Attack ads have already begun against Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall of West Virginia who is trying to make good on his promise by voting for the GOP bill that was before the House Friday, which, if passed, will allow insurers to keep selling the millions of health care policies that they have had to cancel because they don’t comply with the new health care law requirements.
“I’m concerned about my integrity with voters who have returned me here 38 years,” Rahall said. “They know me enough to know I wouldn’t purposely mislead them. They have that confidence in me, and I want them to continue to have that confidence in me.”
The measure passed 261-157 in the House with 39 votes from Democrats, even though Obama has promised to veto it.
The National Republican Congressional Committee put out press releases Friday against Democratic House members who have supported and defended Obamacare.
Rahall was among those that the NRCC is launching a campaign against.
“With Obamacare proving to be a total disaster — from the botched website to the broken promises — it is no surprise that Rahall is now desperate to hide his support,” the NRCC press release against Rahall states. “But it’s too late — Nick Rahall is part of the problem. Because of his support for Obamacare, things are only going to get worse for West Virginia families.”
The NRCC lists the number of times Rahall voted for the health care law and voted against repealing it. The House Republican campaign arm also includes a list of 17 other Democrat lawmakers that the group has sent out similar press releases about.
“There’s nothing more damaging than when your word is devalued and people think they were misled,” said Republican Rep. Greg Walden of Oregon, NRCC head. “And especially damaging is when it actually affects you and your family. So in terms of degree of impact, this is off the Richter scale.”
Several Republican political action committees are also targeting Democratic lawmakers.
America Rising is putting up a collection of videos of various congressmen making Obamacare pledges similar to the one the president made, and Americans for Prosperity is already attack ads against Rahall and Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina.
Obama announced a “fix” Thursday saying that insurers are able to continue offering plans that are supposed to be canceled under Obamacare for one year.
“Unfortunately, the implementation of Obamacare has progressed to a point where millions of cancelled plans cannot be reinstated,” said Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. “But the freedom of millions of Americans to keep doctors, treatments, and health plans they do value can still be preserved if Congress acts swiftly and decisively.”
According to Politico, the Wisconsin senator said Saturday that he will introduce a bill in the Senate that offers a “long-term” solution to the Obamacare debacle, “not a short-term political” fix like the one offered by “the President and Senate Democrats that simply will not work.”
He called Obama’s apology to Americans who lost their insurance as “phony as his fraudulent marketing of Obamacare.”
Johnson added that those who have supported the new health care law should be held accountable and be replaced in 2014.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee head Rep. Steve Israel of New York said that a lot can change in a year and that by Republicans focusing on the health care law, they risk alienating “independent and moderate voters” who “are more interested in solutions.”
However, former Democratic Rep. Martin Frost of Texas said that if he “were still in Congress, I’d be concerned.”
Watch the Rahall ‘Broken Promises’ Ad below:
And the Americans for Prosperity Kay Hagan ad:
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- Insurance Assn. Head: Obamacare Fix ‘Slick Political Maneuver’
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GOP Use Obamacare Debacle to Political Advantage
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