Month: December 2017

Republicans brazenly admit massive tax cuts are to justify cutting Medicare and Medicaid

medicaid, Medicare, News, Paul Ryan

Republicans in Congress are openly admitting they plan to use their tax reform bill to justify slashing funding for essential social programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and food stamps.

The bill — which is expected to balloon the national deficit by at least $1 trillion, and which only benefits the country’s wealthiest in the long-term — has not yet been reconciled or signed. But Republicans aren’t wasting any time laying out what they see as t...

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To prevent climate catastrophe, Democrats need to learn a ruthless lesson from Senate GOP

climate, News, politics, republican-party

Congressional Republicans, especially GOP senators led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have all but destroyed the possibility of bipartisan deal-making on major issues.

The widely criticized and wildly unpopular GOP tax bill is the inevitable byproduct of that destruction — but the end of a livable climate for America and the world is also inevitable unless Republicans become less ruthless or Democrats become more ruthless.

ThinkProgress

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No CHIP or health center funding: Congress’ inaction is further distressing hurricane-ravaged states

health care, News

Just three months ago, Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the Texas Gulf Coast. The hurricane took at least 88 lives; more than 311,000 housing units were damaged; and the state is just beginning to understand the hurricane’s health toll.

Add another caveat to recovery efforts: critical health care programs that serve Texas’ most vulnerable face financial uncertainty.

Congress failed to renew funding for federally qualified community health centers and the Children...

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