Budget Battles
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Trump to Order ‘Buy American’ for Essential Drugs
By Michael RaineyPresident Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that directs the federal government to purchase “essential drugs” and medical supplies from American manufacturers. White House trade adviser...
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Map of the Day: Voters Choosing Medicaid Expansion
By The Fiscal Times StaffOn Tuesday, voters in Missouri backed the expansion of Medicaid in their state, which will provide health care coverage for 217,000 low-income residents. Sarah Kliff of The New York Times says that...
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No Deal in Sight, but Faint Signs of Progress in Coronavirus Relief Talks
Negotiations on the next round of coronavirus relief continued Tuesday afternoon, and Democratic leaders emerged sounding more positive on the state of the talks. "They made some concessions, which...
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Where Is Trump’s Health Care Plan?
In an interview with “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace on July 19, President Trump said that he would be “signing a health-care plan within two weeks, a full and complete health-care plan.” Two...
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US Makes $2.1 Billion Deal for Vaccine
By Michael RaineyThe federal government has agreed to pay two major pharmaceutical companies up to $2.1 billion for testing, manufacturing and the purchase of 100 million doses of an as-yet unfinished vaccine for...
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Dems Find Trump Admin ‘Squandered’ Up to $500 Million in Buying Ventilators
A report by a panel of the House Oversight Committee raises serious questions about the roughly $3 billion in taxpayer money spent by the Trump administration as it scrambled to acquire ventilators,...
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Why Coronavirus Relief Negotiations Will Be Much, Much Harder This Time
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are set to meet with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows this evening to...
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GOP Delays Rollout of Coronavirus Stimulus Plan; Trump Dumps Push for Payroll Tax Cut
The White House and Senate Republicans failed to reach final agreement Thursday on their proposal for a coronavirus relief package, forcing them to delay a planned rollout of the legislation even...
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US Agrees to Pay $1.95 Billion for 100 Million Doses of Vaccine
By The Fiscal Times StaffThe federal government has agreed to pay Pfizer and German biotechnology firm BioNTech nearly $2 billion to produce 100 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine currently under development, if the vaccine...
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New York Pop-Up Hospital Cost $52 Million, Treated 79 Patients: Report
A field hospital built by New York City as the coronavirus pandemic was peaking in April cost more than $52 million. Located at the U.S.T.A. Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, the...
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Biden Unveils $775 Billion Plan for Universal Preschool and Caregivers
Joe Biden on Tuesday rolled out the third plank in his “Build Back Better” economic recovery program, a $775 billion, 10-year plan that aims to ease the burdens of caring for children and the elderly...
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What's in the GOP's New Coronavirus Relief Plan?
Congress is back in Washington this week and getting down to the difficult task of negotiating the next, and potentially final, coronavirus relief package. The parties are far apart, with House...
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Trump’s Fact-Challenged Interview With Fox News
President Trump gave a combative, mind-bending, fact-twisting interview to “Fox News Sunday” host Chris Wallace. In the interview, which aired Sunday, Trump made a number of comments that generated...
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The Case of the Disappearing Covid Data
A sudden change by the Trump administration in how coronavirus data is reported is raising concerns among political leaders, public health experts and state and hospital officials that it could lead...
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Poll: 62% Say Trump Is Hurting Coronavirus Response
Approval of President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has fallen to its lowest level since March, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll . A sizeable majority of registered voters...