DCCC targets House GOP members over Trump administration response to coronavirus

The House Democrats’ campaign arm is targeting seven House Republicans in ads over the Trump administration’s response to coronavirus and the affordability of a potential vaccine.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced Monday the new ads will appear on Facebook in English and Spanish.

The ads are centered on Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar’s comments last week on the affordability of a coronavirus vaccine. 

“The Trump administration would rather pad the pockets of drug manufacturers than provide access to an affordable coronavirus vaccine,” text of the 25-second ad reads.

The ad cites Azar’s comments that “we can’t control that price because we need the private sector” at a congressional hearing last week. 

The ad then asks if the “Washington Republican” it’s targeting agrees with Azar, swapping out the name of the member in each ad. 

Versions of the ad will run in districts for Reps. Jeff Van Drew (N.J.), who switched from a Democrat to a Republican amid last year’s House impeachment process, Ross Spano (Fla.), Vern Buchanan (Fla.), Jaime Herrera-Beutler (Wash.), David Schweikert (Ariz.), Ann Wagner (Mo.) and Don Young (Alaska). 

Spanish ads will run in districts led by Spano, Buchanan and Schweikert.

Azar’s comments came in response to a question from Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who asked if a coronavirus vaccine will “for sure be affordable for anyone who needs it.” 

“We would want to ensure that we work to make it affordable, but we can’t control that price because we need the private sector to invest,” Azar responded at the hearing.