Releases Ad Asking Minnesotans to “Thank” Cravaack if Benefit Checks Stop on August 2; call on Congressman to stop protecting rich at expense of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for ordinary Americans

Saint Paul, MN – With only four days left for Congress to avoid defaulting on the nation’s debt obligations, Representative Chip Cravaack helped push our nation one day closer to crisis as he continued to hold out against compromise.  Earlier this week, Speaker John Boehner admitted “a lot” of House Republicans are refusing to compromise on a debt ceiling deal in hopes the resulting economic “chaos” would force Democrats to support the so-called “Balanced Budget Amendment” – wildly out-of-touch, unrealistic legislation that  “would require more extreme cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid than the Ryan Plan,” while safeguarding subsidies for big oil companies and deficit-busting tax breaks for millionaires, corporate jet owners, and large corporations that ship American jobs overseas.

 


Watch it here: http://seiu.mn/nMGEmt

A new TV ad (script below and back-up materials attached) is making clear that if the Social Security checks, Veterans’ benefits and military pay that Americans are counting are not in the mailbox after August 2^nd, they will have only U.S. Representative Cravaack (R-MN08) and Republicans in Congress to thank. “Your Check” implores Representative Cravaack to stop holding the economy and interests of ordinary Americans hostage to protect millionaires and large corporations.  The ad airs Friday through Monday, and is sponsored by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Education Association (NEA), and Americans United for Change.

SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry stated, "Speaker Boehner and House Republicans want to bring us to the brink of financial ruin to protect tax giveaways for corporations and millionaires, while gutting programs that provide vital services for the most vulnerable among us.  As we get dangerously close to defaulting on our debt, there are no more excuses for Members of Congress.  Simply put, it's time to get this done.  The stakes are too high to play a partisan game of chicken that could end with disastrous results for working families, seniors, veterans and children.  This is both unacceptable and indefensible."

Kathy Meyer, a cook at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center and a member of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota’s Executive Board said, “The proposed cuts of billions of dollars to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security will put the lives of our seniors and disabled at risk.  As a healthcare worker, I can tell you firsthand that these proposed cuts would be devastating to healthcare, putting thousands of jobs at risk when our economy can least afford it.  The greed of Wall Street and big-bonus CEO’s caused this mess, but Republicans in Congress are planning to fix the problem on the backs of seniors and working families.”

SEIU Minnesota State Council and Healthcare Minnesota President Julie Schnell added, “Representative Cravaack’s failure to act to avoid default only compounds his failures to take action to create any new jobs since taking office.  In fact, the bill he voted for that would have the greatest impact on employment was the Ryan budget that would give away more than $2.9 trillion in tax breaks for the richest Americans and big corporations and kill more than 2.5 million jobs, including over 25,000 health care jobs in Minnesota alone.”