Trump administration pushes to completely gut Obamacare in dramatic escalation

Government shifts from previous aim to strike down parts of the ACA, endangering healthcare for millions of Americans

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The Trump administration now believes that the entire Affordable Care Act should be struck down, a major shift in the federal government’s position and one that could endanger health coverage for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions.

In a letter on Monday night, the justice department said it is n...

Trump renews bid to dismantle Obamacare after claiming Mueller victory – live news

Trump administration supports ruling that would throw out the entire Affordable Care Act. Follow along for the latest in US politics

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1.55pm GMT

A caveat to Barr’s summary is that Muller was authorized to probe links to Russia and not just coordination. Barr did not address the former issue in his summary Sunday

New: Mueller was empowered to probe...

Number of uninsured Americans increases by 7m in four years

Survey results come after Republican attacks on government-backed health programs, including the Affordable Care Act

About 7 million fewer Americans have health insurance today than did four years ago, a new survey has found, the highest uninsured rate since 2014. The results come after sustained Republican attacks on government-backed health schemes, including the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.

The survey’s findings come as the public is incre...

Rashida Tlaib: Democrat defends call for Trump’s impeachment – live

Michigan congresswoman stood by impeachment comment as her office says: ‘Tlaib was elected to shake up Washington’

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On their first full day in power, House Democrats voted to jump into into a court battle defending the Affordable Care Act as part of their rules package.

From Politico:

From the Associated Press, new poll shows Americans increasingly concerned with immigration:

As much of the U.S. government remains shut down over President Donald Trump’s insistence on funding for his border wall, nearly half of Americans identify immigration as a top issue for the government to work on this year.

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Democrats waste no time, announce first oversight measures of the new Congress

The 116th Congress — dubbed the most progressive and most diverse Congress in U.S. history — officially came to order on Thursday, and members of Congress have wasted no time introducing legislation and scheduling hearings to provide oversight over the White House.

With the Democrats in control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 2011 and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wielding the gavel, the party is intent on using their new power to advance progressi...

Medicare for All: ‘huge step’ for proposal as Pelosi agrees to hold hearings – live

Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, one of the two first Muslim Congresswomen who will take office today, will take her oath of office on a copy of the Koran owned by Thomas Jefferson, per the Detroit Free Press.

Fun fact: When Rashida Tlaib, a Muslim, is sworn in as the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress today, she will take the oath of office using Thomas Jefferson’s personal copy of the Quran. https://t.co/wZ6I2eKq3v

The new 116th Congress has now officially convened.

Vice President Mike Pence is swearing in members of the Senate. House members are preparing to be sworn in.

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US election meddling: Russia running ‘active and ongoing’ operations – live

  • Report on Russian interference prepared for the Senate accuses Facebook, Google and Twitter of impeding the investigation
  • Russian disinformation campaign used every social media platform to help Trump in 2016 election and after he took office
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6.43pm GMT

A doctor who helped draft Obamacare said he’s “not particul...

US rate of uninsured children increases for the first time in nearly a decade

Nearly four million children in the United States are uninsured, the highest rate in nearly a decade.

The latest data, released by Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families on Thursday, reflects an unprecedented increase in the number of children without health insurance, at a time when the Trump administration continues its assault on health care by chipping away at the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The Georgetown report found that approximately 276,000 more chi...

Trump administration finalizes rules allowing employers to stop paying for birth control

The Trump administration announced Wednesday that it has finalized the rollback of an Obama-era rule mandated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that required employers to provide contraception coverage for their employees, regardless of whether it conflicts with their moral or religious beliefs.

The new rules, set to take place in about 60 days, will allow employers that object to the use of birth control to stop paying for their workers’ contraception. The change will affect b...

Trump administration falsely blames Obama administration for transgender erasure proposal

The Trump administration issued a new response Monday to the New York Times’ report that it is considering a plan to erase transgender people from recognition under federal nondiscrimination laws. This attempt to blame the Obama administration for the current circumstances is not only false, but further undermined by conservative groups’ praise for the news.

In a statement calling the Times’ story “misleading,” Health and Human Services spokesperson Cai...