News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2018
Contact: Paula A. Wolf
(919) 260-7556
Paulaa.wolf@gmail.com

Raleigh, NC – Today, North Carolinians for a Fair Economy Advisory Board Members again exposed Congressman George Holding’s harmful voting record on two issues of great importance to his constituents in the 2^nd Congressional District:  his 23 votes to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act and his support for the #TrumpHoldingTaxCut that benefits big corporations, millionaires, and billionaires at the expense of working families in his own congressional district.

Former 2^nd Congressional District Congressman and NCFE Advisory Board member Bob Etheridge said, “The Trump/Holding tax scam is for the rich, not working families. When 80% of the tax cuts go to the wealthiest 1%, you know who Holding supports.  George Holding owns this tax plan.”

The Rev. Dr. Nancy E. Petty, pastor of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church and NCFE Advisory Board member, listed the numerous ways that Congressman Holding is jeopardizing 20 million Americans who have gained insurance through the ACA. “The repeal of the individual mandate, the proposal to exclude people with preexisting conditions from getting or affording care, massive premium increases, and pushing short-term plans with inadequate coverage are all policies George Holding has supported,” said Rev. Petty. When speaking of the $7 billion proposed cut to CHIP, she asked, “Where is George Holding’s morality?”

Gailya Paliga, president of the NC National Organization for Women and NCFE Advisory Board member made remarks on the significance of today being the 53^rd anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid. “Medicare serves as a crucial source of healthcare for seniors and that women account for 54% of Medicare recipients,” Paliga said. “Moreover, Medicaid is a lifeline to those poor, older, and disabled Americans that would not have access to care without this vital program,” she added.

NCFE’s local advisory board and activists have been out in the community letting the people know about Congressman Holding’s record in these important issues:

●  NCFE held a town hall meeting in Wake Forest to hear from constituents who have not benefited from the tax plan.  Congressman Holding was invited to attend but declined.

● NCFE deployed mobile billboards throughout the 2^nd Congressional District calling attention
● NCFE purchased a static billboard on US Highway 64 in Nashville near the site of a business that permanently laid off 105 workers that the Trump/Holding tax plan was supposed to protect.
●  NCFE advertised on an airplane banner flying over an event Congressman Holding was attending with several hundred people.
●  NCFE sponsored a major six-figure broadcast and radio advertising campaign over the last several weeks with real folks talking about how George Holding’s sabotage of the ACA has affected them personally.

Working families and children in North Carolina’s 2^nd Congressional District are left behind as Holding ignores the needs of his constituents.  NCFE is there to remind them of Holding’s neglect.

 

My name is Bob Etheridge. I want to welcome you here today in my role as a member of the Advisory Board of North Carolinians for a Fair Economy. North Carolinians for a Fair Economy is a local, grassroots coalition with a large and diverse Advisory Board – numbering over 20 community leaders. Our mission is to educate Congressman George Holding’s constituents in the 2^nd Congressional District on his voting record on two key issues

The constant sabotage of the Affordable Care Act that is devastating working families in the 2^nd Congressional District

The Trump/Holding tax cut that benefits billionaires, millionaires, and wealthy corporations at the expense of working families in the 2^nd Congressional District

TAXSCAM

 

• George Holding voted for a tax-cut law that will give away $1.9 trillion in tax cuts to the richest Americans and wealthiest corporations.  The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projects the tax cut will hurt low-income Americans, disproportionally benefit the wealthy, increase the annual deficit to $1 Trillion next year, and result in spending cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security in order to pay for it.
• The Trump/Holding taxscam is for the rich, not working families. The cuts are temporary for working families but permanent for billionaires, wealthy people and wealthy out-of-state corporations.

 

• This equates to a $750 temporary tax cut for the middle class and a $48,580 permanent tax cut for the top 1%.
• 80% of the tax cuts go to the wealthiest 1%.
• After signing the bill last December, Trump told a group of his wealthy friends at Mar-a-Lago,“You all just got a lot richer.”
• In fact, a recent Gallup showed that only 39% of Americans approved of the original Trump/Holding plan passed last December.

Noah Adams at Bloomberg News writes, “…The tax reform hasn’t yet resulted in appreciably higher wages for American workers. Real average hourly compensation actually fell in the first quarter after the tax reform was passed.”

George Holding owns this tax plan!

To highlight this record NCFE held a town hall meeting in Wake Forest to hear from constituents who have not benefited from the tax plan.  Congressman Holding was invited to attend but declined.  NCFE has deployed mobile billboards throughout the 2^nd congressional district calling attention to the disastrous results of the taxscam.  In addition, NCFE purchased a static billboard on US Highway 64 in Nashville near the site of a business that permanently laid off 105 workers that the Trump/Holding tax plan was supposed to protect.

[Southeast Service Corporation in Nash County reported 105 permanent layoffs on February 12, 2018. https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2018/03/07/a-look-at-n-c-layoffs-and-expansions-of-2018.html.  In addition, Kroger announced on June 13, 2018 that it would close all of its stores in the Triangle, resulting in 1,500 employees losing their jobs. http://www.newsobserver.com/latest-news/article213090544.html]

SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 

After borrowing billions of dollars for tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations which are children and grandchildren will be paying back, Congressman Holding voted for cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Congressman Holding made his priorities clear: He is willing to give tax breaks to the wealthiest one percent – which includes himself – but not ensure that families in his own NC Congressional District 2 have food on the table.   Hungry children to not learn well and hungry workers re not as productive.

As of 2015 in the 2^nd Congressional District, 49,082 households rely on SNAP to help feed their families when they can’t make ends meet.

The effects of these harsh changes will be felt by everyone, including parents raising children, people with disabilities, older workers, low-wage workers, and those unable to find jobs.

 

NCFE was proud to hold a protest outside Congressman Holding’s office to call him out on his support of funding cuts to this important life-saving program.

I’m the Rev. Dr. Nancy Petty, from Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. I also serve on the NCFE Advisory Board.  Thank you for being here today.
Congressman George Holding has voted 23 times to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act, which has allowed nearly 20 million more Americans to get healthcare coverage, some for the very first time. I’d like to emphasize what Congressman Holding’s votes have done to sabotage the ACA:

• REPEAL OF THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE which – because those still covered are older and sicker – causes premiums to rise.
• PROPOSAL TO EXCLUDE PREEXISTING CONDITIONS potentially effecting 315,100 individuals in the 2^nd Congressional District who live with a preexisting condition. This proposal creates – or recreates – a large group of uninsurables, who either cannot get any coverage or are priced out of the market. The Kaiser Tracking Poll for June 2018 shows that 66 percent of voters view protecting those with preexisting conditions as a critical issues in 2018.
• INCREASE IN SHORT-TERM, LIMITED-DURATION PLANS WITH INADEQUATE COVERAGE. These plans are not regulated by the Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections which state that health insurance plans must cover certain services, including prescription drug costs or maternity coverage, and other basic health needs.
• MASSIVE PREMIUM INCREASES of an additional $1,433 on average for an individual policy in NC according to a report by the Center for American Progress.  CAP also reports that estimates that a family of four in the 2^nd Congressional District would pay an additional $4,210 solely because of George Holding’s actions to sabotage the ACA. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/healthcare/news/2018/07/24/453917/estimated-increases-2019-premiums-congressional-district-due-aca-sabotage/

Let me share some research with you.

• A nationwide poll out this week conducted by Public Policy Polling reports that a majority – 59 percent of voters – want to support candidates for Congress who oppose repealing the Affordable Care Act.  Fifty-nine percent want Congress to “keep what works and fix what doesn’t!
• More than 1 in 5 voters, 22 percent, said in a new NBC News–Wall Street Journal poll that healthcare is their top issue in the November midterm elections. [http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/391164-poll-health-care-a-top-issue-for-voters-ahead-of-midterms]
• A Kaiser tracking poll for July 2018, fifty percent of respondents agree President Trump (and by extension Congressman Holding) is trying to make the ACA fail and that that is a bad thing.
• https://www.kff.org/health-reform/poll-finding/kaiser-health-tracking-poll-july-2018-changes-to-the-affordable-care-act-health-care-in-the-2018-midterms-and-the-supreme-court/]

Much like on the tax scam issues, NCFE has been out in the community talking about Congressman Holding’s voting record.  We have deployed mobile billboards all over the congressional district.  We have advertised on an airplane banner flying over an event Congressman Holding was attending.  And, of course, as has been recently covered, we have sponsored a major broadcast and radio advertising campaign over the last several weeks with real folks talking about how George Holding’s sabotage of the ACA has affected them personally.

CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM (CHIP)

• Congressman Holding supported a “Rescission Package” proposed by President Trump that would have “clawed back” or cut $7 billion from the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

 

• The #TrumpHoldingTaxScam gave $1.9 trillion in tax cuts to millionaires, billionaires, and wealthy corporations and now the Holding and the GOP are looking for more ways to cut vital programs.  Helping their constituents is clearly not a George Holding talking point.

 

• Research from Georgetown University estimates that, if this “claw back” were enacted, 17,516 children in North Carolina who are at risk of losing health insurance coverage.

My name is Gailya Paliga, President of the NC National Organization for Women
We would be remiss if we did not also point out that today is the 53rd anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson signing Medicare and Medicaid into law.

• Medicare serves as a crucial source of healthcare for seniors – especially women who are 54% of recipients.
• Also, we should not forget that almost 20% of Medicare recipients are under age 65 – including surviving spouses and children.
• Medicaid is a lifeline to those poor, older, and disabled Americans that would not have access to care without this vital program.  It should be expanded to cover those not covered by the ACA.
• As a result of the constant efforts to sabotage the ACA and because of Trump/Holding TaxScam, that others have talked about, the added pressure on our healthcare system and our federal budget is a constant threat to Medicare and Medicare.
• Every senior – and every citizen of North Carolina’s 2^nd congressional district for that matter – should ask George Holding why he continues to support policies that will almost certainly have a negative impact on Medicare and Medicaid.