House Democratic Candidates Capitalize on Graham-Cassidy
Roll Call
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Democratic House candidates are trying to appeal to Republican senators in their states as the GOP prepares for another vote to repeal the 2010 health care law.
A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said it is his intention to vote next week on the health care legislation spearheaded by Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said that if it passed the Senate, the House would pass the legislation. This would put many endangered House Republicans in the position of having two votes on record to repeal the health care law.
Chrissy Houlahan, who is running in Pennsylvania’s 6th District against Ryan Costello, appealed to the state’s Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, saying the bill was “dangerous” and that it would “take away insurance from some of our most vulnerable citizens.”
Former Arizona Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, who represented the state’s 1st District and is now running to challenge Rep. Martha McSally in the state’s 2nd District, tweeted a photo of her calling Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake.
Kirkpatrick lost in 2016 to McCain, who voted against the last Republican repeal attempt.
So far McCain has not given any indication how he would vote but Flake told “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Wednesday that he planned to vote for the legislation.
Susie Lee, who is running in Nevada’s 4th District, tweeted a photo of herself calling her state’s senators as well.
Nevada’s Republican Sen. Dean Heller, who is considered one of the most vulnerable Republicans in the Senate in 2018, is one of the co-authors of the legislation. Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen, who represents Nevada’s 4th District, is running against Heller, leaving her seat open.
Jay Hulings, who is running in Texas’ 23rd District to challenge Rep. Will Hurd, also posted a photo of himself calling Texas Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn.
Hurd was one of 20 Republicans who voted against the version of Republican repeal that passed the House in May. Texas’ 23rd District is the most contested in the state.
Angie Craig, who is running in a rematch against Rep. Jason Lewis in Minnesota’s 2nd District, posted on Facebook a photo of her hugging a man named Hunter, saying he is battling cancer.
“He’s going to have a pre-existing condition his whole life — and under the latest Republican plan to eliminate the ACA that means healthcare for people like him will be extremely expensive and likely out of reach,” the post said.
Craig said she knew her state’s senators, Democrats Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, were opposed, so she instead appealed for people to call Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, who both voted against the last Republican repeal legislation.