(Washington D.C.) – Following the Mississippi GOP Senate Primary, where Chris McDaniel secured a runoff against incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran, Independent Women’s Voice President and CEO Heather R. Higgins released the following statement:
“Last night, Chris McDaniel became just the most recent candidate who may not have been the establishment favorite, but who was a signer of the ObamaCare Repeal Pledge and did well in his primary. Because of last night's returns, on June 24, McDaniel will face six-term incumbent Senator Thad Cochran, who has not signed the Repeal Pledge, for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate. We offer our congratulations to Chris McDaniel in securing a spot in the in Mississippi's Republican runoff for U.S. Senate.
"Of the three contenders for this Mississippi U.S. Senate seat contested last night, only Chris McDaniel has signed the ObamaCare Repeal Pledge. This is tremendously good news for voters in Mississippi, who have had enough of ObamaCare's damage to our health care system and want patient centered reform, that they still have the chance to nominate a candidate committed to repeal.
"Sen. Cochran has been asked on numerous occasions to sign the Repeal Pledge to prove to the American people that ObamaCare isn't working, is damaging our health care system, and that it is time for reforms to put the power back in the hands of patients and doctors — he has not signed. This is not surprising as he was recently quoted praising the dysfunctional law saying '[ObamaCare] is an example of an important effort by the federal government to help make health care available, accessible and affordable.' A Cochran adviser argues his response was about the Department of Veterans Affairs; if Cochran is serious about replacing ObamaCare with patient centered reforms, he should prove it by signing the Repeal Pledge today.
"The IWV is thrilled to see the results of this tight race, and all Americans should take heart that, the more Repeal Pledge signers we can send to Washington who are truly committed to positive change, we can turn our country around and create the health care system we all deserve."
The Repeal Pledge advocates not just repeal, but defunding, deauthorizing, and dismantling the misleadingly-titled Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, enacted in early 2010. The Repeal Pledge was designed as a litmus test to help the American public understand which candidates and office holders are serious about repeal, versus those who claim to be, but won't actually take action.
Signers of the Repeal Pledge believe that this law cannot be "fixed" and that stopping its implementation and ultimately repealing it are necessary first steps to ensure that citizens and their doctors, not government bureaucrats, have choice and control over their health care, and that medical care in our country becomes more affordable and available.
For more information on The Repeal Pledge, including a complete list of signers, please visit TheRepealPledge.com.
For interviews with Heather Higgins or other spokeswomen of Independent Women's Voice, please contact Victoria Coley at [email protected].
Independent Women’s Voice is a 501 (c) (4) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization for mainstream women, men and families. IWV is an affiliate organization of the Independent Women’s Forum.