The Kabuki Theater of the AHCA

The United States has never had a Senate leader as ruthless, as willing to bend, distort and break the rules, traditions and precedents of the Senate as Mitch McConnell. And the Senate has probably never had a majority leader as effective at accomplishing his goals as Mitch McConnell-making even Lyndon Johnson look like a neophyte in comparison.

Hillary Clinton: GOP is ‘death party’ if health care bill passes

Hillary Clinton has a new name for the Republican Party if Congress manages to pass the Senate health care bill: "death party." The Democratic presidential nominee's Twitter account shared a study Friday afternoon from a progressive think tank, the Center for American Progress, predicting that the Senate bill could lead to between 18,000 and 27,000 additional deaths in 2026 if those people have no coverage.

N.J. would see big-time job loss under Trump Obamacare repeal

The Garden State would lose 42,000 jobs by 2026, behind only New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, Michigan, and Illinois, according to the study by George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health and the Commonwealth Fund, a foundation that supports efforts to increase health coverage. Senate Republicans working behind closed doors and without public hearings are drafting their own bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

Letter: Trump can’t do anything right

However he achieved it is still in question, but for the time being he still has the title of "president." Besides trying to explain his connection with Russia, he is now going to have to justify taking Meals on Wheels away from the elderly and poor, and making cuts in Medicaid, SS Disability, and funding to urban and rural communities.  We have almost 10,000 children living in poverty right here in Massachusetts now.

With big spending cuts, Trump’s budget highlights clash of values

To the Trump team, the president's budget proposal is rooted in unassailable values: respect for the people "who are actually paying the taxes," as White House budget director Mick Mulvaney puts it. In President Trump's $4.1 trillion fiscal 2018 budget plan, released Tuesday, that approach translates into deep cuts in social safety-net programs that Mr. Mulvaney suggests discourage work and hinder economic growth.

Trump’s $4.1T budget relies on deep domestic cuts

President Donald Trump's proposed $4.1 trillion budget slashes safety net programs for the poor, targeting food stamps and Medicaid, while relying on rosy projections about the nation's economic growth to balance the budget within 10 years. The cuts are part of a budget blueprint for the upcoming fiscal year that amount to a dramatic restructuring of the government, with protection for retirement programs for the elderly, billions of dollars more for the military and the rest of the government bearing the bulk of the reductions.

Prosecutor: Doctor tied to senator stole Medicare millions

Prosecutors argued that a prominent Florida eye doctor ran a practice which was actually a well-organized scam that stole millions from Medicare. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Chase told a federal jury Tuesday during closing arguments in West Palm Beach that Dr. Salomon Melgen performed unnecessary tests and treatments on his mostly elderly patients to "line his pockets with millions."

Today is Obamacare repeal vote: What’s at stake for Trump, 24M Americans in epic battle

Trying to fulfill a seven-year promise to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act , House Republicans have scheduled a vote for Friday after postponing action on Thursday. Republican supporters say the effort will improve the health care system.

Did the Obamacare Medicaid expansion force people onto wait lists?

Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events "During the phaseout, we should implement work requirements for healthy working-age adults in the Medicaid expansion population. Obamacare overextended Medicaid beyond those people that the program was intended to serve - the disabled elderly, pregnant women and needy children.

Beatitudes take a beating in DC

U.S. President Donald Trump waves with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., after attending a Friends of Ireland reception on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., March 16. Writing a weekly column means always worrying about finding a topic for the next one. The horror of staring at a blank document on the computer screen, while your mind remains as blank as that document, is one of the scariest moments in a writer's life.

Continue reading Trump undermines campaign promises by supporting GOP policies

One is its public face, epitomized by President Donald Trump's incessant tweeting and his zest for unprovoked criticism of everyone from political foes to longtime U.S. allies. Even many supporters question his refusal to transition from campaign to governing mode.

By the numbers: Why millions go uninsured under Republicans’ Obamacare alternative

President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan are pushing legislation that would repeal key aspects of the Affordable Care Act. Changing the heath insurance marketplace under Obamacare is complicated business, and there is no universal agreement on how any legislation would affect coverage.

Wolf says analysis confirms fears about GOP health care bill

Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf's office says Congress' nonpartisan analysis of the House Republican health care bill confirms that the elderly, disabled and those in addiction treatment will be worse off. Wolf on Monday renewed his call for Pennsylvania's delegation to reject the bill and fix former President Barack Obama's health care law.

Reed Talks ACA; Senators Wary Of Rising Costs

While U.S. Rep. Tom Reed said he stands for the repeal and replacement, U.S. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer say the proposed bill will force middle-class families and senior citizens to pay more for less care.

Price: White House believes Medicare is a guarantee for seniors

President Trump's secretary of Health and Human Services on Sunday said the White House believes Medicare should be guaranteed for senior citizens. Tom Price told CBS's "Face the Nation," that the White House believes Medicare is a guarantee for seniors when asked about Speaker Paul Ryan Price: White House believes Medicare is a guarantee for seniors Get wise, GOP.

Retirement Anxiety Is Gripping America

A few weeks after the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives moved to kill rules allowing states to create portable retirement savings accounts, a new survey found that 75 percent of Americans support just such an option. The response was a common refrain in a report that echoed the growing dread of living out one's golden years in poverty.