In a significant escalation of the progressive campaign to make Republicans pay a political price for voting to end Medicare, the progressive advocacy group Americans United for Change will run broadcast TV ads in the districts of Reps. Steve King (R-IA), Sean Duffy (R-WI), Chip Cravaack (R-MN), and Paul Ryan (R-WI).
“What are House Republicans thinking asking millions of seniors, the less fortunate and the disabled to make more sacrifices and the richest among us to make less,” says AUC executive Tom McMahon in a statement.
If Republicans have their way, there would be no more guaranteed Medicare benefits for America’s seniors, only a guarantee of paying more and more out of pocket for less care after being left to the mercy to the private insurance industry. There would only be a guarantee that millions of Americans would lose their jobs - only a guarantee that America’s poor and disabled will live sicker and die younger while millionaires get another tax break they don’t need and the nation cannot afford. This is not a path to prosperity, only a path to bankrupting seniors so Paris Hilton and BP can have another tax break. And there’s nothing courageous about that.
The five-figure buy will begin Tuesday and run through the end of the week. It’s paired with a robocall campaign in 23 districts, which began last week, and will run through the week, pausing for Easter weekend — 360,000 calls in total. The script for that robocall:
I’m calling from the Americans United for Change.On April 15th, your Congressman _________voted to end Medicare and its guaranteed health care benefits. Instead, he wants to give seniors a voucher forcing them to go out and find coverage from private insurance companies.
The Non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates this proposal will increase senior’s out of pocket costs by $6,000 each year - and Congressman ____ is using the savings to give corporations and millionaires another tax break.
Congressman ________even voted to slash Medicaid funds that pay nursing home care for seniors and the disabled.
Call Congressman __________________ at _______________. Tell him (her) that cutting Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security to pay for tax cuts for corporations and millionaires is just wrong. Tell him/her to keep his/her - hands off our Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
Democratic-aligned groups are ratcheting up efforts to publicly confront GOP members in contested districts over their vote for the GOP budget nearly two weeks ago. You can view the ad targeting Ryan below.
Brian Beutler
Brian Beutler is TPM's senior congressional reporter. Since 2009, he's led coverage of health care reform, Wall Street reform, taxes, the GOP budget, the government shutdown fight, and the debt limit fight. He can be reached at brian@talkingpointsmemo.com.
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