Las Vegas, NV-  If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try 36 times again.  Not content to let his two votes to end Medicare, repeated attacks on women’s health, and more than 30 previous votes to put insurance company bureaucrats back in charge of Nevadans’ healthcare, today Rep. Joe Heck again joined House Republicans in voting to hike seniors’ prescription drug costs and deny healthcare coverage for Nevada patients with pre-existing conditions.  We’d give him points for consistency if his record wasn’t so dangerous for Nevada women, seniors, children, and middle class families. 

If the Affordable Care Act was repealed, the prescription drug donut hole would immediately reopen, hiking Nevada seniors’ prescription drug costs by thousands of dollars.  Heck’s vote would also once again allow insurance companies to deny healthcare coverage to Nevadans with pre-existing conditions, while kicking many young Nevadans off their parents’ healthcare plans.  Seriously, this guy is a doctor?     

“Joe Heck’s reckless vote is a handout to insurance company bureaucrats that threatens the health of Nevada families,” said Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Zach Hudson.  “If Joe Heck had his way, insurance companies would again be allowed to discriminate against patients with pre-existing conditions and young Nevadans could get kicked off their parents’ healthcare plans.  Today Joe Heck made clear that he is more concerned about giving handouts to private insurance companies than in ensuring Nevadans have affordable healthcare.”

Las Vegas, NV – Out of touch much?  Today Rep. Joe Heck joined Washington Republicans in voting for legislation that would ensure more work and less pay for Nevada families.  Heck voted for the “Pay Working Families Less Act,” legislation that would allow employers to gut workers’ wages while increasing the hours they are on the clock.  But this isn’t the first time Joe Heck has gone to bat for big businesses while leaving the middle class hung out to dry.  While Nevada continues to suffer from one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, Joe Heck has voted to give tax breaks to corporations that are shipping American jobs overseas.  Even worse, Joe Heck is holding the middle class hostage to the job-killing sequester because Heck and Washington Republicans refuse to close special tax breaks for millionaires and Big Oil.  

“After voting to give tax breaks to corporations that are shipping American jobs overseas, Joe Heck now wants to gut wages for the jobs that are still here,” said Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Zach Hudson.  “Time and again Joe Heck has sided with Wall Street, Big Oil, and private insurance companies at the expense of middle class families and today’s vote was no exception.” 

Sandoval’s staff even told KTNV that “it's possible that more questionable cases will surface as the state continues to investigate.”  Oh really?  No kidding. 

“Considering it took a month of negative media attention for Governor Sandoval to stop busing mentally ill patients out of state unsupervised, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that his Administration doesn’t think it has done anything wrong,” said Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Zach Hudson.  “While the Governor might disagree, patient dumping is shameful and the fact that Sandoval won’t admit it is yet another sign of just how out of touch he is.”

Says Sandoval Administration STILL has not apologized

View the segment here

Las Vegas, NV – This weekend, James Brown, a victim of the Sandoval Administration’s patient dumping policy, called out Brian Sandoval over the Governor’s insistence that Nevada doesn’t engage in patient dumping.  When asked to respond to the Governor’s statements, Brown said what happened to him “sounds like patient dumping to me.”  Brown went on to say he has still not received an apology from a single person in the Sandoval Administration.

Even worse, in response to Brown’s daughter asking the Sandoval Administration to reimburse her for the $1,000 she spent on retrieving her father from Sacramento, Sandoval’s handlers gave what may be their most ridiculous spin yet on the scandal.  Below is the statement from the Governor’s office, taken apart line by line to separate spin from truth, something the Sandoval Administration has had a lot of trouble doing lately.

“Governor Sandoval has acted decisively”

Um… he acted after a month of negative media attention.

“and significant changes to the discharge policy have been enacted.”

The Administration admitted it only made those changes due to “events in the media.”

“Furthermore, the chaperone policy has been formalized and chaperones are now required to accompany each discharged client receiving transportation assistance out of state.”

Beyond the fact that this should have been the Administration’s policy from the beginning, the Administration admitted last week that a patient was dumped by Rawson-Neal AFTER Sandoval said he took “corrective action.”

Meanwhile, the Sacramento Bee interviewed a Rawson-Neal employee over the weekend who said that despite Governor Sandoval’s assertion that Brown’s case was an “isolated incident,” there were actually a “troubling number” of patients dumped by Rawson-Neal.   

View the KSNV segment here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-MPUAUkMlY&feature=youtu.be

Alleged patient dump happened last week -- AFTER Sandoval said he took “corrective action”

View the must-see video here

Las Vegas, NV – Last night, KTNV in Las Vegas reported the Sandoval Administration admitted to the station that they lied last week when they originally denied the existence of a new patient dumping case.  The latest allegation of patient dumping at Rawson-Neal occurred last week, meaning it occurred AFTER Sandoval and his Director of Health and Human Services Mike Willden said they had taken “corrective action” to ensure this heinous practice never happened again.  Can’t imagine why the Governor would feel the need to lie about a thing like that…

View the must-see video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26j7FEUMJek&feature=youtu.be

View the video here

Las Vegas, NV – Last night, KSNV’s Dana Gentry reported that when asked if the media forced any health department policy changes beyond the busing of mental health patients out of state unescorted, the Sandoval Administration refused to give Gentry an answer.  The Sandoval Administration told the Las Vegas Sun last week they changed the busing policy not because it was reckless and irresponsible, but because of “events in the media.”  While Governor Sandoval didn’t give KSNV an answer on whether the media forced any additional policy changes, the record clearly demonstrates that he has made previous policy changes due to media scrutiny. Weeks ago, the Sandoval Administration changed the wording of its patient busing policy after a critical story in the Sacramento Bee.

View the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOMWfvDwxvc&feature=youtu.be

NV Dems Respond to Sandoval’s Latest Damage Control Attempt on Patient Dumping

Las Vegas, NV – Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Zach Hudson released the following statement in response to Governor Sandoval’s announcement about his Administration’s patient dumping policy today:

“Given that almost every assertion made by the Sandoval Administration on patient dumping has later proven to be false, this self-policed ‘report’ has as much credibility as Rawson-Neal does on the proper discharge of patients.  Considering reports surfaced last week of new allegations of patient dumping after the governor claimed he had taken ‘corrective action,’ Governor Brian Sandoval has proven yet again that he cannot be trusted and Nevadans should be skeptical of anything he says on the scandal.” 

FROM:                 THE NEVADA STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY 

SUBJECT:            SANDOVAL’S CREDIBILITY IS QUICKLY WANING AS MORE HOLES EMERGE IN ADMINISTRATION’S SPIN ON PATIENT DUMPING

As new reports continue to emerge regarding the Sandoval Administration’s patient dumping scandal, Governor Sandoval is losing credibility by the day.  From the Administration’s initial insistence that the Sacramento patient dumping case was an “isolated” incident, to now Nevada media reporting that a Las Vegas patient was dumped from Rawson-Neal just last week – after Sandoval said the Administration had taken “corrective action" to end the patient dumping – to say Nevadans should accept what the Governor says with a grain of salt is putting it mildly.

But before we get into the latest reports of patient dumping happening under Brian Sandoval’s watch -- after the Governor said his Administration had fixed the problem -- it is important to put this into context.

POINT 1 - THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS DUMPED

When the Sacramento Bee first reported that a patient at Rawson-Neal, the Las Vegas mental health facility facing the patient dumping allegations, was bused from Las Vegas to Sacramento without any connection to the city, Governor Sandoval and his Director of Health and Human Services Mike Willden insisted that the case was an “isolated” incident.  After more patient dumping cases were dug up by the media, the Administration said there were just three cases of patient dumping.  Then the Administration said “five or six” patients were dumped, then they told reporters they weren’t “comfortable citing numbers.”

If you want a clear example of just how inaccurate the Administration’s initial claims were about the one “isolated” case of patient dumping – Fox 5 reported just last week of one former Rawson-Neal patient who says she was “dumped” and bused to California by the facility not once, but twice.  That is a single patient who was allegedly dumped more times than the Sandoval Administration initially said happened in total.

But back to the current number of dumped patients the Administration is citing, if today they are in fact “comfortable citing numbers,” which would be “five or six” patients.  The Sacramento Bee reported earlier this month that a review by the Nevada State Health Division found that of the cases they had reviewed at the time of the report – only 30% of the total cases keep in mind – five patients were dumped, all of which occurred over a two week period this past February. 

So, according to the Sandoval Administration, these instances of patient dumping are an incredibly rare practice that coincidentally happened five times over a two week period.  That questionable, at best, statistic raises serious eyebrows all by itself about whether Brian Sandoval is being honest with Nevadans about this scandal. 

But wait, there’s more.

POINT 2 – SANDOVAL CHANGED POLICIES STRICTLY BECAUSE OF MEDIA BACKLASH

It is no question that Governor Sandoval has based his reactions to this scandal upon the media uncovering new information -- the Administration essentially said so.  The Las Vegas Sun reported late last week the Sandoval Administration admitted that “events in the media” forced them to stop busing mental health patients out of state without supervision.  

But this isn’t the first documented evidence that Governor Sandoval’s actions since the scandal have been entirely due to public pressure.  The Sacramento Bee previously reported that, “Nevada long has had a written policy to bus patients to their home states. The policy stated that one of its goals was to relieve the ‘burden’ on Nevada taxpayers of the patients' care, though the state dropped the word ‘burden’ from a revised policy after The Bee quoted from it.”

POINT 3 – NEW PATIENT DUMPING ALLEGATIONS AFTER SANDOVAL SAYS HE TOOK “CORRECTIVE ACTION”

Finally, let’s look at what has happened since the media forced the Sandoval Administration to take “corrective action.”  KTNV Channel 13 in Las Vegas reported Thursday night that an 18 year-old Las Vegas man diagnosed with schizophrenia was picked up by Nevada Highway Patrol on April 17^th and brought to Rawson-Neal.  KTNV reports that hospital records confirm this, along with the fact that the patient was discharged this past Wednesday. 

How was he discharged?  Take a guess. 

His mother told KTNV that “administrators at Rawson-Neal gave” the patient “two prescriptions and a bus ticket.”  In addition, beyond the hospital not alerting family members that the patient was in the facility, much less discharged and dumped on a bus unescorted, the patient’s mother says she called Rawson-Neal “several times” and was never told he was in the facility’s care.

All of that allegedly happened after Governor Sandoval and Mike Willden insisted that they had taken “corrective action” to ensure this practice never happened again -- a practice they originally insisted was a single, “isolated” incident.  

To summarize: Governor Sandoval’s credibility has taken a serious hit as a result of the patient dumping scandal, and Nevadans have every reason to be wary of anything the Administration says in the future regarding this scandal. 

One final question to the Nevada media – Governor Sandoval fired his Superintendent of Education because the two men essentially did not like each other.  If the Governor is willing to fire a top-level official because the two of them could not play in the same sandbox, at what point will any senior-level officials in the Department of Health and Human Services be given so much as a slap on the wrist over the ever-escalating patient dumping scandal?

The mother went on to tell the station that “it's a miracle he made it home safely, because his schizophrenia affects his ability to understand directions. They'll  just let a mental patient out the door, without letting a family member know?"  Making the story even worse, KTNV reported the patient’s mother “claims she didn't even know Rodrick was at Rawson-Neal in the first place, despite calling the hospital several times.” 

Of course, all this comes AFTER the Sandoval Administration has sworn up and down they have taken “corrective action” to ensure no more patient dumping cases happen. 

“Governor Sandoval told Nevadans he had taken action to stop his Administration’s practice of patient dumping, yet this report indicates it is still going on under Sandoval’s watch,” said Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Zach Hudson.  “If this report is true, Governor Sandoval is either flat out lying to Nevadans, or his definition of ‘corrective action’ involves mental health patients still getting dumped.”

Administration says three patients were dumped

Administration says “five or six” patients were dumped

Administration says they aren’t “comfortable citing numbers”

Las Vegas, NV – Lies, damned lies, and statistics.  As Governor Sandoval tries to dig his way out of the crater-sized hole he has dug himself in over his Administration’s patient dumping scandal, the Governor is making clearer by the hour that the spin coming out of his office cannot be trusted.  When the scandal first broke, the Sandoval Administration rabidly insisted the Sacramento patient dumping case was a lone, “isolated” incident.  The Administration then said there were “three” cases of patient dumping.  Then yesterday, Governor Sandoval’s staff said “five or six” patients were dumped.  Following that, in the same story no less, the Sandoval Administration said they aren’t “comfortable citing numbers.”  Not comfortable citing numbers?  Can’t imagine why…

Why does this matter?  As the Sacramento Bee noted last Sunday, “if three patients were dumped, what makes anyone think there aren’t four or 10 or dozens more?”

 So, we ask again Governor – how many patients were dumped?

Las Vegas, NV – Given up on pretenses, Governor?  Last night, Governor Brian Sandoval’s Administration confessed to the Las Vegas Sun that “events in the media” forced Sandoval to make a policy change he previously defended.  After weeks of damaging press coverage over the Sandoval Administration’s patient dumping scandal, Sandoval his handlers announced yesterday the Administration would no longer bus patients with serious mental health issues out of state unsupervised.  Seriously, this is not a joke – Sandoval admitted they are making the policy change not because it’s, you know, common sense or the right thing to do.  No, for this Governor, in order to get rid of an irresponsible policy, he apparently needs to face overwhelming backlash from the Nevada media. 

To be clear, the Sandoval Administration has been defending the practice of  busing patients out of state unsupervised for weeks.  As Jon Ralston reported in this morning’s Ralston Reports Morning Flash, yesterday's policy change “occurred within 48 hours after the administration put out a statement essentially defending the busing policy as reuniting patients with their families and sent Mike Willden, the HHS boss, out to defend it on ‘Ralston Reports.’”

“The fact that it took weeks of devastating coverage in the media to force Governor Sandoval to make this policy change shows just how morally bankrupt this Administration is,” said Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Zach Hudson.  “Hundreds of mental health patients were bused out of state unsupervised under Brian Sandoval’s watch, and it takes the media calling him out to change this policy?  Regardless, the Sandoval Administration repeatedly defended the policy of busing patients out of state without supervision, and yesterday’s admission is only another sign of how misplaced Brian Sandoval’s priorities are.”

“After defending the patient busing policy by repeatedly insisting this was an isolated incident, even after that was proven to be false, Governor Sandoval is now apparently considering eliminating the entire patient busing program.  Today’s announcement is essentially an admission that the Governor’s patient dumping policy is far more widespread than he originally conceded.  It is shameful that it took weeks of damaging press coverage for the Governor to come close to admitting that his Administration’s busing policy is reckless and irresponsible.” 

Administration facing “multiple criminal probes”

View video here

Las Vegas, NV – The fallout over the Sandoval Administration’s patient dumping scandal continues to engulf the Administration as the scandal again dominated local television coverage last night.  KSNV News 3 reported that the Los Angeles City Attorney “compares patient dumping to human trafficking,” and that the Sandoval Administration is facing “multiple criminal probes” over the scandal.

View the view video of last night’s coverage here.

Bilal Ali, homeless man interviewed by the station: “It’s ludicrous that they are dumping people.  We’re human beings.  You dump trash.”

View video here

Las Vegas, NV – Last night, NBC’s Los Angeles affiliate followed up yesterday morning’s story -- where the L.A. City Attorney compared Governor Sandoval’s Administration’s patient dumping policy to “human trafficking” -- with a story in which the television station went to one of the locations in Los Angeles where allegedly mental health patients at Nevada health facility Rawson-Neal were “dumped.”  According to the report, the site where Rawson-Neal patients were allegedly dumped is known as “Skid Row,” a part of town that reportedly has around 5,000 homeless people in a 50 block area. 

The station interviewed Bilal Ali, a homeless person near the alleged dumping site who said it was “ludicrous that they are dumping people.  We’re human beings.  You dump trash.”  Yes, Governor Sandoval.  You dump trash, not people.    

View the video here.

Las Vegas, NV – The Nevada State Democratic Party released the following statement in response to the Governor’s statement on patient dumping this afternoon:

“The fact that it took over a month for the Governor to issue a statement that again defends the facility facing the patient dumping allegations is disappointing even for an Administration that has become defined by this scandal.  The Governor’s statement misleads Nevadans by implying there was no policy of busing patients out-of-state when there is,in fact, a written policy still in place to this day.  Governor Sandoval needs to fess up to Nevadans what his 2011 budget proposal already made clear– helping Nevadans with serious mental illnesses is not his priority.”

Jon Ralston: “Sandoval is defending the Las Vegas psychiatric hospital engaging in” patient dumping

View video of last night’s coverage here

Las Vegas, NV – Last night, television stations across Nevada covered the latest developments in the Sandoval’s Administration’s patient dumping scandal.  Jon Ralston noted that “Sandoval is defending the Las Vegas psychiatric hospital engaging in” patient dumping.  This comes on top of the Los Angeles City Attorney telling NBC’s Los Angeles affiliate that the scandal could “amount to human trafficking.”

View video of last night’s coverage from Nevada television stations on the patient dumping scandal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F-n-qlrjrI&feature=youtu.be

“A criminal investigation is underway”

“Sandoval is standing by the hospital, saying that they did nothing wrong”

View video here

Las Vegas, NV – Last night, NBC’s Los Angeles affiliate reported that the Los Angeles City Attorney told the station that Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval’s Administration’s patient dumping scandal could “amount to human trafficking.”  The station noted that “a criminal investigation is underway,” and that “Sandoval is standing by the hospital, saying that they did nothing wrong.”

View the segment here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVBp_MXqZkE&feature=youtu.be

Have you seen the 1990’s movie remake of the Beverly Hillbillies? If so, you know the movie was about as much of a success as the National Republican Congressional Committee’s new website concept that  rips-off emulates BuzzFeed.     

So given that National Republicans are basing their strategy of maintaining control of the House of Representatives off of writing blog posts, it should be of little comfort to Rep. Joe Heck that he was placed on the NRCC’s endangered politicians list today.  While the timing of placing sequester-supporting politicians like Joe Heck on the  list one day after the HeckQuester airport furloughs went into effect is questionable, we thought we would explore other reasons the NRCC might have put Heck on the list today.

1) They needed a better headline than this:

2) Speaking of BuzzFeed, the NRCC is hoping people forget about this:

3) They have to raise money to defend Heck against this:

4) They are still wishing Heck hadn’t said this:

5) They were bored of posting cat photos:

6) They still can't believe he took a photo with this guy: 

Have you seen the 1990’s movie remake of the Beverly Hillbillies? If so, you know the movie was about as much of a success as the National Republican Congressional Committee’s new website concept that  rips-off emulates BuzzFeed.     

So given that National Republicans are basing their strategy of maintaining control of the House of Representatives off of writing blog posts, it should be of little comfort to Rep. Joe Heck that he was placed on the NRCC’s endangered politicians list today.  While the timing of placing sequester-supporting politicians like Joe Heck on the  list one day after the HeckQuester airport furloughs went into effect is questionable, we thought we would explore other reasons the NRCC might have put Heck on the list today.

1) They needed a better headline than this:

) Speaking of BuzzFeed, the NRCC is hoping people forget about this:

3) They have to raise money to defend Heck against this:

4) They are still wishing Heck hadn’t said this:

5) They were bored of posting cat photos:

6) They still can't believe he took a photo with this guy: 

Las Vegas, NV –  If 90% of comedy is timing, the NRCC pulled off a Heck of a joke today.  One day after Federal Aviation Authority worker furloughs at McCarran airport went into effect due to the Joe Heck sequester, Washington Republicans added Heck to their endangered politician’s list.  While Washington Republicans will surely say this is merely a coincidence, it is a telling sign of just how precarious Joe Heck’s re-election chances are that Republicans would need to rush to bail Heck out one day after the airport delays caused by the HeckQuester went into effect. 

How bad are the delays caused by the HeckQuester?  Well, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that “because of staffing, departure traffic at McCarran International Airport destined for Los Angeles International Airport was delayed an average 3 hours and 7 minutes.”  But pay no attention to the Congressman behind the curtain, airport delays and visitors canceling their vacations won’t hurt Nevada’s tourism-based economy at all, right? 

“Nothing could highlight further just how out-of-touch Joe Heck is that Washington Republicans would add him to their endangered politician’s list one day after the HeckQuester airport furloughs went into effect,” said Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Zach Hudson.  “Today’s announcement by Washington Republicans should be seen for what it is – a desperate attempt to bail out an out-of-touch politician who repeatedly puts private insurance companies and Wall Street ahead of Nevada’s middle class families.” 

Sacramento Bee: “Mr. Sandoval, you've got a problem.”

“Nevada's practice of busing patients with mental illness to all corners of the country is reprehensible. The response is not much better.”

“Sandoval, thought to be one of the Republican Party's rising stars, has not acquitted himself well.”

Las Vegas, NV – Perhaps the Governor's new state slogan should be, "A Scandal Within, an Administration Apart From Reality."  As Governor Sandoval continues to stonewall the media over his Administration’s patient dumping scandal, the Administration’s public defense over Rawson Neal’s busing policy is unraveling by the day.  This weekend, new reports in the Las Vegas Sun, Las Vegas Review-Journal, and the Sacramento Bee exposed even more glaring holes in Governor Sandoval’s attempt to defend his Administration’s patient busing policy.  This comes on top of multiple stories published at the end of last week.  In one story last Wednesday on KSNV News 3, Sandoval defended the “good quality of care” at Rawson Neal.  Another story last Friday in the Sacramento Bee reported that Nevada was facing multiple investigations into Rawson Neal’s patient dumping policy. 

To truly understand how inaccurate Governor Sandoval’s defense of his Administration’s patient dumping policy has been, we helpfully decided to highlight the five most egregiously false claims the Governor and his staff have made regarding the scandal.

Claim 1:  Sandoval’s Director of Health and Human Services Mike Willden told the Las Vegas Sun: “This is a separated, isolated incident.”

The Truth: According to the Sacramento Bee, at least two other patients at Rawson-Neal were bused to San Francisco despite having "no connection" to the city.  As the Bee noted, “if three patients were dumped, what makes anyone think there aren’t four or 10 or dozens more?”

Claim 2: Willden told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that “the bulk of 1,508 patients bused out of state as part of their discharge plans were sent home and asked for help getting there.”

The Truth: Willden contradicted himself on the same day on this one, with the Sun reporting that “Health officials have reviewed about 500 of the 1,500 Greyhound trips patients took following discharge…Willden said.”

So Willden talks about the “bulk” of the patient busing cases, but tells the Sun the Administration has only reviewed a third of the cases?  How can he possibly discuss the “bulk” of the cases when he admits they have not reviewed two-thirds of them?

Claim 3: When the Governor came out of his bunker this week to address a conservative group, KSNV News 3 managed to track Sandoval down, telling the Governor “I want to get your thoughts on Rawson-Neal’s policy about busing patients out of state.”  Sandoval responded by saying, “I disagree with the premise of your question.”

The Truth: As the Sacramento Bee wrote yesterday, “Exactly what Sandoval disagrees with is not clear. Nevada long has had a written policy to bus patients to their home states. The policy stated that one of its goals was to relieve the "burden" on Nevada taxpayers of the patients' care, though the state dropped the word "burden" from a revised policy after The Bee quoted from it.”

So again Governor, considering there is a written policy of busing patients out of state, what part of the premise of KSNV’s question did you disagree with?  

Claim 4: The Bee reported that “Nevada state health authorities – people who are legally and ethically responsible for the care of individuals who cannot care for themselves – claimed that they were doing patients favors by buying them bus tickets back to their hometowns and reuniting them with family and friends.”

The Truth: The Bee debunked that claim, noting that, “the claim is disingenuous.  If they truly had the interests of the patients at heart, Nevada health officials would have contacted mental health authorities in locales that were receiving the patients. No mental health official in any city, county or state contacted by The Bee had heard of Nevada's practice of busing mentally ill patients – unescorted, no less.”

Claim 5: The Sun reported this weekend that, “Willden… said previous state budget cuts to the state’s Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health agency haven’t caused the uptick in out-of-state busing.”

The Truth: The Bee wrote last week that, “political leaders and advocates traced Rawson Neal's unusual discharge practices to a mental health budget that has been steadily dismantled in recent years. The number of psychiatric patients bused out of Nevada grew 66 percent from calendar year 2009 to 2012. During that period, Nevada slashed its mental health budget by 28 percent to address deficits.”

To summarize, the spin coming out of Governor Sandoval and his staff on patient dumping is disingenuous at best, outright lies at worst. 

KSNV: Sandoval “standing by the Las Vegas state psychiatric facility even in its darkest hour.”

View the video here

Las Vegas, NV – Last weekend, new reports surfaced in the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Sacramento Bee of the ongoing patient dumping scandal in Nevada, a process in which patients with serious mental health issues are essentially bused from Nevada medical facilities to states like California that, you know, actually fund mental health services.  How did Governor Brian Sandoval respond when asked by members of the media for comment on this truly heinous process, a process his Administration has overseen no less?  Well, initially, he didn’t.  He was apparently too busy promoting the widely-panned new state slogan to comment on his Administration casting off patients with serious mental health issues to other states.  

But then, last night, the Governor got caught off-guard by KSNV in Las Vegas.  KSNV reported that Sandoval was “standing by the Las Vegas state psychiatric facility even in its darkest hour,” the facility being the Rawson-Neal Hospital that the Sacramento Bee earlier reported had shipped at least 1,500 patients out of state.  According to KSNV, Sandoval went on to praise the hospital, saying there is a “good quality of care” at Rawson-Neal. 

“Good quality of care?”  Apparently the Governor has a different definition of that than, say, the patients at Rawson-Neal who were bused out of state. 

But this isn’t the first time the Governor has demonstrated just how out-of-touch and indifferent he is on the state of mental health in Nevada. No, if you truly want to know just how important Brian Sandoval thinks mental health funding is, look at his proposed budget in 2011.  Sandoval’s proposed 2011 budget cut mental health funding by 12.4 percent.  The Governor even proposed ending state support for mental health courts in Clark and Washoe Counties.  With a record like that, it’s no wonder the Governor is now defending the facility accused of patient dumping.  But if it is Sandoval’s strategy to defend Rawson-Neal’s patient dumping, maybe he should make sure his staff gets the memo.  Because his own Health and Human Services Director admitted that the Sandoval Administration “blew it” on patient dumping. 

“After proposing massive cuts to mental health funding last session, Governor Sandoval is now defending the facility accused of the heinous practice of patient dumping,” said Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Zach Hudson.  “It is a clear demonstration of where the Governor’s priorities are that his Administration has now gone from throwing mental health patients under the bus last session to putting them on a bus and shipping them to other states.  Considering the Governor’s own staff has admitted the Administration ‘blew it’ on patient dumping, it is time for the Governor to stop defending this facility.”

“For anyone who bought the mirage that Senator Heller is suddenly a moderate who wants to reduce gun violence, we hope they have an insurance policy against snake oil.  Today Dean Heller made clear that preventing another primary challenge against extremists like Sharron Angle is more important to him than preventing criminals and mentally-ill patients from obtaining deadly weapons.  While an overwhelming majority of Nevadans, including Dean Heller, if you believe his previous statements, support universal background checks, today Heller sided with extremists who are more focused on pushing their dangerous agenda than in actually reducing gun violence.  To be clear, this bill specifically prohibits a 'national gun registry' and Dean Heller stating otherwise is purely a false strawman he made up as a reason for opposing background checks.  For all his talk of 'No Labels,' Dean Heller demonstrated today that the only label that can be applied to him is that of a politician who cannot be trusted to protect his constituents from gun violence.” 

Las Vegas, NV – We’re guessing this won’t help his problem with women voters.  Today, Rep. Joe Heck joined Washington Republicans inblocking a vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that would help ensure women receive equal pay for equal work.  According to the Huffington Post, the legislation “would expand the Equal Pay Act to close certain loopholes and allow employees to share salary information with their coworkers. It would also require employers to show that pay disparities between their male and female employees are related to job performance, not gender.”

The Huffington Post went on to note that one Republican Representative even said that the vote was designed to portray Republicans like Joe Heck as “anti-woman.”  Well, if the shoe fits…

But paycheck fairness isn’t the only issue where Joe Heck is “anti-woman.”  Last year, Heck voted to weaken the Violence Against Women Act.  Months later, Heck tried to criminalize abortion for rape victims.   “Anti-woman?” Nah, not Joe Heck.

“As if his long record of attacks on women’s health was not reckless enough, today Joe Heck again demonstrated just how out-of-touch he is with Nevada women,” said Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Zach Hudson.  “Nevada’s middle class continues to suffer from high unemployment and foreclosure rates, yet denying women from receiving equal pay for equal work is Joe Heck’s priority?  Joe Heck should stop blocking paycheck fairness while trying to set women’s health back decades, and start focusing on putting middle class families back to work.”      

“While we are glad Joe Heck managed to show some restraint by not insulting former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in tonight’s speech, he wasn’t honest with Nevadans about his record.  What Nevadans didn’t hear tonight is that Joe Heck has spent his time in Washington carrying the water for private insurance companies, Big Oil, and Wall Street.  Instead of focusing on creating jobs, Joe Heck is voting to end Medicare by turning it over to private insurance companies, trying to weaken the Violence Against Women Act, and calling Social Security a ‘pyramid scheme.’  Nevadans deserve a Congressman who will fight for the middle class, not a politician like Joe Heck, who is more interested in attacking women’s health than putting Nevadans back to work.”

The Facts: Tonight, Rep. Joe Heck talked about the "single greatest threat to Medicare."  The fact is, Republicans like Joe Heck are the "single greatest threat to Medicare." Heck has voted twice for a House Republican budget that ends Medicare by turning it over to private insurance companies.  Even more alarming for Nevada seniors, Heck has repeatedly called Social Security a “pyramid scheme” that “isn’t working.” 

1. 2011: Heck Voted For Paul Ryan Plan That Wall Street Journal Said “Would Essentially End Medicare.”  In April 2011, Heck voted for the Republican budget, which “would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills,” wrote the Wall Street Journal. [H Con. Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11; Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11] 

2. 2012: Congressman Heck Again Voted For Republican Paul Ryan’s Budget. On March 29, 2012, Congressman Heck supported a budget that would end Medicare’s guaranteed benefit. [H Con Res 112, Vote #151, 3/29/12; New York Times Editorial, 3/20/12]

3. Rep. Heck: Goal Of The Ryan Budget Is To Keep Medicare “As It Is For People 55 And Older…For Those 54 And Younger We Will Have To Make Some Changes So It Is There For Them.” In October 2012, during an interview with KDWN’s Alan Stock, Joe Heck said, “The goal is to keep [Medicare] as it is for people 55 and older. The trustees have said we can’t pay for it by 2024. We need to make some changes so my kids and grandkids will have it. They will have the option to choose their plan. For those 54 and younger we will have to make some changes so it is there for them.” [KDWN, 10/18/12]

Non-Partisan CBO: Paul Ryan Plan Would Double Seniors’ Out-Of-Pocket Costs, Increasing By Over $6,000. In April 2011the LA Times wrote, “The Ryan budget plan would cut federal spending on Medicaid, which provides health care for the poor, and begin distributing money by block grant to states. The plan would do away withMedicare's direct payment for health care for seniors, replacing it with a voucher system in which recipients choose private insurers. The Congressional Budget Office found that part of the plan, which would take effect in 2022, could nearly double out-of-pocket costs for seniors.” According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “CBO also finds that this beneficiary's annual out-of-pocket costs would more than double — from $6,150 to $12,500.  In later years, as the value of the voucher eroded, the increase in out-of-pocket costs would be even greater.” [Los Angeles Times, 4/16/11; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/7/11]

Ryan Budget Would Reopen “Doughnut Hole” In Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage. In June 2011 the National Journal wrote, “The policies in the House GOP budget, if enacted, would begin affecting millions of seniors almost immediately by increasing their costs for prescription drugs and probably long-term care…But the proposal would also repeal last year’s health care law, which means reopening a coverage gap in Medicare’s prescription-drug benefit that the statute closed. The gap, commonly called the “doughnut hole,” requires seniors to pay 100 percent of any prescription costs after the annual total reaches $2,840 and until it hits $4,550. Those who spend more or less have at least three-quarters of the costs covered. Under the 2010 health law, Medicarewill pay 7 percent of the cost of generic drugs and 50 percent on name-brand pharmaceuticals; by 2020, the doughnut hole will be closed.” [National Journal, 6/2/11]

Republican Budget Will Force 33,608 Nevada Seniors Back Into the Prescription Drug “Donut Hole,” Forcing The Average Senior To Pay $10,000 More For Prescription Drugs. Because it would repeal coverage expansions under the Affordable Care Act, the Republican budget would “re-open” the prescription drug “donut hole” and cost the average senior who falls into the donut hole more than $10,000 over the next decade. The “donut hole” forces seniors to pay the full cost of their prescription drugs after their yearly drug expenses exceed $2,840, and full coverage doesn’t resume until total drug spending hits $6,447 for the year.  Since health reform was signed into law, 33,608 Nevada seniors saved $19,257,429.29 on prescription drugs. [The New Republic, 3/20/12; DPCC, 3/22/12; Health and Human Services, 3/19/12; Centers forMedicare and Medicaid Services, 3/5/12]

AARP: Ryan’s Plan Would Increase Health Care Costs for Older Americans. AARP CEO Addison Barry Rand wrote to Members of Congress on House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s Fiscal Year 2013budget resolution. In the letter, Rand wrote: “this proposal simply shifts these high and growing costs onto Medicare beneficiaries, and it then shifts even higher costs of increased uninsured care onto everyone else […] By creating a ‘premium support’ system for future Medicare beneficiaries, the proposal is likely to simply increase costs for beneficiaries while removing Medicare’s promise of secure health coverage -- a guarantee that future seniors have contributed to through a lifetime of hard work.” [AARP Letter, 3/21/12]

4. Joe Heck: Social Security Is A “Pyramid Scheme” That “Isn’t Working.” At a May 2010 town hall in Boulder City, Joe Heck said of Social Security during a conversation with a constituent:

Heck: Look, Social Security…Social Security started...Social Security started in 1935, and the full retirement age was 65, okay? And the average life span was 61, so more people were actually going to die before they collected their benefits. Fast forward to now: full retirement age is 67, and the life span is 80. So when they first conceived of Social Security, they didn’t think they were going to pay benefits for 13, 15 years. That’s one of the reasons why this pyramid scheme isn’t working. And so we’ve got to look at every possible…That’s why we’ve got to look at every possible…well it is, when the people before you are paying . . . the people after you are paying for your benefits. [Heck Townhall, 5/18/11] (Video available)

5. DOUBLE DOWN: RalstonFlash Headline: “Heck Agrees With Caller Who Describes Social Security As ‘Pyramid Scheme.’” In June 2011 Las Vegas Sun columnist Jon Ralston wrote, “Just a week after calling Social Security a ‘pyramid scheme’ and then having to walk it back, Rep. Joe Heck was asked about the remark by Alan Stock on his program Tuesday. I won't suggest this was a set-up call by the Democrats, as some seemed to be in 2010, but it doesn't matter because of Heck's response. Instead of correcting the caller or decrying the term that got him in trouble, Heck simply agreed with ‘Robert,’ as you can see below […] This is just what the Democrats are looking for and what they will be doing in races across the country on Social Security and Medicare -- and Heck just keeps giving them fodder” [Las Vegas Sun, 6/8/11]

6. TRIPLE DOWN: When Asked By Face to Face Host Jon Ralston If He Would Back Away From Saying Social Security Was A “Pyramid Scheme,” Heck Said: “Look, What Was Said In The Video Was Said In The Video.” During a September 2011 interview on Face to Face with Jon Ralston, and in the wake of Gov. Rick Perry referring to Social Security as a “Ponzi Scheme,” Heck was asked:

Jon Ralston: Isn't Rick Perry right, wasn't Joe Heck right? Just give me a simple yes or no answer to that. Weren’t you right in what you said; wasn’t the Governor right in what he said?

Joe Heck: Well it’s not a matter of what the geometry is that we are going to use to describe the current state of Social Security…

Ralston: You’re just afraid of the politics. This is what ruins this debate is that you are always afraid the Democrats are going to pound you. Scare seniors. Your guy won by 1900 votes. Oh, no, they are going to play the pyramid scheme video… You agree with that right?

Heck: Jon, they… In the last three weeks, they have been pounding me anyway. So regardless of what I do I am going to get pounded.

Ralston: Are you still going to back away from saying it was a pyramid scheme?

Heck: Look, what was said in the video was said in the video. [Face to Face with Jon Ralston, 9/1/11]s

The Facts: Tonight, Rep. Joe Heck said creating jobs was his top priority.  But the truth is, not only is Joe Heck not focused on creating new jobs for Nevada, he is jeopardizing existing ones.  The Joe Heck sequester is already hurting Nevada’s economy and could cost Nevada more than 10,000 jobs.

Joe Heck Voted Twice For $1.2 Trillion In Sequester Cuts That Will Affect Both Domestic And Defense Programs. On August 1, 2011 Rep. Heck voted for S 365, the Budget Control Act 2011. According to The Washington Post, “The sequester was originally passed as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (BCA), better known as the debt ceiling compromise. It was intended to serve as incentive for the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (aka the ‘Supercommittee’) to come to a deal to cut $1.5 trillion over 10 years.” Further, according to The Washington Post, the $1.2 trillion in cuts “are evenly split between domestic and defense programs, with half affecting defense discretionary spending (weapons purchases, base operations, construction work, etc.) and the rest affecting both mandatory (which generally means regular payouts like Social Security or Medicaid) and discretionary domestic spending. Only a few mandatory programs, like the unemployment trust fund and, most notably, Medicare (more specifically its provider payments) are affected. The bulk of cuts are borne by discretionary spending for either defense or domestic functions.” In March 2013 Heck again voted for preserving the sequestration cuts. [S 365, Vote #690, 8/1/11; HR 933, Vote #933,3/6/13; The Washington Post, 2/20/13]

Study: Sequester Would Cut 10,411 Jobs in Nevada. According to a 2012 study by George Mason Professor Stephen Fuller, the automatic spending cuts affecting Department of Defense and non-Department of Defense discretionary spending would lead to significant job losses in every state.

·         Sequester Would Cost Nevada $553 Million in Total Lost Income.

[The Economic Impact of the Budget Control Act of 2011 on DOD & non-DOD Agencies, Professor Stephen Fuller, 7/17/12

THE NEVADA EFFECT:

Military and Supporting Civilian Workers

Ø  500 federal employees for the Nevada National Guard facing furloughs in mid-April, including 125 in the Las Vegas Valley. [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/1/13]

Ø  1,462 Air Force civilian workers in Nevada who could expect furlough notices for 20 percent pay cuts, which translate into $11.4 million pay loss for civilian Air Force workers, primarily at Nellis and Creech Air Force bases.  [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/1/13]

Ø  Cancellation of Red Flag air combat training and Thunderbirds’ demonstration team. [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/1/13]

Army National Guard Adjutant General Bill Burks On Sequestration Cuts: Would Definitely Hurt The Nevada Guard’s Readiness And Overall Operation. In March 2013 the Nevada Appeal wrote, “Adjutant General Bill Burks says unless Congress and President Barack Obama find a way around sequestration’s cuts, 582 of his civilian technicians will suffer the 20 percent/day-a-week furloughs. The majority of those technicians, he said are in the northern part of the state. The Army National guard has 259 of 333 in the north and all but two of the 249 Air National Guard technicians are in the north. Unless they are exempted or an answer to the sequestration bill is found, Burks said the civilian technicians would lose 20 percent of their pay for 22 weeks beginning sometime in the second half of April. ‘I equate it (sequestration) to the ultimate game of chicken and nobody blinked,’ he said. He said that would definitely hurt the Nevada guard’s readiness and overall operation.” [Nevada Appeal, 3/17/13]

Las Vegas Review-Journal Headline: “Furlough Order Affects 200-Plus FAA Workers In Las Vegas.” [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/5/13]

Sequestration Unpaid Furloughs “Hit More Than 220 Federal Aviation Administration Employees In The Las Vegas Valley,” McCarran Airport “Could Experience Some Effects Or Delays From The Furloughs.” In March 2013 the Las Vegas Review-Journal wrote, “The effects of automatic budget cuts hit more than 220 Federal Aviation Administration employees in the Las Vegas Valley on Tuesday…The furloughs are required to reduce FAA spending by $600 million under the sequester law, which kicked in Friday and splits this year’s $85 billion deficit-reduction goal equally among defense and non-defense programs. McCarran International Airport, ranked the seventh-busiest airport in North America in 2011, could experience some effects or delays from the furloughs but to what extent depends on what days and shifts the tower’s 44 controllers are assigned days off. Last year, McCarran handled 41.7 million passengers arriving and departing.” [Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/6/13]

Sequestration Cuts At McCarran Means “Fewer Workers On The Job And Fewer Flights Departing.”In March 2013 KSNV Channel 3 wrote, “Sequestration cuts are being felt at McCarran International Airport. More than 220 local FAA employees received notices that they will be forced to take 11 unpaid days off, which means fewer workers on the job and fewer flights departing.” [KSNV Channel 3, 3/12/13]

Carson City, NV – Nevada Congressman Joe Heck will speak this evening before the Nevada legislature.  Below are the remarks the Nevada State Democratic Party anticipates him delivering. Comments in brackets are apparently notes by Heck staffers and were left unaltered by Nevada Democrats:

“Governor Sandoval, Madame Speaker, Majority and Minority Leaders of both chambers, members of the Nevada legislature – I am honored to address you tonight and inform you on all the things I have not been working on in Congress.

“I want to begin tonight’s address by saying I have no intention of calling former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords a ‘prop’ used by proponents of reducing gun violence or referring to Social Security as a ‘pyramid scheme.’  As I do believe, and have said both those things, I cannot assure you I won’t say them tonight.  But at the request of my staff, I will try to count to ten should the urge strike me. [WHO PUT THIS IN HERE?  GREG!?]

“Nevada is still struggling to recover from an economic crisis brought on by failed, pro-Wall Street, anti-middle class policies that I continue to support.  You are probably wondering what Republicans have done in Congress to help Nevada recover from the economic crisis?  Well, we have voted to criminalize abortion even in the case of rape or incest.  We have voted to weaken the Violence Against Women Act.  We have tried to raise taxes on middle class families, while cutting taxes for struggling Americans like Mitt Romney.

“While Nevada is still suffering from one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, House Republicans and myself are focused not on putting Nevadans back to work, but on what I, and no one else, call ‘reforming Medicare.’  Under the plan authored by Congressman Paul Ryan and myself, we would ‘save’ Medicare by doing what the Wall Street Journal calls “essentially ending” the program.   My plan would increase seniors’ health insurance premiums by $6,000 a year and double the cost of their prescription drugs. 

“Let me be clear - while the Ryan-Heck plan would force seniors to pay more, it still protects special tax breaks for corporations that ship American jobs overseas and taxpayer giveaways to Big Oil.  This is what we fight for as Republicans.  We will force seniors and the middle class to pay more, while asking Wall Street and Big Oil to pay less.  This may not be the American way, but it is the Washington Republican way. [WE ARE TRADEMARKING THIS, RIGHT?!]

“Over the many years I have been a politician, some of you have probably heard me attack various Democrats over Obamacare ‘cutting Medicare.’  You may have also heard that in the budget plan authored by Paul Ryan and myself, we have included the same so-called ‘cuts’ to Medicare.  Yes, I know they aren’t really cuts, and I know that I have voted for them.  Twice.  But give me a break, almost half the Republicans in the Nevada Senate who spent the last session shilling for Big Mining are now suddenly anti-Mining crusaders. [I’M A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT SENATOR BROWER WALKING OUT IN PROTEST AT THIS POINT.]   

“Nevada also suffers from one of the highest foreclosure rates in the county.  But as House Republicans have done nothing to address this issue over the last three years, it would only be appropriate for me to ignore the housing crisis in this speech just like Republicans have in Congress. [DO WE REALLY WANT TO BRING UP HOUSING? I’M CONCERNED HE MIGHT SLIP AND CALL THE FORECLOSURE CRISIS A “BLIP ON THE RADAR” AGAIN.]

“I would like to close by directly addressing Nevadans in my district in Southern Nevada, since you rarely get to see me in person.  If you are a student in Nevada’s third congressional district, I want to make college less affordable for you by gutting Pell Grants, as my budget does. 

“If you are a senior living in my district, I want you to know that I am fighting to end Medicare by putting private insurance company bureaucrats in charge of your healthcare, and I think Social Security is a ‘pyramid scheme’ that ‘isn’t working’ and needs to be privatized. [HE PROMISED ME THAT HE WOULD NOT SAY THIS TONIGHT!]

“If you are a woman living in my district, I am fighting to weaken the Violence Against Women Act and to criminalize abortion for rape victims.  I know I’m vulnerable on women’s issues, and I recognize that I lost a State Senate election a few years ago because I voted against requiring insurance companies to cover the HPV vaccine for Nevada women.  But I have principles, and I will not rest until I criminalize abortion even in the case of rape or incest for every woman in America.  [OH COME ON, MAN!]

“And if you are a member of Nevada’s Latino community living in my district, I want you to know that I oppose comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act.  I want to cut funding for education, and I am fighting to repeal birthright citizenship.

“If you have any question as to my views on the issues that matter to Nevada’s Latino community, I will direct you to my most prominent campaign surrogate, Arizona birther Sheriff Joe Arpaio. [BTW, I’VE BEEN MEANING TO ASK, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF VETTING THIS GUY??]

“I want to thank those of you in this Chamber who I somehow did not offend tonight.  You may find the views of myself and Washington Republicans somewhat out-of-touch.  But I assure you we are fighting in your interest, that is, if you are not a senior, student, woman, member of the Latino community, or anyone who makes less money than Mitt Romney. [OK,I KNOW THE CONGRESSMAN LIKES ROMNEY, BUT DO WE HAVE TO MENTION THE GUY TWICE IN ONE SPEECH?]

“I would conclude my address by saying that I look forward to speaking to you again during the next legislative session.  Unfortunately, with the record I just outlined, I doubt I will have the chance.”  [UGH.  I’M GOING TO THE BAR.]

###

Cuts that Heck cites as the reason for voting against the Ryan budget(this time) were in last year’s Ryan budget that Heck voted for

Las Vegas, NV – Aren’t Republicans always the ones screaming “read the bill!”?  Because either Rep. Joe Heck didn’t read last year’s Ryan budget that he voted for, or his stated reason for voting against the bill this year is blatant hypocrisy. 

Yesterday, in an ill-conceived attempt to rewrite history, Joe Heck voted against the House Republican budget after voting for it twice previously.  Why would Heck feel the need to pretend he is opposed to a budget plan he is already on record supporting?  Well, according to his staff, Heck voted against the budget because of cuts made to the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act.  Oh really?  Well if Heck didn’t like the SNPLMA cuts, maybe he shouldn’t have voted for the exact same cuts last year.  That’s right, as reported by Jon Ralston this morning, the 2012 Ryan budget that Heck voted for had the exact same cuts Heck is now citing as his reason for opposing this year’s budget, with Ralston noting that the SNPLMA language in the two budgets was “almost word for word.”

So now that Joe Heck’s stated reason for opposing the Ryan budget, after voting for it twice, has been proven to be completely phony, what’s the real reason for yesterday’s vote?  Well, Ralston said it best, writing that “the problem with” Heck’s “explanations is that none really hold up under scrutiny and are dwarfed by the congressman's political concerns in a swing district and bluer and bluer state.”

“Joe Heck knows that he’s in trouble over his two votes to end Medicare by turning it over to private insurance companies so is now offering hypocritical and phony reasons for his pathetic attempt at a political makeover,” said Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Zach Hudson.  “Joe Heck should be honest with Nevadans that he voted for the very same cuts he is now criticizing.”

Heck has already voted twice for Ryan plan that turns Medicare over to private insurance companies

Las Vegas, NV – He knows people can find his two previous votes on Google right?  Today, after voting two times in two years for the Paul Ryan budget that ends Medicare, Joe Heck tried to paper over his long record of throwing Nevada seniors under the bus. But one vote to mask his true beliefs on Medicare will not fool Nevada seniors who know Joe Heck has spent his career attacking their health and livelihood.  The Ryan budget that Heck already voted for twice turns Medicare over to private insurance companies and reopens the prescription drug donut hole that was closed by the Affordable Care Act.  The end result: Nevada seniors would see their health insurance premiums rise by nearly $6,000 a year while doubling the cost of their prescription drugs.  To be clear, Joe Heck is on record supporting not just the Republican budget, but specifically the Medicare-ending provisions contained in it. 

But Heck’s attacks on seniors don’t stop there.  While some in Washington are fighting to protect Social Security, Joe Heck spent the better part of the last two years calling Social Security a “pyramid scheme.”  Ending Medicare?  Pyramid scheme?  With a record like that, it’s no wonder Heck says “the only way” to reduce the deficit is to cut Medicare and Social Security.

“Joe Heck has already voted twice to end Medicare by turning it over to private insurance companies and an election-season attempted makeover will not change that,” said Nevada State Democratic Party spokesperson Zach Hudson.  “Beyond voting for it twice, Joe Heck has specifically defended the Medicare-ending provisions in the Republican budget so today’s vote will not fool anyone.  Nevada seniors know they cannot trust a politician like Joe Heck who thinks Social Security is a ‘pyramid scheme’ and wants to put insurance company bureaucrats in charge of seniors healthcare.”