GOP congressman claims to support health care after 31 votes to gut it

Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), who voted 31 times to repeal Obamacare, is now trying to hold onto his endangered congressional seat by posturing as a health care supporter.

Joyce represents Ohio’s 14th Congressional District, which went to Trump by 12 points in 2016. His new campaign ad states, “When Republican leaders of Congress tried to take away protections for pre-existing conditions, I said no.” On-air text also claims that Joyce “stood up to President Trump.”

Joyce wants to coast by on his no vote for the “American Health Care Act” proposed by Republicans in 2017. But before he voted no on the Republican bill in its latest form, he voted 31 times to repeal Obamacare.

That means he voted dozens of times to strip health care coverage from millions of people and, yes, to undo protections for pre-existing conditions.

Joyce was so proud of his anti-health care stance, he promoted it on his campaign website until earlier this year. His website said, “Dave Joyce has fought to repeal and defund ‘Obamacare’ every chance he’s had. Dave Joyce has voted to defund, repeal or delay Obamacare every chance he’s had, 30+ times.”

But that information has now been scrubbed from Joyce’s website, and no mention of his health care views remains.

Meanwhile, his Democratic opponent Betsy Rader has health care front and center on her site, detailing her support for “universal access to quality, affordable healthcare.”

Health care has been cited by many Americans as a top issue heading into the 2018 midterm elections. Republicans have said if they win they intend to once again make an attempt to strip coverage from millions.

Joyce’s claim that he has stood up to Trump also doesn’t pass the smell test. He has voted with Trump 96.7 percent of the time. That isn’t really bucking the system.

The ad from Joyce is trying to fool voters. Joyce spent years attacking health care without any apparent concern for the fallout of his hard-line position.

Now he wants to hide that stance to appear like the hero he isn’t.