The Los Angeles Times: on Health Care
Al Gore:
All children should have health care by 2004
Gore said that he would ensure that all children receive medical insurance coverage by the end of his first term: “At this moment of fantastic prosperity, we must make a historic national commitment to make sure that no child goes without the care they
need,” Gore added. Gore lambasted Bush for failing to improve health care coverage, saying that Texas leads the nation in the number of people without insurance and ranks second in both the number and the percentage of uninsured women and children.
Source: Edwin Chen, L.A. Times
Apr 28, 2000
Bill Cassidy:
AdWatch: propose ObamaCare-lite plan in state legislature
The Senate Conservatives Fund, which endorsed longshot GOP candidate Rob Maness in the 2014 Louisiana Senate race this week, emailed a fund-raising appeal to its members.
And the Senate Conservatives Fund executive director took a shot at Rep. Bill Cassidy, the establishment GOP candidate for the seat now held by
Democrat Mary Landrieu: "Bill Cassidy has rightly been criticized for his ObamaCare hypocrisy," the group's executive director wrote. "Not only did Cassidy propose an
ObamaCare-lite plan in the state legislature, he's also tried to take credit for federal grants awarded through the ObamaCare program. All of this is making it harder for him to contrast himself with Democrat Mary Landrieu."
Source: AdWatch: NOLA Times-Picayune on 2014 Louisiana Senate debate
Nov 2, 2013
Donald Trump:
Ended pandemic early-warning program in Wuhan, China
Two months before the novel coronavirus is thought to have begun in Wuhan, China, the Trump administration ended a $200-million pandemic early-warning program. The initiative, called PREDICT, trained and supported staff in 60 foreign laboratories--
including the Wuhan lab that identified COVID-19. The Wuhan lab received USAID funding for equipment, and PREDICT coordinators connected the scientists there with researchers in other countries in order to synchronize tracking of novel viruses.
Source: The Los Angeles Times on Trump Administration
Apr 2, 2020
Elena Kagan:
Broad Congressional power for commerce, like ObamaCare
In a case that may affect the healthcare overhaul, the justices vote 7 to 2 to give Congress 'broad authority' to enact all laws that are 'necessary and proper' to carrying out its constitutional power. The Supreme Court set a potential blueprint
Monday for upholding the recently enacted healthcare law and its mandate that all Americans have insurance, saying Congress has a "broad authority" to pass laws that are "rationally related" to its constitutional aims.
The case was the first clear test of federal authority to come before the high court in five years, and was argued just as Congress neared final passage of the broad healthcare law. In January, Solicitor General
Elena Kagan, now President Obama's nominee to the court, appeared before it to defend a broad reading of congressional power in the Comstock case.
Source: David Savage, Los Angeles Times, "Sex offendors"
May 15, 2010
George W. Bush:
Endorses tax-subsidized medical savings accounts
Bush endorsed medical savings accounts - tax-favored accounts that individuals can use to buy catastrophic health insurance.
Source: L.A. Times
May 1, 1999
Marianne Williamson:
I support vaccines, but I understand the skepticism
After a request for comment [about her Tweet that vaccine mandates were "draconian" & "Orwellian"], Williamson acknowledged making the remarks and said she misspoke."I understand that many vaccines are important and save lives,"
Williamson said. "I also understand some of the skepticism that abounds today about drugs which are rushed to market by Big Pharma. I am sorry that I made comments which sounded as though I question the validity of life-saving vaccines.
That is not my feeling and I realize that I misspoke."
When asked about her stance on religious and personal belief exemptions for vaccinations, Williamson replied through a spokeswoman: "I support vaccines. Public safety must be carefully balanced
with the right of individuals to make their own decisions."
Williamson has a history of skeptical comments about vaccinations. President Trump has previously proudly embraced the disproved theory that vaccines cause autism.
Source: Los Angeles Times on 2020 Democratic primary
Jun 19, 2019
Mary Landrieu:
Let consumers keep health plans, but only if told options
Some negative ads are accusing Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., of inconsistency and worse because she was among those Democrats who voted against the Enzi resolution allowing people to keep their individual plans. But Landrieu said she's adding a requirement,
not included in the Enzi proposal, that insurance companies inform consumers if and how their plans fall short of Affordable Care Act requirements. "Many people may find better plans in the marketplaces that offer superior coverage for them at a good
value and at a potentially lower cost," said Landrieu. "But if people want to keep their current plans, they should be able to do so." About 5 percent of health insurance are individual policies potentially affected by the current controversy.Who is
paying for those negative ads? Americans for Prosperity, a conservative advocacy group that doesn't identify the source of much of its funding, has begun airing a series of ads attacking Landrieu for support of the Affordable Care Act.
Source: AdWatch: NOLA Times-Picayune on 2014 Louisiana Senate debate
Nov 2, 2013
Stephen Breyer:
Broad authority for interstate commerce, like ObamaCare
In a case that may affect the healthcare overhaul, the justices vote 7 to 2 to give Congress 'broad authority' to enact all laws that are 'necessary and proper' to carrying out its constitutional power. The Supreme Court set a potential blueprint
Monday for upholding the recently enacted healthcare law and its mandate that all Americans have insurance, saying Congress has a "broad authority" to pass laws that are "rationally related" to its constitutional aims.
The Constitution not only gives Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce, but the authority to enact all laws that are "necessary and proper" to carrying out this authority. The "choice of means" for carrying out its aims is
left "primarily to the judgment of Congress," said Justice Breyer in US vs. Comstock. If Congress has a delegated power, such as over interstate commerce, it may regulate it in a way that infringes on the state's authority.
Source: David Savage, Los Angeles Times, "Sex offendors"
May 15, 2010
Katie Porter:
Replace Affordable Care Act with something like Medicare
Ultimately, I think the Affordable Care Act should be replaced by a healthcare approach similar to Medicare, with its huge provider network that expands patient choice,
its lower costs for coverage of more health needs, and most importantly, its improved health outcomes.
Source: Los Angeles Times on 2024 California Senate race
Oct 20, 2022
Page last updated: Aug 06, 2024