PROTECT OUR CARE. ** WEEKLY WRAP-UP ** [ February 12-17, 2017 ] Republicans Repackage Failed Ideas to Get Political Cover During Recess

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1 PROTECT OUR CARE ** WEEKLY WRAP-UP ** [ February 12-17, 2017 ] Republicans Repackage Failed Ideas to Get Political Cover During Recess Right before leaving Capitol Hill for recess, House Republican Leaders released a pamphlet of recess talking points, claiming it s their replacement plan - when in reality, it s just another attempt to rebrand their failed "repeal and delay" strategy. New analyses from Protect Our Care and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities prove that their document is a concession that Republicans don t have a way of squaring their rhetoric everyone keeps their coverage, at a lower cost and improved quality with what repeal will mean for families. To be clear, Republicans have no plan to undo that damage: as a result, 30 million more could become uninsured and premiums could double. These documents show they haven t progressed beyond the half-baked Better Way plan and other vague outlines from last year, and if scored by CBO, the ideas would fall far short of the bar that set by the Affordable Care Act. Coverage Highlights: Congress Goes Home, and Constituents Fired-Up Over Health Care Are Waiting New York Times // February 17 Republicans have long talk about replacing Obamacare, but no bill yet CNN // February 17 GOP lawmakers get details on Ryan Obamacare repeal plan and advice on how to sell it McClatchy // February 16 Republicans are running away from their constituents Washington Post // February 14 Republicans Continue to Ignore Public Backlash, Insist on Moving Forward Despite intensifying public backlash, confusion and chaos about what to do and the reality of the harm repeal will inflict on millions of Americans, some Republican members remain hell-bent on rushing forward with repeal as soon as possible:

2 President Donald Trump: So we ve begun preparing to repeal and replace Obamacare, and are deep in the midst of negotiations on a very historic tax reform to bring our jobs back, to bring our jobs back to this country. Big league. It s already happening. But big league. [President Trump Press Conference, 2/16/17] Rep Paul Ryan (R-WI): We've had a timeline for doing this, and we haven't changed our timeline at all. We're actually on schedule," House Speaker Paul Ryan insisted on Morning Joe Wednesday morning. "We have to do Obamacare first. Spring and summer is tax reform, winter and spring is Obamacare." [Vox, 2/15/17] Freedom Caucus: Republicans in Congress and President Trump promised to fully repeal Obamacare over and over again, the group wrote in a memo this week. The longer Congress delays, the less likely Obamacare repeal will ever happen, and the closer we are to the 2018 election. [Washington Post, 2/15/17] Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH): House Republicans tired of GOP leadership s slow approach to repealing the ACA. We were tired of waiting, said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) at a Wednesday press conference on the legislation, and that s why we said: Let s go. Let s go now. [Washington Post, 2/15/17] Rep. Mark Walker (R-SC): Instead of continuing to spin our wheels, we need a starting place. What the Senate passed in October 2015 is the best starting place Let s get that on that on the books, then we can move quickly after that to put in replacement components. [Politico, 2/13/17] Rep Mark Meadows (R-NC): We need to repeal it. We need to replace it. If you want to call that a repair, so be it, but I don t know that that makes it any more palatable to the folks back home. [Washington Post, 2/2/17] This Week s Local Coverage Highlights: Protesters upset with Heller about Obamacare repeal The Nevada Appeal // Steven Ranson // Feb. 14, 2017 GOP lawmakers face angry, worried constituents at town halls Alaska News Miner // Feb 10 // Erica Werner, Mike Householder Republicans so far unable to figure out how to replace Obamacare Philadelphia Daily News // Feb 16 Letter: McSally needs to hear everyone Tucson.com // Feb 15 // Kevin Henderson Tennessee Hints at Chaos If Republicans Leave Obamacare in Limbo 2/16/17 Bloomberg // Feb 16 // Zachary Tracer Editorial: Give input on future of national healthcare Daily News Journal // Feb 14 // Dr. Susan Andrews Editorial: Why as a doctor I am concerned about repealing Obamacare Bangor Daily News // Feb 12 // Dr. Julia McDonald Obamacare Repeal: Body blow to state s economy Payson Roundup // Feb 14 // Peter Aleshire New TV Ads Launch in Key States Ahead of Recess Week As Congress heads home, a seven-figure ad campaign will air throughout February recess in Alaska, Arizona, Maine, Nevada and West Virginia, featuring stories of people who will lose their healthcare if Congress rips up the Affordable Care Act without a plan that makes sure that they can keep their coverage. The campaign shares the stories of a resident from each of these states whose healthcare is threatened if Congress repeals the law and was released by the Alliance for Healthcare Security, a coalition of nurses, caregivers, patients and healthcare advocates. Watch the ads: Mina from West Virginia; Katie from Maine; Toni from Arizona; Lisa from Alaska; Jeff from Nevada

3 Coverage Highlights: Pro-Obamacare ads to target Republicans during recess CNN // February 17 Dems launch ads aimed at driving protesters to Republican events McClatchy // February 17 Constituents Call on Members to Hold Town Halls During Recess In communities across the country, people have been calling on their members to host Town Halls and hold meetings to discuss the future of health care with their constituents. Meanwhile, two websites - Resistancerecess.com and SaveMyCare.org have been updated to include information to help people across the country learn about the opportunity to attend town halls, listening sessions and other public recess events. Coverage highlights: 18,000 call in to Illinois GOP congressman s phone town hall Associated Press // February 15 Protesters rally at Rep. Jason Lewis' office, demand town hall meeting Prior Lake American // February 13 Petitions Ask Rep. Erik Paulsen to Host In-Person Town Hall Meetings The Uptake // February 13 NJ Rep. Tom MacArthur Canceling Town Hall Meetings: 'Hijacked' By Trump Haters Newsmax // February 14 Activists plan to hold town hall in Rep. Comstock s Northern Virginia district with or without her Washington Post // February 11 Protesters in Martinsburg call for town hall meeting with U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney Your4State // February 15 Constituents Send Valentines with a Message to Members of Congress

4 Protesters leave 20K candy hearts at Rep. Walberg's office in Jackson Michigan Live // February 14 Planned Parenthood supporters deliver Valentines to Frelinghuysen Morristown Green // February 14 Snide valentines from constituents delivered to California congresswoman: 'Roses are red. Our District is Blue.' LA Times // February 14 Save My Care Launches Campaign to Send Hospital Wristbands to Congress People worried about the future of health care can now add their names in support of protecting the Affordable Care Act, and Save My Care will deliver a hospital wristband straight to Congress on their behalves. The send a wristband aims to to make members of Congress and their staff aware of the real consequences of repealing our health care. 30 million people are at risk of losing their medical coverage, and 82% of those at risk come from working families. New Video: Paul Ryan s Alternative Facts on Health Care Save My Care released a new video that details the ways Speaker Paul Ryan has been misleading the American public about the success of the Affordable Care Act so he can build support for his misguided effort to repeal it. The video sets

5 the record straight on the progress we've made under the Affordable Care Act - all of which Ryan and Congressional Republicans want to rip away. WATCH THE VIDEO then SHARE ON TWITTER Report from the Road: Save My Care Bus Visited Arizona & New Mexico Entering its fourth week of cross-country travel, the Save My Care bus traveled to Arizona & New Mexico this week. At each stop, local doctors, elected officials, and patients who have benefited from the Affordable Care Act have been sharing their stories and call on Congressional Republicans to protect access to quality affordable health care. To date, the Save My Care Bus Tour has held 30 rallies in 13 states and travelled 7,457 miles telling the stories of the more than 30 million Americans who will lose their health care under Congress dangerous repeal plan.

6 This Week s Bus Tour Coverage Highlights: Arizona PBS Phoenix: Untitled // February 14 Phoenix TV News: Save My Care Rally // February 14 New Mexico Las Cruces Sun: Save My Care Bus Tour to stop for Las Cruces rally // February 14 NPR Southern New Mexico: National Bus Tour Aimed At Saving Affordable Care Act Visits Las Cruces Wednesday // February 14 NBC Las Cruces: Save My Care Bus Tour // February 15 NBC Las Cruces: Save My Care Bus Tour // February 15 ABC Albuquerque: Save My Care Speaks Out Against Affordable Care Act Repeal // February 15 Albuquerque Journal: Duke City hosts rally for supporters of Obamacare // February 15 Univision El Paso: Save My Care // February 15 NPR Southern New Mexico: Save My Care Bus Makes A Stop In Las Cruces // February 16 In Case You Missed It Families USA has a new blog on the important work advocates in Iowa, Alaska, and West Virginia are doing to #ProtectOurCare. CLASP released a new brief Medicaid Financing: Dangers of Block Grants and Per Capita Caps that focuses on lessons learned from TANF and CCDBG block grants, and how those lessons would translate to a block grant or per capita cap in Medicaid. AARP today launched a campaign against the age tax, a proposed unfair penalty on older adults that would line the pockets of big insurance companies, allowing them to charge older Americans over $3,000 more than they currently pay per year. AARP launched a new series of advertising that will also appear in numerous

7 Congressional districts when members of Congress return home for President s Day week. *** To sign up for Protect Our Care updates, please fill out this form. ***