Congressman John Shadegg responds to Democrat attack ads

"Happy to expose Democrat deceit about SCHIP
"(Phoenix, AZ) -

Congressman John Shadegg issued the following statement regarding the press release by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announcing that the DCCC will run radio ads in his Congressional District attacking Shadegg for opposing the Democrat's SCHIP bill

"I am thrilled that Washington, D.C. Democrats are going to
waste their money attacking me in Arizona and particularly pleased that they have
chosen the SCHIP issue,"

said Shadegg.

"Voters in Arizona are smart and they have figured out that
Washington, D.C. Democrats are playing fast and loose with the facts about SCHIP.
There is more to this legislation than its name. Democrats believe that because
the bill's title creates the impression that it is about providing healthcare to
poor uninsured children that no one could dare to vote against it. Unfortunately
for them, Arizona voters are smarter than that."

There are many embarrassing facts surrounding this bill. Outrageously the Democrat's bill is paid for in part by a 61-cent per pack cigarette tax and would require an additional 22 million Americans who don't smoke now to take up the habit and pay the tax.

"I welcome the opportunity to tell Arizona voters that
proponents of this bill think it's a good idea to encourage millions of
non-smokers to begin smoking to fund this program,"

Shadegg said."

As this debate has gone on Arizonans have learned that the
bill provides government-run health care to families making more than $60,000
per year and in some instances more than $80,000 per year. These aren't poor
children by anyone's standard."

Arizonans have also figured out that according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), half of the children already have private insurance

."And, Arizonans know the program as the Democrats wrote the
bill would continue to cover adults."Given the complete lack of honesty and
ethics in Washington, D.C.politics today, it doesn't surprise me that supporters
of this bill would deceive people about who it covers. And it
doesn't surprise me that supporters of the bill would fund it with a tax increase
that would depend on 22 million current non-smokers becoming smokers and paying
the new tax. So why would anyone be surprised that the Democrats
would be running patently false attack ads. I look forward to debating
this bill and bringing the truth about it to Arizona"

Shadegg concluded.

* Paid for by John Shadegg's Friends (602) 235-9704 *

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Sean Noble (602) 820-4600