]
NBC4 Columbus: Commercial Battle Brewing Over President Trump’s Supreme Court Nominee. “A pro-Obamacare political action group is launching a new television and online ad campaign aimed at building opposition against President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee. The group, Protect Our Care, announced it’s launching ads in: Maine, Alaska, and Nevada. You can watch the ad posted to YouTube below.” [NBC Columbus, 8/6/18]
Nevada Independent (NV): Pro-Obamacare Group Targets Heller Over Challenges To Protections For Pre-Existing Conditions. “A pro-Affordable Care Act group is releasing a new television advertisement today targeting Republican Sen. Dean Heller amid the Trump administration’s efforts to challenge the federal health care law’s protections for pre-existing conditions in court. The 30-second spot from Protect Our Care urges viewers to call Heller’s office and tell him to oppose Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, saying that the current D.C. appeals court judge could support the president’s effort to get axe protections for pre-existing conditions if he is appointed to the highest court.” [The Nevada Independent, 8/6/18]
Juneau Empire (AK): Health Care Campaign Wants Alaskans To Reach Out To Sen. Murkowski About Supreme Court Vote. “Amber Lee, the state coordinator for Protect Our Care, said “Murkowski, a republican, has proven to be a key figure in recent health care votes and debates. She’s been a vocal supporter of women’s reproductive rights and case a key “no” vote during a July 2017 vote to repeal and replace the ACA. Lee is hoping Alaskans reach out to Murkowski with personal stories about how ACA and the Medicaid expansion in Alaska in 2015 have positively affected their lives. The hope is that these personal stories will show Murkowski just how much her constituents will lose if ACA is repealed.” [Juneau Empire, 8/6/18]
Constituents Speak Out, Urge Their Senators to Take a Stand
Kristen Nilsen, a Mainer with a pre-existing condition who has faced higher costs due to Republican sabotage of the ACA, shared her health care story:
“Prior to the Affordable Care Act, I would have had to spend $1,500 a month [on health care], and that was all due to the fact that I had a very minor pre-existing condition that prevented me from getting an affordable plan. So I was very pleased that I was able to use the Affordable Care Act… My concern is that the Republicans will continue the sabotage that they have been waging against the ACA… and people wkith pre-existing conditions will get discriminated against if Judge Kavanaugh is confirmed.”
Allison Stephens, a Nevadan who is the parent of a child with pre-existing condition, shared her story:
“When my son was 6 years old, he was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis. The fact is, my son has to see a specialist who comes from out of state, he has to take chemo injection, he has to take special eye exams because of the autoimmune nature of his illness. My son has a pre-ex and without the protections of the ACA we would be in a scenario where he could be denied access to insurance or denied access to care.”
Genevieve Morgan, a Mainer with a pre-existing condition who met with Senator Collins in Washington, D.C., last week, shared her story:
“While I was getting a check-up, it revealed an anomalous high blood-pressure reading, which led to further tests that showed I had a genetic incurable disease… my children are now at a 50/50 chance of inheriting it. We are all one doctor’s appointment away from catastrophe… the system should at least give people with pre-existing conditions the protection of having health insurance.”
Mark Regan of the Disability Law Center of Alaska said:
“A concern about Judge Brett Kavanaugh and his nomination to the Supreme Court is the extent to which Judge Kavanaugh will likely protect people with disabilities and pre-existing conditions.”
Laura Packard, a Nevadan living with pre-existing condition patient, shared her story:
“Senator Heller knows the threat that Brett Kavanaugh poses to million of Nevadans and to Americans’ access to health care across the country and we demand that he stand up for the people he was elected to represent. I have a whopper of a pre-existing condition: I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I have a policy through the ACA, but who would insure me if not for these protections?”
Part of Coordinated Effort of Organizations Representing Millions of Concerned Constituents Nationwide
Fierce Healthcare: Planned Parenthood, Progressive Groups Launch Offensive Against Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh. “Protect Our Care, Planned Parenthood and other progressive organizations are launching a ‘full court press’ during the next several weeks to reach out to senators and host events on the issue, Woodhouse said. A particular focus is on states such as Maine and Alaska, which Republican senators viewed as crucial targets to flip on the issue—such as Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski—represent. Woodhouse said the GOP’s failure to repeal the ACA proves that the fight to block Kavanaugh’s nomination is winnable, especially as healthcare continues to be a key issue for voters heading into the election this fall.” [Fierce Healthcare, 8/6/18]
The Hill: Advocacy Groups Plan Offensive Against Trump’s Supreme Court Pick. “Advocacy groups opposing President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee say they’re ramping up the pressure on key senators during this week’s congressional recess… Protect Our Care, a pro-ObamaCare group, will launch new TV and radio ads in Maine, Alaska, and Nevada, warning that Kavanaugh’s confirmation would result in the reversal of the law’s protections for people with preexisting conditions. ‘The future of American health care for generations is once again going to come down to a handful of Senators,’ said Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care.” [The Hill, 8/6/18]
Washington Examiner: Abortion, Obamacare Defenders Ramp Up August Recess Opposition To Brett Kavanaugh. “Organizations defending abortion rights and Obamacare are teaming up for a series of events in August to rally voter opposition to Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Planned Parenthood and state advocates will host more than 80 events from Aug. 6-10 across the U.S., including in Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Seattle, holding phone banks and writing postcards to send to voters. They plan to put pressure on senators while they are back in town for the summer recess.” [Washington Examiner, 8/6/18]
MedPage Today: Anti-Kavanaugh Momentum Growing, Pro-Choice Groups Say. Brad Woodhouse, executive director of Protect Our Care explained, ‘We have every reason to believe that if Collins and Murkowski came out against this nomination, there would be a majority to oppose it…with all that said, we’re not just focusing on five or six targets,’ because even Republicans such as Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) who are leaning toward voting in favor of Kavanaugh should understand the long-term repercussions of doing so. ‘We want a broad campaign so they understand the consequences of their vote.’” [MedPage Today, 8/6/18]
View Protect Our Care’s TV Ad, airing this week in Nevada, Alaska and Maine.
Listen to Protect Our Care’s Radio Ad, airing this week in Alaska.