Tag: Trumpcare

Week 12 in Trump

Posted on April 17, 2017 in Politics, Trump

In week 12, we had the usual international intrigue, quietly signed resolutions, and a number of policy reversals. I also added a new category, Stupid Things Politicians Say. Sadly necessary.

Here’s what happened last week.

Russian Investigation:

  1. American authorities request the arrest of Russian hacker Peotr Levashov in Spain. His wife had told Russian state media RT that he was one of the hackers involved in the 2016 U.S. elections.
  2. Documents show that Paul Manafort actively courted Trump in order to get a foothold in his campaign. Manafort claims it was the other way around.
  3. Tillerson says Russia needs to confront their meddling in our elections and Europe’s to evaluate how it fits in with their long-term goals. He also says that things won’t improve between our countries as long as this is ongoing.
  4. Both Republicans and Democrats in the House review the documents that Devin Nunes saw at the White House and that he later said unmasked the names of Trump associates who were incidentally surveilled. Members of both parties agree that there’s no there there. Nunes’ original reaction appears to have led to Trump’s accusations of Susan Rice, but it seems Rice hasn’t done anything illegal or out of the usual.
  5. We now know that the FBI obtained a secret FISA warrant last year to surveil communications of Carter Page, who was an adviser to Trump at the time. This indicates that federal agencies had probable cause to think that Page is or was an agent of a foreign power (or in layman’s terms, a spy).
  6. Documents surface that confirm that a pro-Russian political party in the Ukraine made payments to Paul Manafort. This supports the “black ledger” that was found last year with a list of payments along with accusations that money was being laundered through his company.

Courts/Justice:

  1. Neil Gorsuch is sworn in as a Supreme Court justice.
  2. In another strike against gerrymandering, a federal judge upheld a lower court’s 2014 ruling that a Texas voter ID law passed in 2011 had the intent to discriminate against blacks and Latinos. This opens the possibility that certain Texas districts could be placed under preclearance, which means they can’t implement any voting changes without approval from the U.S. Attorney General or the U.S. District Court for D.C.
  3. Gerrymandering continues to be a big issue in the courts – there are at least six active cases. As one radio host told his guest this week “I’m sorry to keep bringing you back on the same goddamn law.”
  4. AG Jeff Sessions plans to end the National Commission on Forensic Science, a scientific partnership to improve forensic science standards. The commission was chartered by Obama in 2013, so I can only assume this is why it’s being disbanded.
  5. It turns out that the money behind Gorsuch’s ad campaign came from the Judicial Crisis Network.
  6. Impeachment hearings begin for Alabama’s governor Robert Bentley. Bentley is accused of using government resources to cover up an affair. He subsequently resigns and is replaced by Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey.
  7. Based on requests from Elizabeth Warren and Elijah Cummings, the GAO announces an investigation into Trump’s transition regarding the use of funds and conflicts of interest.
  8. In response to lawsuits accusing Trump of inciting violence at some of his campaign rallies, his legal team says he is immune from lawsuits because he won the election. Hmmm… they might want to revisit Jones v. Clinton.

Healthcare:

  1. Trump says he wants to renew efforts at repealing and replacing the ACA.
  2. Trump threatens to withhold ACA payments to insurance companies in the billions of dollars in order to cause the healthcare system to blow up. He thinks this will force Democrats to work with him on a solution. Insurance companies warn that this would cause chaos in the individual markets.
  3. The administration later recants and continues to make the payments, possibly because the CBO found that the healthcare exchanges are likely to stay stable and Standard & Poor found that the markets could become profitable, refuting the theory that the ACA is in a death spiral.

International:

  1. The White House accuses Putin of trying to hide Assad’s role in the chemical attack the previous week, and officials think that Putin was aware of the attack before it happened. There is no evidence Russia was involved, though a Russian drone flying over the hospital that Assad later bombed could point to some coordination.
  2. Putin suggests that the chemical attack was a false flag attack, designed by the U.S. to frame Assad. He also compares the U.S. assessment of the Syrian chemical attack to us going into Iraq based on (seemingly incorrect) intelligence over weapons of mass destruction. Even though the results of this attack are readily apparent.
  3. After several days of back and forth over whether it would happen, Tillerson meets in person with Putin. Both agree that relations between our countries are at a low.
  4. Tillerson says Russia has to choose between Assad and the US.
  5. Russia vetoes a UN resolution that would’ve required Assad to cooperate with an independent investigation into the chemical attacks.
  6. Trump hasn’t tried to set up a meeting with Pope Francis during the G7 summit in Italy. This is a pretty unusual omission for a sitting president.
  7. A bomb explodes near the German soccer team’s bus. The suspect is an Iraqi with alleged ties to ISIS, though there is no solid evidence as of now.
  8. Hot on the heels of the 59 tomahawk missiles launched at Syria, the U.S. drops the MOAB (mother of all bombs), our largest non-nuclear bomb, in Afghanistan with the intent to destroy a network of tunnels and caves used by ISIS. It’s reported that 94 ISIS military were killed, and a network of tunnels and caves was destroyed along with weapons and ammunition.
  9. The U.S. warns of using a preemptive strike against North Korea if we suspect they’re going to test a nuclear weapon. North Korea responds by saying they’d strike first.
  10. China mobilizes 25,000 troops and its military is on nationwide alert given the tensions with North Korea. China is urging cool heads and de-escalation between the U.S. and North Korea.
  11. The day before Easter and the day after its annual military parade, North Korea attempted another missile launch which failed, blowing up almost immediately.
  12. A North Korean official says that Trump’s tweets are behind the escalating tensions between us.
  13. In Syria, a U.S. drone attack killed at least 18 Syrian allies in what the Pentagon is calling the worst friendly fire incident in the war against ISIS.
  14. Interesting comparison on support for airstrikes in Syria:
    • In 2013, 38% of Democrats supported them; in 2017, that number is 37%.
    • In 2103, 22% of Republican supported them; in 2017, that number is 86%.

Legislation:

  1. In Alabama, the Senate votes to allow the Briarwood Presbyterian church in Birmingham to form its own police force.
  2. The New York legislature passes a law making tuition at state or city colleges free for residents making less than a specified income. This will be phased in over three years.
  3. Trump signs another resolution overturning Obama-era rules. This reversal allows states to defund clinics that perform abortions even though federal funds legally cannot be used to fund abortions.
  4. Later that same day, Trump signs the 13th resolution overturning Obama-era rules. This reversal cuts a Labor Department regulation that would’ve allowed states and counties to expand retirement savings accounts for people who don’t get those through their employers.

Travel Ban/Immigration/Discrimination:

  1. The North Caroline legislature puts forth a bill to ban same sex marriage in the state. The bill doesn’t make it to the house floor and won’t be heard this year.
  2. Two members of groups labeled as hate groups by the SPLC are assigned to positions in immigration agencies in the White House. John Feere worked at CIS and Julie Kirchner worked at FAIR.
  3. ICE officials stop distributing their weekly report of cities and counties not cooperating with immigration because they kept getting it wrong. This report is required as part of the executive orders signed by Trump in January.
  4. The U.S. tourism industry has upped their estimated losses to $7 billion due to extreme vetting and other travel-related regulations enacted by Trump.
  5. Newly released data show that phones are being searched twice as frequently this year as last year for travelers entering the U.S. The data also show that the searches primarily target Muslims and that the searches are often accompanied by hostile questioning.
  6. AG Sessions toured the U.S./Mexico border and unveiled new guidance for enforcing immigration law.

Climate/EPA:

  1. Scott Pruitt says we should exit the Paris climate accord, which has been endorsed by all but about 20 countries. However, according to the rules of the agreement, it takes three years for a country to withdraw with a one-year waiting period. So it wouldn’t happen until the current presidential term is up.
  2. Trump solicits comments from business leaders on which regulations to get rid of. Not surprisingly the EPA and labor are the two biggest targets. Look for more regulation changes to come around these suggestions.
  3. The EPA proposes cutting programs that protect children (and the rest of us) from lead exposure including lead paint removal regulations and emissions testing, the two largest contributors of exposure to lead. Studies show that exposure to too much lead as a child results in developmental issues and possible violence, and it is largely irreversible.
  4. Trump prepares an order to expand offshore drilling, including Arctic drilling.
  5. 61% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of environmental issues. 79% of Americans under 35 disapprove.

Budget/Economy:

  1. The Trump administration looks to end the federal hiring freeze because of complaints that it’s hampering the government’s ability to get things done. Apparently the freeze increased the VA’s backlog of benefits claims, delayed processing Social Security payments, caused childcare facilities for military personnel to close, and reduced the number of FDA employees working on approving new drugs.
  2. Trump scraps the tax reform platform that was part of his election campaign and starts planning from scratch again. Time is tight, as Mnuchin set an August deadline for the plan.
  3. On top of the infrastructure plan being put on the back-burner, recent governmental actions will reduce infrastructure spending across the country. Cutbacks are largely around train lines and transportation grants.
  4. After Trump says that the dollar is getting too strong the dollar index reaches its lowest level of the month.
  5. The tax bill being drafted includes a repeal of the Johnson Amendment, which is in place to prevent church leaders from making political endorsements.
  6. 60% of Americans say that corporations and the very wealthy are likely not paying their fair share in taxes.
  7. The U.S. and China agree to a 100-day trade plan and avoid a trade war.
  8. The Office of Budget Management plans to send guidance to government agencies telling them to plan for big cuts.

Flip-flops:

In one week Trump changes his stance on a bunch of campaign statements.

  1. During the campaign, we were going to label China a currency manipulator. As of now, China is no longer a currency manipulator.
  2. During the campaign, NATO was an obsolete agency. As of now, NATO is no longer obsolete.
  3. During the campaign, Janet Yellen was ruining the country. As of now, Trump likes and respects Yellen and is considering keep her on.
  4. During the campaign, Trump thought low interest rates might cause a recession. As of now, he supports a low interest rate policy.
  5. During the campaign, Trump said “Our military is in shambles!” As of now, “It’s so incredible. It’s brilliant. It’s genius. Our technology, our equipment, is better than anybody by a factor of five.”
  6. During the campaign, Trump said the U.S. Export-Import Bank was excess garbage and agreed with conservatives on shutting it down. As of now, he says “It turns out that, first of all, lots of small companies are really helped, the vendor companies.”
  7. During the campaign, Trump said he would place steep tariffs on Chinese imports. As of now, he says there will be no 45% tariff on Chinese goods.
  8. During the campaign, Trump pushed a non-interventionist stance in Syria. As of now, he’s not only bombed Syria, but also increased troops on the ground.
  9. During the campaign, Trump promised to eliminate the debt in eight years. As of now, Mick Mulvaney says that was hyperbole.
  10. During the campaign, Wikileaks and Julian Assange were doing a service. As of now, Mike Pompeo says “WikiLeaks walks like a hostile intelligence service and talks like a hostile intelligence service.” He calls Assange a narcissist and a fraud.

Miscellaneous:

  1. In a newspaper interview, Trump appears to distance himself from Steve Bannon and diminished the role he played in the campaign. He won’t say whether he still has confidence in Bannon, and claims he didn’t know Bannon until the campaign even though they met six years ago.
  2. Firemen rescue Ben Carson and his wife from a stuck elevator in an affordable housing complex in Miami.
  3. Trump leaves for Mar-a-Lago a day early this week for the Easter weekend. This is his seventh trip there in 12 weeks.
  4. Betsy DeVos reverses some of Obama’s protections for student loan borrowers, including general auditing and accountability requirements for loaners.
  5. The White House announces that visitor logs will be kept secret. Three agencies sue for access.
  6. Trump’s approval rating ticks up a bit following his shows of force abroad.
  7. In what was expected to be the second biggest day of protest since the election, Tax Marches are held across the country to urge Trump to release his taxes for the past five years as is standard for recent presidents.
  8. Trump again claims the marchers are paid protestors, and I again respond, “where’s my #*$&* money?”
  9. In a Kansas district that Republicans have easily won by double-digit margins for the past 25 years, the Republican candidate won by only 7 points. Trump won by 27% and previous Republican candidates have won by margins greater than 30 points.

Stupid Things Politicians Say:

  1. Spicer puts his foot in his mouth while trying to make the point that those who support Assad are in the wrong: “You had someone as despicable as Hitler who didn’t even sink to chemical weapons.” He continued to dig himself deeper instead of just correcting himself.
  2. Defending his vote on internet privacy rules, Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R – Wisconsin) says, “Nobody’s got to use the Internet.” Huh? Except anybody who works. Or goes to school. Or really, pretty much anyone in the U.S. who wants any chance at success.
  3. Representative Markwayne Mullin (R – Oklahoma) says at a town hall meeting with constituents, “You say you pay for me to do this? That’s bullcrap.” Then doubling down, he says “I pay for myself. I paid enough taxes before I got here and continue to through my company to pay my own salary. This is a service. No one here pays me to go.”

Week Nine in Trump

Posted on March 28, 2017 in Politics

In his two months in office, Trump has signed the rollbacks of protections for trade, the environment, workers, borrowers, women, retirees, internet privacy, and transgender folks. He’s approved the construction of the Keystone and Dakota Access pipelines, and he conducted his first military excursion with mixed results. He’s also gotten several appointees confirmed.
But he’s meeting resistance from both sides on the plan to repeal and replace the ACA (which ultimately failed), his budget proposal (which includes the wall), and the new travel ban (hitting legal issues again). Gorsuch won’t be a slam dunk either. He hasn’t started yet on his tax reform and infrastructure plans, and the plan to defeat ISIS is still in the works (though a recent report says we’re close to a military success already).

Russia Investigation:

  1. James Comey and Mike Rogers testify in front of the House intelligence committee over Russian collusion and Trump’s wiretap accusations. Here’s what we found out:
    • Russia meddled in our elections and favored Trump over Hillary.
    • The FBI is investigating members of the current administration for coordinating with Russia.
    • The FBI has no information to support Trump’s claims of wiretapping.
  2. Prior to the testimony, Trump sends out a series of tweets saying the Democrats made up the Russia story and that it’s fake news when the media reports that there’s no evidence to support his wiretapping accusations.
  3. House Republicans ignore the testimony and focus on the leaks coming from the White House.
  4. Trump sends out multiple inaccurate tweets during the testimony, some of which Comey refutes in real time.
  5. The FBI, the NSA, and the Department of Justice all refute Trumps accusations of wiretapping.
  6. Sean Spicer tells the press that Michael Flynn was a volunteer in the election campaign and that Paul Manafort had a very limited role. Manafort was Trump’s campaign chairman from March to August (unpaid, though).
  7. It turns out that Mike Flynn worked with Turkey to try to find a way to avoid the US extradition process to transfer Fethullah Gulen (the mullah blamed for the failed Turkish coup) to Turkey.
  8. Documents reveal that Paul Manafort not only received payments from pro-Russian agencies in Ukraine, he tried to hide them. Manafort says the records are a forgery.
  9. Manafort apparently worked for a Russian billionaire on behalf of Putin where his role was to come up with a plan to undermine anti-Russian opposition in former Soviet republics (source: AP). His strategy was to influence US and European politics, business, and news for Putin’s benefit. He used non-profit groups and media to undercut Putin’s adversaries in eastern Europe.
  10. Allegedly, Manafort’s daughter sent these two texts (among many others) about her father to her sister: “He has no moral or legal compass” and “Do you know whose strategy that was to cause that, to send those people out and get them slaughtered.”
  11. Officials reveal that the FBI is investigating collusion between Trump associates and Russian officials around information that was released that damaged Clinton’s campaign. Specifically, they have information that there may have been some coordination around the timing of the releases.
  12. Breitbart and Info Wars are included in the investigation into the Russian meddling in the election.
  13. Devin Nunes, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, secretly receives classified information revealing that some Trump communications, or those of his associates, were incidentally intercepted as part of surveillance of foreign nationals. Without briefing committee members first, he rushes to tell the president and the press that names were unmasked (they should have been hidden), seemingly giving some credence to Trump’s wiretapping accusations. The RNCC uses this in their marketing emails saying that the wiretapping accusations were confirmed. It is suspected, and later confirmed, that Nunes received the information from someone in the White House.
  14. Remember when Roger Stone tweeted that something was about to go down with Podesta right before his emails were leaked? Stone’s over-familiarity with WikiLeaks are under increased scrutiny as part of the investigations into Russia’s meddling in the election.
  15. Anti-corruption protests break out across Russia, mainly protesting Prime Minister Medvedev. Hundreds of protesters are arrested, including the organizer and Putin’s primary opposition leader, Alexei Navally.
  16. Polling shows 66% of Americans want an independent investigation into Russia.

Court:

  1. The confirmation hearings for Neil Gorsuch begin with some scorching reminders of the year-long refusal of the GOP senate to hear Merrick Garland confirmations.
  2. Some Democratic senators say they will block the confirmation of Gorsuch until the Russian investigations are complete, saying that their reasoning is similar to Mitch McConnell refusing to hold hearings for Merrick Garland.
  3. A campaign in support of Gorsuch is being funded to the tune of $10 million in political spending, but we don’t know who is funding it.
  4. Awkward. While Gorsuch testifies on his own behalf, the Supreme Court rules unanimously against one of his previous decisions (in a case involving rights of disabled students).
  5. Later in the week, Democrats say they’ll filibuster Gorsuch’s nomination for a few reasons. One is to make a point that Democracy doesn’t work when one party refuses to hold hearings for a president’s nominations because he’s in his last year in office. They say it sets a bad precedent, and makes for a blurry line that could stretch to the last two years in a term or to election years. The second point is that the current administration is under investigation and that casts doubt on the legitimacy of any of their nominees.
  6. Democrats on the judiciary committee delay the vote to send Gorsuch’s nomination to the full senate for a week.
  7. Fun fact: “Gorsuch” auto-corrects to “Grouch” on my phone.

Healthcare:

If you want more detail, WaPo has a pretty good article about what went wrong with the healthcare deal.

  1. According to the latest CBO report, more people would lose coverage under the healthcare replacement bill than if they just repealed the ACA without a replacement.
  2. Ryan makes these changes to the healthcare bill:
    • Give states the option to make Medicaid recipients work.
    • Give states the option to receive Medicaid per capita or as a block grant.
    • Ban the federal government from reimbursing Medicaid funds raised by state governments.
    • Set aside $75 billion for more tax credits, but let the senate decide how to regulate it.
  3. The original repeal plan reduced the deficit by about $337 billion. The above changes would reduce the deficit by half that and wouldn’t insure any more people.
  4. Paul Ryan pulls the Thursday vote in order to hold further negotiations and to modify the bill. Even with the changes, it didn’t cut enough for the Freedom Caucus to support it.
  5. House Republicans consider dropping the following 10 requirements. Without these, it can’t pass the senate though.
    • Ambulatory services
    • Emergency services
    • Hospitalization (like surgery and overnight stays)
    • Pregnancy, maternity and newborn care
    • Mental health and substance use disorder services
    • Prescription drugs
    • Rehabilitative and habilitative services
    • Laboratory services
    • Preventive care and chronic disease management
    • Pediatric services
  6. After working into the night Thursday to make the updates, the House scuttles the rule that a bill has to be available for full day before a vote, scheduling the vote for Friday. That vote is also pulled because they don’t have the support to pass it just in the House.
  7. After the bill was pulled, several ads created by the American Action Network PAC ran on CBS. The ads congratulated House Republicans for the passing of the bill. Whoops.
  8. Trump blames Democrats for the healthcare bill’s failure, even though they were never approached and Republicans control both the House and the Senate. He also says Dems will be seeking a deal on healthcare within a year when Obamacare explodes, which Trump says he would not only allow but would accelerate.
  9. Trump at various times blames Reince Preibus, Tom Price, and Jared Kushner for the bill’s failure.
  10. Trump urges supporters to watch “Justice With Judge Jeanine” a few hours before Jeanine says Paul Ryan must step down because he let everyone down on healthcare reform.
  11. Additional states look into expanding Medicaid now that the ACA isn’t being repealed.

International:

  1. Five people die and 50 are injured when a terrorist drives his car onto a sidewalk on Westminster Bridge and then stabs an officer.  Trump offers our full cooperation and support and Donald Trump Jr. criticizes London’s mayor.
  2. Tillerson has a scheduling conflict with the NATO foreign ministers meeting and plans instead to accompany Trump to Mar-a-Lago for a visit with China’s president. He plans to visit Russia in April.
    UPDATE: NATO agrees to change the meeting dates to accommodate Tillerson.
  3. Tillerson tells Erin McPike, the journalist from IJR that he brought along on his Asia trip, that he was about to retire to his ranch in March and that he never wanted this job.

Legislation:

  1. The House and Senate both passed a bill that would expand drug testing for people receiving unemployment benefits, and forwarded it to Trump to sign.
  2. Mission to Mars! Trump signs Senate Bill 442 into law, authorizing appropriations for NASA.
  3. In another party-line vote, the Senate voted to reverse FCC internet privacy rules from last year. With the reversal, internet service providers won’t need to get your permission to use your personal info for ads.

Travel Ban/Immigration:

  1. The US and UK ban carrying electronic devices bigger than a certain size on flights from certain countries. Computers and iPads must be checked. Intel says that people have figured out how to fit a bomb inside the battery compartment. Emirates Airlines is monitoring the effects of this ban and might reduce flights to the US.
  2. ICE specifically targets sanctuary cities to put pressure on them to cooperate.
  3. There were no African attendees at the African Global Economic and Development Summit in Southern California. Every African citizen who applied for a visa was denied.
  4. More undocumented immigrants are reportedly afraid to interact with the police, even to report a crime, for greater fear of deportation. Sexual assault reports are down 25% and domestic violence reports are down 10% among Los Angeles’s Latino population. What this really means is that more criminals are getting away with more crimes.
  5. Many undocumented immigrants begin making plans in case they are deported and someone else has to care for their children.
  6. Schools in Toronto, Ontario, will no longer allow school field trips to the US for fear of running into issues at the border.
  7. Stories are starting to come out that the Trump administration has threatened eminent domain to take the property needed to build his damn wall.

Miscellaneous:

  1. Trump gives an interview where he repeats the same debunked lines about voter fraud, immigrants in Sweden, how NATO works, wiretapping, Muslims celebrating on 9/11, and wiretapping allegations, finishing with “I can’t be doing so badly, because I’m president and you’re not.”
  2. The Secret Service requests an additional $60 million to protect Trump and his family next year.
  3. There are several pro-Trump “Make America Great Again” rallies across the US, some of which broke out in violence (though the stories aren’t clear about who started what).
  4. Eric Trump says he’ll update his father on the Trump business quarterly, though Trump has said he’s divested himself of the biz.
  5. Ivanka Trump’s not technically a government employee and doesn’t have a title, but she’ll have an office in the West Wing office with security clearance to classified information and government-issued communications devices.
  6. And while I don’t care how much any president has golfed during their term, Trump promised he wouldn’t golf and said he’d spend all his time working until everything is fixed. He’s golfed 13 times in 9 weeks, outpacing his predecessors, including the last president, who Trump complained about golfing the most.
  7. Trump’s approval rating drops another percent to 36%.

Week Eight In Trump

Posted on March 20, 2017 in Politics, Trump

This is by far the longest weekly recap yet. I didn’t think that much happened last week, but with so much up in the air, there was actually a lot going on. Here’s what happened last week:

  1. The CBO releases their report on the plan to replace the ACA. As far as healthcare goes, the report is pretty damaging, but it does predict that it would lower the deficit by $337 billion over the next decade.
  2. The White House and certain GOP members continue to try to delegitimize the CBO report, though the CBO is non-partisan and about the most reliable we have. Here’s a quick fact check on them.
  3. Paul Ryan says in an interview that the goal of the healthcare bill isn’t to insure all people; it’s to give all people choice of whether to buy insurance. That is, if you can afford it.
  4. Ryan says his plan gives people the freedom to buy the insurance that fits their needs (except you really don’t know what your needs are until they come up).
  5. Mick Mulvaney, head of the OMB, says that health insurance “is not really the end goal.” Trump has assured us in the past, though, that we’ll all have “beautiful” coverage.
  6. According to a Public Policy poll, 24% of Americans approve of the new healthcare plan. 47% approve of the ACA.
  7. There is growing concern around the CBO’s estimate that millions will lose healthcare under this bill, and additional organizations come out against the replacement bill, including the American Cancer Association.
  8. Republican Senators call for changes to the healthcare bill, saying it won’t pass the senate otherwise. They want lower costs for lower-income, older Americans, and more funding for states with high populations of hard to insure constituents. Conversely, some of the more conservative Republicans want to provide less funding.
  9. Close advisors to Trump urge him to distance himself from the healthcare reform bill, saying it will hurt him politically. The Trump team starts blaming problems with the bill on Ryan. Trump also admits the bill in its current form is not a good deal for his supporters.
  10. At the same time, Breitbart releases audio of Ryan from October saying he would never support Trump. That’s the sound of someone getting thrown under the bus.
  11. Tom Price claims that the government will pay for health coverage for those who need it, and everyone will be covered.
  12. Paul Ryan plans to modify the healthcare bill to make is easier for older Americans to buy insurance.
  13. Seems Verma, the top official for Medicaid, urges states to charge insurance premiums to people on Medicaid, make them pay part of their emergency room bills, and encouraged them to get jobs. Medicaid recipients are largely children, followed by disabled and elderly people who can’t work. But some do work and get paid so little they can’t afford basic care.
  14. Tom Price thinks that states should be able to decide whether or not to mandate vaccinations. Tom is a 3rd generation physician, so is certainly aware a) of the ravages of the diseases vaccines prevent, b) that the relationship between vaccines and autism has been scientifically discredited, and c) that we need a certain percentage of the population to be vaccinated in order to keep those diseases at bay.
  15. Trump issues an executive order to reorganize the executive branch, instructing each agency to look for ways to reorganize for efficiency, including the possible elimination of entire agencies.
  16. The Trump administration reverses Obama’s guidance on the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program, which would have limited the fees that could be collected on loans that are past due, putting a greater financial burden on vulnerable borrowers.
  17. Sean Spicer walks back its claim that Obama wiretapped Trump’s phones. From CNN: “Trump didn’t mean wiretapping when he tweeted about wiretapping.”
  18. On Monday, the Justice Department fails to deliver the awaited evidence that Obama had wiretapped Trump. Devin Nunes, chair of the intelligence committee, threatens to subpoena any relevant information. He says  “clearly the president was wrong” if he literally meant that Obama had wiretapped his home.
  19. Spicer says that he’s confident evidence will surface that will prove Trump’s wiretapping claims.
  20. Kellyanne Conway introduces a novel way Obama was spying on Trump — through microwaves that turn into cameras
  21. Documents reveal that Michael Flynn received payments from Russian-based companies in addition to state media RT. One was part of a corruption scandal that got them banned from selling to the UN, and another (Kapersky) was trying to expand U.S. business.
  22. Flynn’s recent filling reveals that he had also worked for Turkish government agencies. Even though Trump’s transition team was told about Flynn’s foreign agent status, he was still allowed to attend security briefings.
  23. The DOJ announces indictments against two Russian spies in the FSB along with two hackers in the case of the 2104 breach of Yahoo’s networks (unrelated to the investigations around election interference).
  24. A Secret Service agent in New York leaves her laptop, containing highly sensitive information, in her car from which it is stolen. Said laptop contains floor plans for the Trump Tower and details on Clinton’s emails.
  25. The Russian bank that seemed to be communicating with a Trump server last year claims that it was hacked and is being set up.
  26. Comey meets with top senators to brief them on the ongoing Russia investigations. Whatever they talked about is classified; no one said much on the way out.
  27. And even after this meeting, Sean Spicer continues to stand by the wiretapping claims tweeted by Trump. Trump says he will provide evidence very soon. Senate Intelligence Committee leaders say they haven’t seen evidence of this, even after meeting with Comey on highly classified material around this.
  28. Trump and Spicer both accuse British agents of being involved with the [alleged] wiretapping. The GCHQ (British equivalent of the NSC) says that’s ridiculous. The White House later apologizes, but Spicer later denies there was any apology. It turns out Trump got this news from Fox and Friends, where the analyst they were speaking with got his news from Russian state media, RT.
  29. Representative Adam Schiff of the House Intelligence Committee said this of the Russia ties: “There is circumstantial evidence of collusion. There is direct evidence, I think, of deception and that’s where we begin the investigation.”
  30. Hearings on the latest travel ban start just before it’s set to go into effect, and a federal judge in Hawaii orders a stay. Simply removing the religious language didn’t convince the judge that it wasn’t based on religious discrimination. A Maryland judge also put a stay on the ban.
  31. After hearing this, Trump says it was a watered down version and he wants to go back to the original ban. Nonetheless, the Justice Department says it will defend the new travel ban. The case is slated to move on to the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.
  32. Immigration agents in California have been hanging around courthouses to arrest undocumented immigrants. California’s chief justice asks the administration to put a stop to it.
  33. The Los Angeles County Sheriff, among other law agencies, have come out against the state-wide sanctuary bill.
  34. A former police chief of Greenville, NC, Hassan Aden, says he was detained at a CPB detention center for an hour and a half.
  35. Several bands slated to perform at SxSW have been denied entry to the US, though some could be because of incomplete paperwork.
  36. The DOJ temporarily transfers judges to detention centers near the Mexico border to help with the backlog of cases — currently there are over half a million cases waiting.
  37. Trump asks for $4.1 billion for the border wall, but estimates are as much as 6 times that.
  38. A poll of opinions on immigration shows the following: 60% of us are for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. 26% say shoring up the border should be a priority. 13% say deportation should be the highest priority. 58% think if someone has been here a long time and not committed serious crimes, they shouldn’t be deported. 90% favor allowing people who’ve been here a long time, know English, and are will to pay back taxes to stay and apply for citizenship.
  39. A waiter in Orange County, CA, is fired after he asks a table of 4 women to show ID to prove that they are residents.
  40. Breitbart has lost at least 1,200 advertisers since the election due to alleged hate speech. While this is cutting into their profitability, they are mostly funded by donors on the right (largely Robert Mercer).
  41. The New York AG accuses Rex Tillerson of using an email under a pseudonym to talk about climate change and other sensitive issues while at Exxon, using the name Wayne Tracker. These emails were not turned over as part of a court order in a New York law suit.
  42. Trump directs the EPA to stop the fuel economy standards put in place by Obama and to review fuel emission standards. Waivers still allow states to set their own fuel emissions standards.
  43. Mick Mulvaney says, “As to climate change, I think the president was fairly straightforward: We’re not spending money on that anymore.”
  44. Seventeen House Republicans submit a resolution acknowledging the human impact on climate change and resolving to work on efforts to mitigate that impact.
  45. Scott Pruitt’s EPA is being staffed by former aides to Senator James Inhoffe, who’s been one of the loudest climate change skeptics in Congress.
  46. After Pruitt’s comments last week that CO2 doesn’t cause climate change, scientists write a letter to correct him.
  47. Since we’re talking about climate, in his testimony during his hearings earlier this year, Secretary of Defense Mattis said climate change is a global threat to our security, writing that “Climate change is impacting stability in areas of the world where our troops are operating today.”
  48. More than a dozen countries meet in Chile to discuss and bargain over trade deals now that the U.S. has withdrawn from the TPP. China, which was not originally in the TPP, has entered the fray with a new Pacific Rim plan. These deals could mean tougher competition for American exports.
  49. In an indicator that the economy continues to do well, the Fed raised the interest rate .25% on the premise that the current job growth is unsustainable and that faster growth would lead to inflation and then recession. Trump, on the other hand, describes the economy bleakly and has pushed for a dramatic increase in growth.
  50. For a different view of the economy, a Business Roundtable survey says that CEOs of major companies approve of what they’re seeing so far and they think Trump’s policies will allow them to expand business more quickly and increase profits.
  51. Mulvaney accuses the Obama administration of manipulating jobs data. There is no evidence of this — the BLS has used the same methods for over 75 years.
  52. Trump introduces his budget proposal, which cuts domestic programs drastically while increasing military spending by 10%. I’ll try to do another write-up on it later this week, but below are a few tidbits.
  53. The budget includes billions in cuts to the UN, including for humanitarian issues. This would cause a “breakdown of the international humanitarian system as we know it,” according to Richard Gowan an expert on the European Council on Foreign Relations.
  54. While Trump is asking for billions to complete his wall, Congress has some different ideas on immigration, including more drones and more border patrol agents.
  55. Canadians worry about the effects of Trump’s budget and EPA guidance on the Great Lakes, which, of course, we share with them.
  56. Even Newt Gingrich comes out against parts of the budget proposal, specifically the drastic cuts to the NIH, calling the cuts to research irresponsible and shortsighted.
  57. Scientists worry that Trump’s drastic cuts to research will lead to a “lost generation” in American research. Maybe other countries will take the lead.
  58. The budget would axe the national endowments for the arts and the humanities, both of which several Republican legislators support funding.
  59. A big kerfuffle erupts on social media about how the budget cuts will affect Meals on Wheels – specifically the cuts to HUD and state block grants. Mulvaney says it will not be cut.
  60. Trump gives power back to the CIA to order drone strikes, something they couldn’t do under Obama because this power was limited to the Pentagon.
  61. The U.S. military denies accusations that they bombed a mosque in Syria, saying they targeted Al Qaeda militants.
  62. Reports surface that the U.S. military drafted plans to deploy up to 1,000 troops to Syria to support the retaking of Raqqa, the so-called headquarters of ISIS.
  63. Tillerson takes one journalist (from the Independent Journal Review) on his flight to Asia. He calls for a new approach to North Korea, calling the policies of the last 20 years “failed.” He refuses to negotiate on freezing their nuclear weapon programs and leaves military options open (while China urges us to remain “coolheaded”).
  64. In a closely watched election, Geert Wilders’ extreme far-right Party for Freedom came in a distant second to the center-right VVD party. Wilders campaigned against the EU, against Muslims, and for white nationalism. This was seen as a test for the extreme right.
  65. Trump has a strange meeting with Angela Merkel during which he accuses a German reporter of reading fake news, suggests that he and Merkel have something in common around wiretapping, and seems to refuse to shake her hand. Trump did assure her that he strongly supports NATO.
  66. During a joint press conference, a German reporter asked what so many of us want to know the answer to: “Why are you so scared of diversity in the news, and in the media, that you speak so often of fake news? And that things after all, in the end, cannot be proven, for example, the fact that you have been wiretapped by (Barack) Obama?” She asked the question in German so Trump would have to wait for the translation and therefore not be able to interrupt before she was finished.
  67. After meeting with Merkel, Trump tweets that Germany owes the U.S. and NATO “vast sums of money”, indicating he doesn’t understand how NATO works.
  68. Other countries offer to help out in countries where Trump’s Mexico Rule prohibits aid from going to agencies that mention abortion.
  69. At the G-20 meeting, U.S. delegates reject wording in a free-trade statement that warned against protectionism and that stressed rules-based free trade following “existing standards and agreements.” This signals that we won’t accept trade norms and we’ll pursue more a more antagonistic approach.
  70. Major agencies, including the State Department, the Pentagon, and the Treasury, are operating without key officials due to the slow progression of the transition.
  71. Miami prosecutors have an ongoing investigation into Steve Bannon for potential voter fraud. Bannon calls his ex-wife’s FL address his primary residence, though it appears he was actually a CA resident.
  72. Trump takes his paychecks instead of donating them, and says he’ll let the media decide where he should donate his salary at the end of the year.
  73. The Palm Beach sheriff’s department says it costs about $60,000 in overtime every day Trump spends in Florida
  74. Rachel Maddow majorly over-hypes a leak of Trump’s 2005 taxes (which Trump calls fake news). It showed net income of $153 million, a $105 million business loss write-down, and taxes of $38 million. Much of what he paid was from the alternative minimum tax, which he wants to get rid of.
  75. The Justice Department goes to court to fight two conservative legal groups suing for more of Clinton’s emails to be released. This supports Trump assertion that he doesn’t want to pursue this.
  76. Kellyanne Conway’s husband is the likely choice to run the civil division of the Department of Justice.
  77. Polls start to show we are losing our global appeal:
    • 40% of colleges report declines in applications from international students
    • In November, 59% of Germans believed us to be a trustworthy ally. By February, that number had dropped to 22%.
  78. In a poll of millennials, 57% of Americans age 18-34 see Trump as an illegitimate president (though they don’t say why or what they mean by that). Also, Trump’s approval rating falls to 37%.
  79. Trump has appointed senior White House advisers in every Cabinet agency to monitor the various secretaries and to ensure their loyalty to Trump (verified by records first obtained by ProPublica through a Freedom of Information Act request).

Week Seven in Trump

Posted on March 13, 2017 in Politics, Trump

Here’s what I missed from previous weeks:

  1. Both Iran and North Korea launched more missile tests.
  2. Our visa waiver program (VWP) with the European Union could lapse. This is actually a hangover from the Obama administration. The VWP allows us to travel throughout Europe without having to get a visa, however, the U.S. and 4 other countries excluded 4 eastern European nations and Cyprus. The other countries have completed their waivers, but the U.S. hasn’t.
  3. Trump tweeted that debt went down $12 billion in his first month compared to Obama’s $200 billion increase, neglecting to take into account that in both cases, the country was still operating on the previous administration’s budget.

 

And here’s what happened last week.

  1. House republicans release their replacement for the ACA, but without any budgetary estimates. I addressed the changes in the bill as well as reaction and analysis over the week in a separate blog, but here are some of the highlights of what the plan would do:
    • Remove the tax on high-income earners
    • Reverse the Medicaid expansion of the ACA
    • Move from subsidies to tax credits
    • Remove the mandate that everyone purchase insurance
    • Remove the requirement that employers offer coverage for full-time employees
    • Remove requirements for mental health benefits
    • Defund Planned Parenthood
  2. The House introduces a bill that would allow employers require employees to undergo genetic testing or pay a fine.
  3. The Senate introduces a resolution that would remove privacy requirements for internet service providers. If the bill is enacted, ISPs would not longer need to get your permission to sell your sensitive information. It would also prevent the FCC from being able to create similar rules down the line.
  4. Now that they’ve rolled back what they can of environmental protection regulations, Republicans move on to targeting worker safety regulations. Both houses voted to reverse part of the Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces rule, including protections against serious safety violations and sexual harassment.
  5. Both houses use Congressional Review to reverse Obama-era regulations that required federally funded teacher prep programs to be evaluated on academic outcomes, calling those regulations overreach.
  6. The Georgia House passes a redistricting bill that appears to be racially biased, moving black voters out of several Republican districts and replacing them with white voters. They anticipate this will be approved by both the senate and governor. It will also likely end up in court since they haven’t been able to explain how it’s not racially motivated.
  7. And since we’re talking about gerrymandering, federal judges rule that the Republican redistricting was actually racially-motivated gerrymandering.
  8. The travel industry is down an estimated $185 million since the election. And businesses in Palm Beach say they’re losing $10s of thousands whenever Trump spends the weekend at Mar-a-Lago due to airport and traffic closures and enhanced security measures.
  9. A poll of business economists showed that they think restricting immigration is a bad idea; they narrowly approve of the ACA, but it needs to be modified to give more choice and control; and they approve of NAFTA.
  10. A poll shows Americans are mixed on Trump’s proposed budget. We like infrastructure spending and tax cuts for the middle class a lot. We don’t like expanding military spending by 10% and building a wall with Mexico. We’re lukewarm on reducing taxes for corporations.
  11. Despite Trump’s claim that he inherited a mess, this was the 76th consecutive month for jobs growth, a record. SEVENTY-SIXTH. That’s over 6 straight years straight of growth, albeit somewhat slow growth.
  12. And speaking of job growth, Trump spent his campaign talking about how the jobs numbers were phony, made up to make politicians look good (and I quote, “Phony, phony, phony”). With this week’s numbers, he told Sean Spicer he could quote him: “They may have been phony in the past but it’s very real now.” Uh-huh.
  13. The Treasury warns that we’ll need to raise the debt ceiling again soon. Also, the Fed warns of upcoming interest rate hikes.
  14. Trump issues a new, rewritten travel ban, on the heels of a DHS report concluding that citizenship in the banned countries is not a reliable threat indicator. 34 foreign policy exports denounce it as being as detrimental as the first.
  15. Though the new ban is much more measured, there are still protests in DC. The state of Hawaii launches the first legal challenge to the ban and several other states follow. In Wisconsin, a judge issues a temporary restraining order on enforcing the policy for the family of a Syrian refugee who was already granted asylum.
  16. The Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness says the greatest terrorism threat we face is not foreign-born, but instead is home-grown and radicalized online.
  17. The CBO finds that undocumented immigrants contribute about $11 billion in state and local taxes. In addition, between 50 and 75% of them file and pay federal taxes.
  18. The travel ban might hurt healthcare and hospitals due to the suspension of accelerated processing for H-1B visas. Foreign medical students (who are already here on student visas) can apply for a work visa if they work for 3 years in an under-served community. The timing for all the paperwork is tricky, and the suspension will likely mean they can’t meet their deadlines before their student visas run out.
  19. As a deterrent to illegal border crossings, the DHS is looking at separating undocumented children from their parents. Currently, mothers and their children are held together. Under the proposed guidelines, mothers would be detained and children sent to live with relatives if possible.
  20. Trump considers cutting the budget for Coast Guard and airport security in order to fund the wall with Mexico. This is questionable given the large number of undocumented immigrants in the country who did NOT enter over the border and the assistance given by the Coast Guard in stopping drug trafficking.
  21. The administration starts receiving proposals to build the wall.
  22. FIFA says the U.S. can’t hold the World Cup unless the travel ban is lifted. The World Cup would be a huge revenue generator for the country – we’ve already been losing travel revenue. The Olympic committee seems OK with it though.
  23. Illegal crossings at the southern border decreased 40% in February, though it’s not clear if this is just a typical temporary reaction to new immigration policies.
  24. Mayors on a panel at SxSW voice concern over what’s happening in their communities because of Trump’s “bullying” tactics at enforcing immigration.
  25. This week saw another wave of bomb threats at Jewish centers.
  26. The Supreme Court cancels hearings on the transgender issue, pushing it back to the lower courts, who will review the case with consideration for title IX requirements.
  27. What Dr. Carson? Slaves came here with hopes of living the American dream? I don’t think so. Carson says, “There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less. But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great-granddaughters, might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.”
  28. Hate crimes against Indians continue, even though the perpetrators of these crimes are aiming for Muslims, Arabs, or Iranians. Over the past few weeks, a man shot and killed an Indian thinking he was Iranian, a man shot a Sikh man thinking he was Muslim (because, you know, turban), and a man targeting Arabs tried to burn down an Indian man’s store.
  29. And in an ode to all this hate, Congressman Steve King (R. Iowa) tweets “We Can’t Restore Our Civilization With Somebody Else’s Babies.” At least David Duke approved of that.
  30. ProPublica launches a program aimed at documenting and tracking hate crimes.
  31. Rex Tillerson refuses to meet with the top U.N. official tasked with tackling global warming.
  32. EPA head Scott Pruitt says CO2 is not the primary cause of climate change, despite this being one of the things most scientists can agree on. His offices are flooded with calls and emails, so much so they had to staff up. Scientists and environmental groups push back as well.
  33. Pruitt starts filling positions at the EPA with climate change skeptics, and for the first time, the EPA’s mission statement does not include the word ‘science.’ Because why base environmental rules on science?
  34. The WHO reports that 1 out of every 4 deaths in children under 5 is from causes related to pollution.
  35. The U.S. drops from #4 to #7 in the world’s best countries rankings, the results of a survey conducted jointly by US News & World Report, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and Y&R’s BAV Consulting.
  36. China grants Trump an unprecedented 38 trademarks.
  37. Between this week and the previous, Spicer goes 7 days without holding a televised press briefing. The entire White House goes a little press-quiet in the days following Trump’s tweet about the wiretapping.
  38. If you remember, last week Trump tweeted that Obama had wiretapped his phones. The White House says Trump isn’t under investigation, which would mean that what Trump tweeted was a lie. Well, either he just lied or he just implicated himself.
  39. Trump tweets that Obama released 122 vicious terrorists from Gitmo. It’s true that 122 of the 693 released did go back to terrorist activities, but 113 were released under Bush and 9 were released under Obama.
  40. In what turns out to be much ado about nothing, WikiLeaks releases documents detailing the CIA’s hacking abilities, including hacking smart devices and encryption bypass methods. This information already came out a few years ago, but the FBI opens an investigation into the hacks.
  41. In response to North Korea’s recent missile tests, the U.S. deploys a missile defense system (THAAD) in South Korea. In response to that, China readies countermeasures.
  42. According to experts from both parties, Trump is months behind previous presidents in staffing up key positions. Though it isn’t clear if this is by design as part of deconstructing the administration.
  43. Despite his claims to the contrary, it turns out that Trump met with the Russian ambassador during his campaign (though it was brief and I can see how he might not recall it).
  44. According to Bloomberg, Russian hackers target U.S. progressive groups in a new wave of attacks, scouring the organizations’ emails for embarrassing details and attempting to extract hush money.
  45. Comey meets with the “Gang of 8” (congressional members who have access to the most highly classified material) to discuss Russian meddling in last year’s election. Public hearings for the House Intelligence Committee on everything Russia are set to begin March 20.
  46. Michael Flynn says he worked as a foreign agent for the Turkish government, being paid about a half million dollars for his work. His work included investigating Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen in the U.S. This while he was also attending intelligence briefings. It’s extraordinary that no one on the transition team knew of his foreign agent status.
  47. The ACLU formally files an ethics complaint against AG Jeff Sessions over his testimony denying contact with Russian officials.
  48. This week saw more marches and protests:
    • On International Women’s Day, women skip work, rally, and wear red. Also, a statue of a defiant girl appears, facing the Charging Bull statue in New York City to draw attention to an effort to get more women on board positions.
    • Pennsylvania Mennonites are now politically active and protesting.
    • There are more DAPL protests in DC.
    • Protestors gather in front of Brietbart’s California headquarters in a  protest against propaganda.
  49. Legal issues continue to dog Trump. The highest court in Canada upholds a lawsuit over the Toronto Trump Tower that found investors were misled. A DC restaurant sues him for unfair competition. A Trump University student asks the courts to allow her to take her claims to trial, despite the class action settlement. Still ongoing are lawsuits around the emoluments clause and a defamation suit from last years campaign.
  50. In a surprise move, the Trump administration asks all remaining Obama-era JD prosecutors to resign, the high-profile Preet Bharara included — even though he was originally asked to stay on. Bharara refused and Trump subsequently fired him. Coincidentally, this sweep came the day after Sean Hannity mentioned on his show that Trump should “purge” the Obama appointees. Trump isn’t the first to do this, though; Clinton fired 93.
  51. There is speculation that the reason Bharara was included in the firings was that he received a letter requesting an investigation into potential violations of the Constitution by Trump. The letter stated “Published reports indicate that the Trump Organization and related Trump business entities have been receiving payments from foreign government sources which benefit President Trump through his ownership of the Trump Organization and related business entities.” Trump tried to contact Bharara the next day, but Bharara said it would be a breach of protocol to talk to him. The firings came the next day.
  52. Sonny Perdue, one of the last Trump cabinet picks awaiting confirmation, had 13 ethics complaints filed against him and was fined while he was governor.
  53. John Huntsman accepts an offer to become the new ambassador to Russia, awaiting Congressional approval.
  54. The U.S. deploys 400 marines to Syria to help remove ISIS from Raqqa, their self-declared headquarters. We’re also preparing to send troops to Kuwait to fight ISIS.
  55. A man climbs over the White House fence and isn’t apprehended until he is near the residence. He has 2 cans of mace in his backpack, one of Trump’s books, and a laptop.

Repeal And Replace, Week 1

Posted on March 13, 2017 in Healthcare, Politics

This week, the GOP released their version of the replace part of replace-and-repeal of the ACA. “Trumpcare” has received a lot of criticism, though some say it only differs from Obamacare in a few, but very key, ways. The LA times has a great side-by-side breakdown of the changes the bill would enact. Here’s a list of reactions and analyses from the past week.

  1. To recap, here’s a list of some primary changes:
    • Remove the tax on high-income earners
    • Reverse the Medicaid expansion of the ACA
    • Move from subsidies to tax credits
    • Remove the mandate that everyone purchase insurance
    • Remove the requirement that employers offer coverage for full-time employees
    • Remove requirements for mental health benefits
    • Defund Planned Parenthood
  2. We don’t have a CBO analysis of new the bill yet, and that tends to be the most accurate analysis.
  3. Democrats want to delay any vote on the healthcare proposal until the CBO has completed their analysis. Republicans don’t want to wait.
  4. According to the latest CBO analysis, Obamacare is costing a third less than expected (due to lower enrollment and 19 states not expanding Medicaid).
  5. UPDATE: The CBO issues a report saying that 24 million would lose insurance under the GOP plan, but the federal deficit would be reduced by $337 billion over the next decade.
  6. Republican legislators begin undermining the CBO before they even get a chance to score the healthcare bill.
  7. Here’s what Trump says about the new plan: “This will be a plan where you can choose your doctor. This will be a plan where you can choose your plan. And you know what the plan is — this is the plan. And we’re going to have a tremendous — I think we’re going to have a tremendous success. It’s a complicated process, but actually it’s very simple. It’s called good healthcare.”
  8. The bill removes the ACA mandate for covering addiction treatment. This reneges on Trump’s promise to bring an end to the opioid abuse epidemic, unless he comes up with a new plan for treatment. Deaths from opioid overdoses have been skyrocketing.
  9. The cuts to Medicaid will eliminate the current requirement that it cover mental health services, leaving it up to the states to decide whether to include coverage.
  10. The White House pushes for an end to the ACA Medicaid expansion earlier than the bill currently states (2020). This reneges on Trump’s promise to leave Medicaid alone.
  11. The healthcare bill would accelerate the depletion of the Medicare fund.
  12. The AMA, AARP, and American Hospital Association, among others, come out in opposition to the new healthcare bill.
  13. The new bill proposes removing all taxes implemented in the ACA, which would cut taxes for people with incomes of $1 million or more by around $144 billion over the next decade.  For those making $200,000 or more, that tax cuts would total around $274 billion.
  14. The tax break for insurance companies could save them more than $500 million over the next 10 years due to a new tax break around executive compensation.
  15. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the new bill would hurt people living in rural areas and people with lower incomes. Their estimates also say that a 60-year-old making $30K would receive a $4K tax credit under the new plan, or about $8K less than under the ACA.
  16. According to the AARP, a 64-year-old making $15K would pay $8,500 more under the new plan.
  17. Experts question why the subsidies aren’t based on means instead of age. Even though health costs are higher for older citizens, that doesn’t mean that someone making $30,000 a year has the same means to pay for healthcare as someone making $150,000 a year. Or $500,000 a year, for that matter.
  18. Public health advocates fear the bill will reduce CDC funding by $1 billion for preventing things like disease outbreaks and lead poisoning.
  19. Anthem comes out in favor of passing the new healthcare law as soon as possible in order to stabilize insurance markets (they don’t like the uncertainty of not knowing what changes will be made).
  20. America’s Health Insurance Plans and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, while seeing a few positives in the new bill, say the tax credits need to be more robust and fear the cap on Medicaid will lead to loss of coverage.
  21. One thing the GOP has been really pushing for is the ability to sell insurance across state lines. This would come in a different phase of healthcare reform. However, this is actually already legal and enabled by the ACA, which is something I can only assume Republicans are aware of already. That insurance companies aren’t taking advantage of this yet indicates a lack of interest to create the required networks for this.
  22. Obviously, there is strong Democratic backlash against the bill, and many individuals are now wondering if they will lose their healthcare.
  23. There is conservative backlash against the bill as well. Some call it nothing more than Obamacare Lite, some fiscal conservatives are worried that it will increase the deficit, and some want to keep the Medicaid expansion and Planned Parenthood funding.
  24. At the outset, four Republican senators say they won’t approve the bill in its current form because their constituents would be adversely affected. Rob Portman, Shelley Moore Capito, Cory Gardner, and Lisa Murkowski all say they will vote against any ACA replacement that doesn’t include protections for their constituents.
  25. In response to the backlash, Paul Ryan and Donald Trump say Republicans need to get in line behind the bill or risk being the ones who are blamed for breaking the GOP promise to repeal and replace.
  26. In addition to the above, at an Oval Office meeting, Trump says if the plan doesn’t pass, he’ll allow the ACA to fail and let Democrats take the blame (according to what sources at the meeting told CNN).
  27. Tom Price says that no one will be hurt by Trumpcare (financially or health-wise) and that even more people will be insured, though this conflicts with most analyses so far.
  28. The House Ways and Means Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee approve the new healthcare measure, so it is moving full-steam ahead.

 

And finally, here are a few of the worst comments of the week about healthcare reform:

    1. Congressman Ron DeSantis (R.-FL): Cancer patients can go to the ER for treatment.
    2. Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R.-UT): Low-income Americans should prioritize health insurance over purchasing iPhones.
      Even though the value of an iPhone won’t even cover one month of insurance, right? In fairness, Obama did say a few years ago that people making $40-50K could prioritize their budgets to better afford healthcare, but Chaffetz could’ve worded that better.
    3. Congressman John Shimkus (R-Ill.): Why should men pay for prenatal care?
      He’s obviously not understanding that the insurance is basically a risk pool, where everyone pays in so that everyone can be covered for their specific needs. He’s also possibly not understanding that women don’t get pregnant by themselves.
    4. Paul Ryan: If people lose their healthcare with the new bill, it’ll be because they didn’t want it.
      This completely ignores the fact that some people will just be unable to afford it.