Pro-Trump PAC pulls ad it launched against GOP senator who opposed health bill
The PAC pulled its ad against a senator who opposed the Senate health care bill.
— -- A political action committee for President Trump launched an attack advertisement against a member of the president's own party, Republican Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada, over his opposition to the Senate health care bill, then pulled it later the same day.
America First Policies PAC released the ad against Heller on Tuesday, then later pulled the ad, saying that it was pleased the senator "has decided to come back to the table" to negotiate the Senate bill.
"America First Policies is pleased to learn that Sen. Dean Heller has decided to come back to the table to negotiate with his colleagues on the Senate bill,” said a statement from Erin Montgomery, communications director at the political action committee. “We have pulled the ads we released earlier today in Nevada, and we remain hopeful that Sen. Heller and his colleagues can agree on what the American people already know: that repealing and replacing Obamacare must happen for America to move forward and be great again."
With its ad, the group was the first pro-Trump organization to publicly attack a Republican officeholder.
After the ad's release but before it was pulled, America First Policies told ABC News that it planned to continue its ad campaign against Heller despite the Senate's on Tuesday postponing a planned procedural vote to advance the health care bill until after the July 4 recess.
The advertisement asked viewers to call Sen. Heller and tell him to “keep his promise” and “vote yes to repeal and replace Obamacare.” The ad also said that a down vote by the senator would pose an obstacle to his own party and the Trump administration who it said finally have a “real chance to repeal and replace Obamacare.”
America First Policies President Brian Walsh said upon the ad's release, “There is no excuse for any Republican or Democrat to oppose the Senate health care bill outright, when Obamacare is collapsing and putting the American people in crisis.”
Walsh noted that Heller called for the repeal of Obamacare in 2012 and said the political action committee planned to allot over $1 million toward attacking the Republican senator, who is up for reelection in 2018.
The ad was released four days after Heller on Friday announced he could not support the Senate health care bill in its current form, which he said “takes away insurance from tens of millions of Americans.”
America First Policies was formed days after President Trump’s inauguration with the intention of supporting his agenda.
The Senate vote was postponed Tuesday amid a lack of sufficient support for the bill.