ATLANTA — Today, Fair Fight Action announced the launch of a new seven-figure, statewide ad campaign to hold Republicans accountable for their attacks on voting rights and to promote the passage of federal legislation like the For the People Act to protect our democracy. The ads also call on Georgia lawmakers to fully expand Medicaid to ensure Georgians’ access to health care after a legislative session during a global pandemic was largely spent on bills attacking the freedom to vote rather than promoting the health of Georgians.
Rather than prioritizing Medicaid expansion, which could create 64,000 jobs and cover 678,000 Georgians and prevent further rural hospital closures, out-of-touch and cruel Georgia Republicans focused on voter suppression bills including the anti-voter law SB 202. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported today that Georgia is leaving $710 million in federal funding on the table by not fully expanding Medicaid. These are tax dollars Georgians have paid but not received back because of misplaced GOP priorities. Instead Georgia Republicans choose to focus on passing a law that restricts ballot drop box availability, makes it harder to vote by mail, criminalizes handing food and water to voters in line, and cuts 11 days of mandatory early voting for federal runoff elections. Even worse, this legislation also transferred massive amounts of power over election administration to Republicans in the state legislature, all part of the GOP’s nationwide campaign against voting rights.
These ads, which will run on television in markets throughout the state, on radio, and digitally, call on Georgians to go to StopJimCrow2.com and demand their legislators support federal legislation to protect the right to vote like the For the People Act, and that Georgians call on their lawmakers to fully expand Medicaid and accept instead of wasting time restricting access to the ballot box.
“While Georgians struggle to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, Republicans are focused on attacking our right to vote and trying to overturn the last election,” said Fair Fight Action CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo. “Rather than working to protect the health of Georgians by fully expanding Medicaid to keep rural hospitals open, ensure access to health care for lower-income Georgians and create jobs Georgia Republicans’ are only focused on cynical politics that are the biggest attack on voting rights since Jim Crow. Further, Georgia Republicans are allowing $17 billion of our federal COVID relief dollars to go unused while leaving nearly $2 billion in federal relief money secured by Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff on the table that could be used to fully expand Medicaid. It’s time for Georgians across our state to stand up and speak out against these attacks on our democracy.”
Georgians should visit StopJimCrow2.com and contact their lawmakers about supporting the For the People Act to protect our access to the ballot box as well as demand that Georgia legislators focus on fully expanding Medicaid rather than attacking voting rights.
A new ad, “Priorities,” running in TV and radio format, can be viewed here.
A script of the ad follows:
STACEY ABRAMS: Georgia, we put in the work.
We stayed home.
We put our lives on hold for the sake of our community.
And do you know what our Republican politicians were up to?
NEWSCAST: Members of the Georgia House of Representatives changes the state’s election laws.
STACEY ABRAMS: They were busy making it harder to vote, making it easier to intimidate voters, and interfere with election results.
Instead of prioritizing COVID relief and fully expanding Medicaid, our lawmakers were busy taking away our freedom to vote.
Demand your state legislator put Georgians first by fully expanding Medicaid now.
A new ad, “For the People Act,” running in digital form, can be viewed here.
A script of the ad follows:
STACEY ABRAMS: Georgia, our freedom to vote is at stake.
But Congress can pass legislation right now to protect access to the ballot and ensure our voices are heard regardless of race or party.
Call your senators today and demand they protect our democracy and pass the For the People Act.
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