Andrew Gillum shows misunderstanding of the economy in attempt to smear Governor Scott and Florida workers
Tallahassee, FL – Over the weekend, Andrew Gillum appeared on “Facing South Florida with Jim DeFede” and dropped one of the biggest lies of the year, making it glaringly apparent that the small-town mayor has big-time problems with making absurdly false claims.
Heralded CBS reporter, Jim DeFede asked Gillum whether he would give Governor Rick Scott any credit for the booming economy.
“Of course, we have low unemployment”, said Gillum. “People have to work two to three jobs to make ends meet.”
Too bad for Gillum, when fellow democratic-socialist Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez delivered the same demonstrably false statement earlier this year, Politifact rated the claim “Pants on Fire” on multiple counts.
“Florida has been on the right track because of steady, common sense leadership – these are facts,” said AFP-Action Senior Advisor, Chris Hudson. “Florida is ranked number one for fiscal freedom and unemployment is way down. Floridians need strong leadership and sensible solutions, not Andrew Gillum’s senseless commitment to taxing hardworking families and local businesses out of work.”
Andrew Gillum has proposed an extreme $1 billion tax hike. The tax hike would raise the state’s corporate income tax by 40%.
Digital buy shows health care policy contrast between Bredesen, Blackburn
NASVHILLE, TN – Americans for Prosperity ActionSM today launched a new six-figure digital campaign 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 and give Tennesseans more control and choice over their care.
The campaign includes two digital ads: one contrasting Bredesen’s support for inserting more government bureaucracy into the health care system with Blackburn’s support for more health care freedom, 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:
“Marsha Blackburn’s record of helping terminally ill patients have the Right to Try and support for making health care more affordable stands in stark contrast to Phil Bredesen’s support of a big government, single-payer health system. Doubling down on Obamacare’s failures by forcing Tennesseans to pay 19% higher taxes out of each paycheck and handing their health care choices over to government bureaucrats will harm Tennessee families far more than Obamacare has.
“Instead of more government-run health care, Marsha Blackburn has advocated for reforms that get Washington out of way, reduce costs, and let taxpayers keep more of their money. This difference in their approach to health care is another example of why our activists are working to spread the word, urging Tennesseans to elect Marsha Blackburn this November.”
Read the full ad script below:
Our families’ 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.
Read the full ad script for the second video below:
What does Phil Bredesen think of single payer?
“Single payer – the federal government collecting the money and then turning it over – I’m, that’s what I think actually we should do.”
“That’s what I think actually we should do.”
Bredesen – wrong for Tennessee.
Background:
Right to try allows terminally ill patients to access potentially life-saving experimental medication and treatment that has passed basic Food and Drug Administration safety protocols
In addition to digital ads, Americans for Prosperity Action will release hundreds of thousands of mailers across Tennessee in support of Marsha Blackburn. Last week, the group knocked on nearly 1,000 doors and made over 21,000 phone calls urging Tennesseans to vote for Marsha Blackburn.
Bredesen Supports A Single-Payer System.
In Discussing The Health Care Plan Outlined In His Book, Bredesen Said He Supports A Single-Payer System In Which The Federal Government Collects The Money And Then Turns It Over. Q: “Something you discuss in Fresh Medicine and what this Tweeter brings to the table, your views on single payer and what looks good going forward?” BREDESEN: “Single payer – the federal government collecting the money and then turning it over – I’m, that’s what I think actually we should do.” (“Fresh Medicine,” C-SPAN, 10/20/10, @ 28:52)
Bredesen Proposed A Nineteen Percent Tax Hike To Pay For His Plan.
“The big change we’ll make is to replace the private component, which includes all the various premiums paid by individuals and employers for health insurance, with a straightforward addition to existing payroll taxes. In our base 2007 year, total salaries and wages paid were $6.141 trillion, and so in its simplest terms—a starting place—this would require an additional 3% Federal Insurance Contribution Act tax (FICA) contribution, or about $7,900 for an American with an average $41,000 wage. If that cost were split between an employer and employee in a typical ratio of three-quarters to the employer and one-quarter to the employee, that would mean an annual cost to the employee of a little under $2,000, or about $165 per month. (Of course, to be strictly fair, the employer cost is also paid by the employee as well, in that those costs might well displace additional wages or other benefits that the employer might have been able otherwise to provide.)” (Phil Bredesen, “Fresh Medicine: How To Fix Reform And Build A Sustainable Health Care System,” Grove Atlantic, 2010, p. 201)
Blackburn Supports Right To Try.
Blackburn Was An Original Cosponsor Of The House Version Of The Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, And Matthew Bellina Right To Try Act Of 2018. (“H.R. 5247 – Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, And Matthew Bellina Right To Try Act Of 2018,” gov, 3/13/18)
Blackburn Voted In Favor Of The Final Version Of The Trickett Wendler, Frank Mongiello, Jordan McLinn, And Matthew Bellina Right To Try Act. (S. 204, Roll Call Vote #214: Passed 250-169: R 228-0; D 22-169, 5/22/18, Blackburn Voted Aye)
Blackburn Supports More Affordable Health Care Plans.
In October 2017, President Trump Signed An Executive Order Seeking To Expand The Ability Of Small Businesses And Other Groups To Buy Health Insurance Through Association Health Plans (AHPs) And To Lift Limits On Short-Term Health Insurance Plans. “President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at taking action on ObamaCare on his own after Congress failed to repeal the law. … Trump’s order seeks to expand the ability of small businesses and other groups to band together to buy health insurance through what are known as association health plans (AHPs). It also lifts limits on short-term health insurance plans.” (Peter Sullivan, “Trump Eases ObamaCare Rules With Executive Order,” The Hill, 10/12/17)
Blackburn Praised Trump For His Executive Order, Calling It Great News For “Those Who Have Been Priced Out Of The Marketplace Due To Skyrocketing Premiums And Outrageous Deductibles.” (Representative Marsha Blackburn Facebook, 10/12/17)
According to the Urban Institute, an estimated 120,000 Tennesseans will sign up for short-term policies in 2019. 56,000 of them would have been otherwise uninsured.
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Andrew Gillum’s health care plans are wrong for Florida. Gillum highlighted his extreme agenda on healthcare in a new ad. Americans for Prosperity Action® released the following statement:
“Expanding Medicaid would put Florida’s most vulnerable patients at risk by further limiting their health care choices and would cost the state billions of dollars,” said AFP Action Senior Advisor, Chris Hudson. “Andrew Gillum isn’t prepared to lead because his extreme agenda is based on promises he can’t keep and checks he can’t cash.”
Andrew Gillum is basing his false promise to Floridians in need of better health care on government taking more money from taxpayers so the state can afford expansion, or he’s provided no real details on what other essential services to cut. States that have expanded Medicaid under Obamacare are facing budget crunches because more people enroll than assumed, and per person costs are higher than assumed.
“Fortunately, Florida lawmakers have responsibly helped patients and taxpayers skirt the havoc created by the so-called Affordable Care Act by implementing and considering common sense policies such as Direct Primary Care, expanding tele-medicine, and reforms to ambulatory surgical centers. We need more common sense solutions, not Gillum’s extreme agenda that would result in less access to quality care.”
For further information or to set up an interview, reach Andres Malave at AMalave@afpaction.com
NASHVILLE, TN - Following last night’s debate between Phil Bredesen and Marsha Blackburn, AFP Action® Senior Advisor Tori Venable released the following statement:
“Phil Bredesen clearly told Tennesseans he’s willing to double-down on Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion. He if anyone, should have learned from his failed TennCare expansion, that resulted in kicking hundreds of thousands of pregnant women, children, and disabled Tennesseans off the program because it was on track to bankrupt our state. Simply put, expanding Medicaid under Obamacare prioritizes able-bodied adults over those truly in need, hurting the very people Medicaid was intended to help. Not only was Bredesen’s support for more government-run insurance alarming, but his opposition to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act should send red flags to families across the state who are already benefiting from a thriving economy, bonuses, and more money in their paychecks.
“Tennesseans saw a big difference last night with Marsha Blackburn who supported the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and is committed to patient-centered reforms to reduce health care costs for all Tennesseans. These are the ideas that will make Tennessee the best place to work, live, and raise a family. We urge Tennesseans to support Marsha Blackburn.”
For further information or to set up an interview, reach Tori Venable at Tvenable@afpaction.com.
BOZEMAN, MT – Americans for Prosperity Action® launched a significant digital ad buy today featuring residents from across Big Sky country who feel Washington D.C. changed Senator Jon Tester, stating that he’s “not working for Montana.”
“Jon Tester is telling Montanans one thing and when he gets to D.C. he’s doing something completely different,” says Brian from Missoula.
“One of the most important things in Montana is following through. And Jon Tester, you have not come close,” says Hal from Bozeman.
“Montanans want lawmakers who are going to follow through on their promises,” said David Herbst, AFP Action Senior Advisor. “Jon Tester said he’d be willing to support tax reform but voted against it. He said he’d improve Obamacare but voted twice to keep it intact. Jon Tester’s not working for Montanans and should be fired on November 6th.”
In addition to digital ads, Americans for Prosperity Action will release hundreds of thousands of mailers across Montana, highlighting Jon Tester’s broken promises to fix Obamacare and his vote against tax reform, which is directly benefiting Montanans.
BURNSVILLE, MN – Americans for Prosperity Action® today recapped its full set of grassroots activities in support of Representative Erik Paulsen (MN-3). AFP Action activists kicked off our door to door efforts this weekend and knocked on hundreds of doors urging people to vote for Erik Paulsen.
Over the past week, AFP Action contacted over 20,000 CD-03 households via phone touting Erik Paulsen’s record for protecting taxpayers and standing up for Minnesotans. Previously, Americans for Prosperity sent nearly 100,000 postcards across the district urging Minnesotans to support Erik Paulsen. AFP Action is preparing to send a series of direct mail pieces to highlight and contrast Erik Paulsen’s record with his opponent, Dean Phillips.
AFP Action Senior Adviser Jason Flohrs issued the following statement:
“For too long, our burdensome and rigged tax code stifled growth and weakened our economy, causing many Minnesotans to struggle just to get by. Since Erik Paulsen been in office, he has worked to turn our economy around, get government out of the way, and provide more opportunity for Minnesotans to achieve their American dream.
“From his leadership in passing the historic tax relief package that has ignited our economy to standing up against harmful tariffs, Erik Paulsen has shown he is determined to improve Minnesotans’ economic situation. Our grassroots activists are busy hitting the doors and phones and encouraging voters to vote to continue our economic success and vote for Erik Paulsen.”
Background:
In just seven months after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was enacted, over 1.5 million jobs have been created and claims for unemployment benefits are at their lowest level since 1969. 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.
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)
