Two prominent 501(c)(4) “social welfare” groups are waging a new ad war over the Affordable Care Act, more than three years after President Barack Obama’s signature legislation was signed into law.
On Monday, Organizing for Action — the nonprofit organization that succeeded President Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign — released its second ad in a seven-part series promoting the benefits of health care reform. The ad, titled “Better Coverage,” tells the story of a girl named Zoe who underwent open-heart surgery shortly after her birth, but will no longer face a lifetime cap on health coverage due to Obamacare.
By contrast, Americans for Prosperity — a right-wing 501(c)(4) largely funded by Charles and David Koch — released an ad of its own Monday, warning that the law will raise premiums and negatively impact health care.
The dueling ads — both of which are reportedly part of $1 million buys — reflect the unsettled nature of the debate over Obamacare. Although the Affordable Care Act was passed by Congress in 2010, upheld as Constitutional by the Supreme Court in June 2012, and tacitly endorsed by voters in last November’s elections — which politicians from both parties had framed largely as a referendum on health care reform — Republicans are continuing to fight against the law until it is fully implemented. In light of the Obama administration’s decision to delay the law’s employer mandate until 2015, it seems that the latest political skirmish over Obamacare is destined to continue through the 2014 midterm elections, if not further.
