Highlighting Menendez’s Incomparable Record, Health Care Workers Back Senator for Re-Election

Taken from Menendez for Senate

October 25, 2018

Bob Hugin supported Trump’s ACA repeal that would have stripped health care from nearly a million NJans 

West Orange, NJ – Flanked by nurses and healthcare workers, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez today underscored his record of fighting to ensure quality, affordable health care to millions of New Jerseyans, while greedy, drug company CEO Bob Hugin backed Donald Trump’s vision of health care reform that would have stripped millions of coverage and ended protections for patients with pre-existing conditions.  The Senator also received the public endorsement of the Health Professionals & Allied Employees (HPAE), a union representing over 13,000 nurses and health professionals in New Jersey.

“Throughout my career I’ve been proud to stand with nurses, hospital staff and medical professionals who serve on the front lines of our health care system every single day,” said Sen. Menendez.  “We know exactly what Republicans are going to do if they maintain power this November. They’re coming for our health care.  Phase two of their plan is to use the debt they created with their trillion-dollar corporate tax cuts as an excuse to cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.  And they are going to continue working with Donald Trump to dismantle the Affordable Care Act that I worked so hard to pass.  A greedy, drug company CEO like Bob Hugin would just be another vote for Trump to take away your health care.  The stakes in this election couldn’t be higher.”

Republican Bob Hugin, who made his fortune ripping off cancer patients, donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to elect Donald Trump and gave millions to right-wing candidates and causes, like Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, and extreme-right Heritage Foundation who have made it their mission to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Hugin was an early supporter of Trump’s plan to overhaul the health care system, which would have kicked millions of Americans off their insurance.

“Senator Bob Menendez has consistently been there for us, supporting nurses, health professionals and most importantly patients,”said Ann Twomey, HPAE’s founder and recently-retired president.  “Bob Menendez understands the individual’s need to have health care coverage.  He fully supports the ACA, and the need to protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. A vote for Bob Hugin is a vote for Donald Trump’s bad health care policies.”

As a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, Bob Menendez has an extensive and incomparable healthcare record:

• Co-authored the ACA, which has covered nearly a million New Jerseyans who didn’t have health insurance before, protected 3.8 million New Jerseyans with pre-existing conditions, and included essential benefits like maternal care, behavior health and addiction treatment.
• Sponsored the KIDS Act and fought to secure funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for the next decade, which benefits 230,000 low-income children living in New Jersey.
• Authored and passed the Autism CARES Act and Combating Autism Act, as the senior senator from the state with the highest rate of Autism.
• Supports the SPIKE and CREATES Acts which aim to lower the price of prescription drug prices.
• Cosponsored the Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act and the Know the Lowest Price Act, which were both signed into law this month.  The bills ban the use of gag clauses that prevent pharmacists from telling their customers when it might be cheaper to pay for your prescription out-of-pocket rather than using your insurance.
• Fought to secure $11 million to fund and expand Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) to provide healthcare to low-income families.
• Opposed Trump’s SCOTUS picks, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, both of whom threaten to overturn Roe V. Wade.
• Passed the Firefighter Cancer Registry Act that will help researchers understand the connection between cancer and first responders.

Last week, Mitch McConnell said that if Republicans retain control of the Senate they would cut Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security in order to pay for the $2 trillion deficit created by the Trump Tax Bill that slashed taxes for the super-rich and giant corporations.  While Bob Menendez has consistently stood up for seniors who rely on Medicare and Social Security, fought against the tax bill and works to fully restore the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, Bob Hugin celebrated and benefited from the Trump Tax Scam’s passage.

Founded in 1974, HPAE has grown into New Jersey’s largest healthcare union, representing more than 13,000 nurses, social workers, therapists, technicians, medical researchers and other health care professionals in hospitals, nursing homes, home care agencies, blood banks and university research facilities in both New Jersey and the Philadelphia area.