Author: Josh Gay

Members of Congress are Increasingly Disconnected from their Constituents on Healthcare

Members of Congress are Increasingly Disconnected from their Constituents on Healthcare

Posted by | Feb 23, 2017 | , , |

During a town hall meeting in his home state of Arkansas on Wednesday, Republican Senator Tom Cotton faced a largely hostile crowd. He was peppered with pointed questions tackling everything from PBS funding, to Trump’s refugee ban, to paid protesters. But, it was an emotional audience member that stole the show. On the verge of tears, Cotton’s constituent said, “I can tell you three members of my family, including me, that would be dead, dead, and homeless if it was not for ACA. I am an angry constituent. You work for us.” Her impassioned plea, which has been retweeted...

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Trump’s Deportation Plan Is Unconstitutional and Will Fail Miserably

Trump’s Deportation Plan Is Unconstitutional and Will Fail Miserably

Posted by | Feb 23, 2017 | , , , |

The Department of Homeland Security released a pair of memos on Monday that laid out their plans for enforcing President Trump’s Executive Order on Boarder Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements. Contained within the memos are provisions for hiring additional agents, scrutinizing Federal aid to Mexico, and building Trump’s beloved wall. But, also addressed are items dealing with the privacy rights of non-citizens, as well publicizing the actions of detained undocumented immigrants, regardless if they have actually committed a crime. “The Department will no longer afford Privacy Act rights and protections to persons who are neither U.S. citizens nor lawful permanent residents,” states the...

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Judge Slams Texas’ Attempts to Defund Planned Parenthood

Judge Slams Texas’ Attempts to Defund Planned Parenthood

Posted by | Feb 22, 2017 | , , |

Today, in a scathing opinion, U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks shut down Texas’ attempts to block Medicaid dollars from reaching Planned Parenthood. The judge, appointed by former President George H. W. Bush, cited obvious political motivations and a lack of evidence in the ruling. “A secretly recorded video, fake names, a grand jury indictment, congressional investigations — these are the building blocks of a best-selling novel rather than a case concerning the interplay of federal and state authority through the Medicaid program. Yet, rather than a villain plotting to take over the world, the subject of this case is...

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From Medical Care to Daycare, Trump’s Hiring Freeze Hurts Military Families

From Medical Care to Daycare, Trump’s Hiring Freeze Hurts Military Families

Posted by | Feb 22, 2017 | , , |

One of Donald Trump’s first acts as President was to put in place a hiring freeze across the federal government in an effort to ‘drain the swamp’ and reduce government size. But our military service members and veterans are the ones feeling the feeling the squeeze, breaking one of Trump’s biggest campaign promises. During his campaign, Donald Trump promised a brighter future for America’s veterans. One campaign ad said that in Trump’s America, “Veterans are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.” But with unacceptable wait times persisting for veterans desperately seeking care, the VA is left with...

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Trump is Killing Coal Jobs Faster than he Can Save Them

Trump is Killing Coal Jobs Faster than he Can Save Them

Posted by | Feb 22, 2017 | , , , |

Donald Trump and Scott Pruitt may influence coal jobs after all, but their efforts to repeal Obama-era pollution regulations ultimately have little to do with shrinking numbers of coal miners. In fact, Trump’s own pro-fracking stance may do more to eliminate coal-based jobs than regulations ever did. Throw in exponential innovation in the energy sector and saving the remaining 50-70,000 coal mining jobs may be impossible. Pruitt, Trump’s newly confirmed EPA chief, told Congress last May that, “[a]s natural gas becomes increasingly affordable it becomes an increasingly attractive alternative to coal.” He even went so far as to boast...

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