Bridge Project Launches New Ad Against Cassidy-Graham-Heller-Johnson Bill In Key States

To help bring transparency and accountability to Republicans’ latest dark-of-night attack against the American healthcare system, Bridge Project is releasing a new digital ad blitz targeting 6 Republican Senators, highlighting the excruciating impacts the Cassidy-Graham-Heller-Johnson legislation would have for average Americans and urging these Senators to vote against the bill.

With the backing of Donald Trump, Republicans in the Senate are rushing a bill that was written in secret by Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Dean Heller (R-NV), and Ron Johnson (R-WI) to the floor for a vote  before the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office can even determine what its full impact on American families would be. They are doing this because, as independent studies of the bill’s substance confirm, it would be a nonstarter with the American people. Polling shows all of the last Trumpcare attempts decisively rejected by the public – and Republicans want to keep […]

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FACT CHECK: Cassidy Lies About the Jimmy Kimmel Test and Devastating Impact of His Healthcare Bill

On CNN’s New Day, Sen. Bill Cassidy blatantly lied about the devastating effects that Cassidy-Graham-Heller-Johnson would have on American families, and it’s important his constituents – as well as those of every Republican Senator trying to force this bill down the throats of the American public – see the facts.

“After being caught red-handed last night, Bill Cassidy just lied through his teeth,” said American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates.  “This Trumpcare bill would ruin lives by taking health coverage from millions of Americans and and turning back the clock to when having a preexisting condition like cancer or congenital heart disease brought with it the threat of bankruptcy.  The truth is that Republicans are obsessed with repealing the Affordable Care Act no matter what it costs the American people so that deregulated insurance companies can screw average Americans once again.”

LIE: “Under Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson more people will have coverage.”

FACT: Millions of Americans would lose their health […]

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THE KEY QUESTION FOR SENATE REPUBLICANS ABOUT CASSIDY-GRAHAM-HELLER

“How will you justify supporting this attack on Americans’ healthcare when you meet your constituents again?”

Republicans are yet again trying to force a Trumpcare bill down the American peoples’ throats that would increase health costs, gut the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people suffering from preexisting conditions, and end Medicaid as we know it.

The GOP is moving forward with this disastrous bill despite the fact that the largest patient advocacy organizations in the United States – including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the American College of Physicians – have called on Senators to stand against Cassidy-Graham-Heller-Johnson.  So has the American College of Physicians, the Children’s Hospital Association, and the American Association of Retired Persons.

In response to the warnings from these various groups, American Bridge President Jessica Mackler posed the following question to every Republican senator considering this legislation:

“The top nonpartisan patent advocates in the country have warned – in the strongest terms – that this […]

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Trump’s sabotage of the Affordable Care Act costs the people of Michigan

Donald Trump is actively sabotaging Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance marketplaces, and it is costing the people of Michigan. Today, Health Alliance Plan announced that, as a result of Trump destabilizing the market, they will withdraw from offering individual coverage plans on the health insurance exchanges in Michigan. 

This news comes after Donald Trump has taken a host of executive actions that have harmed insurance markets and driven-up healthcare costs for Americans, including an executive order on Trump’s first day in office to compromise the effectiveness of the individual mandate, calling into question whether the mandate would be enforced at all, pulling an initial round of ACA enrollment ads that had already been paid for, and cutting the overall enrollment ad budget by 90% as well as community outreach funds by 40%.

Most damaging of all, Trump has repeatedly threatened to withhold cost-sharing reductions (CSRs), which are critical in order for 7 million working people to […]

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Editorial Roundup: Still the Worst Edition

Newspapers across the country slammed President Trump and his Administration’s continued incompetence this week, in editorials condemning Trump’s dishonest voter commission, his faux “tax reform” push that increasingly appears to be a giveaway for the rich at everyone else’s expense, his bungled response to natural disasters, and more.

Here’s a recap of what Americans read about Trump in their local newspapers this week:

9/8

Home News Tribune: Don’t Forget About Trump’s Tax Returns

Trump, of course, defied 40 years of presidential tradition by refusing to release his tax returns while campaigning. He concocted an explanation that he couldn’t be transparent because he was being audited, but it was apparent then and even more obvious now that the president never had any intention of offering that information to the public. He wants everyone to move on.

That means one thing: He’s hiding something. Not something illegal, necessarily, or even particularly unethical. But […]

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Trump’s ACA sabotage is hurting Louisianians, but Sen. Cassidy isn’t protecting them

American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates released the following statement after it was reported that the Trump Administration’s most recent action undercutting the Affordable Care Act marketplaces would directly harm harm Louisianians: 

“These cuts by the Trump Administration will cause real pain for Louisiana families who need help signing up for health care in the marketplaces. But instead of standing up for those Louisianians, Sen. Bill Cassidy is working with Trump on yet another Obamacare replacement that would take insurance from millions and cripple coverage for preexisting conditions.”

Baton Rouge Advocate: Feds slash funding for helping consumers get Obamacare — 2 Louisiana nonprofits lose 80 percent
BY TED GRIGGS | TGRIGGS@THEADVOCATE.COM
SEP 15, 2017 – 11:15 AM

The two nonprofits that help Louisiana consumers enroll in Obamacare health plans have had 80 percent of the $1.7 million in funding they receive slashed by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.

The Southwest Louisiana Area […]

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Sanders Questions: Back To Bedminster Edition

With this weekend’s taxpayer funded vacation to his golf resort in Bedminster, President Trump surpasses his 75th day of vacation while in office. #MAGA

American Bridge Rapid Response Director Emily Aden calls on White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to answer the following questions:

1. Will President Trump fire his billionaire Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin for trying to use taxpayer funds for his personal benefit?

2. How exactly does President Trump plan to make his unconstitutional Muslim travel ban both “larger” and “more specific?”

3. Will President Trump apologize for repeating his “both sides” comments about the anti-Semitic white supremacists in Charlottesville in his call with Jewish leaders today?

4. Will you apologize to all the veterans on Tricare and senior citizens on Medicare you offended yesterday by claiming you can’t imagine anything worse than receiving government health care?

5. Has the President or anyone in the White House talked to Paul Manafort about his […]

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Mnuchin just exposed Trump’s false promise not to cut taxes for the wealthy 

When meeting with the leadership of both parties in Congress regarding tax reform yesterday, Donald Trump assured the American people that his tax reform legislation would not cut taxes for the wealthy, and would instead prioritize the American middle class.

Donald Trump, 9/13/2017: “And, by the way, lower for individuals — much lower than that for individuals.  And the rich will not be gaining at all with this plan.  We’re looking for the middle class, and we’re looking for jobs.”

Fast forward 24 hours though and Trump’s Treasury Secretary is singing a different tune. Just now, when asked about Trump’s claim that tax reform would not benefit the rich, Secretary  Mnuchin flatly contradicted it by revealing that the legislation would still repeal the estate tax – which is only paid by the wealthiest 0.2 percent of all estates.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, 9/14/2017: “And even if we do […]

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Trump’s latest act of ACA sabotage will devastate rural Americans 

American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates released the following statement after the Department of Health & Human Services announced that they would cut funding for Affordable Care Act (ACA) navigators by 85%, the most recent way that the Trump Administration has undermined the ACA exchanges ahead of the enrollment period that they themselves have artificially shortened:

“Donald Trump is disingenuously telling Americans that the Affordable Care Act is failing – despite data to the contrary from his own administration – as he tries to force its head under the water, regardless of the consequences for families. This latest attempt at sabotage by Trump with behind-the-back administrative actions will be devastating for people across the country who count on ACA marketplaces for their healthcare – particularly those in rural communities.”

A host of executive actions taken by Trump and his administration have destabilized insurance markets and driven up health case costs for Americans, including an  Read more after the jump.

Sanders Questions: Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Trump Edition 

Republican Senators Graham, Cassidy, and Heller introduced their health care bill today that would reverse the gains made under the Affordable Care Act by taking health care from millions of people all to start a new system with lower quality care and higher costs. That’s a no-brainer for President Trump, right?

American Bridge Rapid Response Director Emily Aden calls on White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders to answer the following questions:

1. Is the White House still pursuing a plan started by Michael Flynn to build dozens nuclear reactors across the Middle East backed by of his secret lobbying clients?

2. Does President Trump support a bipartisan deal reached by the Senate Finance Committee to extend CHIP for five years?

3. Actual election experts agree voter fraud is a nearly non-existent problem and President Trump’s voter commission head Kris Kobach said yesterday there is a “high possibility” the group won’t even make any […]

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