Mitch Perry
It was five years ago today that President Barack Obama signed into law the Affordable Care Act, one of the most significant — and controversial — pieces of legislation in U.S. public policy history.
Since March 23, 2010, there have been more than 50 congressional votes to repeal the law. There was one near-death experience in the U.S. Supreme Court, with another nail-biting decision coming down the pike this summer, and always, underwater public approval ratings.
The latter is undoubtedly the reason the National Republican Campaign Committee used the occasion Monday to target five House Democrats whom they consider to be among the most vulnerable in the country. They include two in Florida: Panhandle area U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham and South Florida Congressman Patrick Murphy, who has declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat in 2016 now held by Marco Rubio.
The NRCC is launching a paid web ad that targets not only Graham and Murphy, but also Minnesota Congressman Collin Peterson, Arizona Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick, and Nebraska’s U.S. Rep. Brad Ashford.
“While Nancy Pelosi celebrates the fifth anniversary of Obamacare, middle class families and small businesses continue to struggle under the law which has caused many of Pelosi’s House Democrats to pay the price,” NRCC Communications Director Katie Martin said. “Already deep in the political wilderness, continuing to push Obamacare on hard working middle class families will only force more House Democrats to the exits in 2016.”
Watch the ad below:
Neither Graham nor Murphy were in the House when the ACA was signed into law.
