* Press release…

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today urged Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner to stand on the side of Illinoisans and oppose repeal of our health care system. Repealing health care without a replacement would have immediate and harmful impacts on hardworking Illinois families – including those with employer based insurance – such as reducing insurance coverage, increasing out-of-pocket costs, reducing the quality of health care coverage, burdening providers, killing jobs and harming Illinois’ economy. They also called for his concrete recommendations on how to improve the health care system for Illinoisans state-wide.

“Independent analyses paint a very grim picture of the health care environment that Illinois would face if Republican ‘repeal without replace’ efforts are successful. For instance, the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA) has expressed concerns that ‘people will not be able to get the care they need; local economies will suffer; and jobs will be lost.’ In our state alone, the IHA estimates that Congressional Republican plans to repeal the ACA without replacing it would result in ‘potential losses of $11.6 billion to $13.1 billion in annual economic activity, which translates to a potential job loss of 84,000 to 95,000 jobs,’” wrote the senators in a letter to Gov. Rauner. “We strongly urge you to reconsider your position towards these destructive Republican plans, and to stand firmly with Illinoisans against efforts to repeal the ACA without an adequate replacement plan in place to protect the coverage gains, affordability, benefits, and consumer protections that Illinoisans currently enjoy. Further, we would welcome your thoughts on how best to improve the ACA for Illinoisans state-wide.”

The full letter is here.

* Sun-Times…

Durbin on Monday told the Sun-Times that governors across the country should be standing up against a repeal.

“Governors like [John] Kasich of Ohio are stepping up and saying eliminating Medicaid coverage is a disaster because that is compensation for providers that will go away. What we do know from the Illinois Hospital Association is that many downstate hospitals will be threatened if they lose this Medicaid infusion,” Durbin said. “We also know that when these hospitals in downstate communities start facing closure or they’re going to restrict construction and lay off people with the best paying jobs in town. So it is a devastating impact.”

In a statement regarding the senators’ letter, the Rauner administration on Tuesday noted Durbin was a lead proponent of Obamacare, which they said “resulted in skyrocketing health care costs on millions of Americans.”

“As Senators Durbin and Duckworth well know, our administration has urged Congress to take a thoughtful approach to any new health care changes,” spokeswoman Catherine Kelly said. “As always, the governor will continue to advocate for the best interests of the people of Illinois.”

The senators’ letter also criticized a Rauner administration response to House Republicans earlier this month, saying it failed to provide information about the potential fallout or benefit from appealing the act.

* Meanwhile, from The Hill…

A political organization aligned with House GOP leaders unveiled a $1.3 million ad campaign on Tuesday that targets Democrats representing districts won by President Trump to urge support for repealing and replacing ObamaCare.

American Action Network’s campaign includes local ads in a total of 24 districts, as well as national TV ads on CNN and MSNBC. The ads focus on eight Democrats in Trump-country districts and 16 Republicans mostly representing swing seats.

The group’s advertising campaign in support of repealing the healthcare law will total $5.2 million for the month of January.

One of those targeted is Rep. Cheri Bustos.

* Rate the sample ad…