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NRCC Targets Houlahan on Single Payer in Digital Ads

NRCC Single Payer AdThe National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is targeting Chrissy Houlahan, the Democratic candidate looking to challenge Congressman Ryan Costello (R-Chester) in 2018.  

The ad continues a message the NRCC has been pushing against Democratic candidates and incumbents.  The NRCC looked to divide Democrats in the district on single payer in July, ending with Houlahan leaving open a stance on either side of the issue.

“Chrissy Houlahan refuses to disavow a single-payer health care system that would cost taxpayers $32 trillion. She may have set a new record for embracing the far-left agenda of Nancy Pelosi and the Washington establishment,” NRCC spokesman Chris Martin said in an email.  

The NRCC got the $32 trillion number from a study by the Urban Institute that analyzed Senator Bernie Sanders’ single payer proposal.  

The ad calls the single payer system “European style” and then shows clips of Charlie Gard, the infant in England whose parents fought a legal battle to try to allow experimental treatments to be tried to cure his rare disease.

Ads like these are used primarily to fire up the base and to try to push a wedge between Democrats on the issue.  

The ad is part of a two-week buy of six-figures nationally.  The ads are running on social media, including Facebook’s new canvas ads, that are focused towards mobile users.  According to Facebook, canvas ads are “mobile-optimized and [are] designed to capture complete attention of your audience.”  

You can watch the ad below.

PoliticsPA has reached out the Houlahan’s campaign or comment.

Update: Houlahan’s campaign responded to the ads, calling out Costello’s support of repealing the Affordable Care Act.

“This is another ridiculous attempt to hide the fact that Rep. Costello irresponsibility voted for Trumpcare in committee – a bill that would increase premiums, gut protections for pre-existing conditions and impose economic hardships on Pennsylvania families – without even waiting for a CBO score on its impact. Unlike like Rep. Costello and many of the politicians currently in Washington, Chrissy has real world experience and has actually provided healthcare for hundreds of employees. She understands that access to healthcare is a fundamental human right and our goal should be to expand access and bring costs down,” Houlahan campaign manager Rahul Kale said in an email.

9 Responses

  1. This is one of the funniest “dark ads” I’ve seen in a while. Scary music, sinister sounding narrator, really cheap visual effects – yes, those flashes are terrifying! Haha. Is this the best they can do? And using that poor baby (sadly, now gone) to add unsubstantiated fear. Another move out of the old, tired Republican playbook – when you have nothing to show for 7 years of complaining about the current system, lie about what the other side wants to do. Here’s the plot in summary: Foolish people put good money into such a cheap shot that lands fall short of its target with a thud.

  2. Bring this fight. It is decades overdue and I think we will win it. The record shows Costellos support of Trumpcare. Let Houlihan – and all Dems – pick a side. This Dem Committeeman won’t support anyone calling themselves a Dem who won’t for my family to escape the for-profit mess that has nearly bankrupted our family, and I am certain more than many others. #SinglePayer #Medicare4All. Decades ago would have been best, now will have to do.

  3. Single payer?! Is she kidding. She must think the 6th district is within the City limits of Philadelphia.

  4. Let me get this straight, the whole issue is that she won’t pick a side on if she is for single payer or not, so her campaign rep comes out and makes a comment without picking a side? LOL are you kidding me?! Leaders lead. This candidate doesn’t have stances on major issues? Disqualifying.

  5. “European style” healthcare is vastly better than disjointed US mess. Not that doctors are better or worse, but the system of drug lists, limited networks, and endless appeal systems that never give clear rationales to justify denials, as well as pre-clearances and hidden co-pays, are disgraceful and wasteful.

    1. The only thing better about European Style HC is the fact that it is cheap at the point of purchase. It is not an argument that our doctors are better, heck half of them come here for school. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel like waiting 3 months when I have something wrong with me before I can be seen. Our system is a mess, I will certainly agree with that, but I don’t think the answer is in either extreme side on this issue. The parties need to work together for once.

      1. Medicare for everyone is looking better and better. I never hear anyone use Germany, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, etc., etc., as poor examples of “socialized” medicine. The USA is the ONLY so-called industrialized country (there are 43) with a national plan.

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