DSCC QUICK TAKES: GOP ON DAY 7 OF VACATION AS 1.1 MILLION FILE NEW JOBLESS CLAIMS—REPUBLICANS KEEP LOSING FACT CHECKS ON FALSE CLAIMS & ATTACKS

MORE THAN ONE MILLION AMERICANS FILE NEW JOBLESS CLAIMS WHILE REPUBLICANS ARE ON DAY SEVEN OF VACATION. Senate Republicans created an “urgent crisis” when they let the emergency unemployment relief that has been a lifeline for millions of Americans expire nearly a month ago. Instead of taking action, they wasted weeks bickering among themselves and insisted they didn’t see “a big need” to extend emergency unemployment relief. Now, millions of Americans remain out of work and face difficulty providing for their families. And despite Federal Reserve officials, economists, governors and mayors warning that “the risk to the economy grows every day that goes by without a deal,” Mitch McConnell and his caucus are refusing to negotiate, and are instead on day seven of their month-long vacation.

ARE MITCH MCCONNELL AND SENATE REPUBLICANS STILL BLOCKING URGENTLY NEEDED RELIEF? YES. 

GOP LAWSUIT TO END PROTECTIONS FOR PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS LOOMS OVER BATTLE FOR SENATE. After Senate Republicans spent years enabling their party’s dangerous health care lawsuit, yesterday the Supreme Court scheduled oral arguments in the case to dismantle the entire Affordable Care Act for one week after the November election. Every Senate Republican voted for the 2017 tax bill that “sparked” this harmful lawsuit, not one GOP incumbent or candidate has taken meaningful steps to stop it, and Republicans still have “no plan” to replace the health care law if their suit succeeds. In competitive Senate races across the country, vulnerable Republicans have been caught trying to mislead voters with false statements “lying about their records” on pre-existing conditions. Read how Republicans have paved the way for their dangerous lawsuit to move forward here.

REPUBLICANS KEEP LOSING FACT CHECKS ON INCREASINGLY DESPERATE CLAIMS & FALSE ATTACKS. The latest sign that Republicans have been forced on defense across the country? A series of increasingly desperate and flimsy attacks against surging Democratic challengers that have been repeatedly debunked as false and misleading. Unfortunately for Republicans, their multi-million dollar summer counteroffensive is failing as Democrats continue to expand the map. Check out what nonpartisan fact checkers are saying about Republicans’ desperate claims and misleading attacks:

• Bridge MI: Fact Squad: Misleading GOP ad smears Gary Peters’ record on coronavirus — “The spot twists a few facts…to reach the false conclusion” because “Peters voted for legislation that provided billions of dollars more for small businesses, context that the misleading ad wholly ignores.”
• PolitiFact/Kaiser Health News: “GOP Senate ad misrepresents Montana governor’s stance on rural hospitals, public option” — “We rate this False.”
• Cedar Rapids Gazette: “Data shows the claim’s depiction of the consequences is not accurate. We give it a D.”
• PolitiFact/Kaiser Health News: Arizona Sen. McSally makes health care pledge that contradicts past votes, policy positions — “McSally has not in the past or present taken actions that back up her statement. We rate it False.”
• PolitiFact/WRAL: “The Tillis campaign says the senator meant something else. But PolitiFact judges people on what they say, and Tillis’ claim… is inaccurate. So we rate this claim False.”
• PolitiFact/The Daily Iowan: “it’s hard to find evidence that the [estate] tax is forcing average farmers and business owners to sell their estates. We rated this claim Mostly False.”
• KCRG: Fact Check: New national Republican ad mischaracterizes impact of estate, or “death,” tax — “This claim gets a D”
• Iowa Starting Line: GOP Attacks On Greenfield’s Business Record Mislead Voters
• KCRG: Fact Check: National Republican attack ad goes after Teresa Greenfield’s record, makes dubious claims — “This claim gets a D”
• FactCheck.org: NRSC’s Attack on Hickenlooper Lacks Proof, Context
• KTVH: “The assertions in the ads… are predictions from studies by conservative think tanks, often funded by health-care industry groups, both of whom oppose the public option… The NRSC ad also throws in this overblown claim…”
• News Center Maine: Ad fact check: “NEWS CENTER Maine finds Gideon was the first official to ask Bates to resign”
• ABC15: “The Pentagon’s Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency cleared World View Enterprises to do work for the U.S. Military… the ad overstates any potential conflicts. To date, there has not arisen any conflicts between Kelly, Tencent, or the Chinese Government that could impact U.S. space technology or foreign policy.”
• PolitiFact/Detroit Free Press: “The NRSC’s statements rest on a handful of votes that don’t reflect Peters’ actual positions on the issues… Overall, the NRSC claims are not accurate. We rate them as False.”

ROLLING STONE: POSTMASTER DEJOY GAVE MILLIONS TO REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. WILL THEY HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE? A new Rolling Stone report details how top Republicans have benefited from Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s “massive political donations.” Senators Lindsey Graham, Thom Tillis, Martha McSally and failed politician John James are among the vulnerable Republicans on the ballot this year who’ve taken campaign cash from DeJoy. Not a single GOP politician “responded to questions from Rolling Stone about whether they intend to keep DeJoy’s cash.” It’s not surprising considering Republicans largely have remained silent as Trump blocks funding for the Postal Service, as delayed delivery of important mail like prescriptions and Social Security benefits that millions of Americans rely on threatens to potentially disenfranchise voters in 46 states. Rolling Stone: Postmaster Louis DeJoy Gave Millions to Republican Candidates. Will the GOP Bite the Hand that Fed Them?

GARDNER’S LATEST ATTEMPT TO REWRITE HIS TOXIC HISTORY ON HEALTH CARE “IS JUST 117 WORDS OF ELECTION FODDER.” Senator Cory Gardner was eviscerated by a Denver Post columnist for his latest attempt to rewrite his toxic record of voting to take away protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Gardner’s new sham bill has already been called “a political stunt” by experts who say it is “motivated more by politics than substance,” and in a new column, the Denver Post’s Ian Silverii calls Gardner’s political maneuver “just 117 words of election fodder” that proves that Gardner “will never take responsibility for his terrible record of voting against protecting people with preexisting conditions.” The reality is that Gardner and Senate Republicans have “spent the last few years trying to take away pre-existing condition protections” and his new sham bill would allow insurance companies “to deny insurance entirely to people who are sick” and “doesn’t actually protect people with pre-existing conditions.” Unfortunately for Gardner, he can’t erase his record just because it’s an election year. Denver Post: Silverii: Gardner’s pre-existing conditions bill exists but is just 117 words of election fodder

DEM AD WATCH

AZ – Mark Kelly released a new Spanish-language ad that highlights his commitment to fighting to reduce the rising cost of health care. Watch.

CO – Governor John Hickenlooper’s latest ad highlights his record of expanding health care to cover 500,000 more Coloradans. Watch. 

GA – In his latest ad, Jon Ossoff calls out vulnerable incumbent Senator David Perdue’s botched response to the coronavirus pandemic from his opposition to stimulus checks to his refusal to extend unemployment relief for hardworking Georgians struggling to make ends meet. Watch.

IN THE STATES:

AL – PBS NewsHour: Why Doug Jones thinks Alabama’s Democratic voters are ‘energized’ this year

AL – PolitiFact: Senate hopeful Tommy Tuberville fumbles the facts about COVID-19 and football

GA – AJC: Ossoff takes another swing at Perdue’s COVID policy in Senate contest

IA – Iowa Public Radio: Iowa Senate Race Focuses On Trump Administration’s Rocky Relationship With Biofuels

MT – Missoulian (Letter): Daines does nothing for Montana

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