Thursday
Oct292009
Sen. Schumer Discusses CBO Scoring For Health Care Bill
Thursday, October 29, 2009 at 5:50PMSen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) discusses the Congressional Budget Office's review of the Senate's health care reform bill.
Entries in John DuBois (28)
Wednesday
Oct282009
Democrats Schumer, Brown Trumpet Merits Of Public Option
By John DuBois - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
During a news conference on Wednesday, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) expressed their belief that a public option insurance plan would create competition in the marketplace and would lower healthcare costs for Americans.
Liberal Democrats, like Brown and Schumer, who support the public option have argued that the plan would help small businesses stay in business and provide health insurance for their employees.
Said Schumer, “Small businesses want to provide the coverage. They know it’s good for their workers, good for morale and good for keeping. They just can’t afford [health insurance] any longer and that’s why we need a public option.”
Brown argued that,“the public option will not use pre-existing conditions, [it] won't discriminate against women who have had c-sections or women who have been victims of domestic violence and call that a pre-existing condition.”
“We are changing the rules, we are also going to have the public option there to help those small businesses to compete to keep prices down,” he added.
During a news conference on Wednesday, Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) expressed their belief that a public option insurance plan would create competition in the marketplace and would lower healthcare costs for Americans.
Liberal Democrats, like Brown and Schumer, who support the public option have argued that the plan would help small businesses stay in business and provide health insurance for their employees.
Said Schumer, “Small businesses want to provide the coverage. They know it’s good for their workers, good for morale and good for keeping. They just can’t afford [health insurance] any longer and that’s why we need a public option.”
Brown argued that,“the public option will not use pre-existing conditions, [it] won't discriminate against women who have had c-sections or women who have been victims of domestic violence and call that a pre-existing condition.”
“We are changing the rules, we are also going to have the public option there to help those small businesses to compete to keep prices down,” he added.
Tuesday
Oct202009
Civil Rights Organizations React To Possible Census Question Over Citizenship
John DuBois, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service
Numerous civil rights organizations united today to join New Democrat Network to oppose an amendment proposed by David Vitter (R-La.) that would include a question on the U.S. census inquiring if the taker is a U.S. citizen.
President and Founder of NDN Simon Rosenberg said he felt the change in the study could undermine the census as a whole.
“It will undoubtably disrupt the orderly execution of the count itself. It will also politicize the census, causing some to sit out, making it less accurate,” said Rosenberg.
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights President Wade Henderson went even further, charging that the question could ultimately obstruct the study.
“Sen. Vitter comes in now at the last minute proposing an amendment that on its face appears innocent but has the impact ... of bringing the entire process to a halt," said Henderson. "Inflaming public attitude about the illegal immigration issue is ... terribly unhelpful to the country as a whole.”
Numerous civil rights organizations united today to join New Democrat Network to oppose an amendment proposed by David Vitter (R-La.) that would include a question on the U.S. census inquiring if the taker is a U.S. citizen.
President and Founder of NDN Simon Rosenberg said he felt the change in the study could undermine the census as a whole.
“It will undoubtably disrupt the orderly execution of the count itself. It will also politicize the census, causing some to sit out, making it less accurate,” said Rosenberg.
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights President Wade Henderson went even further, charging that the question could ultimately obstruct the study.
“Sen. Vitter comes in now at the last minute proposing an amendment that on its face appears innocent but has the impact ... of bringing the entire process to a halt," said Henderson. "Inflaming public attitude about the illegal immigration issue is ... terribly unhelpful to the country as a whole.”
Monday
Oct192009
Justice Department Rolls Out New Medical Marijuana Policy
John DuBois, University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service
A new policy introduced by the Obama administration Monday restricts the federal government's authority to prosecute medicinal marijuana patients and sanctioned suppliers. Instead, federal resources will be diverted toward apprehending larger criminal operations.
Mondays decision was praised by medical marijuana activists.
“This is an important step forward today. The federal government said, that they will respect state laws regards to medical marijuana," said Mike Meno, Assistant Director of Communication for the Marijuana Policy Project, an organization based on reforming existing marijuana laws. "We think this is great and more [reforms] should follow."
However, the responses to the decision have not all been optimistic. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) charged in a statement Monday that "the Administration is tacitly condoning the use of marijuana in the U.S." The statement goes on to read "If we want to win the war on drugs, federal prosecutors have a responsibility to investigate and prosecute all medical marijuana dispensaries and not just those that are merely fronts for illegal marijuana distribution."
The new policy states that those who use or provide marijuana without medical clearance will still be prosecuted. Fourteen states currently permit marijuana for medical use; Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
A new policy introduced by the Obama administration Monday restricts the federal government's authority to prosecute medicinal marijuana patients and sanctioned suppliers. Instead, federal resources will be diverted toward apprehending larger criminal operations.
Mondays decision was praised by medical marijuana activists.
“This is an important step forward today. The federal government said, that they will respect state laws regards to medical marijuana," said Mike Meno, Assistant Director of Communication for the Marijuana Policy Project, an organization based on reforming existing marijuana laws. "We think this is great and more [reforms] should follow."
However, the responses to the decision have not all been optimistic. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Lamar Smith (R-Texas) charged in a statement Monday that "the Administration is tacitly condoning the use of marijuana in the U.S." The statement goes on to read "If we want to win the war on drugs, federal prosecutors have a responsibility to investigate and prosecute all medical marijuana dispensaries and not just those that are merely fronts for illegal marijuana distribution."
The new policy states that those who use or provide marijuana without medical clearance will still be prosecuted. Fourteen states currently permit marijuana for medical use; Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
Researches Attribute Anger Toward U.S. Government To Distrust
A number of representatives from Demos, a New York based Research Advocacy group, attributed the recent vitriol towards the U.S. government Friday as a result of general distrust in how the government operates.
“People tend to view government through ... immediate images that pop in their head, one is that it’s just nothing but a bunch of bickering politicians, that it is just a political game and has nothing to do with me. Kind of a spectator sport if you will,” said Patrick Bresette, Associate Programming Director for Demos during a panel discussion.
Bresette said Americans also have questions over what the government really does and how tax-payer dollars are used
Jeff Madrick, Editor of Challenge magazine, attributed the recent anger to historical norms.
“The pendulum is a good way to describe american history. We did swing back and worth between pro government and anti government attitudes,” said Madrick.