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Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff Will Campaign in Athens With Michael Stipe

Vice President Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, is scheduled to appear at a rally in Athens Thursday afternoon with former R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe. The exact time and location of the rally have not been released.

Emhoff’s Athens appearance is part of a two-day swing through Georgia, where Harris is in a dead heat with Donald Trump in the polls. The second gentleman is also scheduled to make several metro Atlanta appearances with actress and Smyrna native Julia Roberts, including a reproductive rights rally with former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams in Canton, the opening of a South Cobb office for the Harris campaign, a Georgia Women for Harris rally in Clayton County and an Atlanta Pride Parade event.

Stipe, who maintains a part-time home in Athens, has been politically active for decades, from the “Rock the Vote” campaign in the early 1990s to criticizing Gov. Brian Kemp’s COVID response. Last week he sang at a benefit concert for the Harris campaign in Pittsburgh with former Drive-By Trucker Jason Isbell.

In other campaign news, Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz and state Rep. Spencer Frye (D-Athens) appeared at an Athens stop on the Care Force One’s national bus tour. The health care advocacy group Protect Our Care is sponsoring the bus tour.

Girtz, Frye and Protect Our Care representatives warned that “MAGA Republicans” want to raise the cost of health care, deny coverage for pre-existing conditions, and repeal the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (which set the cost of insulin at $35 for Medicare recipients) and President Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

“Health care is not a privilege for the wealthy; it is a right. And the Biden-Harris administration, along with Democratic lawmakers, delivered real, tangible results. They stood up to big drug companies and special interests, capping prescription drug costs and ensuring that more Americans can access affordable care,” Frye said. “But make no mistake, the threat is real. If Trump and his allies succeed, millions will lose coverage, and costs will rise for working families while the wealthiest corporations get more tax breaks. We can’t afford to go back to a system where Georgians have to choose between putting food on the table or paying for life-saving medication.”

After the event, Girtz said: “We are at a critical moment in the fight for healthcare in America. Donald Trump and his allies have made it clear that they want to rip away the progress we’ve made under the Affordable Care Act. Their vision for the future—through their dangerous Project 2025 plan—would increase prescription drug prices, gut Medicaid, and raise health insurance premiums. The Biden-Harris administration, in contrast, has fought to protect and expand health care. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, they’ve capped prescription drug prices for seniors, expanded access to affordable coverage, and given families in Georgia the peace of mind they need.”

The “Lower Cost, Better Care” tour is traveling through 17 states over six weeks.

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