The Graham-Cassidy bill being considered on the Senate floor is a destructive and poorly thought out bill that, like its predecessors, looks to strip health care from millions.
It’s unethical and immoral. What’s worse, it is again being ram-rodded to a quick vote to save face with Republican constituents and gain a political “win.” The health of millions seems to be less important and only exist to these people as a bulletpoint from their corporate backers.
A working health care solution is a human issue that should not be defined by or designed for political gain. Political positioning should not determine accessibility and cost. Continue reading “Need to quit playing games”
The following article by Glenn Kessler was posted on the Washington Post website September 21, 2017:
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel attacked the Cassidy-Graham health-care plan on Sept. 19 and 20, and hit back at Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) for failing his own standard, “the Kimmel test.” (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
“I’m sorry he doesn’t understand. Under Graham-Cassidy-Heller-Johnson, more people will have coverage.” –Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), interviewed on CNN’s “New Day,” Sept. 20, 2017
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel attacked Cassidy over the health-care repeal plan crafted by Cassidy and Sens. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) as a last-ditch effort to replace the Affordable Care Act. Kimmel asserted, among other things, that the proposed law “will kick about 30 million Americans off insurance.” Continue reading “Sen. Cassidy’s rebuttal to Jimmy Kimmel: ‘More people will have coverage’”
Rep. Paulsen sent an email survey this afternoon asking those constituents who’ve been able to subscribe to his email newsletter to answer a poll on how he should handle the DACA/Dreamers situation. We’ve heard that many people have had problems subscribing to his newsletter. Just in case, we’re including a link to the poll below. (You will be joining his newsletter list by completing this.)
The following article by Michael DeBonis was posted on the Washington Post website September 16, 2017:
President Trump pauses during a meeting with congressional leaders and administration officials on tax reform in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Sept. 5, 2017. From left, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas). (Evan Vucci/AP)
As long as there has been a federal income tax, taxpayers have been able to deduct most of the state and local taxes they pay from earnings subject to Uncle Sam’s grasp. But that deduction — especially popular in states rich in Democratic voters — could disappear as soon as next year if President Trump and congressional Republicans succeed in their promised rewrite of the tax code.
The state and local tax deduction, or SALT, has long been a target for tax-policy wonks who see it as an unwise federal subsidy that is mainly claimed by the wealthy. But politics have always intervened: Thanks to the opposition of lawmakers in high-tax states, the deduction has survived every effort to clear out loopholes, including the last federal tax overhaul of similar ambition in 1986.
The following article by Eric Lipton was posted on the New York Times website September 15, 2017:
President Trump visited his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida for 25 days between his inauguration and the middle of May. Credit: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Friday escalated a battle with government ethics groups by declining to release the identities of individuals visiting with President Trump at his family’s Mar-a-Lago resort during the days he has spent at the private club in Palm Beach, Fla., this year.
The surprising move by the Department of Justice, which had been ordered in July by a federal court to complete its review of Mar-a-Lago visitor records, came after weeks of promotion by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the liberal nonprofit group known as CREW, that it would soon be getting the Mar-a-Lago visitors logs.
Instead, on Friday the Justice Department released a State Department list of just 22 names — all of them members of the delegation of the Japanese prime minister — who visited the club in February for a meeting with President Trump. Continue reading “Trump Declines to Release List of His Mar-a-Lago Visitors”
Sept. 6 marked six full years since the last town hall held by Congressman Erik Paulsen. He has stated several times that he’s held over 100 town halls, but that’s a distortion of the truth.
Through public statements by the congressman along with a conversation I personally had with his office, it can be determined that he considers the following to be “town halls”: unannounced pop-up appearances in supermarkets, corporate appearances, carefully controlled and unannounced conference calls, scripted videos and even emailed newsletters. Continue reading “What is Paulsen’s definition of a town hall?”
In an April MPR interview, Rep. Eric Paulsen of Minnesota’s Congressional District 3 stated the following regarding his unwillingness to hold a town hall: “Certainly I think there are some that would prefer to have campaign-style events, with shouting, and that kind of thing. And that’s not just very good, it’s not Minnesotan,” he said. “Civility is probably the most important thing that we need right now.”
Does Rep. Paulsen realize it isn’t very civil to make assumptions about his constituents? His assumptions about shouting at town halls certainly aren’t from his own personal experiences holding them. Continue reading “Rep. Paulsen needs to hold town hall meetings”
Congressional District 3 Representative Erik Paulsen’s office recently distributed flyers touting how he is working to repeal the “death tax” on our behalf.
Just to be clear, the term “death tax” is used to scare people into thinking they are taxed for dying. This is ridiculous. What he is referring to is the federal estate tax. The estate tax only impacts people with an estate worth over $5.49 million.
If you are in that category, he’s working for you. If not, he’s working for someone else. Hint: The 1 percent.
Gail Porter, Brooklyn Park Brooklyn Park Sun-Post, September 13, 2017
The following article by Bob Collins was posted on the Minnesota Public Radio website September 13, 2017:
Credit: AP Photo/Elise Amendola
Like everyone else with a credit card, my data was among that stolen from the ginormous Equifax credit reporting company. Assuming the hackers knew what they were doing, it won’t be long before they try to steal my identity.
They got our Social Security numbers in the hack.
“That puts you at peril of identity theft for as long as you’ve got a beating heart,” the Chicago Tribune says in an editorial today.
The following article by Ben Kamisar was posted on the Hill website September 7, 2017:
Credit: Greg Nash
Minnesota will be a pivotal battleground in the midterm fight for the House majority, featuring five of 2018’s most contentious races.
Rep. Tim Walz’s (D) decision to run for governor has created an open seat in the 1st District, while freshman Rep. Jason Lewis (R) will try to hold on to his swing seat.
Buoyed by President Trump’s strong performance in the state, Republicans plan to go on the offensive in two seats currently held by Reps. Rick Nolan (D) and Collin Peterson (D). But Democrats have their own plans in the state, aiming to win over well-educated suburban voters who could help them oust Rep. Erik Paulsen (R). Continue reading “Minnesota set for pivotal House battles”
