It’s no coincidence that less than two months out from Election Day, vulnerable Reps. Mike Bost and Rodney Davis are doing damage control to hide their disastrous records of voting to gut protections for individuals with preexisting conditions and raise healthcare costs on Illinois families.
Late last week, Bost and Davis tried to take credit for introducing a non-binding “resolution” with a litany of vulnerable House Republicans to call for protecting individuals with preexisting conditions, nearly a year and half after they voted to do the opposite. The resolution does not have any force of law.
“After their own votes to gut protections for people in Illinois, Reps. Bost and Davis’s empty gesture is a gut punch to those living with asthma, cancer, diabetes and other preexisting conditions. The number of people in Illinois protected under this resolution is zero. The number of their own constituents with preexisting conditions who Bost and Davis voted to gut protections for is 581,900. Bost and Davis’s last-ditch effort to save their dimming re-election prospects is deceptive, shameful and one more reason to vote them out this November.” –DCCC spokesperson Jacob Peters
In a press release, Bost falsely stated: “Since day one in Congress, I have been crystal clear that we must protect individuals with pre-existing conditions from losing coverage. This resolution reaffirms to Southern Illinoisans that my commitment hasn’t changed.”
In a release with the sponsor of the powerless resolution, Davis falsely stated: “As we have said and done all along, people with pre-existing conditions should be and will be protected. Many of us fought for these protections in the AHCA and I thank Rep. Young for leading this resolution that reaffirms our support of maintaining those protections regardless of any future changes to Obamacare or a court ruling.”
Here are the facts:
- Bost and Davis voted repeatedly to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which would’ve eliminated protections for those with preexisting conditions.
- Bost and Davis voted for the AHCA, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Politifact confirmed would weaken protections for those with pre-existing conditions, including making health insurance unaffordable for older Americans and jack up healthcare costs.
- Bost and Davis both voted for the GOP Tax Scam, which their party is now using as their justification for a lawsuit that would end protections for Americans with preexisting conditions.