“Rep. Tom O’Halleran is a tireless advocate for his district. Authoring a bill to lower prescription drug costs, advocating for COVID resources for the Navajo Nation, and securing over $1 billion in federal funding to Arizona schools are just a few of the ways Tom has proven he is someone who will work across party lines to deliver for his constituents. Tom’s focus and determination stand in stark contrast to Tiffany Shedd’s blanket partisanship and will earn him another term in office come November.” – DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos
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To: Interested Parties
From: Sarah Guggenheimer, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: August 4, 2020
Subject: The Case Against Tiffany Shedd
Tiffany Shedd is a proud partisan, running for Congress to serve as a blank check for her party. Her commitment to even the most hardline Republican positions like cutting Social Security and Medicare and supporting repealing the Affordable Care Act during a global pandemic are all wrong for this moderate district.
Representative Tom O’Halleran meanwhile has served Arizona’s 1st Congressional District well, working across the aisle to deliver real results for his constituents.
O’Halleran’s standout record includes drafting legislation to lower prescription drug costs, fighting for additional COVID relief funds for Navajo Nation, and delivering over $1 billion in federal funding for Arizona schools.
Through his work, Arizonans know they can count on O’Halleran.
Entering the general election with a reputation as an independent mind with a proven record and a significant cash on hand advantage over Shedd, O’Halleran is well on his way toward re-election.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“In his nearly four years in Washington, O’Halleran has been one of the more moderate Democrats on Capitol Hill, through there are few issues on which his party and Trump find common ground these days.” [Arizona Republic, 7/13/20]
“A report by the Town Hall Project found that Arizona lawmakers have held just 28 town halls so far this year – and 19 of those were held by Rep. Tom O’Halleran, D-Sedona.” [Arizona Daily Sun, 10/15/19]
HEADLINE: O’Halleran dominates fundraising for 2020 congressional race [Eastern Arizona Courier, 11/11/19]
“Rep. O’Halleran said he has become known as the ‘go to guy’ in Congress for Native Americans because he has been an advocate for Native Americans on a long list of issues.” [Navajo-Hopi Observer, 7/21/20]
Tiffany Shedd’s Partisan Positions Are Out of Touch For Arizona
O’HALLERAN IS WORKING TO MAKE HEALTH CARE MORE AFFORDABLE
Time and again, health care has been proven to be the most important issue on voters’ minds. This spells bad news for Shedd who stands with her party even as they work to rip health care away from Arizonans during a global pandemic that has hit her state particularly hard.
Shedd has proudly shown Arizona voters they can’t trust her to do anything other than follow the party line. That means that she’ll stand in lockstep with Republicans and vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a move that would gut protections for pre-existing conditions and hike prescription drug costs. Even now, Trump is arguing before the Supreme Court that the Affordable Care Act should be repealed, a decision that would cause 363,000 Arizonans to lose their health care.
O’Halleran meanwhile has stood on the frontlines of the fight to lower costs and improve access for Arizonans. Not only has he defended the Affordable Care Act against GOP attacks, but he authored a bill to lower prescription drugs costs. This bill would directly benefit his constituents and is the leadership Arizonans deserve.
And during the coronavirus crisis, Tom O’Halleran has played a leading role in ensuring that Arizonans get the resources they need during this pandemic. He’s advocated for relief and transparency to ensure that aid goes to small businesses who need it most.
Congressman O’Halleran has been a stalwart advocate for the Navajo Nation in particular. Supporting a bill to provide $2.6 billion to tribes to combat the pandemic, O’Halleran also “introduced a bipartisan bill to extend the deadline for tribes to spend CARES Act funding.” O’Halleran understands how federal policy can often leave Native American communities behind and has been a strong voice to make sure they get the resources they need.
TIFFANY SHEDD WANTS TO CUT SOCIAL SECURITY
In Arizona’s First Congressional District, nearly 130,000 seniors rely on Social Security – but Tiffany Shedd has backed a plan that would put current retirees’ benefits at risk.
Shedd supported President Bush’s plan to privatize Social Security. This plan would divert current workers’ funds into private investment accounts, draining the resources needed to ensure that current retirees got their benefits. Shedd’s plan would have cut Social Security benefits for a whopping 70% of taxpayers. It’s no surprise, then, that Shedd supports the 2017 GOP tax cut bill that added $1.9 trillion to the debt and put Social Security and Medicare at risk – all while cutting taxes for the top 1%. Shedd’s tired, out of touch positions are proof that she is running to be the kind of representative who would put her own political interests ahead of the people she’s supposed to represent.
In Congress, Tom O’Halleran has stood up for Arizona’s seniors and fought efforts to privatize and cut Social Security and Medicare. Grand Canyon State seniors can count on O’Halleran too look out for them – not Washington party bosses and wealthy donors.
O’HALLERAN PUTS PEOPLE OVER PARTISANSHIP
Tom O’Halleran has represented Arizona with the kind of bipartisanship that reflects his district. O’Halleran never lets partisanship get in the way of meaningful legislation that can improve the lives of all Arizonans.
Ranked the most bipartisan member of the Arizona House delegation and the 8th most bipartisan Democrat in the House, O’Halleran has managed to bypass the partisanship that so often consumes Washington. And it’s directly because of that independence that O’Halleran has been so successful – delivering $1.2 billion in federal funding to help Arizona schools.
That’s the kind of accomplishment that has a real impact on his constituents and something that a hardened partisan like Tiffany Shedd could not deliver.
PATH TO VICTORY
Thanks to his commitment and independence, Congressman Tom O’Halleran has already been re-elected in a district that he first won in 2016 – when Donald Trump carried the district.
O’Halleran is entering the general election with a six to one cash on hand advantage over Tiffany Shedd, which will prove crucial in his path to victory as he communicates with the broad swath of voters even during a global pandemic.
O’Halleran’s solid record of delivering for his constituents next to Shedd’s blanket partisanship positions O’Halleran to win re-election this fall.
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