Jul 12, 2012

Memo: Republicans Losing The Battle On Health Care Repeal

Republicans are losing ground and on defense in the health care battle after voting for the 33rd time yesterday to protect their own taxpayer-funded health care and the profits of their insurance company campaign donors instead of protecting patients and creating middle class jobs. Every part of the health care repeal debate – from polling to fundraising to message – is fundamentally different from 2010 as Democrats are on offense and Republicans are explaining their wrong priorities to the American people.

Wrong Priorities: Republicans are on defense for playing political games with 33 meaningless votes instead of creating jobs and strengthening the middle class. CBS News reported last night that Republicans have wasted $50 million – in taxpayer dollars – on their repeal efforts in the House.  A Kaiser Family Foundation Poll (7/2/12) found that more than half of independents don’t want more time wasted on repealing health care and believe it’s time to move on.

At the same time, House Republicans also are now under fire for voting to protect their own taxpayer-funded government health care for life at the expense of the middle class.

Democrats on Offense: The DCCC continues on offense with an aggressive campaign of advertising targeting vulnerable House Republicans that expose them for protecting insurance companies over middle class families. The DCCC raised $2.3 million in the three-day period from the U.S. Supreme Court ruling through the June 30th Federal Election Commission (FEC) deadline and June 30th was the single biggest grassroots’ fundraising day in DCCC history.

As of today, over 550,000 supporters have signed the DCCC’s petition in support of historic health care reform.

Check out some of the headlines:

  • DCCC launches ad campaign against House Republicans over health care [CNN, 7/9/12]
  • DCCC hits seven House Republicans on healthcare ahead of repeal vote. [The Hill, 7/9/12]
  • House Democrats raise $2.3M off health care ruling [USA Today, 7/3/12]

Voters Turning Against Republicans: The New York Times recently titled a story “Cracks Appear in Republican Unity on Health Care Repeal” and wrote that Republicans’ latest repeal vote comes “amid growing misgivings that relitigating the issue now will make Republicans seem out of touch” and “divisions are emerging over the wisdom of pulling the law out, root and branch.” A Republican campaign consultant worried: “Anytime we’re debating health care, they’re winning.”

Polling shows voters are rejecting House Republicans for playing these political games while protecting insurance company profits and failing to create jobs. The Washington Post Poll (7/9/12) showed that just 20 percent of voters want to repeal the entire health care law and only 16 percent support eliminating parts of the legislation. Now even conservatives are complaining that House Republicans have failed to address this issue adequately.

The Bottom Line: For more than 18 months, House Republicans have refused to address American people’s top priorities: creating jobs and strengthening the middle class. From voting to protect millionaires at the expense of Medicare to refighting these old political battles to protecting big insurance companies instead of creating jobs, Republicans are again on defense and will continue to be through Election Day.

After the last two weeks with Republicans on defense over health care, the DCCC is forced to ask: Will Republicans be scheduling vote #34?

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