Issues: Health Care

CBO confirms Obamacare will only “fail” if Trump rigs it to

For his entire presidency, Trump has perpetrated a malicious sabotage campaign against the Affordable Care Act, increasing health insurance prices for the American people and forcing insurance companies to withdraw from some marketplaces.

Now, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has indicated that, if Trump follows through on his most egregious threat to Obamacare customers, premiums for benchmark plans in the marketplaces would spike by up to 25% in coming years, 1 million Americans would lose their health coverage in 2018, and in total the federal deficit would increase by $194 billion.

“This new report confirms it: if Donald Trump continues sabotaging the Affordable Care Act, innocent people will suffer from higher premiums and lost their coverage,” said American Bridge President Jessica Mackler. “Make no mistake – voters are paying attention and will hold Republicans fully accountable if they don’t act to stop Trump’s sabotage immediately.  The country can’t afford the consequences of inaction.” 

America’s […]

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Bridge Project Releases ACA Sabotage Report, Digital Ad Blitz on Trump’s Attempts to Undermine State Insurance Markets

In response to Trump’s ongoing threats to sabotage state health insurance markets, Bridge Project is releasing a new report detailing the potential consequences of the Administration’s behavior and the fallout that awaits the Republican Party if the President follows through on his plans. Additionally, Bridge Project ​is launching a digital ad blitz that will demand Republican members of congress stand up to Trump on behalf of the millions of people who could potentially lose their coverage or be forced to pay higher premiums if the President acts on his threats. The campaign will hold Republicans accountable for sabotaging current law in the interest of their partisan agenda. 

To read the new report, click here.

The view the new digital ad, click here.

“Make no mistake about it: Donald Trump is trying to sabotage state health insurance markets and force premium spikes so he can ultimately leverage […]

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Trump’s Broken Opioid Promises Speak Louder Than Jeff Sessions’s Words

American Bridge Spokesperson Harrell Kirstein released the following statement after Jeff Sessions’s remarks in Columbus, Ohio, on the opioid epidemic:

“Within months of taking office, President Trump proposed massive cuts to the largest source opioid treatment in the country and tried to eliminate the Office of National Drug Control Policy, breaking campaign promises every step of the way.  Coming after this betrayal, Jeff Sessions’s words today are cheap and meaningless.  There is nothing this administration can say to make up for Trump abandoning the millions of Americans looking for support in the struggle against the opioid epidemic.”

Background on the massive cuts Trump’s has proposed to opioid treatment is below.  Additionally, Trump’s opioid commission has twice  failed to produce to a plan to fight substance abuse, and even Ohio’s Republican Governor Kasich called the Trumpcare funding to stem the opioid crisis “anemic,” noting “it’s like spitting in the ocean.”

Trump’s Budget Included […]

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Even Mick Mulvaney can’t defend Trump’s CSR threats

After Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, failed numerous times to answer for Trump’s threat to stop payments of cost-sharing subsidies that are essential for insurance market stability and for 7 million working Americans to have healthcare, American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates released the following statement:

“Even Trump’s budget director can’t defend Trump’s threat to sabotage Obamacare marketplaces and it’s clear why. Cutting off Affordable Care Act cost-sharing reductions that are critical for seven million Americans having healthcare – the very people Donald Trump referred to as ‘the forgotten men and women’ – would recklessly damage insurance markets across the country and hike premiums by 19%.  If Trump puts his little hand on the scale, he will be punishing millions of innocent people out of spite because his drive to pass Trumpcare went down in flames. The American people deserve better leadership.”

Click here to see Mulvaney’s interview​: https://youtu.be/bEjBs58vX2Y​

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American Bridge Launches Digital Ads in 4 States On GOP Dysfunction

Ads Highlight Washington Republicans’ Total Inability to Govern & Call for Change in Congress

As the Republican Party reels from the failure of its top policy priority for the last seven years despite holding the White House and both chambers of Congress, American Bridge today is launching a digital ad campaign holding Republican politicians accountable for their party’s dysfunction and toxic agenda.

The ads, which will run on social media through the weekend, will tell swing voters, “The Republican Congress isn’t working. It’s time for new leadership in Washington.” The ads will run across four key states: Nevada, Florida, Arizona and Michigan.

“Republicans in Washington are mired in dysfunction, unable deliver on their campaign promises and beholden to a toxic legislative agenda. They are offering the country chaos when we need competence,” said American Bridge Vice President Shripal Shah.  “Kicking millions off of their insurance in order to cut taxes for the rich was a […]

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American Bridge Statement on Senators Graham, McCain, Johnson, and Cassidy’s Press Conference

American Bridge Vice President Shripal Shah released the following statement responding to a healthcare press conference held by Senators Graham, McCain, Johnson and Cassidy:

“It’s tough to take this rhetoric seriously considering recent history. If Senators McCain, Graham, Johnson, and Cassidy are sincere about working in a bipartisan fashion, they need to vote down this bogus ‘skinny repeal’ bill. Full stop. Hedging their bets on some bogus assurances that they may get from Speaker Ryan won’t cut it. House Republicans aren’t working in good faith and no one should think otherwise.”

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Mike Rounds shows Republicans’ hand on so-called “skinny” repeal

“Mike Rounds just admitted what everyone else already knows to be true: this so-called ‘skinny’ repeal is a disaster, and Republicans are only pushing it because they don’t want to be exposed as the failures they are.  Trying to find a craven way to pass the buck and vote for it anyway is about as cynical as you can get, which speaks to how ​low ​Republicans are sinking to rubber-stamp Donald Trump’s agenda.

“It’s long past time for McConnell to scrap the theatrics and work on a bipartisan plan to improve the existing law. Booting millions from their insurance is not an answer,” said American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates. 

Liz Goodwin, Yahoo News, 7/27/2017: “Sen Rounds says he’s asked for a guarantee house won’t pass skinny before conference or a delay in implementation if it passes”

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VIDEO: Nevada TV Slams Dean Heller on Healthcare

Bridge Project today released a new video highlighting the role Dean Heller played in yesterday’s 50-50 vote. Local Nevada stations did not hold back in their criticism of Heller.

“With his vote to open debate yesterday and his commitment today to support a repeal bill, Dean Heller has proven he is willing to put partisan politics ahead of the health of his constituents,” said American Bridge spokesperson Joshua Karp. “Despite his previous statements about how damaging Trumpcare would be to hard working Nevadans, Heller sided with Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell over Nevadans.”

See the new Bridge Project video here.

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Bridge Project Takes-On Back Room Senate Trumpcare Bill With Digital  Ad Campaign

As Senate Republicans finally unveil the Trumpcare bill that they have been writing behind closed doors, Bridge Project is launching a new digital ad campaign targeting 6 Republican senators across the country and underlining the painful costs that Trumpcare would have for their constituents.

To view Bridge Project’s new ad, “Don’t Gut Our Healthcare,” click HERE. ​

This ad will run in Alaska, Arizona, Maine, Nevada, Ohio, and West Virginia.

“Republicans can run but they can’t hide from this disastrous bill they’re trying to keep secret,” said American Bridge founder David Brock. “Cowardly tricks and operating behind closed doors with lobbyists won’t work. The reality is that Trumpcare would take health insurance from millions and effectively gut coverage for preexisting conditions in order to cut taxes for the rich, and we’re going to make sure the public knows the truth.”

As polls continue to show Trumpcare consistently becoming more unpopular, Senate Republicans have resorted […]

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Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are opening the floodgates for more Wall Street bailouts

American Bridge President Jessica Mackler released the following statement in advance of the House vote on the Financial CHOICE Act, previewing an upcoming digital ad campaign from Bridge Project: 

“Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are selling out American families again – this time by opening the floodgates for more bailouts. Just one month after passing Trumpcare – which would deprive 23 million Americans of their health insurance in order to cut taxes for the rich – House Republicans are voting today on another key element of Donald Trump’s anti-middle class agenda: legislation that would gut Wall Street reforms put in place after 2008 to safeguard our economy from another financial crisis.

“Donald Trump attacked opponents in both parties for being ‘too close’ to the financial sector, yet his top economic advisers – including his Treasury secretary – now come from Wall Street banks. They’re clearly getting their money’s worth […]

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