* I somehow missed this video release in April. Ray Wylie Hubbard, Ringo Starr, Chris Robinson, Don Was and Joe Walsh? Wow. Guess I was distracted with other things…
Today, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan’s campaign released three new television ads highlighting the contrast between Dirksen Londrigan’s campaign focused on access to quality, affordable health care, beating this pandemic and rebuilding our economy, and Congressman Rodney Davis’ failure to support Central Illinois families. The 30-second ads will air in the Champaign-Springfield-Decatur and St. Louis media markets as part of a districtwide buy that includes broadcast, cable, and digital platforms.
In “Leader,” Dr. Bob Vautrain, former Chief Medical Officer for SIU Physicians & Surgeons, reminds voters of Davis’ disastrous health care record: Davis voted to strip pre-existing condition protections each of the 11 times he voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement. Repealing the Affordable Care Act would strip health care coverage from millions, including more than 31,000 in Illinois’ 13th District alone, and remove protections for the more than 282,500 13th District residents with pre-existing conditions.
“Problem” tells the story of Ross Richardson, the owner of a Springfield staple, The Feed Store, who got the runaround while applying for Paycheck Protection Program loans to save his family business during the pandemic. While The Feed Store, and many small businesses like it across the district, struggled to access the program, Davis’ own family got to the front of the line, receiving more than $1 million in PPP loans two days after they became available.
Meanwhile, Davis voted twice against much-needed transparency for the PPP loans. Davis voted against the TRUTH Act as well as against the formation of a House committee to oversee COVID-19 relief spending and prevent waste and abuse of the funds.
“Back” features Dirksen Londrigan laying out her plans to beat COVID-19 with access to quality, affordable health care, lower premiums and prescription drug prices. Then rebuilding the economy by rebuilding manufacturing, creating job training programs, and helping local small businesses create jobs.
Together, the ads emphasize the stark contrast between Dirksen Londrigan and Davis. Dirksen Londrigan entered this race to improve health care for families across Illinois and fight for her community in Congress. Meanwhile, Davis has spent his time in Congress supporting special interests over Illinois voters’ interests, including his repeated votes to gut health care, keep drug prices high, and put the interests of corporations over people in Central Illinois.
Betsy: This is what the coronavirus has done to our economy.
I’m Betsy Dirksen Londrigan.
It’s going to take a lot of work, but we can bring our cities and towns back.
It starts by beating this virus with access to quality, affordable health care for everyone, lower premiums and prescription prices, rebuilding manufacturing here at home, job training programs, and help for local small businesses to create jobs.
I approve this message because this is how we get Illinois open for business again.
