Newsletter Archive

September 2019

Trump’s Health Care Vision, or Lack Thereof

President Trump will soon issue an executive order allowing the importation of some prescription drugs, The Washington Post reports, citing senior administration officials.

Plus: Plus, the $5 part causing a $725 million problem

Health Insurance Costs Now Top $20,000 a Year

The average cost of employer-provided health coverage now tops $20,000 for a family plan, according to a new survey by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.

Plus: Plus, Trump’s power plays with federal funds

Pelosi Announces 'Official Impeachment Inquiry' into Trump

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday afternoon announced a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump amid reports that Trump may have pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his…

Plus: Plus, Bernie Sanders' big new wealth tax

Bernie Sanders' Plan to Cancel $81 Billion in Medical Debt

We told you last week that lawmakers on Capitol Hill, seeking to avert a fight over President Trump’s border wall, were considering an option to extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security at current levels for the next year, so…

Plus: Plus - Why the U.S. savings rate is rising

Trump May Take Billions More from Military for Border Wall: Report

The Trump administration drew the ire of lawmakers with its controversial move to defy Congress and divert $3.6 billion dollars in military funding toward construction of barriers along the border with Mexico. Now it reportedly wants to do…

Plus: Plus, where Trump and Pelosi can come together on drug prices

Pelosi Releases Prescription Drug Plan, McConnell Says It’s DOA

The House on Thursday afternoon passed a short-term spending bill to fund the government through November 21 and avoid a shutdown when the new fiscal year starts at the beginning of October.

Plus: Plus: House Passes Spending Bill, Setting Up November Shutdown Fight

Is Trump’s Raid on Pentagon Funds Jeopardizing National Security?

The military construction projects that are being defunded to provide $3.6 billion for President Trump’s border wall are of vital importance to the Pentagon, according to documents submitted by the Defense Department to Congress in the…

Plus: Plus, Congress could skip the border funding fight

US Paid Federal Employees $3.7 Billion Not to Work

The last three government shutdowns cost the government about $4 billion and more than 56,000 years in lost productivity, according to a new bipartisan report.

Plus: Plus, Trump's tax cuts: Success, failure or too soon to judge?

Medical Costs Drove 8 Million into Poverty Last Year

The cost of health care is one of the top issues for voters heading into the 2020 election, and a report from the Census Bureau released week provides a good reminder why that’s the case.

Plus: Plus, the case for giving Social Security to kids

Trump Promises a Big Middle-Class Tax Cut — Again

President Trump said Thursday that he is working on a new tax cut for middle-class households, to be unveiled “sometime in the next year.”

Plus: Plus, your Friday news roundup

Number of Uninsured Jumps Under Trump

The number of Americans without health insurance rose slightly last year for the first time since 2009, climbing to 27.5 million, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday. Compared with 2017, the number of uninsured grew by 1.9 million and the…

Plus: Plus, Pelosi’s ‘not messing around’ on drug prices

Trump Gets a Fiscally Focused Challenger

After a summer recess that stretched for more than a month, Congress is back in session, with lots to do. Preventing another government shutdown probably tops the agenda in the near term, even as Democrats explore a possible push to…

Plus: Plus, can Trump and Pelosi strike a drug-pricing deal?

Billions in Disaster Aid Still Waiting to Be Spent

The U.S. has allocated more than $100 billion since 2017 to help cities and states rebuild after natural disasters, but most of the money remains unspent.

Plus: Plus, a plan to fight the next recession

Trump's Raid on Pentagon Funds Could Spark Another Shutdown Fight

The Pentagon’s announcement that it will shift $3.6 billion from military construction projects to fund the repair and construction of barriers on the border with Mexico is meeting bipartisan resistance in Washington, and the controversy…

Plus: Plus, does Trump have a policy agenda?

Trump Diverts $3.6 Billion from Military to Build Border Wall

The Department of Defense has approved a plan to divert $3.6 billion to pay for the construction of parts of President Trump’s border wall, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Tuesday. The money will be shifted from 127 construction projects…

Plus: Plus: a better payroll tax cut?

The Drug Industry Hits a New Low

The pharmaceutical industry has hit a new low in the eyes of the American public: It is now the most poorly regarded industry in the country, according to a new Gallup survey.

Plus: Plus, the case for and against a capital gains tax cut

August 2019

Billions from Big Pharma: What to Do With Opioid Lawsuit Payouts?

Drug companies are starting to be held accountable for the opioid crisis they helped create, with Purdue Pharma, which makes OxyContin, reportedly offering to pay $10 billion to $12 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits against it and an…

Plus: Plus, what the US could do with a 100-year bond

Pelosi Says Trump Is ‘Stealing’ Relief Funds

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the Trump administration’s effort to shift $271 million within the Department of Homeland Security to support activities at the border is a “brazen assault” on the congressional power of the purse.

Plus: Plus - Do Dems really want Medicare for All?