Constituent slams GOP senator for lying about protecting preexisting conditions

On a Wednesday tele-town hall, a constituent called out his state’s junior senator, Martha McSally, alleging she had been untruthful about her health care positions.

“This message is for everybody listening into this call,” the caller, named John, said. “Senator McSally just lied through her teeth to everybody listening to this call.”

McSally interjected with, “John, come on.”

The caller continued, saying, “She is not doing her job. She’s lied to you about … about Obamacare,” referring to a claim McSally made earlier on the call, when she dodged a question about the Republican lawsuit aiming to overturn Obamacare.

McSally refused to state her position about the lawsuit, instead claiming, “I support making sure everybody that has a preexisting condition can get access to health insurance and they are not denied by insurance companies.”

McSally’s stated position is not backed up by her own voting record.

When she was a member of the House of Representatives, McSally was a leading proponent of a Republican bill to eliminate the ACA, which would have eliminated protections for people with preexisting conditions. Before the pivotal vote in 2017 to get rid of the ACA, McSally rallied fellow Republicans, saying, “Let’s get this fucking thing done!”

The bill passed the House with McSally’s support but failed in the Senate.

As a Senator, McSally continued to vote for health insurance initiatives that would not protect people with preexisting conditions.

As recently as Oct. 30, McSally had the chance to vote against a Trump administration initiative to expand access to so-called “junk” health insurance plans. These plans are opposed by groups like the AARP because they would allow health insurance companies to deny health insurance to people with preexisting conditions.

McSally voted in favor of these “junk” health insurance plans.

McSally faces a tough reelection race in 2020. She lost a Senate race in 2018 to Democrat Kyrsten Sinema and now serves as an unelected senator appointed by the state’s Republican governor.

Less than a year before the 2020 election, McSally’s likely Democratic opponent — former astronaut Mark Kelly — is leading her both in fundraising and in the polls. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 seat majority in the U.S. Senate, and Democrats are hoping to flip Arizona and enough other seats to regain a majority.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.