He Voted to Repeal Health Care, He Voted to Sabotage Health Care:

Try As He Might, Jason Lewis Cannot Hide From His Record

Health care has continued to drive the policy debate and political conversation in Minnesota and in Washington, with costs
and coverage remaining top priorities for the American people. This summer, polls from the Kaiser Family Foundation,
NBC News and CBS News found that health care outranked jobs and economy as the most important issue. In addition, a
recent Public Policy Polling poll of voters in MN-02 found that health care is the most important or a very important issue
for 62 percent of voters, and a plurality of voters (46 percent) said Lewis’s vote to repeal the ACA makes them less likely
to vote for him.

But rather than listening to his constituents, sticking up for health care protections for Minnesota and working to lower
costs, Representative Jason Lewis voted to weaken protections for people with pre-existing conditions, to cut billions of
dollars form Medicare and Medicaid, and to drive up health care costs. What’s even more disturbing, Lewis voted to give
huge tax breaks to big insurance and drug companies at the very same time he voted to sabotage Minnesotans’ health
care.

Like many of of the pro-repeal Republicans running in competitive districts this cycle, Jason Lewis has tried to duck and
cover from his own record of working to take health care away from Minnesotans, claiming he would not “gut” protections
for people with pre-existing conditions. Jason Lewis’s health care record is clear: He voted to repeal health care, he voted
to sabotage it -- and he should own it. The following report offers more details about Lewis’s record on health care.

Jason Lewis Wants To Repeal The Affordable Care Act And Its Protections For 2.3 Million Minnesotans With Pre-
existing Conditions

Jason Lewis Voted for House Republicans’ repeal bill last summer, which would have raised premiums, stripped
coverage from millions, and weakened protection for people with pre-existing conditions. Lewis voted for passage
of the American Health Care Act, which would have led more than 254,000 Minnesotans to lose coverage by 2026 under
this bill, including 28,500 in Lewis’s district. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the American Health
Care Act would have raised premiums 20 percent in 2018. The bill also imposed what the AARP calls an “age tax” on
older Americans, meaning out-of-pocket costs for older Minnesotans could have increase by as much as $11,564 by
2026. The negative economic impact of the American Health Care Act would have caused 24,785 Minnesotans to lose
their jobs by 2022, including 1,618 in the 2nd congressional district.

Lewis Called The ACA An “Unmitigated Disaster” And Called For Repeal. “Moderator: with Obamacare, is repeal it
or fix it. Are you in favor of repealing it? Jason Lewis: Well, I’ve — repealing it and replacing it. Reforming it. I mean
y’know the only people left supporting Obamacare now are Nancy Pelosi, who’s been raising money for Angie, and Angie
Craig, who said that it didn’t go far enough, she wants to expand the Affordable Care Act. This is an unmitigated disaster.”
[Minnesota Public Radio Debate, 10/23/16]

Lewis Campaigned For Office On A Promise Of Repealing The ACA. “Under his leadership, Lewis promised to
defend the Constitution, simplify the tax code and help repeal President Obama’s signature health care law.” [Minneapolis
Star-Tribune, 5/7/16]

Lewis Attacked “Wayward Republicans” In The Senate For Defeating Repeal Of The ACA. “Lewis referred to
Republican senators Murkowski, Collins, and McCain as ‘wayward Republicans.’ ‘Last night's Senate capitulation was a
political victory for the entrenched interests—from big insurance to big media—who fought so hard to preserve
Obamacare. But as all too often is the case, it was a defeat for hard-working Americans,’ Lewis said. ‘I was proud to
support real health care reform that passed the House and tried to actually fix the failed experiment in government-run
health care, including the problems that even predate the ACA.’” [Apple Valley Patch, 7/28/17]

Protect Our Care | September 2018

What would full repeal of the Affordable Care Act eliminate?

● Protections for 2,331,000 Minnesotans, including 304,100 of Lewis’s constituents in MN-02, with pre-existing
conditions, if they buy coverage on their own
● Improvements to Medicare, including reduced costs for prescription drugs
● Allowing kids to stay on their parents’ insurance until age 26
● Ban on annual and lifetime limits
● Ban on insurance discrimination against women
● Limit on out-of-pocket costs
● Medicaid expansion currently covering 15 million people
● Rules to hold insurance companies accountable
● Small business tax credits
● Marketplace tax credits and coverage for up to 140,000 Minnesotans

Jason Lewis Has Spent The Past Year And A Half Sabotaging Minnesotans’ Health Care, While Voting for Tax
Breaks for Corporations at the Very Same Time

Lewis voted for the Republican tax scam, which was estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to drive up
premiums by 10 percent annually each year for the next decade. Lewis voted for the Republican tax bill passed last
December, which repealed the requirement that most people have health insurance. The nonpartisan Congressional
Budget Office estimated that such a move would cause individual market premiums to increase by 10 percent in most
years of the decade. This $1.5 trillion tax bill disproportionately benefits the wealthy and sends massive tax breaks to
insurance and pharmaceutical companies.

Lewis refuses to oppose a lawsuit designed to end protections for people with pre-existing conditions. This
summer, the Trump Administration refused to defend against a lawsuit brought by 20 conservative states aimed at
overturning the Affordable Care Act and its protections for people with pre-existing conditions. In July, House Democrats
introduced a resolution that would authorize the General Counsel of the House of Representatives to intervene in the
lawsuit and defend protections for people with pre-existing conditions. Lewis refuses to support the resolution.

Lewis also refuses to join the House effort to overturn Trump administration’s junk plan rule that lets insurance
companies discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions. The Trump Administration also recently
finalized a rule that allows insurance companies to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. Experts warn
that this move will only increase the cost of comprehensive care, ultimately making it even harder for people with pre-
existing conditions to get the care they need. House Democrats introduced legislation that would override Trump’s rule,
but Lewis has not signed on.

Now, Minnesotans Are Paying For His Actions

Minnesota insurance companies proposed rate decreases averaging 8 percent for 2019, but should have seen
even larger decreases if not for GOP Sabotage.

● Charles Gaba, health care analyst, notes that Minnesota insurance companies requested an average premium
decrease of 8 percent, but would have seen even an even larger reduction of 15.4 percent if not for GOP
sabotage.

The Number Of Uninsured Minnesotans Increased By 18,000 Between 2016 And 2017. A survey released by the
Census Bureau found that Minnesota’s uninsured rate increased by 0.3 percent between 2016 and 2017.

Protect Our Care | September 2018

APPENDIX: September 2018 MN-02 Poll

From: Anniken Williams, Public Policy Polling

To: Interested Parties
Subject: Republicans in Trouble on ACA, Pre-Existing Conditions; Minnesota Voters Say
They’re Less Likely to Support them Due to Health Care Stance
Date: September 21, 2018
A new survey by Public Policy Polling finds that Republicans are in trouble on the issue of the
Affordable Care Act and pre-existing conditions as Minnesota voters say they are less likely to
support Republicans due to their stance on health care. In Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional
District, a plurality of voters (46%) say they are less likely to vote for Congressman Jason Lewis
because of his effort to repeal the ACA.
The Trump administration recently went to court to eliminate the health care law’s protections
for people with pre-existing conditions, and voters overwhelmingly oppose their action. 64%
oppose the lawsuit, including a 39% plurality of Republicans. Minnesotans are also less likely to
vote for Republicans who stayed silent on this lawsuit. A plurality of voters (43%) say they are
less likely to vote for Congressman Lewis because of his silence on the lawsuit.

Key findings in the survey include:

● Health care is a very important issue to voters when deciding who to vote for. 62% say it
is either the most important issue or a very important issue when deciding who to vote
for.

● Minnesotans are very concerned about the possible consequences of repealing the ACA.
62% of voters think charging people 50+ years old, five times more than younger people
for health insurance is a major concern. Eliminating protections for people with pre-
existing conditions is a major concern for 63% of voters.

● In a preview of the November election, Democrat Angie Craig holds a lead over
Republican Jason Lewis, 48-45.

PPP surveyed 531 MN 2 voters from September 17-18, 2018. The margin of error is +/- 4.3%.
This poll was conducted by automated telephone interviews.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Public Policy Polling® Phone: 888 621-6988

3020 Highwoods Blvd. Web: www.publicpolicypolling.com
Raleigh, NC 27604 Email: information@publicpolicypolling.com

Protect Our Care | September 2018