Voters Reject the Government Takeover of Healthcare House Dems Defended
| FYI, a similar version of this release below went out to the following districts: Jason Altmire (PA-04), John Barrow (GA-12), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), Tim Bishop (NY-01), Leonard Boswell (IA-03), Bruce Braley (IA-01), Lois Capps (CA-24), Russ Carnahan (MO-03), Kathy Castor (FL-11), Ben Chandler (KY-06), David Cicilline (RI-01), Gerry Connolly (VA-11), Jim Cooper (TN-05), Jim Costa (CA-21), Mark Critz (PA-12), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), John Garamendi (CA-03), Raul Grijalva (AZ-07), Brian Higgins (NY-27), Jim Himes (CT-04), Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15), Tim Holden (PA-17), Rush Holt (NJ-12), Steve Israel (NY-02), Bill Keating (MA-10), Ron Kind (WI-03), Larry Kissell (NC-08), Rick Larsen (WA-02), David Loebsack (IA-02), Jim Matheson (UT-02), Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Michael Michaud (ME-02), Brad Miller (NC-13), Bill Owens (NY-23), Frank Pallone (NJ-06), Ed Perlmutter (CO-07), Gary Peters (MI-09), Collin Peterson (MN-07), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), David Price (NC-04), Nick Rahall (WV-03), Loretta Sanchez (CA-46), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Heath Shuler (NC-11), Adam Smith (WA-09), Betty Sutton (OH-13), John Tierney (MA-06), Paul Tonko (NY-21), Niki Tsongas (MA-05), Pete Visclosky (IN-01), Tim Walz (MN-01), John Yarmuth (KY-03)
Voters Reject the Government Takeover of Healthcare Sutton Defended
Democrats’ Unpopular, Job-Killing Healthcare Law Suffers its Latest and Greatest Setback After Overwhelming Rejection by Ohio Voters Washington — Ohio Democrat Betty Sutton proudly voted to keep the government takeover of healthcare in place earlier this year (Roll Call #14, 1/19/11), putting her at odds with American voters who continue to voice their strong disapproval. Ohio voters Tuesday sent a message that is having ramifications across the nation after every single one of the 88 counties voted to block the Democrats’ healthcare takeover in their state. Sutton’s defense of the widely unpopular law will certainly strike a strong contrast with voters who increasingly recognize that this government takeover has done more harm than good. “Betty Sutton’s defense of the Democrats’ government takeover of healthcare demonstrates how out of touch she is with what the voters want,” said NRCC Communications Director Paul Lindsay. “As families in Ohio see fewer jobs and higher healthcare premiums, it is clear to them the Democrats’ healthcare takeover Sutton defended is actually making matters worse.” Ohio voters resoundingly disapproved of the Democrats’ government takeover of healthcare Tuesday by 66 percent, with the referendum winning in all 88 counties: “Nevertheless, [the] Ohio initiative is another sign of how just unpopular the mandate is. Democrats — and labor, a key ally of Obama’s during the healthcare debate turned out heavily in Ohio for a separate ballot question on collective bargaining. But even with strong turnout around a traditionally Democratic issue, 66 percent of voters had supported the anti-mandate initiative at the time the Associated Press called the vote.” (Sam Baker, “Ohio voters reject health insurance mandate,” The Hill‘s Healthwatch Blog, 11/8/11)
“[The measure] won in all 88 counties in Ohio. In 81 of the counties, it won by a margin of at least 20 percentage points. Statewide, it won by 32 points (66 to 34 percent).” (Jeffrey H. Anderson, “Anti-Obamacare Measure Sweeps All 88 Counties in Ohio,” The Weekly Standard‘s The Blog, 11/9/11) And a new Gallup poll continues to show that the Democrats’ healthcare policies remain very unpopular nation-wide, with 55 percent disapproving and only 41 percent approving: “Americans’ evaluation of Obama on healthcare policy has been remarkably stable for most of his presidency, with the slight majority consistently disapproving. Disapproval peaked at 60% in the month before congressional passage of healthcare reform in 2010, but it has subsequently returned to the 55% level.” (Lydia Saad, “Obama Improves on Foreign Affairs, Struggles on Fiscal Matters,” Gallup, 11/9/11)
Americans continue to voice their disapproval of the Democrats’ government takeover of healthcare, but Betty Sutton isn’t listening. Instead of defending the law earlier this year, Sutton should have recognized that the massive healthcare takeover which is destroying jobs and seeing premiums rise is making matters worse.
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