Nevada Senate candidate Dean Heller’s campaign is fighting back against a false attack ad cut by Patriot Majority, which is a front group for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). The ad painted Heller as someone who would side with insurance companies over women battling cancer.
Chandler Smith, spokeswoman for the Heller campaign, said the commercial disregarded Heller’s record for fighting for women’s issues, including legislation he introduced with DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to expand preventative services for breast cancer.
Heller is in a tight race against Rep. Shelley Berkley, who is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee for allegedly using her office to enrich her husband’s medical businesses. Smith called Patriot Majority’s ad “a desperate effort to attack Dean Heller and talk about anything but” Berkley’s record.
“This ad is nothing but a false attack and further proof that Shelley Berkley and her Washington allies have no concern for the truth,” Smith said. “Dean Heller has introduced bipartisan legislation to make sure women have access to services and has in fact championed mobile mammography programs.”
Smith said Berkley and her allies are supporting plans “that puts Nevadans’ health in the hands of the federal government.”
“Shelley Berkley wants the same massive bureaucracy that has run up a $16 trillion debt that has 24 programs dedicated to information technology, 100 programs for surface transportation and 82 programs for teacher quality making decisions about Nevadans’ health,” Smith said. “Dean Heller believes those decisions should be made by doctors.”
Heller has championed and authored many pieces of significant legislation that have advanced and supported women’s health issues.
For instance, Heller authored the Mobile Mammography Promotion Act (H.R. 2964) to allow women to receive care in underserved areas. DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz was the original cosponsor of the bill.
He cosponsored the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act (H.R. 1157) that encouraged greater research into the factors contributing to breast cancer. This bill was signed into law on October 8, 2008.
Heller has also voted for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1132) , which was signed into law in April 2007. It authorizes $1.3 billion for the program over the next five years.
Heller has also supported legislation to convey public land to the Nevada Cancer Institute.
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