New Digital Ads Highlight Heller’s Vote to Repeal Health Care After Pressure from McConnell, Mega-Donors
Ad Buy is Part of “Big Money 20” Campaign to Expose the Worst of Washington’s Rigged System
Washington, D.C. – End Citizens United (ECU) today kicked off the next wave of its Big Money 20 campaign with the release of issue ads aimed at Senator Dean Heller for his vote to repeal health care following pressure from party leadership and mega-donors.
The ad hits on Heller’s widely-covered flip-flop where, after promising to block any health care legislation that would reduce spending for Medicaid, he switched his position and voted to repeal key parts of the Affordable Care Act putting the health care coverage of thousands of Nevadans – along with 16 million Americans – at risk. His reversal came after receiving threatening calls from his mega-donors and pressure from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who influences millions of dollars in special interest money. The 15-second video ad, which will appear on Facebook and YouTube, encourages Nevadans to call Heller and demand that he stand up for Nevadans and not his mega-donors. In addition, ECU will run Pandora ads and do a homepage takeover of The Las Vegas Sun on January 21, the anniversary of the Citizens United decision.
“Senator Heller represents the worst of Washington’s rigged system, and he’s proven time and again he will sell out Nevada’s working families in favor of those writing him the biggest checks,” said Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United. “We’re going to make sure Nevadans know who he’s really fighting for in Congress.”
In December, End Citizens United named Heller to its Big Money 20 list for 2018. The members of the Big Money 20 are incumbents who do the bidding of special interests like drug companies, Big Oil, Wall Street, and others with deep pockets while also voting to keep the rigged system in place.
ECU announced that it will spend $35 million in the 2018 election cycle with a goal of defeating incumbents who are rigging the system and electing reformers who will ensure Congress focuses on all of us, not only the special interests.
Founded in 2015, ECU is a traditional political action committee (PAC) with more than three million members. Funded by small-dollar, grassroots donors who give an average contribution of $14, ECU raised $25 million last cycle and helped elect 65 members of Congress, including three new U.S. Senators and 16 new U.S. Representatives in 2016. The group is dedicated to ending the corrosive influence of Big Money in politics and fixing our rigged political system by electing campaign finance reform champions, passing state ballot measures, and elevating the issue in the national conversation.
To read the full ad backup click HERE
For the full list of Big Money 20 members and additional background click HERE.