BURNSVILLE, MN – Americans for Prosperity Action® today released a new digital ad highlighting Erik Paulsen’s record of supporting historic tax relief, reducing government-imposed health care costs, and standing up to his party to do what’s right for Minnesota. The ad is the latest installment in AFP Action’s efforts to educate and mobilize Minnesotans to support Paulsen this November.

View the digital ad here.

AFP Action Senior Adviser Jason Flohrs issued the following statement:

“Erik Paulsen has worked hard to ensure Minnesotans can keep more of their hard-earned paychecks, supported free-market reforms to make health care more affordable, and helped provide greater economic opportunity for all Minnesotans. A two-decade low unemployment rate and a growing economy shows what happens when we empower people, not the government. As one of the few leaders within Congress on immigration reform and trade, we need more representatives like Erik Paulsen in Washington willing to put principles over politics. Paulsen is the right choice for Minnesota and we are making sure voters know he is the candidate who will support the pro-growth policies proven to work.”

Background:

AFP Action | Grassroots Activities in Full Gear for Erik Paulsen

In just seven months after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was enacted, over 1.5 million jobs have been created and continuing claims for unemployment benefits are at their lowest level since 1973. Minnesota companies of all sizes have reaped the benefits of tax reform and announced base wage increases, bonuses, and millions in charitable contributions that positively impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans and their families.

• U.S. Bancorp announced $1,000 bonuses for 60,000 employees; a base wage increase to $15 per hour; and $150 million for charitable contributions.
• TCF Financial announced $1,000 bonuses for full-time employees, $500 bonuses for part-time employees, and a $5 million donation to their charitable foundation.
• Best Buy announced over 100,000 employees will receive a bonus, with full-time employees receiving a $1,000 bonus and part-time employees receiving a $500 bonus.
• Data Sales Co., Inc. announced all of their employees will receive a $1,000 bonus.
• Ecolab announced it will make a $25 million contribution to its charitable foundation.

As a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Paulsen opposed the detrimental border adjustment tax.

• AFP-Minnesota Applauds Rep. Erik Paulsen for Opposing BAT

Paulsen has been a proponent of free and open trade.

• Rep. Paulsen Press Release | Paulsen Stands Up for Minnesota Job Creators & Free Trade, Questions Administration Trade Policy

Paulsen has been an advocate for a permanent, legislative fix to DACA.

• “Last week, however, Paulsen offered his support to something that Speaker Paul Ryan wishes would just go away: the push to secure a lasting solution for the young, undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers, whose legal status in the U.S. was terminated by President Donald Trump last September.” (Sam Brodey, “Rep. Erik Paulsen is the picture of a loyal Republican in the House. So why has he joined the revolt on immigration policy?” Minnesota Post, 5/30/18)

NASHVILLE, TN – Americans for Prosperity Action^℠ today announced its continued efforts in support of Marsha Blackburn. This week, AFP Action will launch a significant $2 million television campaign airing across Tennessee that contrasts Phil Bredesen’s support for a single-payer health care system that puts Washington, DC in charge and Marsha Blackburn’s support for patient-focused solutions that lower costs, giving Tennesseans more control and choice over their care.

The television campaign comes on the heels of AFP Action’s recent digital campaign that includes two digital ads: one contrasting Blackburn’s support for more health care freedom against Bredesen’s support for more government control, and another 15-second spot highlighting Bredesen’s support for a single-payer system in his own words.

AFP Action Senior Advisor Tori Venable issued the following statement:

“Tennesseans want control over their health care, yet Phil Bredesen wants to place a 19% tax on Tennesseans’ paychecks to begin paying for his $2 trillion single-payer scheme. Handing the government more control over your health care decisions and raising taxes to pay for it was a bad idea when Phil Bredesen first proposed it and it still is now. The choice for Tennesseans is clear this November. Marsha Blackburn will fight to get government out of the way and empower people to control their own health care decisions. That is why we are urging Tennesseans to vote for Marsha Blackburn for senator this November.”

Read the full ad script below:

Our family’s health means everything.

But Phil Bredesen would put D.C. in charge of care.

His plan? A single-payer system that could cost two TRILLION dollars and a NINETEEN percent tax hike on wages to pay for it.

Marsha Blackburn supports more affordable health care plans.

She took on DC bureaucrats, so patients could get life-saving treatment.

Marsha Blackburn – the right choice for Tennessee.

Background:

In addition to the TV and digital ads, Americans for Prosperity Action will send out mailers state-wide in support of Marsha Blackburn. In the past two weeks, the group has knocked on 3,125 doors and made over 46,000 phone calls urging Tennesseans to vote for Marsha Blackburn.

Gillum’s massive tax increases, crippling health care policies, and opposition to expanding opportunities for students are too extreme for Florida

Tallahassee, FL – Americans for Prosperity Action ^SM (AFP-Action) launched a digital ad buy today and will be coupling that with a significant direct-mail push to educate Floridians about candidate Andrew Gillum’s record and extreme agenda.

AFP-Action Senior Advisor, Chris Hudson released the following statement:

“Andrew Gillum’s agenda is too extreme for Florida. His plan for the economy? Raise taxes that hurt Florida businesses and families. His plan for health care? Take away your health insurance and cut access to Floridians on Medicaid by expanding a broken system.  His plan for education?  Destroy successful programs that give students a hand up in achieving their goals. We can’t afford Andrew Gillum.”

View “Andrew Gillum is too Extreme for Florida” here

Gillum Supports Single-Payer Health Care

Gillum Supports Sen. Sanders’ Medicare For All Plan Claiming It Will Lower Costs And Expand Coverage To More Floridians. “Andrew believes that healthcare should be a fundamental right, not a privilege. Instead, extreme politicians refuse to acknowledge that Floridians struggle every day to keep themselves and their families from going bankrupt due to the lack or cost of healthcare. Andrew believes that Senator Sanders’ Medicare for All plan will help lower costs and expand coverage to more Floridians. Gillum has promised to fight the new health care premium increases that are a result of President Trump, Rick Scott and Congressional Republicans trying to attack Obamacare.” (“Healthcare,” Andrew Gillum For Governor, Accessed 9/21/18)

Gillum Said He’d Raise Taxes On Corporation To Pay For His Medicare For All Plan. “Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum (D) said Sunday that he would increase taxes on corporations in the state to help fund his plan to provide Medicare for all. Gillum was pressed on CNN’s ‘State of the Union’ about his pledge to provide medical care for everyone in his state, including how he would pay for it. … The Democrat said he would look to increase taxes on corporations instead, arguing that only 3 percent of companies in the state pay a corporate tax rate.” (Brett Samuels, “Gillum: Florida Would Tax Corporations, Join Other States To Pay For Medicare For All,” The Hill, 9/2/18)

Gillum Supports Medicaid Expansion

“As Governor, Andrew Will Work To Expand Medicaid And Strengthen The Affordable Care Act.” “Florida never received the opportunity to benefit from the full impact of the Affordable Care Act due to Governor Scott’s refusal to extend Medicaid to over 1 million Floridians. As Governor, Andrew will work to expand Medicaid and strengthen the Affordable Care Act. Andrew has proposed passing a Florida law protecting people with pre-existing conditions from being denied coverage, being charged more for their care due to a pre-existing condition, or women being charged more than men. He was also the only candidate who proposed a law protecting women’s access to no-cost contraceptive care under Obamacare.” (“Healthcare,” Andrew Gillum For Governor, Accessed 9/21/18)

According To The National Center For Health Statistics, Only 48.3 Percent Of Office-Based Physicians In Florida Accept New Medicaid Patients. (“Health Insurance And Access To Care,” National Center For Health Statistics, 3/18)

Gillum Would End Successful Education Programs

A Gillum Spokesman Said He Would Veto Any Bill That Includes Charter School Funding. “Tallahassee Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum on Wednesday called proposed House funding for charter schools ‘a giveaway to (House Republicans’) friends and family.’ But Gillum at first wouldn’t answer whether he would veto such funding if he were governor, saying instead he would put a ‘premium’ on fully funding the state’s public-school system. A spokesman later said he would veto that kind of funding if elected, explaining Gillum ‘fundamentally believes the bill’s approach is wrong.’” (Jim Rosica, “Andrew Gillum, Shevrin Jones Lambaste Charter School Funding Plan,” Florida Politics, 4/12/18)

Gillum Called For An End To A Program That Allows Florida Corporations To Divert Tax Bills Into Voucher And Scholarship Programs For Charter And Private Schools. “A loophole in the Gillum plan is that corporations could divert their tax bill to the state voucher and scholarship program for charter and private schools. Gillum said it’s time to end the ‘Jeb-Bush era’ program.” (James Call, Andrew Gillum, Ron DeSantis Spar Over Mayor’s Proposed Corporate Tax Hike To Fund Schools,” Tallahassee Democrat, 9/18/18)

And Gillum Wants $1 Billion Tax Hike On Florida Businesses and Families

Gillum: “As Governor, I’ll Adjust Our State’s Corporate Income Tax Rate And Recoup $1 Billion From Donald Trump’s Tax Giveaway.” “As Governor, I’ll adjust our state’s corporate income tax rate and recoup $1 billion from Donald Trump’s tax giveaway. I’ll use those funds to pay new teachers a $50,000 starting salary, raise pay for veteran school teachers and staff to the national average, invest in SHOP 2.0 and vocational training, and rebuild our crumbling public schools.” (Langston Taylor, “A Voters’ Guide To The Candidates Running For Florida Governor,” Miami Herald, 8/12/18)