Watchdog Group Launches Second Six-Figure Ad Buy Demanding Rep. McMorris Rodgers Take Action on Family Separation Crisis
Despite overwhelming bipartisan support from her constituents for Congress to act on this issue, McMorris Rodgers has done next to nothing
08.29.18 – Starting tomorrow, Equity Forward Action will run a TV ad, “One Hour,” with a six-figure ad buy in Washington calling on Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) to investigate the family separation crisis and hold the administration responsible for its reckless behavior. Today’s ad follows an initial six figure buy Equity Forward Action launched earlier this month asking McMorris Rodgers to hold the Trump administration accountable for separating thousands of children from their families at the border due to its cruel and inhumane “zero tolerance” policy.
The ad hits the airwaves as McMorris Rodgers continues to dodge her duties to conduct oversight of the administration in its failure to reunite hundreds of children who remain separated from their families. Despite McMorris Rodgers claims she’s opposed to the administration’s actions, we have not seen her exercise the most basic form of oversight: a congressional hearing.
Watch the ad HERE.
“As one of the most powerful people in Washington, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ response to the child separation crisis is nothing short of a failure in leadership,” said Mary Alice Carter, Executive Director of Equity Forward Action.
“McMorris Rodgers is the fourth highest ranking member in the House and sits on the Energy & Commerce Committee, and yet she’s produced no real results and refuses to use her power to hold the administration accountable for cruelly separating these families. Hundreds of children could be orphaned and it is up to leaders like McMorris Rodgers to get to the bottom of what happened. Her constituents and these families demand and deserve answers.”
Additional Background:
Equity Forward sent a letter to the Energy & Commerce Committee last week calling on its members to use their authority to conduct oversight hearings and specifically require HHS Secretary Alex Azar and ORR Director Scott Lloyd to answer for their roles in the crisis. Despite requests from their Democratic colleagues, the committee has not held one hearing and conducted minimal oversight of HHS and ORR during the crisis.
Equity Forward Action launched the two sets of ad buys after conducting polling of McMorris Rodgers constituents’ views on the Trump Administration’s child separation crisis and Congress’ role in holding the administration accountable for the policy. Half of her constituents (50%) said McMorris Rodgers has not done enough on the family separation crisis and nearly two-thirds of voters (66%) across the district say they want Congress to act by increasing the accountability and transparency of the agencies and officials overseeing the separated children.
Equity Forward Action is also launching a similar ad in Oregon tomorrow calling on Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Greg Walden (OR-02) to investigate the family separation crisis. These ads are part of more than a million-dollar campaign by Equity Forward and Equity Forward Action to hold HHS and the administration accountable for the child separation crisis. The campaign has included numerous polls and ads in key members’ Districts, including Representatives Pete Sessions (TX-32), Carlos Curbelo (FL-26) and Leonard Lance (NJ-07).
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