Cassidy Has Previously Refused To Take Position On Flat Tax Or Comment On Flood Insurance Cuts In Ryan Budget Plan He Voted For

New Orleans, Louisiana – Bill Cassidy, who is running for Senate but nonetheless won’t reveal anything about himself other than his newly adopted opposition to health care reforms he once tried to pass, is again refusing to come clean about where he stands on active legislation. This time it’s the Republican Study Committee (RSC) health care plan, which would strip away protections that require insurance companies to cover patients with preexisting conditions and ensure women aren’t charged more for the same insurance coverage as men.

While other delegation members have weighed in for or against the RSC plan, Cassidy won’t take a position. When asked by the Times-Picayune if he supported it, he ducked the question, claiming through a spokesperson that he “is still reviewing the RSC proposal.”

It’s not the first time Cassidy has refused to come clean with the people of Louisiana. After signing Sen. Ted Cruz’s petition in support of a flat tax, he reversed course and refused to take a position on the flat tax, laughably telling reporters, “I will make a statement on that when I’ve researched that more.” To this date he has refused to take a formal position on the flat tax.

And after voting for the Ryan budget plan, which would have sent Louisiana flood insurance rates skyrocketing, Cassidy ducked and told reporters he would “have to look into” its effects on flood insurance premiums. Unsurprisingly, Cassidy has refused to revisit the issue.

Not only has Cassidy continually dodged coming clean on legislative measures, but he has also inexplicably reversed himself on issues such as health care reform and the Wall Street bailout. Cassidy introduced health care reforms while he was a state senator that were nearly identical to the Affordable Care Act, and he explicitly endorsed the Wall Street bailout in 2008 before stating two years later that he opposed it.

“Bill Cassidy’s been a candidate for Senate since almost the start of 2013, and in that time he’s done nothing except dodge answering questions and shamefully reverse himself on issues like health care reform and the Wall Street bailout,” said Campaign for Louisiana Communications Director Andrew Zucker. “Now Bill Cassidy is refusing to say if he supports a plan that would undo critical protections that require insurance companies to cover patients with preexisting conditions and ensure women don’t get charged more for the same insurance coverage as men. Cassidy owes it to the people of Louisiana to stop ducking questions and start explaining what he wants for Louisiana.”

BACKGROUND

Washington Post: “The Last Big Set Of Changes Would Affect People With Pre-Existing Conditions, Since The RSC Proposal Repeals Obamacare’s Guarantee Issue Provisions.” [Washington Post, Wonkblog, 9/19/13]

After Voting For The Ryan Budget, Cassidy Told The Advocate He Would “Have To Look Into” Its Effects On Flood Insurance. “All of Louisiana’s Republican House members voted for the Ryan plan, including Landrieu’s 2014 re-election opponent, U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge. Cassidy said he would have to look into the effects of the House budget on the NFIP, but he blamed overall federal spending and FEMA’s mapping issues for causing the problems.” [Jordan Blum, The Advocate, 5/26/13]

After Joining Ted Cruz In Supporting A National Flat Tax, Cassidy Told The Advocate He Wouldn’t Make A Statement On The Flat Tax Until He “Researched That More.” “So this week came as a good time for polarizing freshman U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to launch an online ‘Abolish the IRS’ petition that had collected about 50,000 signatures as of Friday afternoon. Cruz supports a flat tax proposal that he says would simplify the process, but which critics allege would increase taxes on the middle class and save money for the wealthy. There also could be collection-enforcement issues with states having more authority on federal collections. One of the earliest politicians to tout signing the petition was Baton Rouge’s own, U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, who is running in 2014 as the top Republican challenger thus far to U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. …Cassidy is more mum though on the flat tax issue though. ‘My statement is not predicated on that (flat tax) debate,’ Cassidy said. ‘I will make a statement on that when I’ve researched that more.’” [Jordan Blum, The Advocate, 6/9/13]

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