Monday Open Thread | Checking in on the Legislative Evil Known As Trumpcare

Posted on September 25, 2017 by rikyrah

Otherwise known as Graham-Cassidy…

The latest tax cut bill masquerading as a healthcare bill.

I don’t need to remind you that this is the time for action.
We have to call.
We have to fax.
If you can, show up at your Senator and Congressional Rep’s offices.

https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/911603591697321984

In case you don’t know what’s in the latest version, which is, the worst piece of Legislative Evil that they could put out (and that’s saying something)

Andy Slavitt‏Verified account @ASlavitt

KEY POINT FOR TODAY: Grassidy will claim “new language” coming will fix every complaint.

It won’t. Changes are to buy targeted votes. 1/

This will be key Sunday AM talking point. And you should trust them with only 2-3 days until the vote to change 1/6 of the economy. 2/

And what about the stakeholders? What do they think of this version of Trumpcare?

They tried to be slick, by jamming the CBO up so that they couldn’t get a CBO Score out before the September 30th deadline..

But, thank goodness that there are outside agencies who have been on it.
Here is a post from Balloon Juice with all the links to the 6 independent groups that have done their own scoring of this latest version of Trumpcare.

 

 

This bill would destroy Medicaid.
20% – one out of every FIVE Americans gets their healthcare through Medicaid.

76 MILLION AMERICANS get their healthcare through Medicaid. Unless you’re a part of the 1%, YOU KNOW someone on Medicaid.

Another reminder about Medicaid, since it’s a STATE run program:

TomatoQueen says:
September 21, 2017 at 11:47 am

Medicaid is NOT portable among the states, which can lead to ugly surprises to families, who often aren’t aware of the consequences to their disabled family member should a move occur. States already have a lot of flexibility in eligibility determination and coverage, and what may be available even under the waiver system can vary considerably. Virginia has redesigned its Medicaid waiver system in the past year and even as an old hand at this stuff my eyeballs itch at the new jargon and resulting mystery. I’ve moved twice with Medicaid consequences, once to get away from Shithead–and to get better medical care and education for a boy, and once to get a better job for me, and even better education for a boy, and found Medicaid goodness and foulness as a result. Over time the parents I’ve talked to about this have either been forced into a move due to a medical need or economic circumstances, or they sit tight because the system they know is the one they know, no matter how much crap it makes them swallow. What they don’t do is deliberately consider a move, check out and compare the Medicaid differences, and make a decision based on available facts. I did that twice and am glad of it, in spite of the unspeakable effort involved. But I don’t think you can disregard how people and the strength of their connections to their community can operate against their own interests and, in spite of the prevalence of useful info about available resources, how difficult it is to make sane judgments about what often feels like stepping off a cliff into an ugly fog.

So, what do we do?

CALL CALL CALL

Helpful hints:

Shirley C‏ @ghhshirley

McCain & Murkowski are taking all calls from anywhere. Spoke with both their staff.

35 replies 484 retweets 1,493 likes

Scott says:
September 20, 2017 at 11:28 am
John, you don’t have to fax from your printer. Use faxzero.com. You fax your letter from your computer. The Senate and Reps fax numbers are preloaded and all you have to do is change the Dear so and so part. Real easy. You can hit 2 senators and a rep in about 5 minutes tops.
Faxzero.com allows you to compose a fax at their web page. They have lists of all the senators and reps, organized by state – and you aren’t limited to choosing your own state’s officials.

Jim, Foolish Literalist says:
September 20, 2017 at 11:29 am

That is what “they” say. I think Indivisible is one of the “they”. Try RESISTBOT– Fax from your phone. I send a fax through them every day. Call in the morning, fax in the afternoon.

MomSense says:
September 20, 2017 at 11:44 am
@Mike:

YES I was just about to post it. I get fireworks now as an “elite” resister.

Text “resist” to 504-09. Super easy and quick.

And, NEVER EVER FORGET.
TRUMPCARE is not..
HAS NEVER BEEN…
about HEALTHCARE.
Too many people make that mistake.
Trumpcare is ABOUT TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH..
Once you understand THAT…then all the versions of Trumpcare make absolute sense.

From The New York Times:

As more than 40 subdued Republican senators lunched on Chick-fil-A at a closed-door session last week, Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado painted a dire picture for his colleagues. Campaign fund-raising was drying up, he said, because of widespread disappointment among donors over the inability of the Republican Senate to repeal the Affordable Care Act or do much of anything else.

Mr. Gardner is in charge of his party’s midterm re-election push, and he warned that donors of all stripes were refusing to contribute another penny until the struggling majority produced some concrete results.

“Donors are furious,” one person knowledgeable about the private meeting quoted Mr. Gardner as saying. “We haven’t kept our promise.”

The backlash from big donors as well as the grass roots panicked Senate Republicans and was part of the motivation behind the sudden zeal to take one last crack at repealing the health care law before the end of the month. That effort faltered Friday with new opposition from Senator John McCain of Arizona, the perennial maverick who had scuttled the Senate’s first repeal effort. Now Republicans must confront the possibility that they will once again let down their backers with no big win in sight.

Another Article for reference:

Koch network ‘piggy banks’ closed until Republicans pass health and tax reform

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/26/koch-network-piggy-banks-closed-republicans-healthcare-tax-reform

This entry was posted in Affordable Care Act, Healthcare, ObamaCare, Open Thread, Politics and tagged , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

76 Responses to Monday Open Thread | Checking in on the Legislative Evil Known As Trumpcare

  1. SouthernGirl2 says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:33 pm

    Jerry Jones, you do not get to tell ppl how to protest.

    STAY IN YOUR LANE!

    We don’t want your publicity stunts. Black lives are at stake!

    Reply
  2. SouthernGirl2 says:
    September 25, 2017 at 7:54 pm

    Jerry Jones fake ass mofo taking a knee BEFORE the anthem but standing DURING the anthem. Don’t let these mofos change our protest. #PublicityStunt

    Reply
  3. Liza says:
    September 25, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    Just happened to this really interesting film footage from the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. It’s 17 minutes of marching, most of it very up close and personal.

    Reply
  4. Liza says:
    September 25, 2017 at 7:08 pm

    U.S. Response to Hurricane Maria Devastation in Puerto Rico Criticized as Too Slow, Not Enough
    By Sean Breslin 3 hours ago weather.com

    As a humanitarian disaster plays out in Puerto Rico, some believe the U.S. government’s response has been subpar.

    President Donald Trump hasn’t mentioned the disaster in his dozens of tweets sent since last Wednesday night.

    FEMA and the Pentagon have sent aid, but Puerto Ricans say it’s nowhere near enough.
    …
    “We need more resources from the Department of Defense so we can get helicopters and resources,” Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello told Politico Sunday night. “We know that there are capabilities in the surrounding areas, helicopters, planes and so forth. And our petition is for us to be able to use them.”

    American citizens are losing hope on the island as the situation becomes increasingly more desperate. Hospitals are running out of gas for their generators and residents are flooding into San Juan’s airport, hoping to get off the island by plane. When they get there, they’re met by days-long waits in a place where there’s little food and water and no air conditioning.
    …
    “Hysteria is starting to spread,” Manati Mayor Jose Sanchez Gonzalez told the AP. “The hospital is about to collapse. It’s at capacity. We need someone to help us immediately.”
    …
    On Monday, elected officials finally began to discuss ways to increase the response to Puerto Rico. Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner sent multiple tweets calling for “the full resolve of the U.S. government,” adding that rescue helicopters, field hospitals and Navy ships are needed to expand the response.
    …
    FEMA tweeted that it had at least 10,000 federal staff on the ground in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, but it was unclear how many had been sent to each territory. By all accounts, Puerto Rico’s 3.5 million residents have suffered complete crop loss and devastation to the infrastructure, so they will need months of aid in every corner of the island.

    “There will be no food in Puerto Rico,” José A. Rivera, a farmer in southeastern Puerto Rico, told the New York Times. “There is no more agriculture in Puerto Rico. And there won’t be any for a year or longer.”
    …
    https://weather.com/news/news/puerto-rico-hurricane-maria-united-states-response

    Reply
  11. Liza says:
    September 25, 2017 at 6:13 pm

    ‘Horror In the Streets’: Maria Aftermath Leaves Puerto Ricans in Desperate Situation
    By Eric Chaney
    Sep 25 2017 06:45 PM EDT
    …
    Gov. Ricardo Rosselló told the Washington Post that the island is “essentially devastated. Complete destruction of the power infrastructure, severe destruction of the housing infrastructure, food and water are needed.”

    Power and communications are still down for much of the island, the Post reports, and local law enforcement agencies are strained and hampered in their ability to reach far-flung areas that may still need relief. As of Monday morning, officials still had not had communication with nine of the island’s 78 municipalities, Rosselló said in a press conference.

    Hospitals are running dangerously low on medical supplies and some don’t even have running water, CNN reported.
    …
    Officials have opened the island’s main port in the capital city of San Juan to allow 11 ships to bring in 1.6 million gallons of water, food, 23,000 cots and dozens of generators, according to the AP. In the upcoming days, more ships are expected to arrive.

    The federal aid effort is racing to stem the crisis brewing in towns left without fresh water, fuel, electricity or phone service. Officials with FEMA, which is in charge of the relief effort, told AP they would take satellite phones to all of Puerto Rico’s towns and cities, more than half of which were cut off following Maria’s devastating crossing of the U.S. territory.
    …

    U.S. Virgin Islands
    …
    Communications were down across the islands and the local government was working to assess the damage, Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency emergency operations supervisor Garry Green told the New York Times.
    …

    Dominica

    The Caribbean island of Dominica suffered catastrophic damage after the Category 5 hurricane slammed into the island. At least 27 people are reported dead in the wake of the storm, the island’s chief of police said.

    On Friday, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said he would be traveling to New York to appeal to the United Nations for help.
    …
    Initial images showed a once tropical paradise that is home to more than 73,000 people turned into a wasteland of crushed homes and smashed vehicles. Areas with more than 90 percent of roofs ripped off of buildings are being reported.

    Dominican Republic

    Tens of thousands were left without power in the Dominican Republic as the deadly storm swamped the country with torrential rainfall.

    At least 45 of the east region’s 204 circuits were affected, which amounts to 100,000 customers. A downed power line between the towns of Playa Dorada and Cabarete has left the country’s entire north coast without power.
    …
    https://weather.com/storms/hurricane/news/hurricane-maria-puerto-rico-us-virgin-islands-dominica-caribbean-turks

    Reply
  15. SouthernGirl2 says:
    September 25, 2017 at 5:16 pm

    Breaking News: Susan Collins is a “no” on GOP health care bill.

    Reply
  16. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 3:45 pm

    And, this is why his voters will NEVER be forgiven.
    THIS should NEVER have been our reality.
    PHUCK THEM TODAY
    PHUCK THEM TOMORROW
    PHUCK THEM UNTIL JESUS RETURNS

    Why Trump Is Exhausting Our Outrage Meters
    by Nancy LeTourneau
    September 25, 2017

    This is one of those days when we are faced with the challenge of deciding which Trump outrage deserves our attention. Here are your choices:

    The administration is slow-walking aid to Puerto Rico as the situation there is desperate,
    The administration is working on ways to take health insurance away from millions of Americans,
    The administration thinks it benefits them to ignite racism in the form of the president’s attempt to deny free speech to NFL athletes, or
    The president might have ignited a war with North Korea because of his ignorant name-calling and threats.

    Reply
    • Liza says:
      September 25, 2017 at 3:56 pm

      I agree. I am totally without words and have been for some time.

      Sixty three million very stupid, very racist people voted for him. God only knows how this ends.

      Reply
  17. sunshine616 says:
    September 25, 2017 at 3:20 pm

    Still haven’t heard from family. Don’t know if our house is still standing. Watching news nonstop. NFL trump, nfl,trump. Barely a word of our beautiful island. I give props to reporters like David begnaud who have not forgotten about our beautiful island. I am so upset and done. A whole hour of msnbc and not a damn word

    Reply
  19. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 2:09 pm

    Arrests beginning. Worth stressing how many more were willing to be arrested but couldn’t get in room pic.twitter.com/MGg6eT5ls9— Jeff Stein (@JStein_Vox) September 25, 2017

    Reply
  20. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 2:09 pm

    You can see Sen. @maziehirono (D-HI) confronting Cassidy as adapt activists get arrested. Hirono, who has cancer, set to testify vs bill pic.twitter.com/OGH7JBKrMf— Jeff Stein (@JStein_Vox) September 25, 2017

    Bill Cassidy is literally yawning as protestors are carried away. pic.twitter.com/TqINKjrLx6— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) September 25, 2017

    Reply
  21. SouthernGirl2 says:
    September 25, 2017 at 1:54 pm

    Folks are so butt hurt LeBron called that thug in the White House a bum.

    https://twitter.com/RanttNews/status/912370759129075712

    Reply
  22. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 1:43 pm

    Republicans set the stage for a striking health care showdown
    09/25/17 12:48 PM
    By Steve Benen
    If you were one of the many Americans who was involved in the recent effort to derail the Republicans’ latest heath care repeal plan, I have some good news and bad news. The good news is, you succeeded: the Graham-Cassidy plan unveiled two weeks ago is dead, unable to secure enough GOP support.

    The bad news is, there’s a new Graham-Cassidy plan.

    As NBC News reported, the new proposal, out this morning, includes “a series of carve-outs for Alaska.” The point isn’t subtle: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has been deeply skeptical of her party’s repeal campaign, and Republican leaders are effectively trying to pay her off.

    To her credit, the GOP senator has been resistant to these efforts in the past, making clear she’s concerned about the national system overall, not just her home state. And if that’s still the case, this latest attempt at a Polar Payoff should fall short, since as the Huffington Post’s Jonathan Cohn explained, this latest repeal bill is in some ways worse than its predecessor.

    Based on initial inspection, the new bill is a lot like the original bill, which would have decimated existing federal health programs, reduced government spending, and left many millions without insurance.

    But now the legislation, which Politico and Vox first reported, includes a pair of important changes – an even more aggressive assault on protections for people with pre-existing conditions, as well as some extra money to blunt the impact of funding cuts for a handful of states.

    ………………………..

    * Industry stakeholders continue to plead with policymakers to reject the bill. Indeed, in an unheard of move, the nation’s largest organizations representing doctors, hospitals, and nurses issued a joint statement denouncing the Republican effort. Soon after, Cleveland Clinic released a similar condemnation. (Cleveland Clinic is one of the largest employers in Republican Sen. Rob Portman’s home state of Ohio.)

    Reply
  23. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 1:38 pm

    New Yorker Writer’s ‘Ungrateful Is the New Uppity’ Essay Sparks Twitter Acclaim
    Trump’s “selective patriotism” is called out in trending essay

    Published 11:22 am, Monday, September 25, 2017

    On the heels of an escalating divide between several NFL members and President Trump, an essay published in the New Yorker, titled, “From Louis Armstrong to the N.F.L.: Ungrateful as the New Uppity,” is trending on Twitter. And most who are sharing it are in praise of the piece.
    Written by frequent New Yorker writer Jelani Cobb, also a professor at Columbia University, the essay outlines a long history of African American entertainers who have been condemned as “uppity” for their own success, arguing that “ungrateful” is the modern equivalent of the aforementioned euphemism.
    Cobb began with an anecdote about jazz icon Louis Armstrong, who was painted as “uppity” for responding to political news of the day. The singer called Arkansas governor Orval Faubus a “motherf—–” for allowing the National Guard to stop nine African American high school students from attending class.
    Cobb pointed to “the free-range lunacy” of Donald Trump’s speech at a rally in Alabama on Friday, where he called Colin Kaepernick, and other NFL players who protest police brutality during the National Anthem before games, a “son of a b—-.” This, along with Trump’s rescinding the invitation of the Golden State Warriors to the White House — “like a truculent six-year-old” — “illustrates that the passage of six decades has not dimmed this dynamic confronted by Armstrong, or by any prominent black person tasked with the entertainment of millions of white ones.”
    Cobb argued, “ungrateful is the new uppity.”

    “The belief endures, from Armstrong’s time and before, that visible, affluent African-American entertainers are obliged to adopt a pose of ceaseless gratitude — appreciation for the waiver that spared them the low status of so many others of their kind,” Cobb wrote.

    Indeed, in Donald Trump’s weekend criticism of players who choose to kneel during the National Anthem, he said their “privilege” to play in the NFL should be revoked if they protest.
    “It’s impossible not to be struck by Trump’s selective patriotism,” Cobb wrote. “It drives him to curse at black football players but leaves him struggling to create false equivalence between Nazis and anti-Fascists in Charlottesville.”

    Reply
    • Liza says:
      September 25, 2017 at 4:05 pm

      Okay, so I’m thinking about the ungrateful, millionaire black athletes.

      They are standing up for the less fortunate. Aren’t we SUPPOSED to do that?

      Reply
  24. Ametia says:
    September 25, 2017 at 1:31 pm

    Who the fuck annointed Bob Costa the king of who is “perfect” &” imperfect”

    Reply
  26. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 11:53 am

    From Benen:

    The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities recentlypublished a list tracking each of the actions Trump World has taken to “sabotage the ACA by destabilizing private insurance markets or reversing the law’s historic gains in health coverage.” It’s not a short list.

    Reply
  27. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 11:51 am

    Trump administration abandons subtlety in ACA sabotage campaign
    09/25/17 11:30 AM
    By Steve Benen
    To the great annoyance of its detractors, the Affordable Care Act is doing pretty well, but that doesn’t mean the system is immune to sabotage. The Wall Street Journal reported over the weekend:

    The Trump administration plans to shut down healthcare.gov, a website consumers use to sign up for the Affordable Care Act, for 12 hours on nearly every Sunday of the coming ACA enrollment season.

    The outages, which the administration says are for maintenance, will occur from midnight through noon on every Sunday other than Dec. 10.

    Just so we’re clear, the Republican administration has already shrunk the open-enrollment period, cutting it in half. On top of that, consumers will now have even less access to the federal exchange marketplace on Sundays, with Trump’s HHS shutting down the website for 12-hour increments.

    Frank Baitman, a former chief information officer for HHS, made the case on Friday that there’s no credible technological reason for this kind of decision. He added that the move reflects a “lack of will and respect” for the American people.

    Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) was even more direct on this point, arguing, “This is not normal maintenance. This is sabotage. Cold blooded. Clear. Out in the open.”

    Reply
  28. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 11:35 am

    The revised Graham-Cassidy bill is a fraud.On Sunday night, Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy began circulating a revised version of their Obamacare repeal bill, as well as an accompanying analysis of its effects. The revision is aimed at wooing holdout senators, and the top-line numbers for their states look enticing: Alaska, Arizona, Maine, and Kentucky would get an increase of federal funding of 3 percent, 14 percent, 43 percent, and 4 percent, respectively. Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski hasn’t declared how she will vote yet, while Maine’s Susan Collins leans no and Kentucky’s Rand Paul and Arizona’s John McCain have already said they would vote against the bill. (Republicans can only lose two votes.) On Sunday, Donald Trump tweeted the following:

    …………..

    However, according to independent experts, the revised bill misleads in order to get to these numbers. First off, the state-by-state analysis released by the bill’s authors doesn’t include cuts that would result from instituting a per-capita cap in Medicaid. This means that some $120 billion in cuts over 10 years is not being counted. And then there is the fact that the analysis only counts federal funding when looking at the current law, while under the new law it includes “state savings” that would come from reducing the amount states have to pay into Medicaid. Topher Spiro, health analyst at the Center for American Progress, says this is like comparing “apples to oranges.”

    “It’s quite obvious what they’re doing,” Spiro told the New Republic. “They released the numbers late at night, they get a few tweets from reporters on top-line findings which are inaccurate. They even got a press story or two that just repeated verbatim their top-line findings. They’re counting on there not being enough time for news outlets to ask questions and for independent experts to analyze it and release independent estimates.” Even the authors’ own analysis shows that federal funding for Alaska drops almost $100 million, before they include the “state savings,” an amount that Spiro maintains might still be an underestimate.

    Reply
  30. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 10:09 am

    Kushner acknowledges use of private email account in White House
    09/25/17 10:00 AM
    By Steve Benen

    About a week ago, ProPublica reported that members of Donald Trump’s voting commission have been using private email accounts to conduct official business. The same piece quoted legal experts who agreed that the practice falls short of compliance with the law.

    The reporting came just a month after state officials in Indiana turned over private emails Vice President Mike Pence sent during his gubernatorial tenure. It turns out that Pence conducted quite a bit of official business through his private AOL account.

    And late yesterday, Politico reported that Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s right-hand man on practically every issue, also used a private email account in the White House – a practice his lawyer confirmed soon after.

    ………………………..

    I will gladly concede that when it comes to the Trump administration, and the staggering volume of scandals that have unfolded throughout the year, officials using private emails probably seems like weak tea – because it is. Under normal circumstances, missteps like these would barely raise an eyebrow.

    But recent circumstances are anything but normal. Much of the political world, including Republican officials and every major news organization I can think of, recently spent two years telling the American electorate that compliance with government-mandated email protocols was possibly the single most important issue facing the nation.

    Reply
  31. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 10:05 am

    3 ships?

    Navy confirms there are 3 amphibious ships responding to devastation on multiple Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico. That’s it. /1
    — Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) September 25, 2017

    Reply
    • sunshine616 says:
      September 25, 2017 at 3:24 pm

      Wtf??!! And not voting on a relief bill until the 2nd week of october??? They really want them to die and they aren’t even hiding it. Disgusting vile humans every single one of the people of that administration and the GOP

      Reply
  32. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 10:04 am

    Our statement to the Senate Finance Committee opposing #GrahamCassidy. This bill will devastate families with medically complex kids. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/pVEFPOdL4x
    — Little Lobbyists (@LittleLobbyists) September 25, 2017

    Reply
  33. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 10:04 am

    Plot Twist: The sons of bitches join up with the nasty women and bad hombres and take back our country.
    — Frederick Douglass (@HITEXECUTIVE) September 23, 2017

    Reply
  34. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 10:03 am

    The Graham-Cassidy hearing is the hottest ticket in town, in one video: pic.twitter.com/y4prO1DA5C
    — Jeff Stein (@JStein_Vox) September 25, 2017

    Reply
  35. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 10:02 am

    THE MUTHAPHUCKA WHO WANTS TO TAKE AWAY YOUR HEALTHCARE.

    Facing scandal over taxpayer-funded jet travel, Price scrambles
    09/25/17 09:30 AM
    By Steve Benen

    It’s a story that looked awful at the outset, and managed to get progressively worse very quickly. Just six days ago, Politico first reported that HHS Secretary Tom Price has been chartering private jets, paid for by American taxpayers, for official business. We learned soon after that the far-right cabinet secretary, who used to be outraged by stories like these, has taken at least 24 of these flights, at a cost exceeding $300,000.

    Pressed for an explanation, Price initially didn’t want to talk about it. Then the excuse related to the recent hurricanes, which didn’t make any sense. His press office later said the chartered jets were about “making sure he is connected with the real American people,” which was hilarious, since almost all real Americans tend to fly commercial.

    We were then told Price started taking private jets because he had a bad experience with a cancelled flight, which, as excuses go, wasn’t exactly persuasive.

    Late last week, the Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general’s office announced an investigation into Price’s travel arrangements, and soon after, the cabinet secretary said he’ll stop taking chartered flights – at least for now.

    Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price told Fox News on Saturday that he’ll stop his taxpayer-funded travel on private jets, pending a formal review by his department’s inspector general.

    “We’ve heard the criticism. We’ve heard the concerns. We take that very seriously and have taken it to heart,” Price said.

    That may sound like a good start, but as Politico’s latest report noted, Price continued just last week to take additional chartered flights, costing tens of thousands of dollars, even after the controversy broke. The new total cost to taxpayers for Price’s private flights is now over $400,000 – and that only includes the flights we know about since May.

    Asked about the controversy yesterday, Donald Trump said, “We’re looking into it.”

    Reply
  37. SouthernGirl2 says:
    September 25, 2017 at 9:51 am

    A lot of mofos need to go to prison and rot there.

    https://twitter.com/DrDenaGrayson/status/912325148312834048

    Reply
  43. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 9:23 am

    THIS MUTHAPHUCKA HERE!!

    GOP lawmaker: Arizona should recall McCain over cancer
    BY MALLORY SHELBOURNE – 09/25/17 09:53 AM EDT

    Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) said Monday that Arizona should recall Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) while he undergoes cancer treatment, saying that McCain’s ouster would give Arizonans a senator who keeps his word.

    Gohmert’s remarks come after McCain announced his opposition to the latest GOP attempt to repeal ObamaCare, putting the bill closer to failure and enraging Republicans.

    “You know, nothing inhibits recovery from cancer like stress. I think that Arizona could help him and us. Recall him, let him, you know, fight successfully this terrible cancer. And let’s get somebody in here who will keep the word he gave last year,” Gohmert said on “Fox & Friends.”

    Reply
  45. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:55 am

    2: Here’s the ledger for Alaska. Even their own estimates show Alaska still losing $100 million. This is pretty simple and clear. But… pic.twitter.com/STvXtNXcSy
    — Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) September 25, 2017

    4: First, and most obvious, ANY numbers released by Graham/Cassidy should be treated with great skepticism. They’ve been misleading before.
    — Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) September 25, 2017

    6: Their table includes a column on “state savings” that flips many states from being in the red. Phony, a big magic asterisk. Here’s why.
    — Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) September 25, 2017

    8: For total state funding under current law, they estimate only federal funding. Which is fine, but then…
    — Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) September 25, 2017

    10: State funding is state funding. Cutting it is not “savings”
    with no impact on health care programs.
    — Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) September 25, 2017

    12: This is not a “he said / she said” situation. This stuff is obvious. Every independent estimate does not assume “state savings.”
    — Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) September 25, 2017

    14: Some did not. This story should be corrected, or @GlennKesslerWP should fact check. @WaPoSean @pw_cunningham https://t.co/CIDHWayIIi
    — Topher Spiro (@TopherSpiro) September 25, 2017

    Reply
  46. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:52 am

    Don’t be fooled. Even with augmented funding Alaska, Maine and all other states will still experience overall cuts to Medicaid funding https://t.co/2GSm4IjKQ6
    — Mario Molina, MD (@drjmariomolina) September 25, 2017

    New Cassidy-Graham makes clear states could allow insurers to offer bare-bones plans: no required benefits & unlimited deductibles & copays.
    — Edwin Park (@EdwinCBPP) September 25, 2017

    New Cassidy-Graham bill confirms clear intent to make block grant temporary, eliminating it entirely in 2027 as #Medicaid cap cuts deepen.
    — Edwin Park (@EdwinCBPP) September 25, 2017

    Reply
  47. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:51 am

    The GOP bill’s latest math doesn’t add up, @CenterOnBudget, @TopherSpiro and others warn. https://t.co/ZfubAxjBgY pic.twitter.com/LtDkOC9yqM
    — Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) September 25, 2017

    Reply
  48. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:49 am

    How Donald Trump tries to ‘improve race relations’
    09/25/17 08:00 AM—UPDATED 09/25/17 08:05 AM
    By Steve Benen

    …………………………………………

    “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners when somebody disrespects our flag to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now, out, he’s fired, he’s fired.’ […] Because that’s a total disrespect of our heritage, that’s a total disrespect of everything that we stand for, OK? Everything that we stand for.

    “And I know we have freedoms and we have freedom of choice and many, many different freedoms. But you know what? It’s still totally disrespectful. And, you know, when the NFL ratings are down massively, massively. Now, the number one reason happens to be that they like watching what’s happening on, you know, with yours truly.”

    And then he really got worked up. Trump complained that athletes should not be “allowed” to show “disrespect” towards the flag or the country, adding those who feel differently should be “fired.” There were a series of related missives, culminating in the president calling football games “boring” and questioning the patriotism of the league.

    The result, not surprisingly, was a sharp increase in the number of athletes protesting yesterday, and fierce criticism from players, owners, and league officials about Trump’s latest attempts to divide Americans against one another.

    The racial element of the president’s offensive is hard to miss. Over the course of about a week, Trump has lashed out at ESPN’s Jemele Hill, who is black, football players who take a knee, many of whom are black, and the NBA’s Steph Curry, who is black. That the president apparently referred to Colin Kaepernick as a “son of a bitch” in front of a predominantly white audience in Alabama wasn’t exactly subtle.

    It also comes on the heels of Trump’s defense of right-wing white protesters in Charlottesville, some of whom, the president insisted, were “very fine people.” As recently as Aug. 15, he emphasized that they were “protesting very quietly,” “innocently,” and “legally.” Trump added that the white protesters were justified in their demonstration because Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee is “very, very important” to them.

    However, when black athletes protest “very quietly,” “innocently,” and “legally” about an issue that’s “very, very important” to them, the president seems to have a very different perspective. I’ll look forward to the White House’s explanation for why this is.

    Reply
  49. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:43 am

    THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW 9/22/17
    Protesters against Republican Obamacare repeal make it personal
    Rachel Maddow reports on protests and activism around the United States against the latest Republican effort to kill Obamacare.

    Reply
  50. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:39 am

    What’s a trillion dollars among friends
    by David Anderson
    at 8:47 am on September 25, 2017.

    Cassidy-Graham 2.0 came out last night. There are some major policy changes in it:

    No need for states to submit waivers
    States must submit a plan
    Plan does not define “Affordable” or “Adequate” or “pre-exisiting condition”
    No specification of consequences or recourse if the state plan that was submitted failed to meet its objectives
    States define their own Essential Health Benefits, out of pocket maximums and community rating
    Risk pools can be split
    There are a bunch of political provisions. Several are aimed at shoveling money to Alaska, but those are not the important provisions. The policy matters more.

    The bill sponsors also released their estimates of state effects. They use magical math.

    Reply
  51. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:36 am

    My Brother’s Keeper Merges with Obama Foundation https://t.co/HZ3BAOmr44 via @npquarterly
    — Debra Jones (@jones410) September 25, 2017

    Reply
  52. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:36 am

    You’re voting for a disastrous health care bill because you place party over country. Please don’t lecture people on morality. https://t.co/tABVuDXfBl
    — Neera Tanden🖖🏼 (@neeratanden) September 24, 2017

    Reply
  53. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:35 am

    1) They entirely ignore the cap to non-ACA Medicaid – which grows over time – a cut estimated at $1 trillion from ’20-’36 for prior draft

    — Jacob Leibenluft (@jleibenluft) September 25, 2017

    Reply
  54. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:34 am

    Here’s the new Graham-Cassidy bill

    Sens. Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy have revised their health-care bill, allowing states to loosen more of the Affordable Care Act’s regulations while diverting more money to the states whose senators hold the deciding votes on the legislation. They will formally release the revised measure tomorrow.

    Why it matters: The deadline to pass a bill with just 50 votes is Saturday.

    The Congressional Budget Office is expected to release preliminary estimates this week of the initial — and now outdated — version of the bill. With the clock ticking and little time for independent economic analyses, Graham and Cassidy are making a last-minute play for senators who have been critical not only of the bill’s contents, but of the rushed process, too.

    What’s different: According to Graham and Cassidy’s analysis, the revised bill would direct more money to Alaska, Arizona, Kentucky and Maine, compared with earlier versions. But it would still reduce overall federal funding to those states — whose Republican senators are, for now, opposed to the bill or undecided.

    Although the state-by-state numbers being circulated show these states faring well, the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Larry Levitt called them “pretty misleading,” as they don’t take into account the per-person cap on federal Medicaid funding. They also add state savings to the block grants under the bill, but don’t include them in the current law baseline, meaning the comparison isn’t apples to apples.

    The revisions also ramped up some of the regulatory rollbacks needed to help win conservative votes. Sen. Ted Cruz said earlier today that he’s not yet on board with the legislation.

    For Alaska:

    Funding carve outs for low-density states
    Increased Medicaid federal match rate for high-poverty states, aka Alaska and Hawaii

    Reply
  55. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:23 am

    The people in Puerto Rico really need to start kneeling for the National Anthem so they can get some help. https://t.co/AVmFH2gFrz

    — Ben (@BenHowe) September 25, 2017

    Reply
  56. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:16 am

    “Court fees and fines target the poor, leaving them in a ‘never-ending cycle of debt’ The main beneficiary of this oppressive system is for-profit companies.”
    https://thinkprogress.org/court-fees-collections-companies-58ece19be258/

    Excerpt:

    Neil Sobol, a Texas A&M University professor of law who focuses on abuses by debt collectors in the criminal justice system, said it’s appealing to cities to set up contracts with these companies because it doesn’t cost them anything. For this reason, Sobol said, contracts may be “one-sided” and don’t offer enough accountability and transparency.

    “Private probation companies collect fines and fees for the municipality as well as their own fees, and when that money comes in they typically apply it first to their fees. So if there is a shortfall, the municipality is not fully paid,” Sobol said. “So the person remains on probation for a longer time period. More often than not, the fee for the private company is often larger than the original fine. They’re stuck in this never-ending cycle of debt.”

    There are other serious repercussions as well, like the suspension of one’s driver’s license, damage to one’s credit score, and even incarceration.

    Reply
  57. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    September 25, 2017 at 8:05 am

    Artist Robert Butler was born on this day, September 25, in 1943 in Baxley, Georgia.

    http://thehighwaymentrail.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Butler-new.jpg
    From Wikipedia:

    “Robert Butler (September 25, 1943 – March 19, 2014) was an American painter best known for his portrayals of the woods and backwaters around Florida’s Everglades. He was a member of the well-known African-American artist’s group, The Highwaymen.”

    https://youtu.be/gFeW3EYf91E&rel=0

    Reply
  58. yahtzeebutterfly says:
    September 25, 2017 at 7:43 am

    So wrong and unethical:

    “When Senator John McCain of Arizona announced on Friday that he would not vote for Graham-Cassidy, the latest Republican attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, it seemed like the bill was dead on arrival. But on Sunday night, the bill’s authors Senators Lindsay Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana made revisions to the legislation that were quite transparently tailored to undecided senators.

    “The revisions raise federal funding for Arizona, Kentucky, Alaska, and Maine according to a copy of the bill obtained by Politico. Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska had previously said they would withhold their votes as the original version of Graham-Cassidy decreased funding for their states.

    “Federal funding would be increased by 14% in Arizona, 4% in Kentucky, and 3% in Alaska. Maine would see a 43% increase in funding between 202o and 2026. Yet, other senators expressed doubt about Graham-Cassidy over the weekend and the revised bill doesn’t account for their opposition. On Sunday, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said he wouldn’t sign Graham-Cassidy as is after amendments he proposed weren’t adopted — Cruz indicated that Senator Mike Lee of Utah would also withhold his vote if those amendments weren’t adopted.”

    Excerpt is from this link:
    https://splinternews.com/gop-panders-to-undecided-senators-with-graham-cassidy-r-1818713195?rev=1506309897984&utm_campaign=socialflow_splinter_twitter&utm_source=splinter_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

    Reply
  59. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 7:40 am

    KEY: Grassidy 2.0 is health insurance for healthy ppl, boondoggle 4 red states, robs Medicaid, and won’t be properly scored. A disgrace. 15/

    — Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) September 25, 2017

    Reply
  60. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 7:39 am

    From The Washington Post:

    The Republican senators at the forefront of the latest effort to undo the Affordable Care Act plan to release a revised version of their bill Monday sending more health-care dollars to the states of key holdouts, as hardening resistance from several GOP senators left their proposal on the verge of collapse.

    According to a summary obtained by The Washington Post, Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) will propose giving Alaska and Maine more funding than initially offered. Those states are represented by Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine), who have expressed concerns about the bill but have yet to say how they would vote…

    The plan was distributed among Republicans late Sunday, with party leaders just one “no” vote away from defeat and as Republican senators from across the political spectrum were distancing themselves from the prior draft…

    Although the CBO plans to release a “preliminary assessment” early this week, officials there have said they will not be able to provide estimates of how Cassidy-Graham would affect insurance premiums or the number of people with coverage “for at least several weeks.” Trump and McConnell are trying to bring the bill to a vote by the end of this week to take advantage of a procedural rule allowing the plan to pass with just 51 votes.

    It remained far from clear Sunday that they could get close to that number…

    Reply
  63. rikyrah says:
    September 25, 2017 at 4:33 am

    Good Morning,Everyone 😐😐😐

    Reply

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