EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS EXPIRED ONE MONTH AGO, AND SENATE REPUBLICANS ARE STILL BLOCKING RELIEF. The emergency $600 per week “lifeline for millions” ran out on July 31, but Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans are on their third week of vacation after blocking efforts to fully extend the expiring aid and refusing to bring the Senate back in session to vote on additional relief. Instead, Republicans wasted weeks infighting as the clock ticked down on jobless benefits. The “anger” of hardworking Americans is “directed at Republicans, who control the White House and the Senate,” for failing to renew the emergency unemployment relief as millions of families face eviction, hunger, and uncertainty amid the ongoing public health and economic crisis. Here’s a timeline of how Senate Republicans blocked emergency unemployment relief and went on recess.
ARE MITCH MCCONNELL AND SENATE REPUBLICANS STILL BLOCKING EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF? YES.
GOP PROGRAM TO COVER UNINSURED CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS FALLS SHORT OF PROMISE. A New York Times report reveals that President Trump’s assurances that uninsured Americans would receive free COVID-19 testing and treatment “has not lived up to its promise,” “has caused confusion at participating hospitals,” and has “disqualified” “large numbers of patients” from relief. Meanwhile, in the middle of a pandemic that has left millions of Americans out of work and without health coverage, Republicans have doubled down on their efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and gut protections for pre-existing conditions coverage, including COVID-19. Not one GOP incumbent or candidate has taken any meaningful steps to stop the Republican-led lawsuit against the ACA –– and they still have “no plan” if the increasingly popular health care law is struck down by the courts. This failed program is the latest evidence that Republicans “have no vision for improving health coverage, and instead promote piecemeal solutions, even in a national health crisis.” New York Times: Trump Program to Cover Uninsured Covid-19 Patients Falls Short of Promise
ACA ATTACKS A “POLITICAL LIABILITY FOR GOP INCUMBENTS.” Kaiser Health News examined how attacking the Affordable Care Act and its protections went from a “winning strategy” for Republicans in 2014 to a massive “political liability” that “could help determine control of the Senate” six years later. One public health expert even said that “the fall election will significantly revolve around people’s belief about what [candidates] will do for their health coverage” — and that’s bad news for Republicans. As public approval of the ACA has increased dramatically since the Senate’s failed repeal efforts in 2017, health care concerns are once again dominating political ads in the 2020 Senate races. As the Senate races heat up, Republicans’ voting records to dismantle the health law and gut protections for pre-existing conditions have “proved a stumbling block” for vulnerable GOP incumbents across the country. Kaiser Health News: Opposition to Obamacare Becomes Political Liability for GOP Incumbents
IOWA DEMS, DSCC, & DCCC FILE LAWSUIT TO VALIDATE PRE-FILLED ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUESTS. Today, the Iowa Democratic Party, DSCC, and DCCC filed a lawsuit to validate pre-filled absentee ballot requests, including at least 64,000 signed forms that were unlawfully rejected last week. The court rulings that invalidated thousands of absentee ballot requests are rooted in a directive from the Secretary of State that violates state law, infringes on local authority to administer elections and makes it harder for Iowans to vote. Read more about the lawsuit here.
DSCC, DCCC, & TEXAS DEMS WIN LAWSUIT TO BRING TEXAS INTO FULL COMPLIANCE WITH NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION ACT. The DSCC, DCCC, and Texas Democratic Party announced a major victory in their litigation to ensure Texas takes all remaining steps to comply with the National Voter Registration Act. The ruling, fully implementing simultaneous voter registration, means any online driver’s license renewal or change-of-address will automatically result in the user being registered to vote at their current address. The victory follows Democrats’ previous victory that forced Texas to immediately register three voters based on their online drivers’ license renewals with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Read more about the victory here.
SENATOR THOM TILLIS CAUGHT WITHOUT A MASK AT WHITE HOUSE EVENT LACKING PRECAUTIONS. After previously bragging that he was wearing a mask, Senator Thom Tillis was caught without one during President Trump’s speech at the White House last week. Senator Tillis has repeatedly criticized others for not following COVID-19 health guidelines — he has even falsely singled out and accused the Hispanic community of not social distancing or wearing masks. Tillis’ weak explanation that he “fell short of his own standard” left more questions than it answered. His decision to try to blend in with the maskless RNC crowd is just the latest example that Senator Tillis is too weak and too spineless to stand up to his party leaders in Washington to protect public health.
DEM AD WATCH
MN – Senator Tina Smith released her first TV ad of the cycle, which highlights her long record of working to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Minnesotans. Watch.
IN THE STATES
KS – Leavenworth Times: Bollier begins her tour in Hutchinson
ME – The Hill: Susan Collins faces battle of lifetime in Maine
ME – The County: Sara Gideon hosts Caribou discussion on rural health care issues
ME – Seacoast Online (Opinion): I can no longer support Sen. Susan Collins
MT – Missoulian (Letter): Bullock has proven history of doing right thing
NM – Santa Fe New Mexican: New Mexico must combat climate crisis, Luján says
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