TEA PARTY PATRIOTS:
Patriot Act Renewal: Senate Overwhelmingly Votes To Proceed
“…Conservative groups are arguing against McConnell’s amendments, and that could augur trouble in the House. So far, the USA Freedom Act has enjoyed unusual support from both tea party groups and the American Civil Liberties Union. “We support passage of the USA Freedom Act as passed by the House, and see no need whatsoever for these amendments which are obviously designed to weaken the bill,” Tea Party Patriots CEO Jenny Beth Martin said in a statement. “Simply put, if it is amended in the manner that the Majority Leader desires, we will be forced to consider withdrawing our support for the bill altogether.”…”
http://www.ibtimes.com/patriot-act-renewal-senate-overwhelmingly-votes-proceed-1948604
HEALTHCARE:
Insurers see ObamaCare hikes in 2016 (continuation of yesterday’s articles)
“Health insurers across the country are eyeing slightly steeper cost increases in 2016, a year that will be an important test for how well ObamaCare is working. The costs of the lowest-tiered individual plans appear to be ticking up, according to multiple experts who have reviewed the proposed rates. The increases vary wildly among plans and among states, but experts say people are still unlikely to face the kind of doomsday scenario critics predicted would occur under the healthcare law. “The trend is a little bit higher this year than last year,” said Gary Claxton, director of the healthcare marketplace program for the Kaiser Family Foundation. And as in past years, some of those rate increases have been “enormous,” said Cheryl Fish-Parcham, who directs the private insurance program at nonprofit group Families USA. Under ObamaCare, all proposed rate hikes above 10 percent were required to be posted online by Monday. Now begins a six-month back-and-forth between insurance companies and regulators as the government tries to reduce rates before locking them in this November. This year’s filing season will be the first time insurers can fully review claims data before deciding what to charge, so the proposed hikes offer new clues about ObamaCare’s success in bringing a diverse group of people onto insurance rolls. Read more here. LONGER WAIT FOR FULL KING V. BURWELL PLAN: House Republicans will hold off on releasing legislative language for their King v. Burwell plan until after the court’s ruling, a top aide said Monday. “We’ll have a plan that will be public before the ruling, but given that we don’t know exactly what they’ll say, we’ll have to wait for the ruling to have text to align with the situation,” said Brendan Buck, spokesperson for Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). Ryan – who is one of three GOP chairmen leading the House’s effort – told reporters in March that he planned to have a bill ready and priced by the decision. Now it looks like those details won’t be public until after the ruling. Buck declined to say whether the bill would be fully scored by the time of the decision, but said work with the Congressional Budget Office “has been ongoing for months.” Read more here…”
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/overnights/243674-overnight-healthcare-insurers-eye-obamacare-hikes
Obamacare sticker shock: Big rate hikes proposed for 2016
Hold onto your wallets … many insurers want to substantially hike rates on Obamacare policies for 2016.
“Many are proposing double-digit premium increases for individual policies, with some companies looking to boost rates more than 60%, according to a list posted Monday by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. In Florida, for instance, United Healthcare (UNH) wants to raise the rates of plans sold on the Obamacare exchange by an average of 18%. Individual policies available outside the exchange through United Healthcare or through a broker would go up by 31%, on average, with hikes as high as 60% for certain plans in certain locations. In Texas, insurer Scott & White is looking for a 32% increase for exchange-based plans, while Humana (HUM) is asking for an average 30% boost for its exclusive provider organization policies, which generally cover only in-network services. Insurers say they want to hike rates because enrollees are going to the doctor, getting lab work and filling prescriptions more than they had originally anticipated. “We’ve seen a great pent-up demand for services,” said Aaron Billger, spokesman for Highmark, a Blue Cross Blue Shield licensee offering plans in Pennsylvania, Delaware and West Virginia. Enrollees in Obamacare exchange plans use more healthcare than those in job-based policies, he noted. Insurers submitted their proposed rate hikes for individual policies sold both on and off Obamacare exchanges for review by state officials. The government’s list includes insurers that requested increases of 10% or more. Insurers can opt to offer plans on the exchanges, directly or via both methods, but policies with similar coverage must be priced the same…”
http://money.cnn.com/2015/06/02/news/economy/obamacare-rates/
Obamacare: 2016 sticker shock
“Health insurers are proposing to raise Obamacare rates more than in the past — some by more than 70 percent — now that they are finally equipped with all the information they need to price those plans. Plans wanting to raise rates by at least 10 percent next year posted the proposed increase online Monday, as required by the 2010 healthcare law. Insurers are allowed to raise rates each year, but they must publish significant increases ahead of time. Insurers have sold plans in the law’s new insurance marketplaces for two years in a row. But the difference in 2016 is that for the first time, they have a full year of claims data from enrollees that tells them how high or low to set the price tag. “This is the first time that insurers have access to a full year of claims under the [Affordable Care Act] in order to project premiums,” Kaiser Family Foundation analysts Larry Levitt, Gary Claxton and Cynthia Cox wrote in a blog post Monday…”
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/obamacare-2016-sticker-shock/article/2565411?custom_click=rss
Health insurers seek big premium hikes for ObamaCare plans in 2016
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/02/health-insurers-ask-for-big-premium-hikes-for-obamacare-plans-in-2016/
Insurers seek hefty rate hikes ahead of Obamacare’s third year
“Insurers are planning double-digit rate hikes ahead of Obamacare’s third year, eliciting a told-you-so outcry from the law’s opponents who said the health law is to blame for boosting the price of care and forcing those costs onto consumers. A major insurer in New Mexico is seeking a 50-percent rate increase for 2016, one in Tennessee wants to raise its premiums for a mid-level silver plan by 36 percent, and proposed hikes in Illinois range from about 13 percent to well above 30 percent in some cases, according to data published this week. The figures, posted on the federal HealthCare.gov website, offer a glimpse at how insurers are responding to the 2010 overhaul, now that they’ve had more time to evaluate the type of risk they’re taking on under Affordable Care Act…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/2/insurers-seek-hefty-rate-hikes-ahead-of-obamacares/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
OBAMACARE HIKES ON THE WAY
Some rates could see ‘enormous’ increases
“Health insurers across the United States say would-be patients and clients should expect rate increases in the next year – and that some of those price hikes could be huge. “The trend is a little bit higher this year than last year,” said Gary Claxton, the director of the healthcare marketplace system at Kaiser Family Foundation, the Hill reported. Cheryl Fish-Parcham, the director of the private insurance program at Families USA puts it in blunter tones: Some of those rate increases could be “enormous,” she said. The lowest-tiered Obamacare plans are already on the rise, and experts say by 2016, prices across the board for all health packages are likely to hike. Regulators will be reviewing the rate hikes, though. “These specific rates will be subject to vigorous rate review and revision,” said Andy Slavitt, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ acting administrator, the Hill reported. But among some of the increases: Tennessee’s largest insurer seeks a 36 percent hike; New Mexico’s biggest companies want 50 percent hikes; and Maryland’s largest provider is calling for a 30 percent rise. States have the authority to challenge price hikes deemed “unreasonable,” the Hill reported…”
http://www.wnd.com/2015/06/obamacare-hikes-on-the-way/
MORE OBAMA INSURANCE PREMIUMS TO JUMP 30%
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/06/02/more-obama-insurance-premiums-to-jump-30/
Premera, Moda seek insurance rate hikes
“A health insurance is asking state regulators for a second large rate increase for its Affordable Care Act plans. Alaska Public Radio Network reports (http://is.gd/u4cuxP) Premera Alaska is seeking a 39 percent hike for 2016 from regulators. Last year’s increase was 37 percent. Premera has about 8,000 members of its heath care act plans in Alaska. It says a small number had complex medical problems and filed millions of dollars in claims last year. Many Premera members will qualify for subsidies which would reduce the impact of any increase. Another insurer, Moda Health, is seeking an increase of about 22 percent. The state will decide by Aug. 25…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/2/premera-moda-seek-insurance-rate-hikes/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Some Florida health insurers request big 2016 rate hikes
“Nearly a dozen health insurers are proposing double-digit rate hikes for 2016 Florida plans sold on the health insurance exchanges created under President Barack Obama’s law. According to preliminary rate data released Monday by the federal government, one of Aetna’s plans requested a 21 percent hike, while plans for United and Coventry were looking for increases of 18 percent. United requested a 31 percent bump in one of its plans sold off the exchange. But the state’s largest health insurer, Florida Blue, has not requested a rate hike of more than 10 percent. State health officials are set to release the final figures in early August, but the early numbers are pointing to bigger premium increases than in 2015. Insurers cited higher-than-expected care costs and rising expense of prescription drugs as the reason for the spikes…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/2/some-florida-health-insurers-request-big-2016-rate/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
In the Face of Double-Digit Insurance Increases, White House Says Its ‘Mantra’ Has Been to Reduce Growth in Costs
“With major insurance companies proposing premium hikes — some by nearly a third — next year, the White House nevertheless said its “mantra” has been to slow the rate of health cost increases. “What we saw prior to the Affordable Care Act going into effect is that insurance companies would regularly impose double-digit rate increases with impunity,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest told TheBlaze Tuesday. “They would do it in secret or you would get a bill in the mail knowing this is what you would be subjected to. But now insurance companies have to publicly put people on notice that they are preparing a double-digit increase, see that those rate increases are reviewed by state regulators.” Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is looking at a 29 percent rate hike, while Highmark Health Insurance Co. in Pennsylvania wants a 30 percent increase, the Wall Street Journal reported…”
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/06/02/in-the-face-of-double-digit-insurance-increases-white-house-says-its-mantra-has-been-to-reduce-growth-in-costs/
Obamacare: Billions In New Administrative Costs
THE BUREAUCRATIC EXPLOSION ASSOCIATED WITH SOCIALIZED MEDICINE
“It’s been an unmitigated disaster … and the latest evidence of its adverse impact is the escalation of administrative costs. According to data (.pdf here) released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)’ actuarial office, Obamacare will be responsible for $273.6 billion in new administrative costs from 2014-2022. Of that total, $172.2 billion will go to increased private insurance overhead. The rest – $101.4 billion – is new government overhead, including Medicaid administration (which has soared from 5.1 to 9.2 percent of total outlays over the past three-and-a-half decades). “The $273.6 billion in added insurance overhead under (Obamacare) averages out to $1,375 per newly insured person per year, or 22.5 percent of the total federal government expenditures for the program,” a report from David Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler at Health Affairs concluded. Ouch … Before we start patting Himmelstein and Woolhandler on the back for exposing all this new overhead, though, it’s worth noting the pair is pushing for a “universal single payer system” – or a system in which the government subsidizes all health care costs…”
http://www.fitsnews.com/2015/06/02/obamacare-billions-in-new-administrative-costs/
Most Obamacare enrollees paid for their plans
“Of this year’s Obamacare enrollees, about 1.5 million haven’t yet paid for their plans, the Obama administration announced Tuesday. Of the 11.7 million Americans who bought health coverage through the new online insurance marketplaces, about 10.2 million had paid as of the end of March, officials said. The vast majority of those, about 85 percent, received federal subsidies to help them afford their plans. “The health insurance marketplaces are working,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell. “We’ve seen a historic reduction in the uninsured and consumers are finding the coverage they need at a price they can afford.” The enrollment update also shows many Americans stand to lose insurance subsidies should the Supreme Court uphold the King v. Burwell challenge this month. The case alleges that the healthcare law’s text doesn’t allow the subsidies to be awarded in states relying on healthcare.gov instead of operating their own marketplaces…”
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/most-obamacare-enrollees-paid-for-their-plans/article/2565473?custom_click=rss
HHS: 10 million have paid Obamacare premiums
6.4 stand to lose subsidies under Supreme Court decision
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/2/hhs-10-million-have-paid-obamacare-premiums/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
10.2M paid for ObamaCare plans in 2015
“The Obama administration announced Tuesday that it is officially on track to meet its self-stated target of 9.1 million healthcare customers in 2015. Newly released figures show 10.2 million paid for ObamaCare plans in 2015. That’s a drop-off from the 11.7 million people who enrolled over the last year, with more than 1 million people dropped from their plans because they didn’t pay their first month’s premium. The enrollment tally is good news for ObamaCare, though the figures remain in flux with a major Supreme Court decision to be handed down later this month. A total of 6.4 million stand to lose their subsidies if the court rules against the Obama administration in King v. Burwell, according to the new data. The data also showed that many of the states that are most reliant on subsidies are the ones that stand to lose them. All 10 of the states with the highest rate of consumers receiving tax credits are on the federal exchange. In Mississippi, Florida and North Carolina about 94 percent of people are receiving subsidies. Read more here…”
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/overnights/243814-overnight-healthcare-102-million-have-paid-for-obamacare-plans-in-2015
ObamaCare sign-ups officially beat 2015 goal
“A total of 10.2 million people bought ObamaCare during the most recent sign-up period, federal officials announced Tuesday. The Obama administration is now officially on track to meet its self-stated 2015 target of 9.1 million customers, the second year in a row that it has achieved a revised enrollment goal. The figure is a drop-off from the 11.7 million people who signed up for coverage during this year’s sign-up period, though that tally had been expected to fall after some people did not make premium payments. “The Health Insurance Marketplaces are working,” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell said in a statement. “Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans now rely on the health and financial security that comes from affordable coverage through the Marketplaces.”…”
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/243771-obamacare-sign-ups-officially-beat-goal
Health care enrollments by state
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/2/health-care-enrollments-by-state/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
States secretly met to talk ObamaCare contingency plans
“More than a dozen states quietly met last month to discuss contingency plans for the looming Supreme Court case involving billions of dollars in ObamaCare subsidies. The meeting was coordinated and funded by a state health policy group called the Milbank Memorial Fund at the request of several states that would be directly impacted by a ruling in King v. Burwell, its president said. Conversations focused on states that have established their own exchanges with the help of the federal government, such as Idaho and Maryland. “A few states called up and said, we’d like to learn what the different options are,” Chris Koller, the president of Milbank Memorial Fund, said Tuesday. Koller said he can’t confirm which states participated, but added, “What I can say is that they were learning from four ‘faculty’ states about different options for state-based exchanges.” A total of 37 states have their subsidies at stake in the King v. Burwell case, and many have been anxiously trying to create a backup plan in case they have to leave the federal exchange, HealthCare.gov. Officials from “16 or 17 states” attended the meeting early last month, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the meeting. Most Republican state leaders – who have backed the court case – have avoided talking about how they would respond to a decision against the Obama administration. Behind the scenes, however, some are anxiously contacting states that run their own exchanges…”
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/243718-report-states-secretly-met-to-talk-obamacare-contingency-plans
State officials huddle to talk Obamacare contingency plans
“Officials from more than a dozen states quietly met in Chicago last month to talk about the possibility that the Supreme Court could undercut their states’ respective health insurance marketplaces, the Wall Street Journal reports. The officials mostly represented states that rely on the federal government to run their Obamacare marketplaces, or “exchanges.” If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the plaintiffs in the King v. Burwell case, consumers in those states could lose access to federal subsidies. That would leave millions of Americans, concentrated largely in GOP-led states like Texas and Florida, without the financial support that puts the “affordable” in the Affordable Care Act…”
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/state-officials-huddle-to-talk-obamacare-contingency-plans/
House panel votes to repeal Obamacare’s medical device tax
“A powerful House committee approved a bill Tuesday to repeal Obamacare’s medical device tax, a provision that’s been criticized by members of both parties as a misguided way to pay for the health overhaul. The Ways and Means Committee voted 25-14 to repeal the 2.3-percent excise on sales of pacemakers, artificial joints and other devices, with Rep. Ron Kind of Wisconsin the lone Democrat to support the bill. “It’s an iron law of economics that when you tax something, you get less of it,” Chairman Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Republican, said in a prepared statement. “So we’ve really got our wires crossed here. We want more medical devices. What we want less of is this bureaucratic meddling.” Democrats on the panel cried foul, saying the GOP failed to come up with the $26 billion needed to replace the revenue that will be lost over the decade by scrapping the tax. “Is there going to be a pay-for?” the committee’s top Democrat, Rep. Sander Levin of Michigan, said. “I think the answer is probably no.” The committee also voted 31-8 to repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board, a panel created by Obamacare and tasked with keeping Medicare costs in check…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/2/house-panel-votes-repeal-obamacares-medical-device/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
House panel votes to repeal health law’s medical device tax
“A Republican-run House committee has voted to repeal a 2.3 percent tax on many medical devices that helps pay for President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. The Ways and Means Committee’s mostly party-line 25-14 vote came with Republicans complaining that the levy costs jobs and stifles innovation. Democrats say those claims are exaggerations and opposed the bill as a GOP attempt to whittle away at the health care law. Democrats also complained that Republicans have not offered any savings to cover the measure’s $24.4 billion, 10-year cost. Seven Democrats joined Republicans in approving a separate bill repealing another part of the health law: an independent panel that is supposed to propose ways to reduce Medicare spending. Supporters of that bill say the board has too much power…”
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/house-panel-votes-repeal-health-laws-medical-device-tax
House committee votes to repeal Obamacare’s medical device tax
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/house-committee-votes-to-repeal-obamacares-medical-device-tax-2015-06-02-11915524
Panel votes to repeal ObamaCare tax
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/243755-house-panel-votes-to-repeal-controversial-obamacare-pieces
Bill to repeal device tax advances in House
“A key House panel advanced a bill to repeal a medical device tax used to help pay for Obamacare after a scalding debate on whether the tax will kill innovation. The House Ways and Means Committee advanced the bill Tuesday by a vote of 25-14 to the full House. The 2.3 percent tax on device sales has been controversial ever since it was included in the Affordable Care Act. Repeal has bipartisan support in Congress as Democrats from states with biotech industries have called for it to be struck down. However, the main sticking point has been how to recoup the revenue from the tax, which would generate $20 billion until 2019. That issue spilled over into the committee’s debate on whether to advance the bill, as it currently doesn’t have another way to raise the revenue. “Is there going to be a pay-for?” said the top Democrat on the panel, Rep. Sandy Levin, D- Mich., to his Republican colleagues. “Will you commit now to providing a pay-for [on] this bill when it comes to the floor? I think the answer is probably no.”…”
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/bill-to-repeal-device-tax-advances-in-house/article/2565451?custom_click=rss
McSally to introduce bill aimed at Affordable Care Act
“U.S. Rep. Martha McSally said Saturday that she will introduce a bill in the next two weeks to repeal a portion of the Affordable Care Act that could costs seniors thousands of dollars by raising the threshold for medical reimbursement deductions. Starting Jan. 1, 2017, those age 65 and over would only be able to deduct medical expenses that exceed 10 percent of their adjusted gross income. Currently, that figure is 7.5 percent, and McSally’s bill would keep it there. “We’ve been working over the past few months to get some strong co-sponsorship … and working with other advocacy groups and the appropriate committees to make sure that by the time we introduce this thing it’s actually going to have momentum behind it,” McSally told a crowd at La Posada. “We feel pretty good about this one, and it’s coming up soon.” Introducing a bill is follow-through on a promise McSally made last year to the Green Valley Council while locked in a tight race with Ron Barber for the District 2 congressional seat. McSally wrote in a letter dated Sept. 10 that it would be necessary to line up co-sponsorship and other support, and called the increased threshold “essentially a tax on seniors.” That amount was raised to 10 percent in 2013 for those under 65. McSally’s announcement to an overflow crowd of about 175 at La Posada was welcome news to Green Valley resident Loren Thorson…”
http://www.sahuaritasun.com/news/mcsally-to-introduce-bill-aimed-at-affordable-care-act/article_f54ba176-08b7-11e5-a092-eb2207fd1b3f.html
Obamacare, states and insurers make gender reassignment surgery more accessible
“Caitlyn Jenner’s “Vanity Fair” cover has created a rare, possibly even enlightening moment in American culture. The cover image went viral in minutes, garnered Jenner more than 2 million Twitter followers in 24 hours and — along with transgender activists like actress Laverne Cox, who recently appeared on the cover of “Time” magazine, and writer Janet Mock — will help promote more understanding and, in an ideal world, less discrimination against the transgender community. On Monday, hours after Jenner’s cover photo appeared online, President Barack Obama tweeted: “It takes courage to share your story.” The former Olympic champion known as Bruce Jenner, who appeared in the E! television series “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” and will chronicle his own journey on that channel, has had facial and breast surgery, although it’s not clear whether she has had or will have full gender reassignment surgery. The World Professional Association for Transgender Health, a professional association dedicated to promoting respect, research and advocacy for transgender health, advises people undergoing a gender transition to live for a year as their new gender before choosing full reassignment surgery. The good news: It’s never been easier for transgender people to access gender reassignment surgery — if they have insurance and live in the right state. More than two dozen major insurance carriers provide plans without blanket exclusions for transgender-related health care, either through fully-insured plans or as a third party administrator of self-insured plans, according to the Human Rights Campaign, a nonprofit group that works for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equal rights. They include Aetna AET, -1.91% , at least eight Blue Cross state programs, Cigna CI, -1.63% , UnitedHealth UNH, -1.76% and Emblem Health…”
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/obamacare-states-and-insurers-make-gender-reassignment-surgery-more-accessible-2015-06-02
State Senate OKs health coverage for many immigrants here illegally
“The state Senate on Tuesday approved a hotly debated measure that would allow many immigrants in the state illegally to sign up for special healthcare programs that would offer the same benefits as Medi-Cal. The action comes just days after lawmakers significantly scaled back the plan, which originally would have offered state-subsidized Medi-Cal to people in the country without authorization. State Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) said his proposal provides “what we can realistically achieve now” for the estimated 2 million people in the state illegally…”
http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-california-senate-approves-health-coverage-for-some-immigrants-here-illegally-20150602-story.html
Judge Demands More Details On Obamacare Spending
A federal judge is seeking more facts about a key issue in the House GOP’s lawsuit.
“A federal judge is demanding that the Obama administration and House Republicans turn over more information about the Affordable Care Act subsidies at the heart of the GOP’s groundbreaking lawsuit against the administration. U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer hinted during oral arguments last week that the facts around the cost-sharing subsidies would be crucial to her decision about whether or not to dismiss the lawsuit, as the administration has urged her to do. House Republicans are suing over the administration’s payment of the subsidies without, they say, Congress appropriating the necessary funding. At issue is whether the House even has standing to sue the administration over the payments, which totaled $4 billion in fiscal year 2014. Part of the chamber’s argument that it does rests on the claim that it affirmatively voted to deny the Health and Human Services Department’s request for subsidy money in 2014. The House says in its complaint that the administration had asked for the money in its 2014 budget request, Congress then never voted to appropriate the subsidy funding, but HHS is paying the subsidies anyway. The chamber alleges that this is an unconstitutional use of executive power. Collyer ordered both parties on Monday to submit more details about the subsidy appropriations process, including a timeline, further indicating how central she considers the issue to be to the standing question. The information must be submitted by June 15….”
http://www.nationaljournal.com/health-care/judge-demands-more-information-on-obamacare-spending-20150601
The other challenge to Obamacare
“The Supreme Court isn’t the only federal court considering a challenge to the Affordable Care Act. Just down the street from the high court, District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer in the District of Columbia is considering another challenge brought by House Republicans. In the case, House Speaker John Boehner sets forth two claims: that the money for payments to insurance companies was not properly approved by Congress, and that the Obama administration attempted to rewrite sections of the landmark health care law concerning the employer mandate without permission from Congress…”
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/02/politics/obamacare-legal-challenge-district-court/
6.4 Million Could Lose Obamacare Subsidies Under Supreme Court Ruling
That’s how many people are receiving financial help on the federal health exchange.
“About 6.4 million people would lose their financial help under Obamacare if the Supreme Court rules against the Obama administration this month, according to new data from the Department of Health and Human Services. HHS said Tuesday that 10.2 million Americans nationwide have paid their premiums as of March 31 to start the coverage they signed up for in 2015, which means 1.5 million had enrolled in coverage but had not paid for it. Of those 10.2 million, 8.7 million receive tax credits to help pay for their coverage—and of those, 6.4 million enrolled through the federal HealthCare.gov site. It’s the last group whose subsidies are at risk because of the latest legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act. The Supreme Court is considering whether to invalidate tax credits for people who signed up on the federal exchange because the law’s opponents have argued that the ACA prohibits them. It is expected to rule later this month. With those stakes, congressional Republicans have been trying to figure out a plan to restore subsidies temporarily if the Court rules as they hope it does, with some additional changes to the law that they support. They would then presumably work to pass a full Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill, perhaps waiting until a new president is sworn in. There are a half dozen proposals being floated on Capitol Hill, but so far, the GOP hasn’t settled on a strategy. During a meeting with House Republicans Tuesday, GOP Sen. John Barrasso, a doctor, again stressed the need to have a plan ready in time for the Court’s decision…”
http://www.nationaljournal.com/health-care/6-4-million-could-lose-obamacare-subsidies-under-supreme-court-ruling-20150602
Florida, Texas hit hardest if Obamacare subsidies struck down
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/florida-texas-hit-hardest-if-obamacare-subsidies-struck-down/article/2565494?custom_click=rss
Rick Perry: Congress Should Repeal Obamacare, But Let the States Replace It
“Former Texas Governor Rick Perry said Tuesday that Congress should repeal Obamacare but not try to replace it—that it should leave that task to states. “The fact is that the alternatives lie in the states,” the potential Republican presidential candidate said at an economic summit hosted in Orlando by Florida Governor Rick Scott. “You cannot have one-size-fits-all.” Perry’s remarks represent a break from many members of his party who want to eliminate the law but insist that Congress cannot return to the status quo of the days before the passage of the Affordable Care Act….”
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-06-02/rick-perry-congress-should-repeal-obamacare-but-let-the-states-replace-it
VA Whistleblower Reports Intimidation After Revealing Billions In Illegal Healthcare Spending
“Jan R. Frye, deputy assistant secretary for acquisition and logistics at the Department of Veterans Affairs broke the silence on billions spent illegally to purchase non-VA health care Monday. Like other whistleblowers, Frye has suffered retaliation. According to Frye’s testimony, as recently as last Friday, deputy secretary Sloan Gibson decided to take his disclosure personally during a meeting. “His demeanor and actions in both an open and one-on-one meeting were clearly meant to intimidate me, and to cast a chill over me and others who might be tempted to report violations in the future,” Frye told the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Frye has a history of whistleblowing and continues to bring to light illegal practices. In May, he exposed the illicit use of purchase cards to spend billions of dollars in violation of federal law…”
http://dailycaller.com/2015/06/02/va-whistleblower-reports-intimidation-after-revealing-billions-in-illegal-healthcare-spending/
VA admits it has no contracts in place for billions of dollars spent on veterans’ medical care
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2015/06/02/va-acknowledges-it-has-no-contracts-in-place-for-some-outside-medical-care-for-veterans/?wprss=rss_national
IMMIGRATION:
U.S. Firms, Workers Try to Beat H-1B Visa Lottery System
Some firms fill out multiple applications, according to immigration attorneys, while some individuals accept offers from several employers, each of whom files petition
“Companies eager to hire foreign talent, mostly in the tech sector, and workers hoping for jobs in the U.S. have found ways to game a government lottery used to distribute a limited number of visas each year. Immigration lawyers involved in the process say they have helped companies file multiple H-1B skilled-worker visa applications for the same person. Some workers, meanwhile, are accepting offers from multiple employers, each of whom files a petition on their behalf, the lawyers say. Such practices, which aren’t illegal, likely have occurred in the past without public notice but appear to be proliferating as the economy rebounds and competition for the coveted visas intensifies, immigration lawyers say. Smaller businesses say such moves disadvantage them because they can’t afford to match them. Lawyers charge $2,000 to $4,000 to prepare each petition. It isn’t known how many of the record 233,000 applications filed in April for the 85,000 H-1B slots this year were duplicates. Some attorneys who prepare applications believe it could be thousands…”
http://www.wsj.com/articles/companies-workers-game-h-1b-visa-lottery-lawyers-say-1433237586
New regs for Wednesday: Efficiency, air pollution, immigration
“…Immigration: The Department of Justice (DOJ) is expanding the number of immigration board members who hear appeals to deportation cases. After hiring more immigration judges last year to chip away at the backlog of cases, the DOJ is anticipating more appeals from people who are set to be deported. So it is hiring two more board members to hear those appeals. The interim rule goes into effect immediately, but the public will have 60 days to comment…”
http://thehill.com/regulation/243727-new-regs-for-wednesday-efficiency-air-pollution-immigration
Obama’s New Mexico Ambassador Nominee: We Need Immigration Reform, Gun Control to Fight Drug Cartels
“President Obama nominated Roberta Jacobson to become the next Ambassador to Mexico on Monday, elevating the career civil servant to an extremely important post. But Jacobson doesn’t just focus primarily on issues surrounding Latin America. She’s also an advocate for gun control, having previously linked gun rights in the U.S. to drug cartels in Mexico. In a 2013 interview with the Brown Daily Herald, the student newspaper of Jacobson’s alma mater, she spoke about the challenges of combating Mexican drug cartels: “[T]here are two domestic issues, which, if moved, will make a huge difference in our foreign policy… One, obviously, is comprehensive immigration reform. If that gets passed, which I’m very optimistic about and I know the president is for this year, that’s going to be enormous, very positive.”
Jacobson continued, insisting that the flow of firearms from the U.S. is fueling violence in Central America: “But the second [domestic issue] is if we can do anything on gun control, which we have not been able to do or even really debate in years. And Mexico, like Central America and the Caribbean, has been very critical of the flow of illicit guns to their countries.”…”
https://www.ijreview.com/2015/06/335279-roberta-jacobson-gun-control-mexican-cartels/
Illegal immigrant crisis: French police have caught 18,170 trying to enter UK this year
“The figure is double that for the whole of last year, with most of the migrants found stowed on lorries boarding ferries and Channel Tunnel trains…”
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/illegal-immigrant-crisis-french-police-5810705
New Jersey man gets 30 months in cash-for-visas scheme
“A man who admitted running an eight-year illegal scheme to get natives of India into the United States has been sentenced to prison. A federal judge in Newark gave Sandipkumar Patel a 30-month sentence Tuesday. Prosecutors say the 42-year-old Edison resident was paid thousands of dollars by the Indian immigrants to lie on visa applications that he would provide jobs for them in technical positions at various New Jersey companies. They say Patel issued payroll checks and forced the immigrants to pay the proceeds back to him. Patel also overstated his payroll expenses on federal tax returns and under-reported his tax obligation by more than $400,000. Patel pleaded guilty to conspiracy and filing a false federal tax return. He’s required to pay back the IRS more than $400,000…”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/2/new-jersey-man-gets-30-months-in-cash-for-visas-sc/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
‘Restricted’ NC driving permit for immigrants still intact
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/2/restricted-nc-driving-permit-for-immigrants-still-/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
PROSPECTIVE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL FIELD RECEIVING LOW WORKER-PROTECTION IMMIGRATION SCORES FROM NUMBERSUSA; SANTORUM, WALKER FARE BEST
“The immigration-reduction group NumbersUSA is grading the potential 2016 presidential field based on each candidate’s immigration views and the current results paint a picture of a field relatively weak on the group’s top issue. In a chart available at the organization’s website titled “Worker-Protection Immigration Grade Cards,” NumbersUSA breaks down each candidate’s immigration views and offers a letter grade based on the idea that a tighter labor market yields better results for the American worker. The 20 candidates NumbersUSA grades do not fare well under the tough criteria the group applies. Indeed, only two candidates are able to get better than a C grade: Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum with an “A” and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker with a “B-.” Among the rest of the field, three get an “F-,“ two get an “F,” two get a “D-,“ five get a “D+,” four get a “C-,” and two get a “C.”…”
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/06/02/prospective-2016-presidential-field-receiving-low-worker-protection-immigration-scores-from-numbersusa-santorum-walker-fare-best/
Most GOP Champions Are Immigration Sellouts
“The following is an excerpt from Ann Coulter’s new book, Adios, America, out June 1. The practiced liars in the Republican party know damn well Americans do not want more immigration, but the leadership won’t give it up. To please well-heeled donors, elected Republicans compulsively push for amnesty, in-state tuition, driver’s licenses, and welfare payments to illegals. And the media cover for them: Don’t worry, we won’t write about what you’re doing with immigration! And if we do, it will only be to talk about your moral courage, Marco. Only when they need actual voters do Republicans suddenly start saying: “Complete the dang fence!” (2008 McCain campaign). VOTER GUIDE – Now ask yourself if you had any idea where the following presidential candidates stood on immigration and tell me if immigration activists are doing their job….”
http://dailycaller.com/2015/06/02/most-gop-champions-are-immigration-sellouts/
Immigration Reform News 2015: Rick Scott Criticizes President Obama on Immigration As GOP Competes for Latino Vote
“The Republican Party has started its push to gain some Latino voters ahead of next year’s presidential elections. Though the candidates continue tossing their hats into the ring, the party has begun to push back on immigration and one candidate, Sen. Lindsey Graham, has the record to back the party’s new focus. On Monday, Florida’s Republican governor, Rick Scott, went on Univision, one of the nation’s largest Spanish-language channels, to attack the Obama administration’s work on immigration reform, continuing to reform the GOP’s image concerning immigration reform. “I think President Obama has failed us,” Gov. Scott told Univision’s Enrique Acevedo. “We know we need comprehensive immigration reform; we need more secure borders. He has not moved the ball. In six and a half years, all that he has done is being questioned in the courts.”…”
http://www.latinpost.com/articles/57126/20150602/immigration-reform-news-2015-rick-scott-criticizes-president-obama-gop.htm
SPENDING/BUDGET/ECONOMY:
Report: 3,554 regs in 2014, Obama’s more costly to economy than Bush’s
“President Obama last year made good on his promise to use a pen and phone to impose his agenda, issuing some 3,554 rules and regulations, even governing the energy efficiency of ice and vending machines, according to a new analysis. The Competitiveness Enterprise Institute on Tuesday issued its review of the administration’s “Spring Agenda” list of regulations and found that they hid a couple of hundred. They also found that Obama in six years has issued more “economically significant” rules than Bush did in eight years…”
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/report-3554-regs-in-2014-obamas-more-costly-to-economy-than-bushs/article/2565448?custom_click=rss
Fed’s Brainard Says US Economic Slowdown May Be More Than Temporary
“It may be impossible for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates until the rest of the world economy improves, Fed board member Lael Brainard said on Tuesday, in the most direct acknowledgement yet of how weak global markets could handcuff the U.S. central bank. Brainard, who is hyper-attentive to the impacts of globalization given her prior role as head of international affairs at the U.S. Treasury, sketched out a world in which a strong dollar, weak overseas demand, and even Chinese wage rates were holding back the U.S. recovery and potentially slowing the Fed’s progress towards more normal monetary policy. Absent convincing evidence otherwise, Brainard said the dismal performance of first-quarter U.S. gross domestic product may signal a more permanent slowdown, and that the Fed needed to enter a phase of “watchful waiting” before raising rates. Her remarks further weighed against the already slim chance of a rate hike at the June policy-setting meeting, and could mark an even more indefinite hold on a decision that had seemed locked in for this fall…”
http://dailycaller.com/2015/06/02/feds-brainard-says-us-economic-slowdown-may-be-more-than-temporary/
Fed official: Can’t ignore recent weak economic statistics
“Federal Reserve governor Lael Brainard on Tuesday cited ongoing economic sluggishness and recent weak economic data in a speech that seemed to bolster the case for delaying an interest rate hike. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, Brainard said that it would be “difficult, based on the data available today, to dismiss the possibility of a more significant drag on the economy” from the strength of the dollar and declining oil prices. Brainard laid out several reasons “not to ignore” recent disappointing economic statistics, especially the revised gross domestic product report for the first quarter that found the U.S. economy shrinking at a 0.7 percent annual rate. In particular, she noted that there are no signs yet of a “significant bounceback” in the second quarter. Such a snapback would be expected if the first-quarter weakness were due mostly to some of the transitory factors some economists have blamed, including unusually harsh weather, West Coast port labor strikes, or problems with the official seasonal adjustments for the gross domestic product statistics…”
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/fed-official-cant-ignore-recent-weak-economic-statistics/article/2565453
Economy will rebound from poor first quarter: Bank economists
“The U.S. economy is likely to rebound from its dismal first-quarter performance, economists for top banks projected Tuesday. After shrinking at a 0.7 percent seasonally adjusted clip in the first quarter, gross domestic product will grow at a 2.3 percent rate in the second, 16 economists with large banks estimated. Total inflation-adjusted growth for 2015 will come in at 1.8 percent, they projected, a figure that reflects the contraction in the winter. The projection comes from the Economic Advisory Committee of the American Bankers Association, a trade group for banks. The committee includes chief economists for Bank of America Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan Chase, Comerica Bank and others. Speaking at a press conference at the American Bankers Association in Washington, the committee’s chairman, Ethan Harris, expressed optimism that the weak first quarter would prove to be a temporary soft patch and for job creation to hold up throughout the rest of the year…”
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/economy-will-rebound-from-poor-first-quarter-bank-economists/article/2565450?custom_click=rss
Obama threatens to veto GOP spending bill for transportation, housing
“President Obama is threatening to veto a $55 billion Republican funding bill for the departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development. The White House said Tuesday that Obama would reject the measure, which is known as THUD, on the grounds that it underfunds federal transportation and housing programs, and includes a number of policy riders involving travel restrictions between the U.S. and Cuba, and truck driver scheduling. “The bill freezes or cuts critical investment in transportation that creates jobs, helps to grow the economy, and improves America’s roads, bridges, transit infrastructure, and aviation systems, benefiting towns and cities across the United States, as well as investments in ending homelessness, strengthening communities, and providing rental housing assistance for poor and vulnerable families,” the White House said in a policy statement. The GOP measure, which was approved by the House Appropriations Committee in May, provides $55.3 billion in funding the departments of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development. The bill provides $1.5 billion more than the current 2015 spending level, but $9.7 billion less than President Obama’s request. Democrats have attacked Republicans for attaching a number of nonbudgetary issues to the bill, such as placing restrictions on the Obama administration’s efforts to begin normalizing the nation’s relations with Cuba. Policy riders are typically a source of friction between the parties in the appropriations process. Truck safety groups have accused GOP lawmakers of using the appropriations process to undo a series of trucking regulations they say makes U.S. roads safer, including limits on the length and weight of trucks. Trucking companies have opposed these limits for years. The White House said Tuesday it also has objections to the measure’s provisions that are related to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. “At a time when only one in four families who are eligible for housing assistance actually receives it, the bill would set back efforts to end homelessness and shortchange housing support for very low-income households, including families with children, the elderly, and the disabled,” the policy statement said…”
http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/243724-obama-threatens-to-veto-gop-transportation-housing-bill
White House cites ‘budget gimmicks’ as committee OKs defense bill
“The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday approved a fiscal 2016 spending bill for the Pentagon that contains a controversial plan to use war funding to cover operations and maintenance costs. The panel approved the bill on a bipartisan voice vote in spite of a White House warning that $37 billion in regular spending for operations and maintenance was inappropriately shifted into the overseas contingency operations account. The shift was engineered by committee leaders to replace automatic defense budget cuts required by a 2011 law, after they were unable to find a political formula to repeal the requirement. The war funding account does not fall under sequester-related spending caps, but the base budget does. On Monday, Office of Management and Budget head Shaun Donovan decried “budget gimmicks” in a letter to House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., citing the transfer of base budget funds into the war spending account in order to get around budget caps…”
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/white-house-cites-budget-gimmicks-as-committee-oks-defense-bill/article/2565463
White House slams Senate spending bill over clean energy funding
“The White House budget director slammed the $35.4 billion Senate spending bill covering the Energy Department, Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other agencies Tuesday because it slashes funding for several clean energy programs. Office of Management and Budget Director Shaun Donovan said the proposed cuts in the fiscal 2016 Energy and Water Appropriations bill would handicap development of clean energy technology needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that most scientists say drive manmade climate change. “Any strategy that dials down investment in climate solutions and climate preparedness simply dials up the likely future toll on our budget and economy from the impacts of climate change. Yet the bill adopts precisely that strategy,” Donovan wrote in a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss….”
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/white-house-slams-senate-spending-bill-over-clean-energy-f