Tracker Pixel for Entry

​An enemy of the people

News | August 22nd, 2018

Heidi Heitkamp at rally - photograph by Raul Gomez

FARGO – A day after a Republican attack on her voting record, U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp struck back against her opponent, saying current Congressman Kevin Cramer is irresponsible and is voting to hurt North Dakotans.

She slammed Cramer’s support for a Texas-led lawsuit that North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem has brought the state into as dangerous. The lawsuit against the United States by a total of 20 states seeks to completely repeal the Affordable Care Act saying since the law’s mandate is no longer valid, the entire law is unconstitutional.

Using an old Stalinist line, Cramer has also called Heitkamp an “enemy of our country” during an interview with POLITICO for her efforts to thwart President Donald Trump’s trade war, and while the ND GOP claims Heitkamp is a Republican in disguise, as she has voted in line with President Donald Trump’s Administration “half of the time,” Heitkamp said that her job is to represent the people of North Dakota.

During a press conference with national media outlets, many of which have also been consistently labeled as enemies of the state by Trump himself, Heitkamp focused on the Texas lawsuit and Cramer’s voting record.

She spoke of the 65 times Cramer has voted to undermine health care law, the five times he voted to repeal the health care law without a replacement plan, his vote to undermine health care for more than 317,000 North Dakotans with pre-existing conditions, his voted to dismantle Medicaid expansion, and his accusations that those with pre-existing conditions are “gaming the system.”

Congressman Kevin Cramer accepting the endorsement to run against Senator Heidi Heitkamp for the U.S. Senate - photograph by C.S. Hagen“Where we were six years ago, when I said there is good and bad in the health care law, we are going keep the good and fix the bad,” Heitkamp said. “During that time period Congressman Cramer voted against the ACA 64 times, never really reforming it, and then after he voted against the ACA without a replacement eventually the bill that he voted for in 2017, the President of the United States called that bill mean, meaning that it would make health insurance less affordable, take away pre-existing conditions, and basically make it harder for middle class families to afford their health care.

“I voted against a bill that I thought was equally mean, and what happened with Medicaid. But the important part of that story is what happened after that. After that I rolled up my sleeves and got to work to introduce a reform bill that could afford different protections and affordability to many North Dakotans.”

Mary Wakefield, a Devils Lake native and top health care expert formerly serving as the deputy secretary of Health and Human Services until 2017, said the ACA ended discrimination against those with pre-existing conditions, and to go back to the days where insurance companies can choose caps for medical treatment, or decide who they will cover, is a dangerous move, especially for rural hospitals.

“If thousands of North Dakotans lose coverage or are denied coverage that is a financial impact on hospitals in rural communities, Wakefield said. “People will once again be unable to pay for needed health care. Our rural hospitals typically do not have deep financial pockets.”

Jennifer Restemeyer of Fargo has a 16-year-old daughter, Allison, who has a rare genetic disorder, and requires $12,000 in specialized therapy related to her disorder every week.

When the ACA passed in 2010, she had already reached $1.75 million of her $2 million lifetime maximum coverage. The ACA took away that cap, and if the Texas lawsuit is successful in repealing the ACA, Restemeyer has little hope that her daughter will survive, if they lose their health insurance.

“Right now we have coverage from my husband’s employer, but if we were to lose the protections of an insurance company, if they were able to say no we can’t cover you, if my husband was to change jobs or lose his job for any reason, she would lose her coverage,” Rustemeyer said.

The medication her daughter is on slows the progression of the disorder, she said. In previous years Rustemeyer reached out to Heitkamp and Cramer, even went to one of Cramer’s Town Halls.

“I was disheartened, my questions were brushed off,” Rustemeyer said.

Ellen Linderman, from Carrington, has the same worries. She had an eye surgery when her husband worked for state government, but now that he is a farmer, she knows that a repeal of ACA will disqualify her from coverage.

“I was being punished for something I absolutely had to do for my well being,” Linderman said. “This idea of going back to not covering pre-existing conditions just floors me.”

Heitkamp has a history of working across the political aisle attempting to address the concerns of health care affordability that does not throw people off their health insurance policies.

“It’s clear to me that there has been for him much more of an interest in political talking points than solving this problem,” Heitkamp said. “It’s clear that the bill Cramer voted for in the House would seriously undermine those with preexisting conditions.”

Grand Forks attorney David Thompson is running against incumbent Stenehjem for North Dakota Attorney General. He has submitted an open records request to the Attorney General’s office, but was denied citing ongoing litigation.

All questions from HPR Magazine to the North Dakota Attorney General’s office were deferred to Texas.

Stenehjem has claimed that no state resources are involved in the Texas lawsuit, but Thompson disagreed.

“North Dakotans are asking: Which is it, Wayne? Either the Attorney General’s Office worked on the lawsuit or not, but Stenehjem continues to deny that any his office has anything to do with the harmful impacts this lawsuit will have,” Thompson said in a press release.

“If anyone on Stenehjem’s staff looked at the lawsuit, public resources were spent on this case. It is frankly an unbelievable statement, especially when the health coverage of hundreds of thousands of North Dakotans is at stake. Meaningful and effective health care insurance coverage should be available for all North Dakotans at a reasonable price for them without discrimination against them for having a pre-existing condition. Wayne should either own the fact that he supports the goals of this lawsuit or withdraw North Dakota as a plaintiff.”

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comNorth Dakotans will take part in a nationwide civil rights rally on Thursday, July 17. Protests, marches, rallies and acts of service are scheduled in Bismarck, Bottineau, Devils Lake,…

Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…

July 18-19, 25-26 and August 2-3North Dakota Horse Park, 5180 19th Ave. N., FargoLadies and gentlemen, prepare to place your bets — racing season is upon us! Not just horses will be racing this year; word on the street suggests…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com On July fourth, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at Coney Island. The winners, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, reigned victorious. Chestnut earned his 17th title by…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comWhy doesn’t the world require politicians to leave office at 60?Most of the leaders of countries, whether gods, fascists, democrats or socialists, are not doing very well these days. David Van…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gion and Simone Wairickgion@gmail.com The Red River Market returned to downtown Fargo on Saturday, July 12. The event will take place every Saturday except July 19. (That date will be moved to Sunday, July 20, due to the…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comPhoto by Sabrina Hornung Wing, North Dakota is a town of 132 located about an hour northwest of Bismarck on Highway 36. There’s a shiny new Cenex on the intersection of the highway and the high…

By Deb Wallworkdwallwork@icloud.comI first met Catherine Mulligan at a party at her house. It was a small gathering, spontaneous, just a few people over for dinner. Directed toward a stack of plates and bowls and a big pot warming…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comPhoto by Yvonne Denault There is something intimate and personal about plays. Even in our age of multimillion dollar Hollywood productions and droves of streaming services, watching actors…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…