Why We Must Defeat Thom Tillis

The case for defeating Thom Tillis builds everyday. The Republican senator from North Carolina voted to take away health care from millions of Americans, helped pass a tax scam for the wealthy, and used his rubber stamp to confirm over 150 extreme right wing judges for lifetime appointments.

Moreover, he voted to let health insurers deny coverage to patients with pre-existing conditions, vehemently supports cuts to Social Security and Medicare, and has blocked legislation to secure our elections from foreign interference.

Even during a pandemic, Tillis is committed to cutting your health care and repealing protections afforded by the ACA. Because of legislation championed by him, North Carolina has among the lowest unemployment compensation nationwide. And if that’s not enough, he also voted to cut unemployment benefits for workers laid off due to the virus. The consequences are now being grappled with as unemployment surges.

Instead of focusing on pandemic and economic relief measures, Tillis is using his seat on the Judiciary Committee to steamroll the confirmation of a controversial circuit court nominee determined to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Not even a pandemic will stop him from attacking your health care.

The Democratic House recently passed a much-needed relief bill that would steer billions to financially strained states and provide direct relief to Americans. Unprecedented national crisis be damned, Tillis has indicated his opposition to passing the legislation. In fact, he agrees with Mitch McConnell’s assessment that local governments should instead file for bankruptcy. From the start, he has been more focused on corporate bailouts than helping local communities recover.

Because of Senator Thom Tillis, less people are covered with health insurance during this pandemic — and he’s proud of it.

Rather than putting his constituents first, his loyalty lies with just one man: Trump.

Last year, a bombshell revelation triggered impeachment proceedings against Trump. It detailed how Trump illegally sought interference from a foreign power to benefit his campaign. But instead of holding Trump to account, Tillis came out in support of this brazen abuse of power. He actually defended foreign interference in our elections. And then he criticized Democrats for maintaining their oath to uphold the Constitution.

In the end, he helped rig the impeachment trial in favor of Trump and voted to acquit the president, despite overwhelming evidence of corruption.

Previously, Tillis voted in support of Trump’s unprecedented emergency declaration, even after outlining a case against it. The Fayetteville Observer called his reversal an Olympic gold flip-flop. Predictably, Trump repaid the favor by stealing $80 million in military funds from North Carolina. Funds for housing, schooling, and ambulatory care for military families were all plundered. Despite that, Tillis voted for the declaration a second time, giving Trump free reign to drain even more money from the state.

Fast forward to 2020: Tillis has stayed silent in the face of Trump’s negligent COVID response. Testing failures, equipment shortages, and misinformation have exasperated the pandemic. And yet, he stills he lacks the courage to stand up to Trump. On the contrary, he actually praised the disastrous response.

Time after time, he has voted in favor of Trump’s radical agenda and embraced his authoritarian impulses. And while this is just a cursory look at his record, it’s indicative of the type of senator he has chosen to be: a puppet for Trump.

Tillis is up for reelection this November and the race is a toss-up. Pundits and prognosticators have indicated that the outcome of this election may very well determine control of the Senate.

The stakes have never been higher. In recent days, Trump has ramped up a retaliatory purge of inspectors general whose job is to provide oversight of government corruption. There is no modern precedent for so many firings of inspectors general in such a compressed time period. It provoked bipartisan criticism from many, but not from Tillis — he happily accepts blatant misconduct.

If, god forbid, Trump wins reelection, the Senate will be the only surefire check against his administration — and we definitely can’t count on Tillis to stand up for what is right. That’s why we’re fighting for new leadership.

If you’re fed up with Tillis, donate to his Democratic challenger. Every contribution will go directly to the Cal Cunningham campaign, the Democratic nominee challenging Tillis in the general election.

Join our effort on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/defeattillis/