Category: Law

Ahead of Trump speech, McConnell takes swipe at Beshear on Obamacare

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took a swipe Tuesday at former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, the Democrat chosen to deliver the party’s response to President Donald Trump’s speech tonight to Congress. Beshear, governor from 2007 to 2015, championed the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Kentucky, and he was tapped in part as a rebuttal to McConnell , a Kentucky Republican who’s one of the law’s biggest foes.

Tenet CEO welcomes delays in Republican changes to Obamacare

The delays in Republican plans to overhaul Obamacare are helpful to hospital operator Tenet Healthcare Corp, the company’s chief executive officer said on Tuesday, as the timeline shifts further out for any changes to government healthcare payments. Trevor Fetter, CEO of Tenet Healthcare, speaks at the Reuters Health Summit in New York, May 7, 2013.

Paul Ryan: ‘We are hosed’ if we don’t tackle entitlements like Medicare

President Donald Trump ran on a vow to not cut benefits for Medicare, but House Speaker Paul Ryan said he thinks that is still an “open question.” “From all my conversations with the President, he says ‘I don’t want to change Medicare benefits for people in or near retirement,’ and we agree with that,” the Wisconsin Republican told reporters in his Capitol suite Tuesday morning.

5 things analysts and investors want to hear in Trump speech

Economists and investors will be looking for one thing above all from President Donald Trump’s speech to the nation Tuesday night: What will his promised tax cuts look like? Which Obama-era regulations will be reversed? Will he push for an infrastructure spending plan this year? Trump’s broad campaign promises to sharply cut taxes, reduce red tape and boost spending on infrastructure have helped lift the stock market to record highs. Yet without some further guidance on specific plans, investors might grow impatient.

Divided Republicans await guidance from Trump

Flailing and divided, congressional Republicans are hoping for clarity from President Donald Trump on key issues like health care when he delivers his first speech to a joint meeting of Congress. It comes as Republicans are discovering, a month into Trump’s administration, how difficult it will be to make good on their many promises now that they control Washington in full.

Deportation agency ignored 1.6 million visa overstays under Obama

The government flagged more than 1.6 million foreign visitors for overstaying their visas from 2013 to 2015, but deportation agents said they fell too low on President Obama’s list of priorities to bother targeting for removal, according to a watchdog report released Monday. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement , the deportation agency, concluded that it would cost too much to pursue the overstays, the Government Accountability Office said.

GOP Sens. Cruz, Lee, Paul Call For Full Repeal of Obamacare

Three high-profile Republican senators said Monday night they want to see a full repeal and replace of Obamacare, not merely a fix. Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas, Mike Lee of Utah, and Rand Paul of Kentucky said on their individual Twitter accounts they’d like the 2010 Affordable Care Act wiped from the books so a replacement law can be put in its place.

APNewsBreak: Arizona House speaker won’t hear rioting bill

The speaker of the Arizona House said Monday he won’t hear a bill that makes participating in or helping organize a protest that turns into a riot an offense that could lead to criminal racketeering charges. The measure passed last week by the Senate drew nationwide attention because it added rioting to the organized crime statutes and said an overt act isn’t needed to prove conspiracy to riot.

Lawmakers: Tax exemptions to be examined in upcoming session

Lawmakers who closed a $304 million mid-year budget deficit are already looking ahead to April, when the Legislature will look for revenue sources to help remedy the state’s consistently dire financial picture. After pulling $99 million from the state’s rainy day fund and filling the remaining gap with cuts, including $40 million cut primarily from healthcare administration, the looming task is now to prevent these budget deficits from reoccurring.

Nursing rooms first among Nevada bills to enshrine Obamacare

Nevada lawmakers are taking up the first of a series of Democratic proposals aimed at copying Affordable Care Act policies into state law. Under former President Barack Obama ‘s signature health care law, all employers with a staff of 50 or more already must provide a private place and “reasonable break time” for workers to extract breast milk.

Donald Trump

President Donald Trump toasted the nation’s governors Sunday night, welcoming state leaders to a black-tie ball at the White House ahead of discussions about his plans to repeal and replace the so-called Obamacare law. Trump welcomed 46 governors and their spouses to the annual Governors’ Ball at the White House, the first major social event of his administration.

Mitch McConnell

Congress returns to Washington this week to confront dramatic decisions on health care and the Supreme Court that may help determine the course of Donald Trump’s presidency. First, the president will have his say, in his maiden speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.

AP sources: Trump to propose boosting defense spending

The White House will propose boosting defense spending and slashing funding for longtime Republican targets like the Environmental Protection Agency in a set of marching orders to agencies as it prepares its budget for the upcoming fiscal year. President Donald Trump’s proposal for the 2018 budget year, which will be sent to agencies Monday, won’t make significant changes to Social Security or Medicare, according to an administration official.

An FDA Regulation Is Snuffing Out Small Cigar Manufacturers

FDA attacks on small cigar makers are eliminating consumer choice with an illegal new rule, the nonprofit government watchdog Cause of Action Institute argued in an amicus brief filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The FDA failed to conduct a full cost-benefit analysis – as required by executive orders under former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama – before issuing the “Deeming Rule,” which placed all tobacco products under FDA regulation in August 2016, according to the brief.

Trump’s speech could be marked by disruption or decorum

The sergeant-at-arms will stand at the rear of the House of Representatives on Tuesday night and announce, in a booming voice, the arrival of Donald Trump before a joint session of Congress by intoning: “Mister Speaker, the President of the United States,” just like always. Trump will stride down the centre aisle to lusty cheers and hearty handshakes from his Republican supporters.

Congress to address big issues

Congress returns to Washington this week to confront dramatic decisions on health care and the Supreme Court that may help determine the course of Donald Trump’s presidency. First, the president will have his say, in his maiden speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night.

Report warns of gaps if federal health care dollars are cut

A sobering report to governors about the potential consequences of repealing the Obama-era health care law warns that federal spending cuts probably would create funding gaps for states and threaten many people with the loss of insurance coverage. The Affordable Care Act has two main components for expanding coverage: subsidized private health insurance available in all 50 states, and an optional Medicaid expansion that has been accepted by 31 states and the District of Columbia.

Trump toasts nation’s governors ahead of health care talks

President Donald Trump has toasted the nation’s governors, welcoming state leaders to a black-tie ball at the White House ahead of discussions about his plans to repeal and replace the so-called Obamacare law. Trump welcomed 46 governors and their spouses to the annual Governors’ Ball Sunday evening at the White House, the first major social event of his administration.

AP Sources: White House To Propose Boosting Defense Spending

The White House will propose boosting defense spending and slashing funding for longtime Republican targets like the Environmental Protection Agency in a set of marching orders to agencies as it prepares its budget for the upcoming fiscal year. President Donald Trump’s proposal for the 2018 budget year, which will be sent to agencies Monday, won’t make significant changes to Social Security or Medicare, according to an administration official.

Report: State money fallout from law repeal

A sobering report to governors about the potential consequences of repealing the Obama-era health care law warns that federal spending cuts probably would create funding gaps for states and threaten many people with the loss of insurance coverage. The Affordable Care Act has two main components for expanding coverage: subsidized private health insurance available in all 50 states, and an optional Medicaid expansion that has been accepted by 31 states and the District of Columbia.

Democrats: GOP Medicaid reform plan is really about tax cuts

Tensions emerged Saturday between Democratic and Republican U.S. governors over a GOP-led proposal for a major overhaul to Medicaid, with Democrats saying the changes would take away people’s health coverage to finance tax cuts for the wealthy. GOP governors intend to present Congress with a plan that they say would give states more flexibility to administer health coverage for poorer residents while protecting states from absorbing the costs of repealing the Affordable Care Act.

Sessions’ tough on crime talk could lead to fuller prisons

The federal prison population is on the decline, but a new attorney general who talks tough on drugs and crime and already has indicated a looming need for private prison cells seems poised to usher in a reversal of that trend. Jeff Sessions, a former federal prosecutor sworn in this month as the country’s chief law enforcement officer, signaled at his confirmation hearing – and during private meetings in his first days on the job – that he sees a central role for the federal government in combating drug addiction and violence as well as in strict enforcement of immigration laws.

In Trump’s first speech to Congress, will decorum hold? NEW

The House sergeant-at-arms will stand at the rear of the House of Representatives on Tuesday night and announce the arrival of Donald Trump before a joint session of Congress by intoning: “Mister Speaker, the President of the United States” just like always. Trump will stride down the center aisle to lusty cheers and hearty handshakes from his Republican supporters.

Kansas Legislature’s lurch to center cuts governor’s clout

In this Feb. 22, 2017 file photo, Gov. Sam Brownback takes questions from the media after signing the veto of the tax bill sent to him from the legislature in Topeka, Kan. Debates in the Kansas Legislature over taxes, expanding the state’s Medicaid program and restoring guaranteed tenure for public school teachers illustrate how much clout Brownback and his allies have lost.

More

Tosher, like countless other Americans, likes the subsidized healt… . In this Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, photograph, Vicki Tosher, a breast cancer patient, is shown outside her home in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colo.

GOP proposal aims to end insurance mandate in ‘Obamacare’

A draft Republican bill replacing President Barack Obama ‘s health care law would end its Medicaid expansion, scrap fines on people not buying insurance and eliminate taxes on the medical industry and higher earners. Instead, it would create tax credits worth up to $4,000, allow bigger contributions to personal health savings accounts and impose a new levy on expensive health coverage some employees get at work.

Leaked ObamaCare bill outlines GOP plan

A draft House Republican ObamaCare bill would dismantle the core aspects of the healthcare law and replace them with a system centered on a new tax credit. The measure is dated Feb. 10, so it is not the most recent version of Republicans’ plan.

Steven Lindsey’s New Book “C.J. Lincoln, FBI” is a Suspenseful, …

Steven Lindsey’s New Book “C.J. Lincoln, FBI” is a Suspenseful, Page-turner that Delves into the Psyche of a Convicted Criminal and a FBI Special Agent. Recent release “C.J. Lincoln, FBI” from Page Publishing author Steven Lindsey is an emotional and thrilling journey that follows a prison escapee and a detective, depicting a connection of resentment and fear.