The chickens have come home to roost. As the White House continues its spiral into disarrayand the dust settles over the GOP's failed effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Republicans in the House of Representatives are desperately trying to close their grip on an increasingly slippery argument for why they should be allowed to keep their seats after 2018.
In a May press conference, Speaker Paul RyanPaul RyanDems pivot to offering ObamaCare improvements The irony Healthcare could mean Democrats take the House These 5 House Republicans are ripping their Senate colleagues over healthcare MORE predicted that House Republicans seeking reelection will be judged on one question in 2018: Did we make peoples lives better? Hes right about that.
Even before the widespread engagement that started with the Womens March in January, Democrats were already heading into the 2018 midterm elections with momentum on their side.
Our organization, EMILYs List is seeing an unprecedented surge in the number of women interested in running for office, with over 16,000 women contacting us since Election Day and signing up to run for office themselves at the federal, state and local levels many of them motivated by the healthcare debate. (To put this number in context, thats more women than we have trained in our entire 32-year history).
Across the board, women running for office in 2018 are bringing a diverse range of perspectives on key issues like healthcare and economic security and experiences that are truly representative of the people theyll serve. Rising stars like Danica Roem, who is running to be the first transgender woman ever elected to the Virginia General Assembly, and Stacey Abrams, who is running to be our countrys first African American woman governor, are driving real solutions for American families.
In previous midterm elections, parties in power have lost an average of 28 House seats.
In 2018, Democrats only need to flip 24 to take back the House and 23 of the competitive districts at play this cycle are districts Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonTimeline: How the Trump and Sessions relationship deteriorated Sunday Show Preview: Washington recovers from healthcare fallout in the Senate The irony Healthcare could mean Democrats take the House MORE won in 2016.
So when it comes to House recruitment, I am encouraged by the great strength of EMILYs List candidates like Iowa legislator Abby Finkenauer, who is poised, at 28, to become the youngest woman ever elected to Congress when she takes back Iowas 1st Congressional District. Newcomers like Chrissy Houlahan, a business leader and veteran, who is running for Pennsylvanias 6th Congressional District, and pediatrician Mai Khanh Tran who is running for Californias 39thCongressional District, are the Democrats who will hold the GOP accountable and part of the 24 seats that will decide the majority for 2019.
This is significant and the implications for our country moving toward the 2018 election cycle are profound. As decades of research on women voters and our experience recruiting, training and raising money for women to run for office have shown, when women are in office, we get better policies for women and their families. When our government looks more like the people it is working to serve, our communities, our economy and our country thrive.
And now, many polls show that healthcare is top of mind for large numbers of Americans, especially women. This is not a surprise since our economic security is directly linked to our healthcare.
Can we afford it if my mom is ill? What will we do if I am injured and cant work? Will we lose our home if someone in our family gets sick? These are real questions that women and families are asking and theyre questions Republicans in Congress have failed to answer.
All of the GOPs proposals threaten access to reproductivehealth services and would deprive millions of Americans of health insurance. The bill that passed the House allows states to deny pre-existing conditions defined as everything from pregnancy to sexual assault.
This past week, Senate Republicans attempted to pass a dangerous skinny repeal of the Affordable Care Act in the dark of night. Thankfully, three Republicansenators found the courage to join their Democratic colleaguesincluding every single EMILY's List woman to protect access to healthcare.
Women are fired up and we are making our voices heard. The majority of calls to Congress during the healthcare debate have been made by women. Women have been demanding answers from their Republican representatives about why they are voting to defund Planned Parenthood or roll back Medicaid.
As I noted, more women than ever before are standing up to put their names on the ballot. Women voters have been reminding their elected leaders of a simple truth that Republicans in Washington and in states across the country have forgotten: You work for us. More women than men are registered to vote and women are more likely than men to vote on Election Day.
Republicans in Congress should take note: Women your biggest employer are watching each vote you take that hurts women and families, each town hall meeting youre absent from and each phone call you ignore now were running against you.
Between strong, energized women candidates and outraged women voters, the Democratic majority is in sight for 2018. The fallout from Republicans in the Senate trying to pass their cruel healthcare bill this past week and continued failed leadership on the part of the GOP might just be the catalyst to seal the deal.
Stephanie Schriock is president ofEMILY'sList, the nations largest resource for women in politics. The organization recruits and trains candidates and turns out women voters.EMILY'sList has helped elect 116 women to the House, 23 to the Senate, 12 governors and over 800 to state and local office.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.
View post:
The irony Healthcare could mean Democrats take the House - The Hill (blog)
- How good is fish for your diet? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- What foods have both fiber and protein? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Is There Evidence That Acupuncture Works? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- What are some good fiber foods? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Can Green Tea fight HIV infection? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Quality of GNC Supplements - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- The Gene Smart Diet - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Tips for eating in a vegetarian lifestyle - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Regarding the Starting of a new diet regimen - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Thoughts on Dropping Weight - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- What do doctors think about vitamin E supplements? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- What herbs or supplements are commonly used for depression? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Is there a safe way to lose a lot of weight? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Diets that promise you will lose weight - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Are Fish Toxins Linked to Diabetes? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Can Plastic Surgery Help Migraines? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Weight Loss Surgery Eradicates Diabetes Symptoms - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Found: A Gene That Controls Fat Cells - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Sugars and Starches, what's the difference? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Improving your health with a serving of nuts? - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Is Your Diet Causing You To Be Depressed? - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Placebo Effect: Magnetic Bracelet Therapy - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Does serotonin promote sleep? - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Decreased energy levels - Overeating, Sleep, Nutrition - February 1st, 2010 [February 1st, 2010]
- When will the body begin to cannibalize muscle tissue? - February 7th, 2010 [February 7th, 2010]
- Foods that are high in antioxidants - February 7th, 2010 [February 7th, 2010]
- Editorial: Reduce health care costs by cutting administrative overhead - April 1st, 2012 [April 1st, 2012]
- Health Care Winners: Centene, Onyxx - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Dan Morain: Nurses union puts politics ahead of health - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- What's next if Obamacare falls? - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Global Managed Health Care Services Industry - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Immigration Fight Echoes Health-Care Case at High Court - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Medical Centers Lead Workplace Wellness Effort - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- The next health care overhaul? Look to employers - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Capital BlueCross Hosts Community Health Care Forums Focused on Managing Costs While Maintaining Quality - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- County committee to look at area health care - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- President Obama Calls on Students to Tell Congress: #DontDoubleMyRate - Video - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Sen. Coburn: Competition in Health Care to Allocate Resources - Video - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Jesse Kelly health care - Video - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- PHC Vision Statement (short version) - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- The Bioeconomy Blueprint Panel - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Providence Health Care's Vision Statement - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Department of Health and Human Services: Minority Health Blogger Townhall - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Health care worker accused of stealing identities of brain i - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Health Care Reform, Part 1 of 3 | KYVE Insiders Roundtable - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Health Care Reform: The ACA and Beyond - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Is Broccoli Like Health Insurance? - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Did Obama make a mistake on health care? - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- How Democrats Lie About Health Care - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Toobin on Health Care: This was a "judicial hissy-fit" - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- President Obama says health care law will stand - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Obama Defends Health Care Law From 'Judicial Activism' - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Obama Healthcare Individual Mandate - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- President Obama attacks Supreme Court on health care - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Raw Audio: High Court Dissects Health Care Act - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Health care on trial - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Final Day of Health Care Law Arguments Before Supreme Court - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Feds to put up $1.9B for Oregon health overhaul - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- Scuttling health care act will freeze Medicare, White House warns - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- U.S. Health Care Spending High, But Quality Lags: Report - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- Yes, the Health-Care Mandate Is About Liberty - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- Health center gets $1M federal grant - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- Health-care reform panel considers exchange options for Va. - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- Hmong health care gap focus of Healthy House dinner - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- Walsh-led health bill to be unveiled - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- Ontario health system confusing for ailing seniors, study finds - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- 'Health Care Deserts' More Common in Black Neighborhoods - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- With federal money, Oregon kicks health care reform into high gear - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- Nurse practitioners tackling more 'doctor' tasks - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- Konza Prairie Health Center Receives $4.5 Million Grant - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- Alberta wages hurting Sask. health care - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- House releases plan to cut growth of Massachusetts health spending in half - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- Mass. House Will Unveil Bill Seeking To Rein In Health Costs - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- President Obama Welcomes the Kentucky Wildcats - Video - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- President Obama Speaks on College Affordability - Video - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- My First Job: Gene Sperling - Video - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- Health-care costs worry near-retirees - May 7th, 2012 [May 7th, 2012]
- Massachusetts Institutes Health-Care Price Controls. Is America Next? - May 7th, 2012 [May 7th, 2012]
- Massachusetts Moves Toward Health-Care Price Controls. Is America Next? - May 7th, 2012 [May 7th, 2012]
- GOP plan boosts Pentagon, cuts social programs - May 7th, 2012 [May 7th, 2012]