Aguilar Joins Congressional Hispanic Caucus to Warn House Republicans of Consequences of Repealing the Affordable Care Act

Washington, D.C. - January 12, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Rep. Pete Aguilar joined members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) to warn House Republicans of the ramifications of repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“We'll go back to the days when people were denied coverage for having pre-existing conditions, where preventative screenings weren't covered and when simply being a woman was a pre-existing condition. That's shameful. It is unforgivable that House Republicans would choose to go back to that,” said Rep. Aguilar. He continued, “In my community of San Bernardino County, 67 percent of health care recipients are from communities of color…House Republicans have viciously and mercilessly argued against strengthening the ACA because they claim to know better. It's been over six years – what’s your plan?”

According to Health Access California, repealing the Affordable Care Act without replacing it would cause an estimated 20 billion dollar loss to California health care. Recent data shows that nearly 40,000 residents in California’s 31st Congressional district and approximately five million throughout California have enrolled in Covered California since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law. Additionally, nearly 200,000 San Bernardino County residents and over 80,000 people in California’s 31st Congressional District now receive health care through Medi-Cal since the ACA expansion.

Rep. Aguilar serves as the Whip of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. He is committed to working with House Democrats and Republicans to improve the Affordable Care Act so it works for all Americans.

Congresswoman Alma Adams’ Speaks Out Against Censorship of Winner of Congressional Art Competition

Washington, D.C. - January 12, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12) sent a letter to Congressman Duncan Hunter (CA-50) expressing her strong opposition and disappointment to the removal of the artwork of Mr. David Pulphus, the high school artist and winner of Missouri’s 1st District Congressional Art Competition, from the exhibit in the U.S. Capitol.

“As a practicing professional artist and retired 40 year college art professor, I am appalled that Congressman Hunter would take any action that would degrade and censor a high school student who was chosen as an official winner of the Congressional Art Competition,” said Congresswoman Adams.

“Representative Hunter’s actions not only disregarded and disrespected Representative Clay’s decision to award Mr. Pulphus with this special Congressional honor, but also silenced the very real experience of those citizens in Mr. Clay’s district- and more specifically this young student’s right as an artist to express himself.

“Our founding fathers enshrined the freedom of speech in the Bill of Rights, but this irreverent action showed, not only a lack of respect for our freedoms and civil liberties, but also a blatant disregard for our Constitution. Freedom of speech, which includes visual expression, press, and a lack of censorship are values that we have not only fought for, but also values that Representative Hunter and I have been elected to protect.”

The next day, after sending this letter, the painting was replaced in its original spot.

Abraham letter to Trump: Move American Embassy to Jerusalem

Washington, D.C. - January 12, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Ralph Abraham, M.D., R-Alto, joined U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., in leading a letter to President-Elect Donald Trump asking that the United States move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

More than 100 members of Congress signed the letter, which was mailed to Trump on Wednesday. Trump stated during his campaign that he, too, supports putting the American Embassy in Jerusalem.

"Israel is one of the United States' closest allies and stands alone in the Middle East for its commitment to democratic ideals. Moving the embassy will strengthen the unique alliance between Israel and the United States and send a clear message to the world that we support Israel in recognizing Jerusalem as its eternal capital," wrote the members.

The letter comes less than a week after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution that condemned the United Nations for its recent anti-Israel actions. Dr. Abraham was an original cosponsor of that resolution.

Dr. Abraham has visited Israel twice since taking office and has become one of the country's strongest allies in Washington. He most recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November where the two discussed the threats Israel faced from radical Islamic terrorists and how America and Israel can improve relations that have been strained over the past eight years by the Obama administration.

"Israel and her citizens live under the daily threat of attack from Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood. Nothing would send a stronger message of 'America stands with Israel' than to move our embassy to Jerusalem. Israel is the strongest democracy in the entire region, and as the global leaders of democracy, America must stand shoulder to shoulder with our Israeli allies," Dr. Abraham said.

Read the letter here.

More News from the House on January 5, 2017

U.S. Representative Mark Walker (R-N.C.) today spoke at a press conference to introduce the Republican Study Committee's plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. The bill, the American Health Care Reform Act of 2017 (AHCRA), is sponsored by U.S. Representative Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) and was introduced today in the House.

=====

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a Member of the Senate Finance Committee, and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, led nearly 60 of their colleagues Wednesday to introduce resolutions in the Senate and House stating the sense of Congress that President-elect Donald Trump should comply with the Constitution and follow the precedent established by prior presidents and convert his assets to simple, conflict-free holdings, adopt blind trusts managed by an independent trustees, or take other equivalent measures.

The resolutions note that in the absence of such actions by the President-elect before he assumes office or without specific authorization by Congress, Congress will regard dealings by Trump-owned companies with any entity owned by a foreign governmental actor as potential violations of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause.

Right to Know Act Passes House

In the first week of the 115th Congress, Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI, 7th) introduced and passed his first piece of legislation for the new session, which will provide the American people with a better understanding of how their tax dollars are spent. H.R. 71, the Taxpayers Right-To-Know Act, requires each federal agency to annually report online an inventory of its federal programs and provide a description and cost of each program. The bipartisan bill was introduced on Tuesday along with Congressman Jim Cooper (D-TN) and unanimously passed the House today. Senator James Lankford (R-OK) is leading this effort in the Senate.

I think this is a great move by Congress, who is starting to recognize that We the People are tired of being fooled and robbed.

God is hearing our prayers:

Ephesians 4:25
“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”

Other Newsmaker Headlines

Stop Hunger Now, NC State University Announce Clinton Hunger Leadership Award Winner

TLMA Files Letter of Support in BMT O&G v. Clayton Williams Energy - November 2016

Obama Attempts to Ban Offshore Drilling by Executive Fiat

Majority of States Score 6 or Lower Out of 10 Indicators in Report on Health Emergency Preparedness

Paris Climate Accord Points Way to Future Jobs, Markets, Secretary-General Says, Recalling Challenging Decade in Southern Illinois University Speech

Largest military solar energy project in Northeast breaks ground on JB MDL

USCIS Publishes Interim Rule on T Nonimmigrant Status

Headlines from the House and Senate

Department of Defense Fails to Protect Servicemembers from Exposure to Blasts


Congressman Smith Statement on President-Elect Trump’s Continued Alarming Conflicts of Interest

Smith Issues Regulation Rewind Report

'Christian refugees escaping ISIS get visit from N.J. Rep. Chris Smith'

Sherman Requests Classified Briefing on Russian-led Hacking

Lame Duck President Continues War on Coal

Manufacturing Bill Cosponsored by Collins, King Set To Become Law

Comment of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) On POTUS Announcement Banning Drilling in Parts of Atlantic and Arctic Oceans

Senators Markey and Booker Praise Obama Administration Move to Permanently Ban Offshore Drilling in Parts of Arctic and Atlantic Oceans

INDEFENSIBLE: SASC CHAIRMAN JOHN McCAIN EXPOSES $13 BILLION IN WASTEFUL DEFENSE SPENDING IN NEW AMERICA’S MOST WASTED REPORT


McCaskill-Warren GAO Report Shows Shocking Increase in Student Loan Debt Among Seniors

News Tidbits and Info to Ponder on December 8, 2016

New York Representatives ask Congress to allocate funds to pay for Trumps Pre-Inauguration Security in New York. I thought Trump was going to pay for all that himself. Click HERE to read it.

The Transparent Insurance Standards Act of 2016, a measure to provide greater transparency and congressional oversight of international insurance standards setting processes, and for other purposes, passed the House of Representatives today.

Astronaut John Glenn died at the age of 95 today.

According the the Saipan Tribune, A bill that increases the numerical cap of the CNMI-Only Transition Worker Nonimmigrant Visa program has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and now goes to the Senate for another round of deliberation, with the hope to have President Barack Obama sign it into law before his term ends on Jan. 20 next year. Click HERE to read more about this

The Senate Passed the National Defense Authorization Act. It now heads to the President's Desk.

The Army Corps of Engineers has transferred lands around Lake Sakakawea to be held in trust by the Department of Interior for the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Reservation.

Trickett Wendler Right to Try Act of 2016 is a bill that bars the federal government from prohibiting or restricting the production, manufacture, distribution, prescribing, or dispensing of an experimental drug, biological product, or device that is: (1) intended to treat a patient who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness; and (2) authorized by, and in accordance with, state law. The federal government may not restrict the possession or use of such a treatment by a patient certified by a physician as having exhausted all other treatment options. The bill was not allowed to pass the Senate because of ONE objection that was (of all things) unrelated to the bill.

Acting in his role as President Pro Tempore, Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, invited Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to join him in opening the Senate floor with a prayer. Elder Christofferson is the first LDS Apostle in United States history to offer an invocation on the Senate Floor. Hatch also invited Elder Christofferson to bear testimony of the Book of Mormon at the Library of Congress in an event honoring the book’s special place among influential works of American literature.

On Dec. 6, The Heritage Foundation honored U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) with its first “The Distinguished Intern Alumni Award.” The award was presented at Heritage’s annual President’s Club Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Trust for America's Health was deeply disappointed that Congress will utilize the Prevention and Public Health Fund as an offset for the legislative package known as 21st Century Cures, claiming that cutting the Prevention Fund will limit the nation’s ability to improve health and quality of life and prevent disease.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced final changes to increase access to healthy food choices for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The provisions in this rule require SNAP authorized retail establishments to offer a larger inventory and variety of healthy food options.

On Thursday, December 8, 2016, the President signed into law:

H.R. 4665, the "Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2016," which requires the Department of Commerce to conduct an assessment of the outdoor recreation economy of the United States;

H.R. 4902, which amends the overtime compensation system for U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations officers to Law Enforcement Availability Pay;

H.R. 5785, which exempts retired air traffic controllers under contract with the Federal Aviation Administration as full-time air traffic control instructors from a reduction to their Federal Employees Retirement System annuity supplement;

H.R. 5873, which designates the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 511 East San Antonio Avenue in El Paso, Texas, as the R.E. Thomason Federal Building and United States Courthouse; and

S. 2754, which designates the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 300 Fannin Street in Shreveport, Louisiana, as the Tom Stagg Federal Building and United States Courthouse.

Scott, Levin, Pallone Statement on Court Order to Delay House v. Burwell

Washington, D.C. - December 8, 2016 (The Ponder News) -- Ranking Members Bobby Scott (D-VA), Sandy Levin (D-MI), and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) of the House Committees on Education and the Workforce, Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce respectively, made the following joint statement after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued an order to delay the consideration of House v. Burwell:

“This decision to delay the consideration of House v. Burwell until after Inauguration Day puts millions of Americans at risk of losing their health insurance coverage next year. Republicans have relentlessly attempted to repeal and undermine the Affordable Care Act since the law was enacted. If the incoming Trump Administration decides not to defend the legality of the ACA’s cost-sharing subsidies in court, the lower court ruling stands; and we would see the undermining of the insurance market as a whole – both the coverage of those American families who rely on the financial assistance, as well as those who purchase coverage on their own. President-elect Trump promised to stand up for working Americans, but this action would make people worse off, not better, and he hasn’t even taken office yet. Instead of rallying behind partisan attacks without proposing a real replacement to strengthen the law, we urge the incoming Trump Administration and Republican-led Congress to stand on the side of America’s families, students, and working people.”

Coming to a Hospital Near You...

In the new age of social media, Wabash General Hospital is taking steps to ensure patients' privacy.

At Monday's regularly scheduled WGH Board of Directors meeting, Tamara Gould, vice president of clinical services, share that the new policy is essentially a extension of HIPPA.

"We're trying to limit protected health information from being put out where it shouldn't be — to protect the privacy of our patients and employees," she said.

Gould continued to say that the hospital will be putting signs out in public areas, requesting that visitors who have any portable electronic devices with cameras to have them out. Additionally, if people want to take photos of a family member or friend, the hospital asks that the physician or staff member is present to make sure consent is given by all parties involved.

The policy will protect not only patients, but employees as well.

"Some of our employees may not want their picture taken and posted all over Facebook or Twitter," Gould said.

The board approved the new policy unanimously.

This came from the Mt. Carmel Register, a newspaper in Illinois. As an employee in a hospital, I can assure you that all hospitals take their patient's and employees privacy rights VERY seriously, and if this works for one hospital, expect to see it all over the country soon.

Read more...