House Democrats’ campaign arm releases ads hitting 10 Republicans on health care

The House Democrats’ campaign arm released a new ad blitz Tuesday hitting Republicans in 10 competitive races over health care, a sign the issue will feature prominently up and down the ballot in the sprint to Election Day. 

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s (DCCC) new ad offensive argues that the GOP is working to take away Americans’ health insurance during the coronavirus pandemic, noting Republican lawmakers’ efforts to overturn the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and contributions to Republicans from pharmaceutical companies. 

“House Republicans are waging war on Americans’ health care during a deadly pandemic. House Democrats will continue to remind voters that Republicans are fighting to rip away protections for Americans with preexisting conditions like COVID-19,” said DCCC spokesperson Robyn Patterson.

The DCCC did not immediately respond to an inquiry regarding how much money was spent on the new ads.

The ads will be featured in some of the most contentious House races in the country, going after vulnerable GOP incumbents and hitting Republican challengers to Democratic lawmakers.

The ACA, also known as ObamaCare, is featured heavily in the ads, which drive home the message that overturning the law in full would repeal protections for people with preexisting conditions.

“Davis’s campaign took half a million dollars from the insurance industry. And he voted for a plan that would raise our rates, allow insurance companies to charge older Americans five times more and gut protections for preexisting conditions,” says one ad targeting GOP Rep. Rodney Davis, who represents a central Illinois district.

“We’re in a deadly pandemic, but Nancy Mace vows to repeal the law protecting people with preexisting conditions. And she will put our hard-earned Social Security and Medicare benefits at risk,” says another ad hitting South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace, a candidate who is challenging Rep. Joe Cunningham (D-S.C.) in one of the GOP’s top flip opportunities in the House.

Highlighting health care in the ad blitz is similar to the argument the Democratic Party employed in 2018, when they won the House majority. Democrats are looking to pad that majority and are anticipated to retain control of the lower chamber this November.

Candidates up and down the ballot have hit the GOP over the issue for months, noting past and current efforts to overturn ObamaCare and reduce funding to certain entitlement programs.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden also hammered President Trump over his response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Just judge this president on the facts. Five million Americans infected with COVID-19. More than 170,000 Americans have died. By far the worst performance of any nation on Earth. More than 50 million people have filed for unemployment this year. More than 10 million people are going to lose their health insurance this year. Nearly 1 in 6 small businesses have closed this year. If this president is reelected we know what will happen. Cases and deaths will remain far too high,” Biden said at last month’s Democratic convention.

Polling has shown Biden with an edge on the issue of health care over Trump, with a July Quinnipiac poll showing voters favoring his handling of the issue over Trump’s by a 58-35 margin.