American Bridge calls for investigation after leaked memo proves Trump deliberately raised healthcare costs on families for political purposes

American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates released the following statement after a leaked Trump Administration memo proved that Donald Trump intentionally abused his executive authority to undermine the American healthcare system and needlessly raised out-of-pocket healthcare costs in order to help persuade Congress to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA):

“Donald Trump has been caught red-handed: he drove-up​ healthcare costs on American families in an attempt to end Obamacare,” said American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates. “Far from providing less expensive care to ‘everyone’ or fighting to reduce the economic burdens faced by the ‘forgotten men and women’ – as he promised – we now know that Donald Trump made the cost of healthcare soar for untold thousands on purpose. It is imperative that Congress and the HHS inspector general get to the bottom of this damning revelation immediately​.”

According to the Trump Administration’s own data, average premiums for benchmark silver plans on the health insurance marketplaces increased […]

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Bank of America’s chief economist refutes Trump on corporate tax cuts and wages

Today, Bank of America Merrill Lynch’s chief economist confirmed that the empty promises Donald Trump and Republicans made about wasteful new tax cuts for corporations “trickling down” to the middle class in the form of higher salaries and wages are untrue, telling the Associated Press, “The bulk of the corporate tax cuts should accrue to people who hold stock in companies…Workers benefit much more from a cut in taxes on ordinary income. In other words, better to get a direct cut than a spillover from cuts to others.”

This comes as evidence mounts that, as Fortune 500 CEOs announced many times over even before the Republican tax plan was passed, and as history demonstrates, companies will use these tax cuts to pay their shareholders more – not to raise wages and salaries for workers.

“Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are struggling as they fight against the […]

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Republicans follow their unpopular healthcare plan with the most unpopular tax plan in 36 years

new analysis by FiveThirtyEight finds that the Trump-Republican tax bill “is one of the least popular tax plans since Ronald Reagan’s day,” using polling averages dating back to 1981.

FiveThirtyEight concludes that the tax proposal is “historically” unpopular with the American public “because they think it disproportionately benefits the rich.”

Based on study after study, they’re right – this plan would raise taxes on 87 million middle class households to help finance outsize new breaks for the wealthiest Americans as well as a permanent corporate rate cut that Fortune 500 CEOs are saying would not go toward new jobs, but increasing shareholder pay.

“The American people are decisively rejecting the Trump-Republican tax bill because they know it cuts taxes for the rich and big companies at the expense of everyone else,” said American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates. “No matter how recklessly Trump and Republican Senators try to shove this bill […]

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BREAKING: Republicans Vote To Raise Taxes On Middle Class Americans, Cut Medicare, And Send Jobs Overseas

American Bridge Vice President Shripal Shah released the following statement in response to the House passing the Trump tax plan:

“In lockstep with Donald Trump, House Republicans just voted to raise taxes on 36 million middle class Americanscut Medicare by $25 billion, and outsource American jobs – all to cut taxes for the super rich and big corporations.  This is a disastrous plan that sells-out hardworking, average Americans who are counting on jobs and a better economic future.  The country deserves better, and the public will hold these Republicans accountable.”

Yesterday, Bridge Project released a new digital ad running nationally on Facebook, “Trumps Tax Plan Sells You Out,” which highlights warnings that the Republican tax plan would break Donald Trump’s #1 promise and help outsource American jobs he said he would protect.

Raising taxes on middle class Americans
The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimates that the House […]

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BREAKING: Trump and Ryan oppose bipartisan ACA compromise, instead continue their sabotage of health insurance markets

American Bridge spokesperson Andrew Bates released the following statement after Donald Trump and Speaker Paul Ryan announced their opposition to the bipartisan Alexander-Murray compromise deal that would fund the Affordable Care Act (ACA) cost-sharing subsidies:

“Premiums are already soaring by as much as 30% because of Trump​, yet he and Speaker Ryan are trying to kill a bipartisan compromise that would reverse this trend and improve millions of lives.  They’re instead doubling-down on the malicious, politically-motivated sabotage of the Affordable Care Act that brought us here. Trump, Ryan, and every other Republican who side with higher premiums and against this bipartisan breakthrough will be inflicting needless economic pain upon the country, and their constituents will hold them accountable.”

Ryan and Trump’s opposition comes as health insurers have already begun to hike premiums on ACA marketplaces – including by 30% in Pennsylvania – as a result of Trump’s executive […]

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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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Bridge Project Launches New Digital Campaign Featuring CBO’s Latest Analysis of Trumpcare 

Based on the new Congressional Budget Office analysis of Trumpcare, Bridge Project is launching a new 6-second digital ad – ‘Heartbeat’ – targeting Republicans in Congress for support the dangerous legislation.  The CBO confirmed on Wednesday that Trumpcare would cost 23 million Americans their health insurance, cripple the ability of people with pre-existing conditions to get affordable coverage, deny one sixth of Americans access to essential health benefits, and slash Medicaid funding by over $800 billion – all in order to give hundreds of billions of dollars in tax breaks to the wealthiest.

To view Bridge Project’s new 6-second ad, “Hearbeat” click HERE.

The ad features the sound of a beating heart followed by a heart monitor flat-lining to illustrate the dangerous consequences of Trumpcare which are also featured in text on screen. It builds on American Bridge’s previously announced strategy of “highlighting the disastrous consequences of this law, the people […]

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CBO Score Confirmed: No Woman Is Safe Under TrumpCare

Following the release of CBO’s report, American Bridge spokesperson Lizzy Price made the following statement:

“No woman is safe under Trumpcare. The Republican plan to rip away health care options would leave millions of women without a place to turn for care.”

According to the CBO Report, de-funding Planned Parenthood would cause 15 percent of underserved and low-income women to lose access to care.

See excerpts from American Bridge’s report on women’s health care:

Planned Parenthood offers more contraceptive options: Only half of community health centers that receive Title X funding provide IUDs or implants on-site. Planned Parenthood offers more contraceptive options for women, making it easier for women to find long-acting contraceptives.

Planned Parenthood serves more contraceptive patients: Planned Parenthood clinics serve over twice the amount of contraceptive clients than federally-qualified health clinics.

Planned Parenthood clinics have shorter wait times: When compared […]

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Paul Ryan Should Withdraw Trump Endorsement Instead of Recycling Failed Poverty Agenda

Today is the first day of Speaker Paul Ryan’s “A Better Way” road tour, where he is rolling out his poverty reduction plan, with no solutions to actually reduce poverty in America.

Below are remarks by Eddie Vale, the Vice President of American Bridge:

“We were prepared to do an analysis of Speaker Ryan’s poverty plan, but it turns out there’s nothing new to actually look at since it’s all just the same old ideas put into a .pdf.
“If Ryan wanted to show a better way for the GOP and demonstrate real leadership at this event, he would withdraw his endorsement from Donald Trump.”

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Paul Ryan Is Too Little, Too Late With Zika Virus House Bill

As House Republicans announce its $662 million Zika virus bill today, it falls short only ONE-THIRD of the $1.9 billion request of what the Center for Disease Control (CDC) needs to fight the global health emergency.

We are learning more information every day about the danger and spreading of the Zika virus beyond its effect on pregnant women but to the general population. And the CDC admits they don’t have the resources necessary to fight the mosquito-borne disease. President Obama has already transferred $589 million set aside for Ebola prevention to prepare for Zika, but now House Republicans want to raid more from that fund–still falling short of what CDC needs–to combat this impending public health disaster.

What is it going to take for Paul Ryan and the House Republicans to understand what’s at stake?

House Republicans Are Putting The Public At Risk By Failing To Act on Zika Virus
Health Officials Said […]

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