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1/13/2010 | Healthcare
Obama, Democrats Meeting Privately to Discuss Health Care Bill on Wednesday
Associated Press
With congressional negotiators starting to make decisions on a final health overhaul bill, top Democrats are hoping a White House session with President Barack Obama will narrow differences between the House and Senate.
Negotiators from the White House and the two chambers have begun closed-door meetings already and seem likely to abandon a House-approved surtax on the wealthy even as they consider extending the Medicare payroll tax to investment income of high earners, Democratic officials said.
1/12/2010 | Character and Ethics, Medical Ethics
New Jersey Set to Allow Medical Pot
Wall Street Journal
New Jersey's state legislature Monday approved a bill that would allow chronically and terminally ill patients to smoke marijuana with their doctors' approval.
Gov. Jon Corzine, a Democrat, has told lawmakers he would sign it before leaving office next week. A spokesman for the governor couldn't be reached to comment.
New Jersey would join more than 10 states that give a medical exception to marijuana use despite federal laws prohibiting the drug's use. Those states include California, Colorado, Maine and Michigan. Attorney General Eric Holder said earlier this year that the federal government wouldn't prosecute people complying with state medical marijuana laws.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Chuck Colson, Prison FellowshipJeffrey Conway, Former CFO, Ruth’s Chris SteakhouseChuck Donovan, Senior Research Fellow-DeVos Center for Religion a, The Heritage FoundationWilliam Edgar, Professor of Apologetics, Coordinator of the Apolo, Westminster Theological SeminaryRon Ferner, Dean of the School of Business and Leadership, Philadelphia Biblical UniversityLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationMike Gottfried, Founder, Team FocusWayne Grudem, Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studie, Phoenix SeminaryColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesJulius Kim, Westminster Seminary CaliforniaPhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJennifer Marshall, Director of Domestic Policy Studies, The Heritage FoundationAlex McFarland, President, Southern Evangelical SeminaryFran McGowen, Founder and President , CarSenseDavid "Mac" Mcquiston, President/CEO, CEO Forum, Inc.Ryan Messmore, William E. Simon fellow in Religion and a Free Soc, The Heritage FoundationJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinK. Scott Oliphint, Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology, Westminster Theological SeminaryAndrew Peterson, Reformed Theological Seminary, Virtual CampusVern Poythress, Westminster Theological SeminaryGale Radebaugh, Vice President, Pharmaceutical Sciences (Ret.), Pfizer ResearchPhil Ryken, President-Elect , Wheaton CollegeChuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias ResDavid Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com1/12/2010 | Economy
U.S. Chamber warns of 'double-dip' recession because of Dem policies
The Hill
U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue warned the U.S. faces a double-dip recession because of the taxes and regulations under consideration by the Democratic Congress and President Barack Obama.
“Congress, the administration and states must recognize that our weak economy simply could not sustain all the new taxes, regulations and mandates now under consideration. It’s a sure-fire recipe for a double-dip recession, or worse,” Donohue said in a speech providing the Chamber's outlook for 2010.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingLowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res1/11/2010 | Economy
China Ends U.S.’s Reign as Largest Auto Market
Bloomberg.com
China supplanted the U.S. as the world’s largest auto market after its 2009 vehicle sales jumped 46 percent, ending more than a century of American dominance that started with the Model T Ford.
The nation’s sales of passenger cars, buses and trucks rose to 13.6 million, the fastest pace in at least 10 years, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. In the U.S., sales slumped 21 percent to 10.4 million, the fewest since 1982, according to Autodata Corp.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingLowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res1/11/2010 | Marriage
Courtroom showdown set to begin over same-sex marriage
CNN
On Monday, the spotlight will be even brighter, when a trial challenging California's Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage, begins in U. S. District Court in San Francisco. Demonstrators are expected to be out in force. There also may be a camera in the courtroom if the ballot initiative's sponsors fail in their 11th hour bid to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to keep it out.
Perry and Stier, along with Jeffrey Zarrillo and Paul Katami, of Los Angeles, are the two couples at the heart of the case, arguing that California's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. They are asking Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker to issue an injunction against Proposition 8's enforcement.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Alan Chambers, President, Exodus InternationalRev. Clenard Childress, Jr., Assistant Director, Life Education and Resource NetworkScott Davis, Director of Student Ministries, Exodus InternationalLen Deo, President, New Jersey Family Policy CouncilWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJessica Echard, Executive Director, Eagle ForumTim G. Echols, President/Founder, TeenPactDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinJesse Lee Peterson, Founder and President, Brotherhood Organization of a New DestinyPhyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle ForumChristopher Slattery, Founder and President, EMC Frontline Pregnancy CentersDavid Smith, Executive Director, Illinois Family InstituteRandy Thomas, Executive Vice President, Exodus InternationalLorianne Updike, President & Executive Director, The Constitutional Sources ProjectDavid Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com1/8/2010 | Economy
Economy loses 85K jobs, unemployment rate steady
Associated Press
Lack of confidence in the economic recovery led employers to shed a more-than-expected 85,000 jobs in December even as the unemployment rate held at 10 percent. The rate would have been higher if more people had been looking for work instead of leaving the labor force because they can't find jobs.
The sharp drop in the work force -- 661,000 fewer people -- showed that more of the jobless are giving up on their search for work. Once people stop looking for jobs, they are no longer counted among the unemployed.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingLowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res1/8/2010 | Healthcare
Battle Over 'Exchanges' Regulator
Wall Street Journal
Health Insurers Seek State Oversight; House Democrats Prefer Federal Government
Health insurers are girding for a fight over who should regulate the new marketplaces that would sell policies to 30 million Americans under the health-care bills pending in Congress.
Lawmakers liken the marketplaces, or "exchanges," to travel Web sites where consumers buy airline tickets after seeing side-by-side comparisons of prices and schedules. The health-care exchanges would be mainly for people who don't have insurance coverage from their job, and for some small businesses.
Congressional Democrats and insurance companies both say they want robust regulation of the exchanges to prevent deceptive marketing of health plans.
1/7/2010 | Healthcare, Marriage
Married Couples Pay More Than Unmarried Under Health Bill
Wall Street Journal
Some married couples would pay thousands of dollars more for the same health insurance coverage as unmarried people living together, under the health insurance overhaul plan pending in Congress.
The built-in "marriage penalty" in both House and Senate healthcare bills has received scant attention. But for scores of low-income and middle-income couples, it could mean a hike of $2,000 or more in annual insurance premiums the moment they say "I do."
The disparity comes about in part because subsidies for purchasing health insurance under the plan from congressional Democrats are pegged to federal poverty guidelines. That has the effect of limiting subsidies for married couples with a combined income, compared to if the individuals are single.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Alan Chambers, President, Exodus InternationalRev. Clenard Childress, Jr., Assistant Director, Life Education and Resource NetworkMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListScott Davis, Director of Student Ministries, Exodus InternationalLen Deo, President, New Jersey Family Policy CouncilWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJessica Echard, Executive Director, Eagle ForumTim G. Echols, President/Founder, TeenPactColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinAmy Payne, Director of Communications, Americans for ProsperityJesse Lee Peterson, Founder and President, Brotherhood Organization of a New DestinyPhyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle ForumChristopher Slattery, Founder and President, EMC Frontline Pregnancy CentersDavid Smith, Executive Director, Illinois Family InstituteRandy Thomas, Executive Vice President, Exodus InternationalLorianne Updike, President & Executive Director, The Constitutional Sources ProjectDavid Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com1/7/2010 | Healthcare
Sestak puts blame on Democratic leaders for slipping support
Pittsburgh tribune-Review
Rep. Joe Sestak blames Democratic leaders for the plunge in public support for overhauling the health care system, saying Wednesday they failed to defend proposals that helped carry the party to victories in 2008.
"They said it would be transparent. Why isn't it?" said Sestak, a Delaware County Democrat, in a meeting with Tribune-Review editors and reporters. "At times, I find the caucus is a real disappointment. We aren't transparent, not just to the public but at times to the members."
1/6/2010 | Abortion
Pro-Life Advocates Plan to Protest Opening of Largest Abortion Clinic in U.S.
CNSNews.com
A coalition of pro-life advocates and religious leaders plan to gather in Houston on Jan. 18 to oppose what is expected to be the largest abortion clinic in the country.
Planned Parenthood is renovating a former bank, turning it into a 78,000 square foot facility that will include a surgical wing equipped to provide late-term abortions.
“It’s an abortion super center,” Lou Engle, founder of the pro-life group The Call to Conscience, which is organizing the rally, told CNSNews.com.
Recommended Guests:
Rev. Clenard Childress, Jr., Assistant Director, Life Education and Resource NetworkSteve Curtis, LifeCommercials.comMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListLen Deo, President, New Jersey Family Policy CouncilWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJessica Echard, Executive Director, Eagle ForumTim G. Echols, President/Founder, TeenPactGeorgette Forney, Co-Founder, Silent No MoreDr. Janice Hollis, Bishop, Progressive Believers MinistriesBishop Harry R. Jackson, Senior Pastor, Hope Christian ChurchPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinPhyllis Schlafly, President and Founder, Eagle ForumChristopher Slattery, Founder and President, EMC Frontline Pregnancy CentersDavid Smith, Executive Director, Illinois Family InstituteDavid Wheaton, Author, Speaker, Radio Talk Show Host, TheChristianWorldview.com1/6/2010 | Healthcare
Obama wants to fast track a final health care bill
USA Today
The White House didn't say much about last night's health care talks between President Obama and congressional Democrats, but officials made it clear they're cool with fast-tracking the final phase of legislation, with no public hearings and no Republican involvement.
1/5/2010 | Healthcare
C-SPAN Challenges Congress to Open Health Care Talks to TV Coverage
Fox News
The head of C-SPAN has implored Congress to open up the last leg of health care reform negotiations to the public, as top Democrats lay plans to hash out the final product among themselves.
Congressional leaders, however, reportedly are expected to bypass the traditional conference committee process, in which lawmakers from both parties and chambers meet to reconcile differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill. Instead, The Associated Press reports that top Democrats at the House, Senate and White House will figure out the final product in three-way talks before sending it back to both chambers for a final vote.
1/5/2010 | Economy
Fed Chief Edges Closer to Using Rates to Pop Bubbles
Wall Street Journal
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke cracked the door open a bit more to the idea of raising interest rates if a new financial bubble emerges.
He also mounted a vigorous defense against critics who say it was the Fed's low-interest-rate policies over the past decade that caused the last housing bubble. Instead, he said, the problem was lax regulation, which permitted banks to issue a slew of exotic mortgages that households later had trouble paying
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingLowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res1/4/2010 | Economy
U.S. growth prospects deemed bleak in new decade
Reuters
A dismal job market, a crippled real estate sector and hobbled banks will keep a lid on U.S. economic growth over the coming decade, some of the nation's leading economists said on Sunday.
Speaking at American Economic Association's mammoth yearly gathering, experts from a range of political leanings were in surprising agreement when it came to the chances for a robust and sustained expansion:
They are slim.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingLowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res12/30/2009 | Economy
GMAC to get $3.5 billion more in government aid
Reuters
GMAC Financial Services is expected to get about $3.5 billion in additional U.S. government aid to help the troubled lender absorb mortgage losses, a financial industry source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
GMAC has already received $12.5 billion in aid from the U.S. government since December 2008.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingLowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Chuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res12/30/2009 | Terrorism
Dick Cheney: Barack Obama 'trying to pretend'
Politico
Former Vice President Dick Cheney accused President Barack Obama on Tuesday of “trying to pretend we are not at war” with terrorists, pointing to the White House response to the attempted sky bombing as reflecting a pattern that includes banishing the term “war on terror” and attempting to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
“[W]e are at war and when President Obama pretends we aren’t, it makes us less safe,” Cheney said in a statement to POLITICO. “Why doesn’t he want to admit we’re at war? It doesn’t fit with the view of the world he brought with him to the Oval Office. It doesn’t fit with what seems to be the goal of his presidency – social transformation—the restructuring of American society.”
Recommended Guests:
Zakariah Anani, Shoebat FoundationJoel Anderson, Assemblyman, California State AssemblyMajor Eric Egland, Author, The Troops Need You, America: Six Ways to Help...Joseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyPaul "Dave" Gaubatz, Owner-Director, Wahhabi CT PublicationsColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingPeter Lillback, President, Westminster Theological SeminaryJan Markell, President, Olive Tree MinistriesKamal Saleem, Shoebat FoundationWalid Shoebat, President, Shoebat FoundationTimothy Watkins, Producer/Director, Renegade Productions12/29/2009 | Economy, Healthcare
Expanding Health Coverage and Shoring Up Medicare: Is It Double-Counting?
New York Times
At the heart of the fight over health care legislation is a paradox that befuddles lawmakers of both parties.
Separate bills passed by the Senate and the House would squeeze nearly a half-trillion dollars from projected spending on Medicare over the next 10 years. These savings would help offset the cost of providing coverage to people who are uninsured.
At the same time, federal accountants say the money would shore up the Medicare trust fund, so the program could continue paying hospitals to treat older Americans in the future.
Recommended Guests:
Karin Agness, Founder and President, Network of enlightened Women (NeW)Barry Asmus, Senior Economist, National Center for Policy AnalysisDavid Bossie, President, Citizens UnitedDan Celia, Host, "Financial Issues Live" Radio ProgramPhil Clements, Managing Director, Center for Christian Business Ethics Today, LLC.Ward Connerly, Author/Founder and Chairman, American Civil Rights InstituteMarjorie Dannenfelser, President and Chairman of the Board, Susan B. Anthony ListWilliam Devlin, National President, Redeem The VoteJames Edwards, Cofounder, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper, LLCJoseph Farah, CEO, Founder, WorldNetDailyJames Gelfand, Senior Manager of Health Policy, U.S. Chamber of CommerceLou Giuliano, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (r, ITT CorporationColin Hanna, Colin Hanna, President, Let Freedom RingLowman Henry, Chairman & CEO, Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc.Larry Hunter, President, The Social Security InstitutePhillip Kim, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resour, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of BusinessJoe Murray, Columnist, The BulletinGrover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)Amy Payne, Director of Communications, Americans for ProsperityChuck Stetson, Co-founder and Managing Director, PEI FundsTony Strickland, Taxpayer AdvocateJohn Weiser, Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary , In Medias Res12/29/2009 | Healthcare
GOP’s ‘Repeal Health Care’ Plan Faces High Hurdles
The Washington Independent
As soon as the Senate passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on Dec. 24, Republicans and conservative activists started making a promise to voters. Give them a victory in the 2010 midterm elections, and they’ll repeal the bill.
“Every Republican in 2010 and 2012 will run on an absolute pledge to repeal this bill,” said Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House who remains a key strategic thinker for the party, on the Dec. 27 episode of “Meet the Press.”
“This has an unusual ability to be repealed, and the public is on that side,” said Max Pappas, the vice president of public policy at FreedomWorks, in a Dec. 28 interview with Avi Zenilman. “The Republicans are going to have to prove that they are worthy of their votes.”
12/23/2009 | Healthcare
Ala. Dem defects to GOP over health care, policy
Associated Press
A U.S. House Democrat who opposes the health care overhaul announced Tuesday he is defecting to the GOP, another blow to Democrats ahead of the midterm elections.
U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith spoke to reporters at his home in northern Alabama, a region that relies heavily on defense and aerospace jobs.
"I believe our nation is at a crossroads and I can no longer align myself with a party that continues to pursue legislation that is bad for our country, hurts our economy, and drives us further and further into debt," Griffith said as his wife Virginia stood by his side.
12/23/2009 | Healthcare
Audit Says State Wasted $92 Million on Medicaid
The New York Times
New York’s Medicaid system, the state’s largest single expense, lost at least $92 million to improper payments, billing errors and poor recordkeeping during the last five years, according to several audits released Tuesday by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
In one instance, a Medicaid recipient in Poughkeepsie was provided with $300 round-trip daily taxi service to visit her child in a long-term care facility in Albany, which cost the state roughly $196,000 before the authorization was revoked.