Ten Republican senators introduced new legislation on Thursday that aims to protect people with pre-existing conditions should an anti-Obamacare lawsuit succeeded in court. But a closer look reveals that the bill doesn’t completely safeguard people’s coverage as current health laws does. Instead, it’s likely an attempt to fend off criticism ahead of the midterm elections.
The new legislation was introduced just two weeks before court hearings begin on the case of ...
ThinkProgress
Senate Democrats call to halt Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing after Cohen, Manafort news
Several Senate Democrats are calling for the Senate to put a stop to any confirmation hearings for Supreme Court justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh, after news on Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer pleaded guilty to eight criminal counts in federal court in New York, implicating the president as a co-conspirator in those crimes.
At least eight Senate Democrats have already called for a pause, including Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Patrick L...
Republicans who voted for the tax bill now want to cut Medicare and Social Security to pay for it
Slowly but surely, Republicans that supported the trillion dollar Trump tax bill are revealing their true motivations: slashing Medicare and Social Security.
During a Sunday interview with CNBC’s John Harwood, Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH) urged entitlement reform as the deficit continues to balloon as a result of the GOP tax cuts.
“I do think we need to deal with some of our spending,” Stivers said. “We’ve got try to figure out how to spend less....
Sen. Elizabeth Warren announces ambitious plan to upend the lobbying industry
In a Tuesday morning speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) unveiled her Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Act. Billed as an effort to “eliminate the influence of money in our federal government,” the proposed bill takes aim at the excesses of K Street and its pernicious “revolving door” ethos, as well as enhancing existing anti-corruption laws and government transparency efforts.
In her presentation, Warren cas...
Rand Paul proposes Planned Parenthood ‘poison pill’ to Senate funding bill
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is continuing his years-long crusade against Planned Parenthood, filing an amendment to a massive Senate appropriations bill last week that would cut federal funding from the organization, as well as others that perform abortion procedures.
In a statement released Friday, Paul said his amendment to the Senate appropriations package for Defense, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education is “our chance to turn our words into action, stand up for the sancti...
Trump admits he’s violating the First Amendment on Twitter
Last week, President Donald Trump revoked former CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance — the White House claims that he did so because of Brennan’s “erratic conduct.” On Tuesday morning, however, Trump sent a tweet essentially admitting that “erratic conduct,” in this instance, is a euphemism for “criticized Trump.”
Even James Clapper has admonished John Brennan for having gone totally off the rails....
Conor Lamb never mentions Trump. It’s working in his favor.
ROSS TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA — “Lamb the Sham” is President Donald Trump’s go-to insult to wield against freshman Democrat Rep. Conor Lamb. But if the president hopes it will trigger an angry response from the candidate, he’s wrong.
Lamb, who will face off against Rep. Keith Rothfus (R) in Pennsylvania’s newly redrawn 17th district, rarely mentions Trump by name on the campaign trail, preferring instead to keep his attention focused on local issues and, more broadly, on Americ...
Half of sick Americans are uninsured or have affordability problems despite health coverage
Nearly one in two sick Americans cannot afford health care, even those with health insurance, according to a new Kaiser Family Foundation analysis.
While the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) coverage expansions and consumer protections have dramatically reduced the uninsured rate to just under 11 percent, the United States still has a massive affordability problem.
About 15.5 percent of non-elderly people who have insurance either skipped or delayed medical care, citing cost...
Trump administration reportedly poised to approve restrictive changes to Medicaid
The Trump administration is preparing to approve a number of changes to Medicaid — the government health care program that provides coverage to low-income people — that could leave tens of thousands of people without coverage.
As Politico first reported Friday, the administration is set to approve waivers from some states that would impose work restrictions and allow questions about illegal drug use to be included on applications for Medicaid.
The report comes two...
Rep. Keith Rothfus’ constituents are fed up with his health care agenda
ROSS TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA — It’s usually pretty quiet outside Rep. Keith Rothfus’ (R) Ross Township office.
But that changes every Wednesday, when dozens of the congressman’s constituents gather outside his nondescript doors to demand that he hold a town hall meeting. Each week, since February 2017, organizers have rallied about a different topic important to the people of the 17th district, which is made up mostly of the suburbs surrounding Pittsburgh. This week their focu...