From the Warner for Senate campaign, more lies from Ed Gillespie…shocker.
“Ed Gillespie is doubling down with another misleading attack ad using made-up numbers because he knows can't win on his own record of being a career partisan operative and DC lobbyist.
If Ed Gillespie is truly concerned with offering solutions rather than soundbites, he would join Senator Warner in supporting bipartisan legislation in the General Assembly to allow non-compliant plans to be extended an additional two years, beyond the initial one-year extension Sen. Warner already secured,” said David Turner a spokesman for the campaign.- Senator Warner urged the Insurance Commissioner to accept the federal policy of allowing insurance companies to extend non-compliant plans by one year. The Insurance Commissioner accepted.
- Senator Warner urged HHS Secretary Sebelius to allow people with non-compliant plans to access catastrophic plans, to give them more and cheaper options for coverage, which the Secretary then agreed to do.
- Senator Warner supports the bipartisan General Assembly legislation that allows non-compliant plans to be extended an additional two years, as the federal government allows and states like North Carolina have done.
- Senator Warner has offered legislation to create a new Copper Plan, to give Virginians cheaper options on the exchange.
- Senator Warner has proposed lifting the bar for the employer mandate from 50 to 100 employees, easing reporting requirements, and delaying the mandate by one year.
- Senator Warner has legislation to allow insurance companies to sell products across state lines.
| Ed Gillespie Ad – Line by Line Air date: 9/24/2014 |
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| [Montage of News Coverage over graphic of Warner and Obama] NARRATOR: Nearly a quarter million Virginians will have their current insurance plans cut.
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FACT: 250,000 IS A “COMPLETELY MADE UP” NUMBER. 250,000 Is A “Completely Made Up” Number According To The Virginia Association of Health Plans. “It's completely made up,” said Doug Gray, executive director of the Virginia Association of Health Plans, an industry association. He testified at the meeting that about 60 percent of people with individual plans renewed early, but wasn't able to give a specific number of those affected” [Daily Press,9/22/14] “There's no study, no data for [250,000]” According To The Virginia Association of Health Plans. “‘There's no study, no data for it. I don't know how many people. Some went into the exchange, some have grandfathered plans, and others have moved on to group coverage. It's a wild estimate, it's just politics,’ said Gray. [Daily Press, 9/22/14] FACT: SENATOR WARNER WORKED TO ENSURE VIRGINIANS HAD THEIR PLANS EXTENDED AND HAS ENDORSED VIRGINIA SENATE BILL TO AUTHORIZE FURTHER EXTENSION. Warner Sent A Letter Asking The Virginia Insurance Commissioner To Extend Non-Compliant Plans. “Yesterday you received a letter …regarding a new transitional policy for insurance. We strongly urge you to allow this transitional policy and allow plans that ahd been previously cancelled to be renewed for those customers who would like to keep their insurance. [Warner Scribd, 11/15/13] The Virginia Insurance Commissioner Agreed To Extend Virginia Plans, After Senator Warner’s Request. “The Bureau of Insurance will expedite approval of associated policy form and rate revisions necessary to allow the renewals.” [VA Bureau of Insurance, 11/20/13] |
| NARRATOR: You like your plan you can keep it? Ultimately that turned out not to be true for thousands of Virginians. |
FACT: THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT HAS HELPED MANY VIRGINIANS. The ACA Allowed 66,000 Virginia Young Adults To Gain Health Insurance Coverage Under Their Parents’ Plans. “Under the health care law, if your plan covers children, you can now add or keep your children on your health insurance policy until they turn 26 years old. Thanks to this provision, over 3 million young people who would otherwise have been uninsured have gained coverage nationwide, including 66,000 young adults in Virginia.” [ASPE, 6/19/12] Gallup: The Uninsured Rate Dropped After The Opening Of ACA Exchanges. “The uninsured rate peaked at 18.0% in the third quarter of 2013 — the three months immediately preceding the opening of the healthcare exchanges — and has since declined to 13.4% in the second quarter of 2014, the lowest quarterly rate in more than six years of Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index trending.” [Gallup, 8/5/14] Senator Warner’s Proposed Changes To The Affordable Care Act Included Changing The Size Of Employers Mandated To Buy Insurance To 100 Employees And Allowing Consumers Direct Access To Insurers. “The legislation is part of a package of health care reforms introduced today by Sen. Warner and others in Congress who are committed to work together to fix problems revealed during the implementation of the ACA. Sen. Warner also is cosponsoring legislation to improve employer flexibility and affordability by expanding the option for voluntary coverage for small businesses with fewer than 100 employees, which represents about 98 percent of all employers. The package also makes it easier for individuals and families to keep, or sign-up for, health coverage through direct access to insurers, and by working with trusted insurance agents and brokers.” [Warner Press Release,3/27/14] Senator Warner Introduced The Expanded Consumer Choice Act Which Would Create Low-Cost Copper Health Plan. “The Expanded Consumer Choice Act, introduced by Sen. Warner and Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK), creates a new coverage option, the Copper Plan, to be offered to consumers along with the existing Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze health care plans. Copper Plans will provide a lower-cost, higher-deductible option for consumers, while also covering the essential health benefits and consumer protections required of all health care plans offered through the Affordable Care Act (ACA).” [Warner Press Release, 3/27/14] Proposal Introduced By Warner Would Allow Insurers To Compete For Customers Across State Lines. “A second proposal introduced by Sen. Warner directs state insurance commissioners to work together to design an effective model that would allow insurers to offer coverage across state boundaries, increasing competition and choice for both consumers and employers.” [Warner Press Release,3/27/14] |
| GILLESPIE: Mark Warner's support for Obamacare hurts workers. |
FACT: JOB GROWTH HAS BEEN CONSISTENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT IS DOWN SINCE SEN. WARNER TOOK OFFICE. Since President Obama And Sen. Warner Took Office The Economy Has Added 4.8 Million Jobs, Total Employment Has Reached Record High And Unemployment Rate Has Fallen To 6.1%. “The economy as of June had gained just over 4.8 million jobs since Obama took office in January 2009. The unemployment rate has declined to 6.1 percent, which is 1.7 points lower than when he took office and 3.9 points lower than it was at its worst point during October 2009.” [Factcheck.org, 7/8/14] 142,000 Jobs Were Added In August And Unemployment Was At 6.1% “Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 142,000 in August, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 6.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in professional and business services and in health care.” [Bureau of Labor Statistics, 9/5/14] CBO: No Evidence Part-Time Employment Increased Because of ACA. According to the Congressional Budget Office’s February 2014 report, “there is no compelling evidence that part-time employment has increased as a result of the ACA…The share of workers generally declines slowly after recessions, so whether the share would have declined more quickly during the past few years in the absence of the ACA is difficult to determine.” [Congressional Budget Office, accessed 4/21/14] |
| GILLESPIE: Warner votes 97% with Obama policies that squeeze Virginians with higher taxes and higher prices for healthcare and energy. |
FACT: 97% CHARGE IS MISLEADING AND DOESN’T REFLECT SENATOR WARNER’S RECORD. Virginia Political Analyst Said 97% Charge Was “Misleading”. “We asked two political scientists for their thoughts on presidential support ratings: Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia and Stephen Farnsworth of the University of Mary Washington…Farnsworth noted that Obama did not take a position on the vast majority of bills that have come before the Senate. “To imagine that Warner votes like a politburo member for the president would be misleading,” he said. [Politifact,4/25/14] 2013: Sen. Warner Ranked in Sensible Center of The National Journal’s Annual Rankings. According to the National Journal’s 2013 Senate vote ratings, Warner was the 9th most conservative Democrat in the Senate in 2013. He ranked 54th overall. [National Journal, 2/5/14] |
| GILLESPIE: My economic plan will raise take home pay and lift people out of poverty. That's the new and better direction for Virginia. I'm Ed Gillespie. I approve this message. |
FACT: GILLESPIE WANTS TO REPEAL THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, BUT HAS NO PLAN FOR REPLACING IT. Richmond Times Dispatch On Gillespie And The ACA: “Less Than Two Months Before The Election, He Has Not Laid Out A Specific Plan.” “Gillespie: Highlighting Warner’s support of the ACA is a key strategy of Gillespie’s campaign. He has vowed to repeal the law and replace it with 'market-based' policies, some of which include equalizing the tax treatment between employer and employee and creating more competition by allowing insurers to compete across state lines. However, less than two months before the election, he has not laid out a specific plan.” [Richmond Times Dispatch, 9/6/14] Times Dispatch Editorial: Gillespie Wants To Repeal The ACA, But If It Were Repealed, “260,000 Virginians Would Stand To Lose Their Coverage.” The Richmond Times Dispatch Editorial Board wrote, “Gillespie says he wants to repeal and replace Obamacare. But more than 200,000 previously uninsured Virginians have obtained health insurance through the law’s federal exchange. An additional 60,000 adults under age 26 have gained coverage by staying on their parents’ policies. In the unlikely event Obamacare were repealed, many — perhaps all — of those 260,000 Virginians would stand to lose their coverage.” [Richmond Times Dispatch Editorial, 9/15/14] FACT: GILLESPIE HAS NO INTEREST IN INCREASING TAKE HOME PAY FOR MINIMUM WAGE WORKERS. Gillespie said “I Don’t Believe In A Federally Mandated Increase In The Minimum Wage” In response to a question about minimum wage, Gillespie said “Well I don’t – I think the states are making decisions about raising minimum wage. In Maryland for example, they just raised the minimum rage recently and in Virginia we have not. And you know we’ll see what the difference is relative to job creation and employment rates and unemployment rates in those two neighboring states. I don't believe in a federally mandated increase in the minimum wage.” [Gillespie on Morning Joe,6/27/14] Gillespie Said Minimum Wage Jobs Are Where You “Learn The Social Aspects Of Work,” Like Going Out For Beer After Work Or Playing On The Work Softball Team. “It’s where you learn the social aspects of work. It’s where you play on the work softball team or go out for a beer after work. You know, we want to foster that and incentive work in this country.” [NBC12, 7/8/14] FACT: GILLESPIE’S RECORD OF JOB CREATION INCLUDES WORKING FOR BUSH ADMINISTRATION THAT LOST 4.4 MILLION JOBS. America Lost At Least 4.4 Million Jobs Under President Bush While Gillespie Worked As Counselor To The President. “The Bush years were hampered by a recession and prolonged job slump that began within weeks of his taking office in 2001, and later by the devastating recession of 2007-2009. The economy lost 8.7 million jobs as a result of the 2007-2009 recession, the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Those losses included 4.4 million jobs lost during Bush’s final year” [Fatcheck.org, 4/16/13] |
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