Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Pro-Obamacare group starts radio ads targeting GOP senators in Alaska, Nevada, Maine and W.Va.

A group opposed to Republican health-care proposals has started rural-focused radio ads in four states with senators who could provide the key votes on a bill Senate Republicans are drafting: Alaska, Nevada, Maine and West Virginia.

"The ads focus on rural communities access to affordable health care and name-checks the Republican senator from each state as a 'deciding vote'," reports Sally Persons of The Washington Times. "The Maine spot says in part, 'Behind closed doors in Washington they’re working in secret to rush through a health-care repeal bill that will devastate health care for Maine families, hitting our rural communities and hospitals the hardest. But it can’t pass without Senator [Susan] Collins. She’ll be a deciding vote.'"

Collins is considered one of the Republicans least likely to vote for the bill. The other targeted Republican senators are Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Dean Heller of Nevada and Shelley Moore Capito, all of whom have voiced reservations or opposition to the bill passed by the House in May.

The ads are from Save My Care, which says it is spending "six figures" on them, or at least $100,000. The group says on its website, "Our health care system faces real challenges, and must be improved. But Congress is meeting to decide the fate of health care behind closed doors, in secret, with no input from experts or their constituents. It’s wrong, and it’s irresponsible."

UPDATE, June 18: Another pro-Obamacare group is starting a $1.5 million TV campaign Monday, June 19, The Washington Post reports: "Community Catalyst Action Fund, which bills itself as a consumer health organization," is targeting the same four senators as the radio ads, plus Arizona, without directly targeting Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona.

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