New H1N1 Vaccine Study Shows Good News For Pregnant Women

By Laura Smith - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Health officials announced today that there are about 30 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine available for states to order.

The annoucement was coupled with good news for people who health officials believe are at serious risk of contracting the virus. Anthony Facui, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said that results from a series of vaccine tests done on groups such as pregnant women were encouraging.

“The data show that nearly all the pregnant women who received a single 15 microgram dose have a robust immune response that is likely predictive of protection,” Facui said.

He added that children between six months and nine-years-old who receive a 15 microgram dose of the vaccine had a “less robust immune response” and would most likely need a second dose of vaccine.

Not all of the news surrounding H1NI is positive, however. Anne Schuchat, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that the virus has spread to all but two states in the U.S. Schuchat was hopeful that, as the number of hospitalizations and deaths as a result of the virus continue to increase, so will the medical response nationwide.

“We expect more vaccine doses to become available and eventually shipped out to the states for use,” she said.

A full report on the study was posted today on flu.gov.

New Report Calls For Social Security Reforms

By Laura Smith - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

A new report commissioned by the National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) says that in order to keep the Social Security system stable, the Social Security Administration must lift the cap on the earnings from which workers and employers pay Social Security taxes, broaden the base for Social Security taxes and gradually lower some future benefits.

“We have to open the debate up and take the kind of fresh look that’s going to help us reshape our retirement income framework to do a better job overall. We want to push forward the social security part of that debate,” Janice Gregory, president of NASI, said Friday.

The report goes on to recommend balance in Social Security’s future finances, such as scheduling modest rate increases in the future when funds will be needed and dedicating progressive taxes to pay part of Social Security’s future costs.

Pay Czar Lists Recommendations He's Made For Executive Compensation Limits

By Laura Smith - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Treasury Official Kenneth Feinberg testified on Wednesday before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about his review of the bonuses paid to executives at the seven largest TARP recipients.

According to Feinberg, the Special Master for Executive Compensation under the Troubled Asset Relief Program - also referred to by some as the White House's 'Pay Czar' - those recipients include American International Group (AIG), Bank of America, Citigroup, Chrysler, Chrysler Financial, General Motors and GMAC.

“For the last five months, I have a narrow mandate under the law, and that was to determine pay compensation packages for the top 25 officials in just seven companies that receive the most TARP assistance,” he said.

Feinberg explained that he received proposals from each of the seven companies on the matter of compensation, and after he reviewed them, he took specific actions to correct their flaws.

“I requested and received comprehensive submissions from each of the seven companies, explaining their view on what they thought they needed for their top 25 officials in the way of a comprehensive package. I examined those submissions with the utmost care and scrutiny, and I concluded that six of the seven submissions...were contrary to the statute, contrary to the regulations, and contrary to the public interest,” he said.

Feinberg clarified his remarks by stating that certain of the companies “wanted too much cash guaranteed salary...and made no mention of the perks that were part of their salary.”

Feinberg said that his office evaluated the submissions and made some material changes.

“First we greatly reduced the amount of cash that would be available to the senior officials. Second, they required that when they issue stock, that stock may not be cashed out for up to four years. Third, we said no more unlimited perks. Perks are limited to $25,000 per individual, and anymore than that would have to be approved by the Office of the Special Master,” he said.

Opting-Out Would Be "Political Suicide" For States Says Health Care Analyst

By Laura Smith - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Michael Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies at the CATO Institute, said today that it would be "political suicide" for states to choose to opt-out of the public option plan.

Democrats in Congress, led by Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.), are pushing for an opt-out provision within the public option, or government-run health insurance plan, as a way to demonstrate to states that they will not be forced to partake in the plan.

Referring to the public option plan as "Fannie Med," Cannon said that Reid and others are using the opt-out provision as a way of putting pressure on states to subscribe.

“The taxpayers in each state are going to have to be subsidizing Fannie Med. And what Governor or state official is going to say ‘I know your tax dollars are subsidizing this government program, but I’m not going to let you get your tax dollars back by participating in this program?’ That would be political suicide for state officials. And supporters of Fannie Med know it would be political suicide,” Cannon said.

Cannon argued that supporters of an opt-out provision are merely interested in finding way for the government to seize more control of the nation's healthcare system, and nothing more.

“They are counting on this to get their proposal through Congress and they know that it’s not going to inhibit the new government program’s ability to drive private insurers out of business,” Cannon said.

Cannon said even proponents of the public option plan are aware that it would crush competition in the marketplace, and echoed the theory that President Barack Obama favors the public option plan because it would lead to single-payer health insurance in the U.S.

“What they call public option is not really a public option. That’s a ruse,” he said.

Republican Issa Insists On Increased Transparency Within Obama Administration

By Laura Smith - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

The Ranking Member on the House Oversight and Government and Reform Committee Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) called Monday on President Obama and the Democratically-controlled Congress to make government more transparent.

Issa spoke Monday at a discussion hosted by the organization Judicial Watch, a public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption.

"My committee has been pushing for more transparency," he said. "We can not allow the government to create favorites."

Issa called for an investigation into how the organizations Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been corrupted. According to a Judicial Watch report entitled "The Judicial Watch Verdict," the Treasury's decision to bailout Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has already cost taxpayers $86 billion.

Issa also called for an investigation into recent scandals involving the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), an organization he referred to as being "out of control."

The Congressman's remarks came less than one week after Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) locked Republicans out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee room by having the locks changed on the doors. As of Monday afternoon, the doors to the room are still locked.