Received this e-mail today from U.S. Senator Chris Murphy’s (D. CT) re-election campaign:
Late last week, Senators Cory Booker, Brian Schatz and I wrote a letter to the Department of Health and Human Services requesting information about any money the department has spent effectively running a paid, negative advertising campaign against the Affordable Care Act on social media.
As you know, shortly after he was sworn in, President Trump canceled advertisements designed to encourage people to sign-up for the Affordable Care Act, an act of sabotage meant to undermine the law’s ability to keep premiums down.
Our concern is that the Trump administration, and specifically the Department of Health and Human Services, is violating the law by using funds appropriated to implement and help Obamacare succeed, and instead spending those to undermine its effectiveness and lobby for its repeal.
The campaign makes it clear Secretary Price is trying to influence the public, so that makes it even more important he hear from you. So I am asking:
Sign my petition calling on the Department of Health and Human Services and its Secretary, Tom Price, to stop spending taxpayer dollars to undermine the effectiveness of the Affordable Care Act, and to lobby for its repeal. Then forward this email to friends and asking them to do the same.
Here’s one example:
Who paid to produce that video and the many others like it being promoted on government social media accounts? How much did they cost to make? Who approved the videos, and under what authority?
Because here is the truth: like it or not, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land. And that means until that is no longer the case, the Department of Health and Human Services has an obligation to uphold and implement it.
Anything less invites serious legal questions about the work of the department. Add your name if you agree:
Sign my petition calling on the Department of Health and Human Services and its Secretary, Tom Price, to stop spending taxpayer dollars to undermine the effectiveness of the Affordable Care Act, and to lobby for its repeal.
We are likely gonna have a vote here tomorrow on the future of the Affordable Care Act. And if we’re able to defend the law, we need to know that government funds aren’t going to be used to undermine its potential for success.
Every best wish,
Chris Murphy
U.S. Senator, Connecticut