Diane Wood: Midterm election a chance to restore our reputation
Our next election is just 10 months away. It is our chance to restore our goodness and our reputation.
Category Archives: Health
Here’s what happens if the government shuts down at the end of this week
Congress has until the end of Friday to pass a bill to avoid a partial shutdown of the federal government, and a bill's passage does not look promising. Employees for non-essential services would be out on furlough, meaning they are locked out of work and receive no pay.
Ryan presses Dems to back bill keeping government open
House Speaker Paul Ryan tried pressuring Democrats on Wednesday to back legislation preventing a weekend federal shutdown. But he gave little ground on the partisan battle over immigration, an issue many Democrats say must be resolved before they'll vote to keep agencies functioning.
‘Safety net’ hospitals face federal budget cuts
A double whammy of federal budget cuts might force many hospitals, particularly those that serve poor or rural communities, to scale back services or even shut their doors. The $3.6 billion in cuts this year - $2 billion from a program that sends federal dollars to hospitals that serve a high percentage of Medicaid or uninsured patients, and $1.6 billion from a drug discount program - will have the greatest effect on so-called safety net hospitals that provide medical care for all comers, no matter their ability to pay.
Government shutdown looms as a Dreamera deal stalls
House Republicans considered on Tuesday a stopgap bill to fund the U.S. government through Feb. 16 to avert a shutdown, but the measure would not include Democrats' demands for protections for young people brought to the United States illegally as children. Partisan finger-pointing over immigration policy on Tuesday left Congress and the White House stumbling closer to a possible federal government shutdown by the end of the week.
Fine, Trump Doesna t Have Dementia. Hea s Just a Moron.Never has a…
McCarthy's methods include obsequiousness, attention to detail, and an ability to bring the discussion down to a sub-literate level so Trump can follow it. At Camp David, McCarthy gave a presentation on the midterm elections.
Mitt Romney Calls Out Donald Trump With MLK Day Tweet
With Orrin Hatch retiring, the recruitment efforts to get Mitt Romney to run for that seat started immediately. With the revelation that Romney received treatment for prostate cancer over the summer, it may not be a slam dunk he runs, but if he does, Donald Trump shouldn't expect Mitt to just get in line.
Start Saving Now, Because Social Security Is Screwed
The single largest government program in the United States will soon have an annual budget of $1 trillion a year. Yet even that amount isn't sufficient to fulfill the promises it has made.
Another dispatch from Trumplandia, RSA
Sen. Chuck Grassley met with constituents in a rural district that heavily backed tRump . Anyone who has read any of the countless articles about Dump Supporters in Dump Country might have predicted that it was a non-stop MAGA-fest.
Letter: An Alternative to Glenn Thompson
Our government is supposed to be "of the people, for the people and by the people." Pennsylvania Congressman Glenn Thompson believes he works "of, for and by" the billionaire owners of big corporations.
What the papers say – ” January 12
Calls for a second EU referendum, the tragic consequences of the winter flu virus and reported developments over Donald Trump's planned visit to Britain all make the front pages on Friday. The Daily Mail leads with claims that the US president has scrapped his plans to visit the UK next month, amid fears he "won't be made welcome".
New budget estimate opens door to CHIP extension
House and Senate lawmakers could renew the federal Childrens Health Insurance Program as early as next week since the Congressional Budget Office now estimates a 10-year extension could save taxpayers $6 billion. CHIP provides insurance to 9 million young people nationally, including 1,800 in Pueblo County.
Immigrants’ health withered by ongoing fear of deportation. Study suggests link to heart risks.
JANUARY 10: Activists rally for the passage of a "clean" Dream Act, one without additional security or enforcement measures, outside the New York office of Sen. Chuck Schumer , January 10, 2018 in New York City. The Dream Act, first introduced in 2001, is a proposed bill that would allow undocumented immigrants who came to the country as children to stay in the country legally.
Trump opens path for states to seek work requirements for Medicaid
In a major policy shift that could affect millions of low-income people, the Trump administration said Thursday it is offering a path for states that want to seek work requirements on Medicaid recipients. Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said work and community involvement can make a positive difference in people's lives and in their health.
About three in ten US veterans use tobacco products – ” Press…
About 3 in 10 U.S. military veterans used some form of tobacco product during 2010-2015, according to new data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in today's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report . Tobacco product use was higher among veterans than among non-veterans for males and females across all age groups, except males ages 50 years and older.
Overnight Health Care: House Dems sound alarm over HHS pick | Trump…
Robert Francis O'Rourke Seven Texas lawmakers leaving Congress means a younger, more diverse delegation Periscope shines during House blackout Lawmakers form Term Limits Caucus MORE Lloyd Alton Doggett Pelosi denounces GOP tax reform as 'armageddon' Live coverage: Day three of the Ways and Means GOP tax bill markup Live coverage: Day two of the Ways and Means GOP tax bill markup MORE , the Democrats also said Alex Azar should be pressed on his commitment to uphold the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as ObamaCare. This won't be the first time in the hot seat for Azar, who faced the Senate Health Committee last month in what was billed as a courtesy hearing.
Democrats move to offense on health care; seek ‘big ideas’ – Mon, 08 Jan 2018 PST
Democrats are shifting to offense on health care, emboldened by successes in defending the Affordable Care Act. They say their ultimate goal is a government guarantee of affordable coverage for all.
As Golden Globes pivot to #MeToo, diversity issues linger
Sterling K. Brown poses with the award for best performance by an actor in a TV drama at the FOX Golden Globes after-party at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 7, 2018. The dominant social issue of Sunday's Golden Globes was combating sexual harassment and sexual assault against women in the entertainment industry, an issue that dominated headlines for months following accusations against Hollywood powerhouse Harvey Weinstein.
Alaska lawmakers unite to establish permanent funding for Children’s Health Insurance Program
Permanent funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program, a federal program providing health insurance for children in lower income families, ran out in September.
ACA’s individual mandate bites the dust
After the failure of Republican led efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act ignominiously failed in mid-2017, most had assumed that efforts to dismantle the ACA would subside as Congress' focus quickly turned to tax reform; however, the Republican-led Senate snuck a repeal of the ACA's individual mandate into their version of tax legislation in ... (more)