Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) is miffed that congressional Democrats are trying to change the subject from the Affordable Care Act to other policy issues, such as violence against women, according to Michigan Radio.
In a meeting with constituents in Jackson, Michigan on Wednesday, Walberg suggested that recent initiatives on other subjects were intended to distract voters from what he sees as a central issue -- the health law's problematic website roll-out.
“[Democrats would] rather pivot to talking about minimum wage, unemployment insurance, violence against women -- and try to get people’s minds off of [Obamacare]” Walberg said, according to the Michigan radio station.
Advancing a proposal to raise the federal minimum wage has been a top issue for House Democrats, and is expected to remain one throughout this election cycle.
As The New York Times noted Monday, some House Democrats facing tough re-election battles are openly talking about the Affordable Care Act's problems in campaign ads. Reinstating long-term unemployment insurance benefits remains a priority for Democrats after the benefits expired in late December.
But Walberg appears to also have a problem with Democrats talking about the Violence Against Women Act -- which was reauthorized in February 2013 after a drawn-out partisan battle over new protections for Native Americans and LGBT survivors of domestic abuse.
Walberg, a fervent social and fiscal conservative, represents a southern Michigan district which gave President Barack Obama 51 percent of its vote in 2012. He faces a challenge from former state Rep. Pam Byrnes (D).
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