Washington, D.C.— People For the American Way today launched a new 3o-second digital ad blasting Republican Senator Joni Ernst for hypocrisy on the issue of health coverage for preexisting conditions. It notes that while Ernst has stated she supports coverage for preexisting conditions, her actions in repeatedly voting to confirm anti-health care federal judges stand in sharp contrast. Ernst has voted to confirm judges who have made it clear they oppose laws requiring insurance companies to cover preexisting conditions, and whose rulings from the bench are actively undermining this coverage.
Today's release is a curtain-raiser for a campaign that will continue to tie Ernst to votes for judges who are undermining health care, and represents an initial buy of several thousand dollars on Facebook.
Watch the ad here: https://bit.ly/2ZCXfu7
“Joni Ernst has given lip service to the importance of protecting people with preexisting conditions while her actions have accomplished the opposite,” said People For the American Way President Ben Jealous. “Ernst may think her votes to confirm anti-health care judges are flying under the radar. But it doesn’t take much to see how they’re hurting Iowans and all Americans who need health care. We think it’s important to raise the alarm about her real record on protecting people with preexisting conditions, which is very different from her empty words on this issue.”
“Iowans have been getting wise to Joni Ernst’s real agenda and her lack of trustworthiness for some time now,” said Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic. “We’re still reeling from her remarks suggesting doctors are inflating COVID numbers so they can get paid more. To know that she’s also taking actions that are destroying coverage for preexisting conditions, while claiming to support it, is just more proof of how cynical a politician she really has become.”
People For the American Way notes that Ernst has voted to confirm federal judges who have struck down protections for people with preexisting conditions; ruled that the entire Affordable Care Act, which includes these protections as a key element, could be unconstitutional; and ruled for a Trump administration rule that makes it easier for insurance companies to sell “junk” policies that don’t cover preexisting conditions.
For months, the Trump administration and a group of Republican attorneys general have been pursuing a lawsuit that, if successful, would overturn the Affordable Care Act and its guarantee of protection for preexisting conditions. The Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case in November. Before Donald Trump appointed the two newest justices, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, he made it clear he was seeking anti-ACA judges. Ernst voted to confirm both Gorsuch and Kavanaugh.
Script:
Senator Joni Ernst says “it’s important that we protect people with preexisting conditions”…
But look what she’s doing in Washington!
Voting to confirm judges hand-picked by special interests.
Judges who…
Struck down coverage for preexisting conditions in the Affordable Care Act…
Said protections for preexisting conditions are unconstitutional…
And ruled insurance companies can deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions.
When Ernst says she’ll protect people with preexisting conditions…
She’s NOT telling us the truth.
This November, VOTE HER OUT.