In response to Congressman Poliquin’s strategy of playing fast and loose with the facts when it comes to Mainers’ access to healthcare, DCCC spokesperson, Cole Leiter released the following statement:
“Adding ‘flat out falsehoods’ to ‘[running] to a women’s restroom’ really rounds out Congressman Bruce Poliquin’s bag of tricks that he’ll use to hide his record from the Mainers he’s hurting. Poliquin’s evasions do nothing to serve his constituents, they simply highlight how out of step he is with the best interests of Maine’s 2nd Congressional District.”
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT //
Misleading on Medicaid hurts real Maine people
Amy Fried // Bangor Daily News, Column
KEY POINTS:
Over 70,000 working low-income Mainers would gain health insurance through Medicaid expansion. Some have health issues they don’t even know about that hurt their ability to live long, productive lives. Others already have chronic conditions like high blood pressure or lupus, or are addicted to opioids. Some could develop a critical condition and need expensive emergency care.
Expansion would help them, their families and their loved ones. Medicaid expansion would also support rural hospitals, keeping them strong for everyone nearby.
Meanwhile, the sheer range of types of Medicaid misinformation is impressive in its own way. Medicaid misinformers sometimes say things that are blatantly false while others operate by leaving out key information or context. Some misinform about the bill passed by U.S. House Republicans, others on what happened in Maine in the past, and still others on the impacts of Medicaid expansion around the country.
First, take the flat out falsehoods from Rep. Bruce Poliquin, who claimed to a closed-door meeting of donors, that the repeal and replace bill he voted for didn’t cut Medicaid.
In reality, Poliquin voted for spending a whopping $834 billion less for Medicaid over a 10-year period compared to current policy. Poliquin also voted to cap how much funding states would get. Despite his denials, both would have had huge effects.
The facts can be seen in cold, hard numbers in Table 4 on page 40 of the Congressional Budget Office report on the House bill, which shows that 14 million would lose coverage due to Medicaid cuts.
While mischaracterizing Medicaid in private, Poliquin avoided questions from the public and the journalists who inform his constituents. At that fundraiser, Rep. Poliquin said answering questions from the media about his positions would provide “ammunition” that could cause him to lose reelection. Previously Poliquin put his anti-transparency strategy into action by ducking into a bathroom when asked questions about health policy.