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The Senate voted on Friday to approve the renewal of Section 702. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hosts: Greg Skordas and Rusty Cannon After failing to pass the bill just a few days ago, the House has officially voted to reauthorize FISA for two years. Perry Russom, ABC News Correspondent in Washington, joins Rusty and Greg to break down the vote and what happens next.
April 12, 2024 ~ The reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act failed on the House floor on Wednesday, but FOX News Radio correspondent Ryan Schmelz tells Guy, Lloyd, and Jamie there could be another vote soon to pass the important surveillance tool. They also talk about Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene ramping up pressure to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson, with former President Donald Trump weighing in.
The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1: In her most recent article, India McKinney of the Electronic Frontier Foundation condemns the House Intelligence Committee's proposed surveillance reform bill. She writes: “the House Committee on the Judiciary (HJC) and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) marked up two very different bills (H.R. 6570—Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act in HJC, and HR 6611, the FISA Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2023 in HPSCI), both of which would reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)—but in very different ways.” Alarmingly, HR611 “would renew the mass surveillance authority Section 702 for another eight years. It would create new authorities that the intelligence community has sought for years, but that have been denied by the courts. It would continue the indiscriminate collection of U.S. persons' communications when they talk with people abroad for use by domestic law enforcement. This was not the intention of this national security program, and people on U.S. soil should not have their communications collected without a warrant because of a loophole.” You can read McKinney's full article here: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/12/section-702-needs-reform-and-oversight-not-expansion-congress-should-oppose-hpsci The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board condemned the House Judiciary Committee's proposed alterations to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) claiming it would “end Section 702's usefulness as a national-security tool” and could result in a general threat to national security. But many Republican officials—including Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-FL)—are concerned that any reauthorization of Section 702 without newly imposed restrictions will result in the continued unconstitutional, warrantless collection of American communications. You can read the full editorial here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/fisa-section-702-surveillance-congress-house-judiciary-jim-jordan-jerrold-nadler-40b28f96?mod=opinion_lead_pos1 On the social media platform X, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) wrote: “FISA spying on Americans is just like King George III using general warrants to persecute dissidents. Congress should not reauthorize FISA in the NDAA.”
Welcome back to the “Tech Policy Grind” podcast by the Internet Law & Policy Foundry! This episode, Foundry Fellows Reema Moussa, Lama Mohammed, and Joe Catapano cover some of the latest headlines in tech policy. They cover the latest updates in the Federal Trade Commission's case against the data broker Kochava, the DOJ's antitrust case against Google, and the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). They also cover some global updates on AI regulation, from the White House's AI executive order to the Global AI Safety Summit. Finally, Reema wraps up with coverage on Meta's new political advertising disclosure policy around AI-generated content coinciding with new EU rules on targeted political ads for Big Tech. Resources Referenced and Further Readings Aids: Data Brokers, Ad-Tech, and the Civil Liberties at Stake with Justin Sherman [S4E27] FTC v. Kochava and What's Next for the FTC's Section 5 Unfairness Authority Unsealed amended complaint in FTC v. Kochava US wraps up antitrust case against Google in historic trial Key Takeaways from the Global AI Safety Summit FACT SHEET: President Biden Issues Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence ANPD's Call for Contributions to the regulatory sandbox for artificial intelligence and data protection in Brazil is now open ICYMI: White House ONDCP Director Op-Ed on Reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Wyden, Lee, Davidson and Lofgren Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Reauthorize and Reform Key Surveillance Law, Secure Protections for Americans' Rights Meta to require political advertisers disclose AI-generated content Big Tech to face tougher rules on targeted political ads in EU Check out the Foundry on Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn and subscribe to our newsletter! If you'd like to support the show, donate to the Foundry here or reach out to us at foundrypodcasts@ilpfoundry.us. Thanks for listening, and stay tuned for our next episode! DISCLAIMER: Foundry Fellows Reema, Lama, and Joe engaged with this episode by the Internet Law & Policy Foundry voluntarily and in their personal capacities. The views and opinions expressed on this show do not reflect the organizations and institutions they are affiliated with.
The U.S. is debating the reauthorization of PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief. The 20-year-old government program has now spent more than $85 billion. PEPFAR has been championed by evangelicals, and evangelical ministries have been major beneficiaries of funding. But should funding continue? Some conservative and evangelical groups are saying no, and others say that new restrictions should be placed on the program to ensure that taxpayer dollars do not fund abortion or abortion-adjacent programs. In today's MinistryWatch EXTRA episode, we look at some of the issues. This episode is based on Warren Smith's “Editor's Notebook” column that you can find here.
While usually during the summer period news is expected to slow down, it was certainly not the case for the first couple of days of June. As the unexpected https://www.devex.com/news/abortion-politics-cast-shadow-over-pepfar-reauthorization-105627continues and we mark the beginning of a https://www.devex.com/news/ajay-banga-faces-great-expectations-as-he-takes-helm-of-world-bank-105621, the start of the month has most definitely been eventful. From discussing what to expect from Banga's presidency to a deep dive into a two-month investigation concerning the https://www.devex.com/news/exclusive-africa-cdc-head-s-bizarre-entanglement-with-clinton-initiative-105403, we review the week's top stories in the latest episode of This Week in Global Development. For this episode, Devex president and editor-in-chief, Raj Kumar, is joined by Devex managing editor Anna Gawel, as well as George Ingram, senior fellow at the The Brookings Institution. Sign up to the Devex Newswire and our other newsletters: https://www.devex.com/account/newsletters
The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 3: According to a report from Ryan Saavedra of The Daily Wire, “Westfield is pulling out from operating San Francisco's largest mall amid deteriorating conditions in the Democrat-controlled city.” You can read more here: https://www.dailywire.com/news/westfield-surrenders-san-francisco-location-as-woke-city-deteriorates While speaking with Sean Hannity on Fox News, California Governor Gavin Newsom claimed that Whole Foods chose to shutdown its San Francisco store because “it was a bad location” and had absolutely nothing to do with out-of-control crime. Daniel Penny, the U.S. Marine veteran who has now been indicted in the death of Jordan Neely, said he was “scared” and that Neely had threatened to hurt people on the New York City subway. Johns Hopkins University has redefined “lesbians” as “non-men attracted to non-men.” Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling accused the research university of attempting to erase women. Following widespread criticism, Johns Hopkins deleted their new definition. Section 702 Expiration: Tim Starks of The Washington Post writes, “Congress will not renew powerful, expiring surveillance authorities without substantial changes to shield Americans from warrantless eavesdropping, senators in both parties warned Biden administration officials.” During Tuesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Section 702, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) said “year after year we hear of instances of non-compliance including the disclosure that the FBI illegally surveilled 19,000 donors to a Congressional campaign”—concluding, “why should we ever trust the FBI & DOJ to police themselves under FISA?” You can read more about Section 702's potential expiration here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/06/13/section-702-fisa-biden-warrant/ According to a new report, “[s]cientists conducting research on novel coronaviruses at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were the first humans to contract COVID-19.” You can read Allie Griffin's New York Post article here: https://nypost.com/2023/06/13/wuhan-scientists-were-the-first-to-contract-covid-19-report/
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is in line for another budget boost under the fiscal 2023 spending agreement, while lawmakers are also reauthorizing CISA's marquee cyber defense program for another year.The fiscal 2023 omnibus spending agreement includes $2.9 billion for CISA, a $313 million increase over its current budget. The funding includes $1.3 billion for the agency's cybersecurity programs, about $230 million more than last year.
Episode 511: Just in time for Hurricane Season, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signs a new law to reform and stabilize the insurance marketplace. Plus, New England Asset Management's Robb Barnum discusses the basics of ESG labeled bonds and their effect on the resilience of insurance companies.
Almost 40% of Americans WITH health insurance reported they had received a surprise medical bill in the past year from a doctor or hospital for a service they thought was covered by their insurance plan. Why is this happening? And what can we do about it? Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Additional Reading Article: Went to the ER? You may be hit with a surprise medical bill by Tami Luhby, CNN, June 20, 2019. Press Release: House Supports Porter Amendment to Improve Affordable Care Act Enrollment by Representative Katie Porter, Porter House News, June 13, 2019. Article: Alexander-Murrary Bill, by Tammy Luhby, CNN, May 23, 2019. Bill: Bill S. 1531 Stopping The Outrageous Practice of Surprise Medical Bills Act of 2019 by Senator Bill Cassidy, Govtrack.us, May 16, 2019. Press Release: Trauma Coalition Press Release, by Trauma Association of America, May 16, 2019. Article: Trump calls for an end to surprise medical bills by Tami Luhby, CNN, May 9, 2019. Article: UnitedHealth's David Wichmann buys record $4.6 million worth of UNH stock by Alex Wittenberg, Biz Journals, May 7, 2019. Article: After Vox reporting, California moves forward on plan to end surprise ER bills by Sarah Kliff, Vox, April 24, 2019. Article: How to fight an outrageous medical bill, explained by Sarah Kliff, Vox, April 1, 2019 Bill: Bill S. 1266 Protecting Patients from Surprise Medical Bills Act 116th Congress, March 1, 2019. Bill: Bill H.R. 861 End Surprise Billing Act of 2019 116th Congress, January 30, 2019. Article: A $20,243 bike crash: Zuckerberg hospital’s aggressive tactics leave patients with big bills by Sarah Kliff, Vox, January 24, 2019. Article: After Vox story, Zuckerberg hospital rolls back by Sarah Kliff, Vox, January 24, 2019. Document: NBER Working Paper No. 23623 Surprise! Out-of-Network Billing for Emergency Care in the United States by Zach Cooper, Fiona Scott Morton and Nathan Shekita, NBER, January 2019 Article: LifePoint merges with RCCH, goes private by Ayla Ellison, Becker Hospital Review, November 16, 2018. Article: “It’s unacceptable”: Sen. Maggie Hassan explains her plan to end surprise ER bills by Sarah Kliff, Vox, October 29, 2018. Article: Gov. Rick Scott took responsibility? No, he took $300 million | Randy Schultz by Randy Schultz, Sun Sentinel News, October 2, 2018. Article: UnitedHealthcare issues warning to hospitals about out-of-network coverage for ER physicians by Susan Morse, Healthcare Finance News, September 25, 2018. Article: Three Ways Self-Insured Plans Can Leverage State Laws to Protect their Members from Balance Billing by Matthew Albright, The Self-Insurer, September 2018. Article: The Last Company You Would Expect Is Reinventing Health Benefits by Reed Abelson, NY Times, August 31, 2018. Article: As Health and Financial Challenges Grow, More Older Adults File for Bankruptcy by Lindsey Copeland, Medicare Rights Center, August 9, 2018. Article: A baby was treated with a nap and a bottle of formula. His parents received an $18,000 bill by Jenny Gold, Kaiser Health News and Sarah Kliff, Vox, July 20, 2018. Article: Air Ambulances Are Flying More Patients Than Ever, and Leaving Massive Bills Behind by John Tozzi, Bloomberg News, June, 11 2018. Case Docket: Case Proceeding Air Medical Group, KKR North America, and AMR Holdco, In the Matter of Federal Trade Commission, May 3, 2018. Article: Are Physician Staffing Companies Killing the Patient Experience and Bottom Line? by Berta Bustamante, InsideArm, April 10, 2018. Press Release: Ambulance Companies Air Medical Group Holdings, Inc. and AMR Holdco, Inc. Agree to Divest Air Ambulance Services in Hawaii as a Condition of Merger Federal Trade Commission, March 7, 2018. Document: Letter to Christopher Holden-President and Executive Officer for Envision Healthcare US Senate, September 20, 2017 Bill: California Assembly Bill 72 by Ann Whitehead,JD,RN.,CAP Physicians, August 30, 2017. Report: AIR AMBULANCE Data Collection and Transparency Needed to Enhance DOT Oversight Government Accountability Office, July 2017. Article: The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills by Julie Creswell,Reed Abelson and Margot Sangor-Katz, NY Times, July 24, 2017. Article: AB 72: No More Balance Billing for Out-of-Network Care In-Network by Staff, Word&Brown, July 14, 2017. Report: Health Policy Report Up in the Air: Inadequate Regulation for Emergency Air Ambulance Transportation Consumer Reports, March 2017. Article: One In Five Inpatient Emergency Department Cases May Lead To Surprise Bills by Christopher Garmon and Benjamin Chartock, Health Affairs, January 2017. Article: Trauma fees growing across the nation at 'absurd' rate by Alexander Zayas and Kris Hunley, Tampa Bay Times, November 21, 2014. Article: 10 Things to Know About HCA Becker's Hospital Review, April 16, 2014. Article: HCA to Eliminate Trauma Fees for Uninsured Patients Becker's Hospital Review, April 10, 2014. Resources Profile Link: Connie Potter Profile, RN, BSN, MBA-HCA Link Linkedin. Profile Link: Sherif Zaafran Profile, MD, FASA Linkedin. Contact Us: Physicans for Fair Coverage End of the Insurance Gap.org About Us: Independence Company (IBX) IBX.com Document: License Agreement: Use of Current Procedural Terminology, Fourth Edition ("CPT®") Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2013-2018 Contributor List: Sen. Rick Scott Election Contributor List Opensecrets.org Campaign Money Data Table: David Wichmann Political Campaign Contributions 2016 Election Cycle Campaign Money.com Online Review Score: Regence Health Plan Company Profile Review BestCompany.com False Claims Act: Nation’s Largest Healthcare Fraud Settlement Doesn’t Stop Medical Behemoth, WhistleBlowerJustice.net Visual Resources Sound Clip Sources Hearing: NO MORE SURPRISES: PROTECTING PATIENTS FROM SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLS, Not on C-Span, Committee on Energy and Commerce, June 12, 2019. Watch on Youtube Witnesses: Sonji Wilkes: Patient Advocate Sherif Zaafran, MD: Chair of Physicians for Fair Coverage Rick Sherlock: President and CEO of Association of Air Medical Services James Gelfand: Senior Vice President of Health Policy at The ERISA Industry Committee Thomas Nickels: Executive Vice President of the American Hospital Association Jeanette Thornton: Senior Vice President of Product, Employer, and Commercial Policy at Americas’ Health Insurance Plans Claire McAndrew: Director of Campaigns and Partnerships at Families USA Vidor E. Friedman, MD: President of American College of Emergency Physicians Transcript 47:54 CEO Rick Sherlock: Emergency air medical services are highly effective medical interventions appropriate in cases where getting a patient directly to the closest most appropriate medical facility can make a significant difference in their survival in recovery. Today, because of air medical services, 90% of Americans can reach a level one or level two trauma center within an hour. However, since 2010, 90 hospitals have closed in rural areas and an estimated 20% more are at risk of closing. Our members fill the gap created by closures, but this lifeline is fraying as 31 air medical bases have also closed in 2019. 48:31 CEO Rick Sherlock: Emergency or medical providers never make the decision on who to transport. That decision is always made by a requesting physician or medically trained first responder. Air medical crews then respond within minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week without any knowledge of a patient’s ability to pay for their services. 48:45 CEO Rick Sherlock: Our members are unique in the healthcare system. The services heavily regulated by the states for the purposes of healthcare, as ambulances and the federal government for aviation safety and services as air carriers. It is their status as air carriers that allow rapid transport of patients over significant distances. Over 33% of our flights cross state lines every day. For that reason, the Airline Deregulation act uniform authority over the national airspace is essential to the provision of this lifesaving service. Exempting air medical services from the ADA would allow states to regulate aviation services, including where and when they’re able to fly, limiting access to healthcare for patients in crisis. 49:54 CEO Rick Sherlock: To prevent balance billing, our members are actively negotiating with insurance companies to secure in-network agreements. One member alone has increased their participation from 5% to almost 43% in the last three years. Despite that, some insurers have refused to discuss in-network agreements. That hurts both patients and caregivers. 50:30 CEO Rick Sherlock: Uh, covering air medical services in full, represents about a $1.70 of the average monthly premium. 51:50 CEO Rick Sherlock: $10,199 was the median cost of providing a helicopter transport. While Medicare paid $5,998, Medicaid paid $3,463 and the uninsured paid $354. This results in an ongoing imbalance between actual costs and government reimbursement and is the single biggest factor in increasing costs. 53:45 Senior VP James Gelfand: We’re focused on three scenarios in which patients end up with big bills they couldn’t see coming or avoid. Number one, a patient receives care at an in-network facility, but is treated by an out of network provider. Number two, a patient requires emergency care, but the provider’s facility or transportation are out of network. And number three, a patient is transferred or handed off without sufficient information or alternatives. It’s usually not the providers you’re planning to see. It’s anesthesiologists, radiologists, pathologists, or emergency providers or transport or an unexpected trip to the NICU. Many work for outsourced medical staffing firms that have adopted a scam strategy of staying out of networks, practicing at in-network facilities and surprise billing patients. It’s deeply concerning, but the problem is narrowly defined and therefore we can fix it. 54:40 Senior VP James Gelfand: The No Surprises Act nails it. It takes patients out of the middle and creates a market based benchmark rate to pay providers fairly. The benchmark is not developed by government and it is not price setting. The committee might also consider network matching. It’s simple. If a provider practices at an in-network facility, they take the in-network rate or they go work somewhere else. Or base the benchmark on Medicare, you could set the rate higher, say 125% of Medicare and still make the system more affordable, sustainable and simpler. These approaches will eliminate the surprise bills. That’s a huge win for patients. 54:50 ** Senior VP James Gelfand: But not everyone wants to stop the surprise bills. Some provider specialties are saying, “let us keep doing what we’re doing, just use binding arbitration to make someone else pay these bills”. They’re asking for a non- transparent process that could force plans and employers to pay massive and fake medical list prices. It’s essentially setting money on fire. Funds that would have been used to pay for healthcare will instead be spent on administrative costs such as lawyers, arbitrators, facility fees, and on reasonable settlement amounts. Make no mistake, patients will pay these costs. 55:20 Senior VP James Gelfand: The ground and air ambulance companies are asking Congress to let them keep surprise billing too. Do nothing, wait for another study, another report, and there have already been four. They know patients cannot shop for them and many participate in no networks. State insurance commissioners are begging for help with air ambulances, but Congress has tied their hands. Employers think Congress should end this. Treat medical transport the same as emergency care. We should end surprise billing in the ER and on the way there. 56:30 Senior VP James Gelfand: Other providers figure they’re willing to stop surprise billing, but only if they can increase in-network rates. They’re calling for network adequacy rules to force insurers and employers to add more providers to their networks, even if those providers demand astronomical payments. Does anyone here actually believe that these hospital based doctors who services cannot be shopped for, who are guaranteed to see our patients, are begging to be included in our networks, but nobody will return their calls? That they have no choice but to go and join these out of network Wall Street owned firms? It doesn’t make sense. 57:00 Senior VP James Gelfand: Employers design health benefits to help our beneficiaries. We don’t sell insurance. We want networks that meet our patients’ needs. Why would we want to cover an operation, but leave out the anesthesia? We want our employees to be able to afford their health insurance too, and that means we must be able to say no when providers are gaming the system. 1:08:10 Dr. Vidor Friedman: Unlike most physicians, emergency physicians are prohibited by federal law from discussing with a patient any potential costs of care or insurance details until they are screened and stabilized. This important patient protection known as Emtala, ensures physicians focus on the immediate medical needs of patients. However, it also means that patients cannot fully understand the potential cost of their care or the limitations of their insurance coverage until they receive the bill. 1:10:40 Dr. Vidor Friedman: The goal should be a system in which everyone is in-network, or essentially that. That requires a level playing field between providers and insurers. Insurers are concerned that benchmarking the even median charges, favors providers. Providers are concerned that benchmarking the median in-network rates, favors insurer’s. What’s Congress to do? ACEP supports a system that has already proven to be balanced between insurers and providers. That is a baseball style independent dispute resolution process similar to that used in New York and noted in the legislative proposal put forth by Doctors, Ruiz Rowe and Busan. 2:02:30 Rep. Brett Guthrie: If there does become a federal arbitration system, what do you think congressional oversight should be? And I don’t know if that should be something that I’m supposed to talk about or…Sonji Wilkes: Well, I’ve been sitting here listening, thinking I pay my insurance premiums, I do my part and I expect the bill to be paid. I mean, there’s only so much I can do to control that and I don’t really care how the reimbursement works. And quite frankly, I think the insurance industry is doing probably better in their bottom line than my bottom line. Um, I want to go to the best provider possible and I want the best care possible. I don’t really care how the payment works. 2:34:50 Dr. Sherif Zaafran: Well, I can tell you that from the physician’s standpoint, for emergency room physicians for example; the average weighted cost of every visit is about $155. 3:49:00 CEO Rick Sherlock: The median cost of a helicopter air transport is $10,199 according to a study conducted in 2017. If you look at the cost of uncompensated care, because Medicare pays less than $.60 on the dollar of that 10,199. About $5,998, Medicaid pays significantly less than that. Less than $3,500 on average, and the uninsured pay about $350. Those make up…those three groups make up 70% of air medical transports. So when you take that cost of uncompensated care and you add it to the median cost of $10,200, that’s the average charge of $36,000 that the representative from New Mexico referenced earlier. When you…when those kinds of situations happen, no one in our industry wants to see a patient or their family placed in jeopardy because they’ve just had a health emergency. Our members will sit down with each individual and their families and work out a solution tailored for them. 3:54:30 Dr. Sherif Zaafran: Again, there is no such thing as an out of network provider. There is a provider who may happen to be out of network with that specific product. So the only one who knows what the product is, is of course the patient and the insurance carrier and they’re the only ones who really have the information as to whether they’re in-network or out of network. Hearing: The Need to Reauthorize the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, June 11, 2019 Hearing: Hearing on September 11 Victims Compensation Fund, June 11, 2019 Hearing: Watch on CSPAN-Surprise Medical Bills House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health-May 21, 2019 Committee website Watch on YouTube Witnesses: Rep. Katie Porter (CA) James Patrick Gelfand: Senior Vice President, Health Policy, ERISA Industry Committee Dr. Bobby Mukkamala: Board of Trustees, American Medical Association Tom Nickels: Executive Vice President, Government Relations and Public Policy, American Hospital Association Jeannette Thornton: Senior Vice President for Product, Employer, and Commercial Policy at America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Transcript *7:15 Chairman Lloyd Doggett (TX): Fortunately, there now appears to be a growing consensus. Most recently joined by president Trump that holding the patient harmless should form the foundation for any surprise billing proposal. Under the legislation that I advanced, patients would only be charged in network cost sharing rates in emergency situations and non-emergency situations out of network charges would be permitted only when the patient has agreed in advance after receiving effective notice regarding any providers and services together with estimated charges. No other bill addressing this issue has yet been filed here in the house, but there is a very useful discussion draft proposal that is being circulated on a bipartisan basis by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and there’s several proposals that have service in the Senate. While every proposal currently begins with the basic premise of the enterprise billing act, conflict remains over how to resolve insurer provider disputes. *13:40 Rep. Katie Porter (CA): I’m concerned about surprise billing, as someone who’s dedicated my life to protecting consumers, but also because I have had to fight my own battle with surprise billing. On August 3rd last year when I was on the campaign trail, I started to feel pain in my abdomen. At 1:00 PM I could not continue and I went home. At 4:31, I texted my campaign manager that I needed to go to the emergency room. I couldn’t safely drive through the pain and I remember sitting on my front porch, so if I lost consciousness, somebody might find me and I wouldn’t be home alone. I didn’t call an ambulance because I was concerned about the cost. I could not drive and I asked my manager to please take me to Hoag hospital. I chose that hospital even though it was farther away from other providers, because I knew Hoag was an in-network facility. When I got to the hospital, I waited six hours alone in the emergency exam room without treatment. When I finally went to surgery, my doctor told me it was nothing to worry about, just a routine appendectomy. I was given anesthesia and when I awoke, the team around me was panicking. They couldn’t get my temperature to drop and they couldn’t get my blood pressure to rise. My appendix had ruptured hours before causing an infection that was making my whole body very sick. I spent the next five days in the hospital receiving powerful IV antibiotics. A few weeks later, I received the bill from my insurance company. The idea of an astronomical hospital bill had weighed heavily on me and I was happy to see that the cost of my emergency room treatment and assessment and hospital charges, and nearly all of my inpatient services, were covered. I remember sitting at my kitchen table and taking a deep breath filled with relief, but a few days later I received another bill. This one from my surgeon. While the hospital I had gone to was in-network, the insurance company now claimed the surgeon was not, even though they had sent me a notification telling me that my surgeon was in-network . Enclosed in that bill for nearly $3,000, was a handout from my surgeon detailing the steps I would have to take while recovering in order to fight to have my insurance company cover the care. So many of his patients had been put in this situation, that this medical doctor had used his staff to address patient billing problems. That’s not what he trained for in medical school. Your so-called explanation of benefits and the surgeon’s handout explained that he was being treated as an out of network provider even though he was employed by and worked at an in-network hospital. As someone in an emergency situation, I had no ability to assess whether he was in or out of network, and in those cases insurers are supposed to cover the costs, but I got that bill because my insurer put profits before patients. I called insurance company to request an appeal. The benefits manager kept asking me questions to guide me and coach me towards saying that it was my surgeon’s fault to blame him for overcharging me. She asked me to call the surgeon and attack my doctor for his bill. Apparently, to Anthem Blue Cross, $3,000 was too high a price for saving my life. The tens of thousands in premiums I’d paid to that company over the years were not enough to have them, cause them to cover the lifesaving care. Nearly five months after I was hospitalized, the surgeon simply requested payment, and at that point I reached out to my employer of the University of California Irvine. That’s when I learned that U.C. Irvine has a designated patient advocate, a medical doctor, whose sole job is to help university employees get the health insurance that the university and the employees pay for. Can we just reflect on that for a moment? The university is paying a medical doctor to do nothing but navigate insurance. Finally, the patient advocate, invoking the fact that I had just been just elected to Congress, was able to get the insurance company to agree to pay my surgeon’s bill. But here’s what I learned from getting sick. I am well educated. I had an employer prepared to help me. I have professional experience fighting for consumer rights, but there are thousands of Americans with fewer resources than me who are surprised with bills far more devastating than mine. I’m here today because they refuse to accept this as the status quo. I refuse to stand idly by while families go bankrupt because of surprise medical bills. Any solution to this issue must rely, must not rely, excuse me, on the patient’s ability to go to war with the insurer or with their provider. That is not the solution. It’s time we start putting patients first. 31:00 Jeanette Thornton: We ask that federal legislation focus on four things. First, balanced billing should be banned in situations where inpatients are involuntarily treated by an out of network provider. This includes emergency health services at any hospital, any health healthcare services or treatment performed at an in-network facility by an out of network provider, not selected by the patient and ambulance transportation in an emergency. Second, health insurance providers should be required to reimburse out of network providers inappropriate and reasonable amount in those above scenarios. Third, state should be required to establish an independent dispute resolution process that works in tandem with the established benchmark. Fourth hospitals or other healthcare providers should be required to provide advanced notice to patients of the network status of the treating providers. We appreciate the health sub-committee chairman Lloyd Doggett has introduced legislation to end surprise billing act or HR 861, which would establish a role for hospitals in providing such notices, along with banning balanced billing. AHIP supports this bill. 46:00 Chairman Lloyd Doggett (TX): What I’m referring to is the difference… Dr. Bobby Mukkamala: Right. Chairman Lloyd Doggett (TX): …in charges and why one one price for those who are in network and another for those that are out. Dr. Bobby Mukkamala: Right. So there is a benefit for me to be in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for example. I get something from that. They sit with me, they show me their data. We had…we worked together on incentive programs to sort of curb costs. If there’s an insurance company that’s in town that does none of that activity to improve the care of the population in my town, but yet wants to benefit from the same rate of compensation to me, they’re doing nothing to earn that discount. Blue Cross sits across from me on a weekly or monthly basis to improve the care of my population. But Golden Rule insurance, that’s new in town for example, doesn’t do any of that work and yet wants to benefit from having the same provider rates. No, I mean, I take a discounted rate from Blue Cross because of all this other robust activity. But if you’re not offering me anything to participate in your network, then naturally, you should be expected to pay more for my services. Right? I get something from Blue Cross. I get nothing from Golden Rule. 53:05 Dr. Bobby Mukkamala: Medicare is usually sort of the foundation upon which all the other insurance companies tend to set their rates. So when I participate in network, like with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, it’s usually about 110/ 115% of Medicare rates. So that’s one step higher. If I don’t participate with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, then that rate is so I can get the assigned rate from them and then I have a choice about what to do with the balance. And usually in my practice, I write that off. I don’t balance bill the patient. Uh, but Blue Cross Blue Shield sort of sets their rate and that’s it. My point is that, if-in Blue Cross Blue Shield, I have a great relationship with, we do a lot of constructive work together. But if a new insurance company comes into town and puts up billboards and markets their product and says, here, come, come buy our policy, and then they get 15,000 patients to sign up, but has never come to my door to say, you know, when they have an ear, nose and throat problem, we’d like you to be in-network and provide their care. Why should they get the benefit of the in-network price that Blue Cross Blue Shield gets? So, my point, is that that out of network price for this new insurance company that wants me to take care of their patient, but never came to sit down with me to sign a contract, ought to be something that I negotiate with them, not something that’s dictated to me. 55:50 Rep. Mike Thompson (CA): A staff person of mine went to the emergency room. He has insurance. His insurance covered nearly everything, including a cat scan. But a few weeks later, he got two separate bills from physicians he never saw and didn’t ask to see. They reviewed some of his test results and the bill for those two physicians was larger than the bill for his total ER visit. 56:15 Rep. Mike Thompson (CA): It’s also alarming that, uh, according to one study, 20% of hospital visits, one of every five of those visits, uh, that began in the ER, resulted in a surprise bill. 58:30 Dr. Bobby Mukkamala: Uh, yes, sir. So, in answer to your question, there are multiple already cases documented of insurance companies shrinking their network in California because they can get the same service at that rate with physicians that are out of their network. And so, contracts are already not being renewed for physicians that have had contracts for 20 years, and then they go to renew it and they’re dropped from the network. 1:03:00 Dr. Bobby Mukkamala: My wife and I, we contract with probably about 30 insurance companies. When I take a kid’s tonsils out, one insurance company may be $200- may pay me $200, one pays me about $450 and everything in between. I can’t have a different fee in my fee schedule for each of those. So my fee for tonsillectomy is about $475, so that when I do it, I know that the highest paying payer, I’m still-they’re still within that threshold, right? Because if I charge $400, they’re not going to send me $450. They’re going to send me $400. 1:07:00 Jeanette Thornton: So it’s very interesting what we’ve seen and when it comes from a hospital perspective. It’s maybe only 15% of the hospitals nationwide that are causing this issue that results in, you know, 80% of the visits. One of the statistics had cited a lot that result in a surprise medical bill. So this is not every doctor. This is not every hospital that are resulting in these surprise medical bills. It’s really more of a targeted problem. 1:09:15 Tom Nickels: In terms of how much of this is really going on, I think there is a certain level of frustration. I don’t know that we all know with certainty. The only federal study that I’ve seen, that we’ve seen, is from the Federal Trade Commission, which basically said that they studied ambulances going to hospital emergency departments. 99% of hospital emergency departments in that study were in-network. So it’s not the hospital itself that is out of network. it is people, physicians who practice in our institution. 1:22:20 Tom Nickels: The federal government-state government need to acknowledge that they underpay. I mean, Medpack and others acknowledges that this isn’t just industries talking about ourselves. AMA has said the same thing on the physician side, but I think that the federal government and state governments have a responsibility to pay more adequately. The truth of the matter is, and we haven’t even talked about this, is the cost shift is that private insurers pay more than costs and the government pays less. That should end. The government should take responsibility. 1:38:00 Tom Nickels: We cannot force by law, physicians who are not employed by us to take in-network rates. That is-if we did that, um, we would be sued. It would be restraint of trade. Um, however, what we’re trying to suggest here and I think what the other panelists are trying to suggest, is we have a way to protect the patient from that surprise bill. To your question about who are these physicians that you don’t even know about who are treating you, if you come in in an emergency, you don’t know what’s going on. And you need to be taking care of it, who’s ever there is going to take care of you. The other situation which we’ve talked about is when you knowingly come into an inpatient in-network facility. You did all the right things, but an out of network physician, (anesthesiologists, perhaps radiologists, pathologists) takes care of you. And that’s where the, uh, the bill is generated from. So we cannot make people do that. We try to get physicians to be in our networks-in the same networks. But again, this is an issue of private contracting. 1:42:05 Rep. Mike Kelly (PA): I do agree with you. If there’s limited talent there to take care of that specific problem, there has to be a way of compensating for it. Because at the end of the day, it is a business. Dr. Bobby Mukkamala: Right. So the solution is if an insurance company is going to come into Flint, Michigan and sell insurance, they know that eventually they’re going to need a hand surgeon, right? How do they sell insurance to a town that’s an industrial based town, where there’s a lot of hand injuries and not have any hand surgeons in their network? When they put up the billboard saying, “we’re selling insurance here”, they should have at the same time look at their provider list and say, “you know what”?, we’re missing an orthopedic hand surgeon. "Let’s go find one and figure out how to get him in-network or get her in-network. Right? And that’s a step that’s skipped routinely, right? They’ll sell the product for years and then fill in this way with lack of a good provider network by trying to negotiate out of network rates that are the same as in-network because they’d skip that first step, right? Maintain a network adequacy-establish a network adequacy before you sell your product. 1:48:30 James Gelfand: Many of the hospitals are not doing what Zuckerberg hospital was doing. The hospital will be in-network, but they will have outsourced their emergency room to a Wall Street owned private company and that company won’t take insurance. And those guys are definitely making enough profits that Wall Street is suggesting that people should invest in those companies because of these relationships they have with the in-network hospitals and the out of network emergency rooms. Trump remarks on medical billing-Watch on C-SPAN, May 9, 2019 13:00 President Donald Trump: Today I’m announcing principles that should guide Congress in developing bipartisan legislation to end surprise medical billing. And these senators and congressmen and women that are with us today are really leading the charge. And I appreciate that they’re all here. Thank you all. Thank you all for being here. This is fantastic. And I think it’s going to be a successful charge. From what I understand, we have bipartisan support, which is rather shocking. That means it’s very important. That means it’s very good. But that’s great. First, in emergency care situations, patients should never have to bear the burden of out-of-network costs they didn’t agree to pay. So-called balance billing should be prohibited for emergency care. Pretty simple. Second, when patients receive scheduled, non-emergency care, they should be given a clear and honest bill upfront. That means they must be given prices for all services and out-of-pocket payments for which they will be responsible. This will not just protect Americans from surprise charges; it will empower them to choose the best option at the lowest possible price. Third, patients should not receive surprise bills from out-of-network providers that they did not choose themselves. Very unfair. Fourth, legislation should protect patients without increasing federal healthcare expenditures. Additionally, any legislation should lead to greater competition, more choice — very important — and more healthcare freedom. We want patients to be in charge and in total control. And finally, in an effort to address surprise billing, what we do is, all kinds of health insurance — large groups, small group, individual markets, everything. We want everything included. No one in America should be bankrupted and unexpectedly by healthcare costs that are absolutely out of control. No family should be blindsided by outrageous medical bills. And we’ve gone a long way to stop that. Examining Surprise Billing: Protecting Patients from Financial Pain-Not on C-SPAN, House Committee on Education and Labor, April 2, 2019 Watch on YouTube Witnesses: Christen Linke Young: Fellow at USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative on Health Policy Ilyse Schuman: Senior Vice President for Health Policy at American Benefits Council Frederick Isasi, Executive Director at Families USA Professor Jack Hoadley: Research Professor Emeritus at Georgetown University’s Health Policy Institute Transcript 7:15 Chairman Frederica Wilson (FL): This is the first hearing the United States Congress has held on surprise billing. 7:30 Chairman Frederica Wilson (FL): Surprise medical bills occur when patients covered by health insurance are subject to higher than expected out of pocket costs for care, received from a provider who is outside of their plan’s network. The victims of surprised medical billing often have no control over whether they’re medical provider is in or out of network. 8:15 Chairman Frederica Wilson (FL): A young San Francisco woman named Nina Dang suffered a severe bike accident. She was barely lucid when a bystander called an ambulance and took her to an emergency room at a nearby hospital. Before she knew it, doctors had done x-rays and scans and put her broken arm in a splint and then sent her on her way. A few months later, Nina was hit with a $20,000 medical bill because the hospital, which she did not choose, was an out of network facility. 8:30 Chairman Frederica Wilson (FL): But even patients who are able to take precautions to avoid out of network costs during a medical emergency, are not immune from surprise bills. Scott Cohan suffered a violent attack one night in Austin, Texas. He woke up in an emergency room with a broken jaw, a throbbing headache, and staples in his head. Despite his shock and immense pain, Scott took out his phone and searched through his insurer’s website to make sure he was laying in an in-network hospital bed. When he found out it was, he proceeded with unnecessary jaw surgery. Imagine Scott’s frustration and devastation when he received a surprise medical bill for nearly $8,000. It turned out that the emergency room was in his insurance network, but the oral surgeon who worked in the ER was not. 16:00 Rep. Tim Walberg (MI): 39% of insured working age adults reported they had received a surprise medical bill in the past year from a doctor, hospital, or lab that they thought was covered by their insurance. Of the 39% of individuals who received surprise medical bills, 50% owed more than $500. 27:05 Ilyse Schuman: While a number of states have sought to address this problem or risk that exempts self insured plans from State Insurance Regulations to ensure that national employers can offer uniform health benefits to employees residing in different states. Accordingly, the problem of surprise billing cannot be left to the states to solve. 33:20 Frederick Isasi: So what’s most important to remember about this issue? We are talking about situations in which families, despite enrolling in health insurance, paying their premiums, doing their homework and trying to work within the system, are being left with completely unanticipated and sometimes financially devastating healthcare bills. And this is happening in part, and I want to say this really clearly because hospitals, doctors and insurers are washing their hands of their patient’s interest. 33:50 Frederick Isasi: Take for example, one significant driver of this problem. The movement of hospitals to offload sapping requirements for their emergency departments to third party management companies. These hospitals very often make no requirements of these companies to ensure the staffing of the ED fit within the insurance networks that the hospitals have agreed to. As a result, a patient who does their homework ahead of time and rightly thinks they’re going to an in network hospital, received services from an out of network physician and a surprise medical bill follows. 34:20 Frederick Isasi: Let me give you one real world example. Nicole Briggs from Morrison, Colorado outside of Denver. Nicole woke up in the middle of the night with intense stomach pain. She went to a freestanding ER. She was told she needed an emergency appendectomy. She went to a local hospital. She did her due diligence. Confirmed repeatedly that the hospital and its providers were in network. However, months later she received a surprise bill from the surgeon who ended up, was out of network. The bill to Nicole was $5,000. Nicole tried to work it out with her insurance company, but within two years, a collection agency representing the surgeon took her to court and won the full amount, including interest. As a result, a lien was placed on her home and the collection agency garnished her wages each month. This came right before Nicole was about to deliver a baby and go on maternity leave. And by the way, this investigation found that there were over 170 liens placed on people’s homes in the Denver area by emergency department physicians. 38:05 Professor Jack Hoadley: Our research shows that today, 25 states have acted to protect consumers from surprise bills in at least some circumstances. Nine of these 25 meet our standards as offering what we consider to be comprehensive protection. For protections to be comprehensive, we look to number one, whether they apply in both emergency situations and an in-network hospital setting, such as electing an in-network surgeon, but being treated by another clinician who’s out of network. Second, that these laws apply to both HMO’s, PPO’s and all other types of insurance. Third, that the law does address both insurers by requiring them to hold consumer’s harmless from balanced bills and providers by barring them from sending balanced bills. And fourth, that the laws adopt some kind of a payment standard. Uh, either a rule to determine payment from insurance provider or an arbitration process to resolve payment disputes. Although these four conditions don’t guarantee complete protection for consumers, they combine to protect consumers in most emergency and network hospital settings that the states can address. But as you’ve already heard, state protections are limited by federal law, ERISA, which exempt states from state regulation’s, self insured, employer sponsored plans. 43:30 Chairman Frederica Wilson (FL): Under current law, who is responsible for making sure that a doctor or a hospital is in-network? Is it the doctor, the insurance company or the patient themselves? Frederick Isasi: Uh, chairman Wilson, thank you for the question. To be very clear, it is the patient themselves that has a responsibility and these negotiations are very complex. These are some of the most important and intense negotiations in the healthcare sector between a payer and a provider. There is absolutely no visibility for a consumer to understand what’s going on there. And so the notion that a consumer would walk into an emergency department and know, for example, that their doctor was out of network because that hospital could not reach agreement on an in-network provider for the ED is absurd, right? There’s no way they would ever know that. And similarly, if you walk in and you received surgery and it turns out your anesthesiologist isn’t in-network, there’s no way for the consumer to know that. Um, and I would like to say there’s some discussion about transparency and creating, you know, sort of provider directories. We’ve tried to do that in many instances. And what we know is that right now the healthcare sector has no real way to provide real actual insight to consumers about who’s in-network, and who’s out of network. I would-probably everybody in this room has tried at some point to figure out if a doctor’s in-network and out of network and as we know that system doesn’t work. So this idea that consumers can do research and find out what’s happened behind the scenes in these very intensive negotiations is absurd and it doesn’t work. 46:30 Professor Jack Hoadley: Provider directories can be notoriously inaccurate. One of the things that, even if they are accurate, that I’ve seen in my own family is you may be enrolled in Blue Cross-You ask your physician, "are they participating in Blue Cross? They say “yes”, but it turns out Blue Cross has a variety of different networks. This would be true of any insurance company, and so you know, you may be in this one particular flavor of the Blue Cross plan and your provider may not participate in that particular network. 47:30 Christen Linke Young: Notice isn’t enough here. Even if a consumer had perfect information, which is not a reasonable expectation, but even if they did have perfect information, they can’t do anything with that information. They can’t go across town to get their anesthesia and then come back to the hospital. Um, their-even with perfect information, they may be treated by out of network providers. And so we need to set a standard that limits how much providers can be paid in these out of network scenarios that makes it sort of less attractive for providers to remain out of network. And so instead, they are subject to more normal market conditions. 1:01:25 Rep. Phil Roe (TN): I’ve had my name in networks that I wasn’t in. That you-that you use, and many of those unscrupulous networks, will use that too to get people to sign up because this doctor, my doctor is in there when you’re really not. 1:10:25 Frederick Isasi: Um, there is a concept here, which is, what does in network mean, right? When you sit down with your husband or your partner and decide what kind of insurance do we want for our kids, right? We want to make sure that they can go to the ED if they’re playing soccer, they get hurt, all those sorts of things. The question is when you make that decision and you say, "Oh, look, this hospital is in-network, right? But what does that mean? If you can go to that hospital and all the services they’re providing are out of network, right? And I think as you’ve said, and as we’ve heard from other folks, the patient is not the person who should be responsible for that. It’s the folks who are negotiating. It’s the hospital, it’s the doc’s and the payers that should bear that responsibility. So let’s start by clarifying what does in-network mean, so that we have some way of making educated decisions about the insurance that we’re purchasing and putting our trust in. 1:29:30 Professor Jack Hoadley: There may be instances where consumers get bills sent to them, aren’t aware that they don’t need to pay them, so don’t start the process. And that goes to this sort of point of how do you really make sure it’s not the consumer’s responsibility to figure out that, oh, I don’t, by law, I don’t actually have to pay this bill. Now what do I do to make sure that happens? If you don’t know that, uh, that doesn’t really help you. And so what some other states like California has done, is to include a provision that says the provider really can’t send a bill and if they do end up sending a bill and the consumer pays it, there’s an obligation on that provider to refund the amount that was paid back to the consumer. And that’s something we haven’t seen in some of the other states. 1:39:15 Rep. Joe Courtney (CT): ERISA really has to be dealt with if we’re going to really have a comprehensive solution for America’s patients. Is that correct? Ilyse Schuman: That’s exactly right. Um, for the self funded plan too 60% of employer based plans that are not subject to these state laws, like in Connecticut or other states, we have to have a federal solution that addresses ERISA, so that we deal with this problem in a uniform nationwide way. Documentary: This is a clip from the documentary: 911, Toxic Legacy which aired on Canadian CBC 9/10.2006, September 10, 2006 Community Suggestions See Community Suggestions HERE. Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)
The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund is being rationed due to a lack of funding and an approaching end date for the program. In this episode, learn about the shocking, growing number of 9/11 victims, understand why these victims are in danger of having to bear the financial consequences of their injuries on their own, and examine the details and status of H.R. 1327, the bill that would solve this problem for good. Jamie Kilstein joins Jen for the thank you's. _________________________________________________ Please Support Congressional Dish – Quick Links Click here to contribute monthly or a lump sum via PayPal Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Send Zelle payments to: Donation@congressionaldish.com Send Venmo payments to: @Jennifer-Briney Send Cash App payments to: $CongressionalDish or Donation@congressionaldish.com Use your bank's online bill pay function to mail contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North, Number 4576, Crestview, FL 32536 Please make checks payable to Congressional Dish Thank you for supporting truly independent media! ____________________________________________________ Recommended Podcast Episodes Jamie Kilstein Podcast _____________________________________________________ Additional Reading Article: Schumer calls for Senate vote on 9/11 victim fund by Jordain Carney, The Hill, June 12, 2019. Bill: House Bill 1327 Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act by 116th Congress, June 12, 2019. Article: After emotional testimony from 9/11 responders, House panel votes to replenish victims fund by Devlin Barrett, Washington Post, June 12, 2019. Bill: House Bill 1327 extend authorization for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001 through fiscal year 2090, and for other purposes. by 116th Congress, February 25, 2019. Document: Federal Register Docket: 911 Victim Compensation Fund: Compensation of Claims by Department of Justice, October 3, 2018. Article: Former EPA head admits she was wrong to tell New Yorkers post-9/11 air was safe by Joanna Walters, The Guardian, September 10, 2016. Bill: House Bill 1786 James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act, 114th Congress, Congress.gov, June 11, 2015. Bill: House Bill 2029 Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 by 114th Congress, Congress.gov, April 24, 2015. YouTube Video: 911 Airport Hijackers by Mcdlover4, March 23, 2012. Article: EPA Regulators Say They've Learned From 9/11 Blunders, but Critics Remain Unconvinced by Jeremy P. Jacobs, New York Times, September 9, 2011. Article: Ex-EPA Chief Is Ruled Not Liable for 9/11 Safety Claims by Robin Shulman, Washington Post, April 23, 2008. Document: EPA’s Response to the World Trade Center Collapse by Office of Inspector General, August 21, 2003. Bill: House Bill 2926 Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act by 107th Congress, Congress.gov, September 21, 2001. Sound Clip Sources Hearing: The Need to Reauthorize the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, June 11, 2019 Watch on C-SPAN Witnesses: Rupa Bhattacharyya: Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, Department of Justice Dr. Jaqueline Moline M.D.: Chair of Occupational Medicine, Epidemiology and Prevention at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Lila Nordstrom: 9/11 Survivor Anesa Maria St. Rose Henry: Widow of Candidus Henry, Construction Worker and 9/11 Responder Thomas Mohnal: Special Agent, FBI and 9/11 Responder Michael O’Connell: Retired Lieutenant and 9/11 Responder, FDNY Luis Alvarez: Retired Detective and 9/11 Responder, NYPD Jon Stewart: 9/11 Responders and Survivors Advocate YouTube: This is a clip from the documentary: 911, Toxic Legacy which aired on Canadian CBC 9/10.2006, September 10, 2006 Cover Art Design by Only Child Imaginations Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)
Bio Katie Ray-Jones (@KtRayJones) is President of the National Domestic Violence Hotline and National Dating Abuse Hotline. Previously, she served as NDCH’s Director of Operations. As a member of the National Task Force to Reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act and in her role as Hotline Director, Katie has made several visits to key congressional offices and is well known on Capitol Hill as a representative of the Hotline and Helpline. Katie has distinguished herself as a leader with prominent individuals in the national domestic violence movement and with national domestic violent groups and has represented the Hotline at several key national domestic/dating violence and gender-based violence meetings. Katie also has extensive experience working with survivors of domestic violence. She has managed an emergency shelter, transitional and permanent housing programs, nonresidential services for survivors and their children, 24-hour hotlines, services for individuals with HIV/AIDS, housing for families who are homeless, case management programs for children who have been abused and neglected, and a therapeutic preschool for children who have witnessed violence. She has also worked at a legal clinic that provided assistance to victims of domestic violence who were seeking restraining orders and other types of legal advocacy, provided individual therapy and facilitated groups for survivors and abusers and worked for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission administering funding to family violence providers throughout the state of Texas. Katie has a bachelor’s degree in child and family development from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the University of San Diego. Katie is married and has two wonderful children, George and Maximillian. Resources The National Domestic Violence Hotline Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Briné Brown. News Roundup EU fines Google $5 billion The European Union fined Google parent Alphabet some $5 billion for allegedly using its Android operating system to direct users to Google search. Android runs on some 80% of the world’s smartphones according to the Wall Street Journal. Still, Alphabet’s second quarter earnings beat analysts’ expectations by more than $2 per share. And in after-hours trading, Google shares rose 3.9% to $1,267. FCC Punts on Sinclair The FCC unanimously voted to send Sinclair’s proposed $3.9 billion acquisition of Tribine Media to an Administrative Law judge. The FCC found that Sinclair failed to disclose that it planned to divest Chicago’s WGN to Baltimore businessman Steven Fader, who has no broadcast experience, and who is a friend of Sinclair Executive Chairman David Smith. The FCC found the divestiture, priced at $60 million, would have been far below market value, and Sinclair would have maintained control of the station. Sinclair has since revised its plan. It now proposes to keep control of WGN, but divest stations in Houston and Dallas. Still, experts don’t expect the ALJ to approve the merger. Justice Department releases cybercrime/election meddling plan The Justice Department released a response plan for how it will handle election hacking and cybercrime. The report also discusses how the agency will address denial of service attacks, use existing law, such as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, to prosecute, and the surveillance tactics it will implement. It also discusses how the DOJ will train agents and lists the challenges the government faces. Twitter suspended 58 million accounts in the fourth quarter Twitter suspended some 58 million of its user accounts in the Fourth Quarter of 2017, according to the Associated Press. Last week, the company had reported that it had suspended somewhere between 50 and 70 million users in response to Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election. Comcast drops bid for 21st Century Fox Comcast dropped its bid for 21st Century Fox, which Disney is likely to acquire for $71 billion in cash and stock. Disney and Comcast had been in a bidding war over Fox’s assets. CNBC reporter David Faber reported that Comcast’s withdrawal of its bid was, at least to some extent, provoked by the fact that the U.S. government will be appealing to the DC Circuit to reverse the court-approved merger of AT&T and Time Warner. Netflix misses on subscriber growth Netflix reported a huge miss on subscriber additions in the second quarter—they added 1 million fewer than forecast for 5.15 million subscribers. Additions of domestic subscribers fared worse than the rate of additions internationally, meeting just over half of the projected amount, or 674,000 versus the 1.23 million that analysts forecast. Earnings, though, were barely shy of expectations with $3.91 billion in revenue versus the $3.94 billion that was projected. Congress will allow Trump’s plan to save ZTE Congress declined to block last week the Trump administration’s plan to save Chinese device manufacturer ZTE from tough sanctions that prevented ZTE and Huawei from taking on government contracts. The sanctions were expected to all but put ZTE out of business. But the Trump administration decided to pull back on the sanctions it had initially planned. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the failure of Congress to keep the sanctions in place was a win for Chinese President Xi Jinping and a loss for American workers and national security.
Date: Friday, May 1, 2015 On June 1, 2015 a set of key provisions of the PATRIOT Act will expire unless Congress reauthorizes them. The provisions due to sunset without Congressional reauthorization have become extremely controversial in the wake of the revelations by NSA leaker Edward Snowden. The PATRIOT Act serves as the basis the […]
In this episode, Jen and Joe recap all the bills that passed the House of Representatives and were covered on Congressional Dish in 2013. Also, an update on the debt ceiling. Music in This Episode: Intro and Exit Music: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) In Your Name by The Undercover Hippy (found on Music Alley by mevio) Debt Ceiling See how your representative voted on S. 540, the bill that suspends the debt ceiling until March 16, 2015, which passed the House on February 11 and the Senate on February 12. If we don't suspend the debt ceiling, we probably will not default on our debt as doing so would be unconstitutional. However, the only way that we would avoid a default would involve a scenario along the lines of the one described by Jeffrey Dorfman in Forbes, which involved slashing the Federal government and even eliminating whole departments. The debt ceiling either needs to be raised or suspended or the government drastically slashed by February 27. Bills Covered by Congressional Dish in 2013 (In Chronological Order) H.Res.5: House Rules for the 113th (Agreed to 1/3/13) Highlighted in episode CD010: House (Finally!) Votes on Sandy Aid Members can take private jets using government money (CD016) Speaker John Boehner promised we would have at least 72 hours to read bills, but this promise wasn't put in the official House rules. (112th Congress) H.R. 8: The Fiscal Cliff Bill (Passed House & Senate 1/1, LAW 1/2) Highlighted in episode CD009: What's in the Fiscal Cliff Bill Extended unemployment insurance Extended Farm bill until September 2013 Extended the Bush tax cuts Increased capital gains taxes from 15% to 20% Extended the college and child tax credits Multinationals -including banks- don't have to pay taxes on income from foreign subsidiaries H.R. 152: Funded Hurricane Sandy relief (Passed House 1/15, Senate 1/28, LAW 1/29) Highlighted in episode CD010: House (Finally!) Votes on Sandy Aid Sandy was on 10/29/12, funding for the recovery was finally provided on 1/15/13 All Reps from Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas voted against it H.R. 307: Prepares for Biological Attacks (Passed Senate 2/27, House 3/4, LAW 3/13) Highlighted in episode CD011: No Budget, Still Get Paid Loosened the definition of an "emergency" to include "threat justifying emergency authorized use" of unapproved medical devices H.R. 325: "The No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013" (Passed House 1/23, Senate 1/31, LAW 2/4) Highlighted in episode CD011: No Budget, Still Get Paid Suspended the debt ceiling until May 18, 2013 House & Senate both have to pass budgets by April 15, 2013 (which they did). Would have paid Congress no matter whether or not they passed their budgets; they would have been back paid. H.R. 225: Pediatric Research (Passed House 2/4) Highlighted in episode CD013: Surveillance, Stupidity, and Drones Public & private non-profits need to help CDC with surveillance systems in order to get pediatric research grants but provided no money. H. R. 444: "Require A Plan Act" (Passed House 2/6) Highlighted in episode CD013: Surveillance, Stupidity, and Drones President would have to submit a second budget if his first budget wasn't balanced. H.R. 235: Helping Veterans Become Emergency Medical Technicians (Passed House 2/12) Highlighted in episode CD014: Marching Towards Sequester Gives grants to States to streamline requirements for veteran EMTs to become civilian EMTs H.R. 592: Gave Hurricane Sandy Money to Repair Churches (Passed House 2/13) Highlighted in episode CD014: Marching Towards Sequester The first amendment to the Constitution prohibits direct funding of religious buildings [caption id="attachment_419" align="alignright" width="150"] A small conduit hydro-electric project[/caption] H.R. 267: Fast Tracks Hydro-Power Projects (Passed House 2/13, Senate 8/1, LAW 8/9) Highlighted in episode CD014: Marching Towards Sequester Fast tracks hydro-power projects on existing dams. H.R. 273: Eliminates Federal Workers' First COLA in 3 Years (Passed House 2/15) Highlighted in episode CD014: Marching Towards Sequester S. 47: Violence Against Women Act Re-authorization (Passed Senate 2/12, House 2/28, LAW 3/7) Highlighted in episode CD017: VAWA & Funding Defense Adds stalking and date rape to list of punishable offenses Cyber stalking counts as stalking Most of the funding decreased from previous levels H.R. 749: Banks Only Send Privacy Notices When Something Changes (Passed House 3/12) Highlighted in episode CD018: The Ryan Budget H.R. 890: Extended a welfare program and prohibits states from operating their own (Passed House 3/13) Highlighted in episode CD018: The Ryan Budget H.R. 803: "SKILLS Act" (Passed House 3/15, S. 1911 introduced in Senate committee 1/9/2014) Highlighted in episode CD018: The Ryan Budget Would effectively put decisions on welfare-to-work training programs in corporate control by changing the make-up of local boards. Would have required layoffs of Federal workers by consolidating 35 programs into one. H.R. 933: The Continuing Resolution (Passed Senate 3/20, House 3/21, LAW 3/26) Highlighted in episodes CD017: VAWA & Funding Defense, CD019: Continuing Resolution- Part 1, CD020: Continuing Resolution- Part 2, and CD021: Trailblazer vs Thin-thread Funded the government until September 30, 2013 Included the Monsanto Protection Act H.R. 678: Waives hydro-power projects from National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (passed House 4/10, Senate 8/1, LAW 8/9) Highlighted in episode CD022: Crippling the Regulators Authorizes small hydro-power projects and determines who is first in line for the power H.R. 1120: Shut Down the National Labor Relations Board until 2014 (passed 4/12) Highlighted in episode CD022: Crippling the Regulators Board would have had to stop all work & not enforce decisions make after 1/4/2012 Could have restarted if recess appointments were ruled Constitutional or at start of second session of 113th All about recess appointments made by President Obama which may have been unconstitutional S. 716: Gut the STOCK Act (Passed Senate, 4/11, House 4/12, LAW 4/15 - Passed Congress with no recorded votes) Highlighted in episode CD024: Let's Gut the STOCK Act Exempted Congressional staff and executive branch employees from financial reporting. Eliminated the searchable website for financial reports. H.R. 882: No Contracts for Tax Delinquent Companies (passed House 4/15) Highlighted in episode CD024: Let's Gut the STOCK Act Can be waived H.R. 1163: Authorizes NSA Spying & Data Collection (Passed House 4/16 by 416-0) Highlighted in episode CD024: Let's Gut the STOCK Act Provides a framework for the coordination of information security between civilian, national security, and law enforcement communities. Focuses on automated and continuous monitoring of information systems. Acknowledges “market solutions for the protection of critical information systems important to the national defense and economic security of the National that are designed, built, and operated by the private sector.” Authorizes "secure facilities" for storing information Authorizes having enough staff with classified clearance to analyze that information H.R. 756: "Cybersecurity Enhancement Act" (Passed House 4/16) Highlighted in episode CD024: Let's Gut the STOCK Act Trains cyber-security professionals with taxpayer money & creates a strategy for buying private sector cloud services H.R. 624: CISPA "Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act" (Passed House 4/18) Highlighted in episode CD025: What's in CISPA? Director of National Intelligence would create procedures for giving "cyber threat information" to private companies and utilities Information can be passed from private companies to DHS and DOJ Information given by the private companies to the government will be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act A company that shares cyber intelligence with the government will be exempt from civil or criminal liability if they act "in good faith" The military and intelligence communities can't control, change or direct in any way the cyber-security efforts of a private company. Says US citizens can not be targets for surveillance H.R. 527: The Helium Bill (Passed House 4/26, Senate 9/26, LAW 10/2) Highlighted in episode CD026: A Tale of Two Bills Changes the way we sell our stockpile of helium so we get a fairer price & end the global helium shortage by allowing the government to sell our helium H.R. 807: Debt Ceiling Games (Passed House 5/9) Highlighted in episode CD027: Overtime Tells Treasury to make interest payments and social security payments when we hit the debt ceiling H.R. 1406: Time Off Instead of Overtime Pay (Passed House 5/8, S. 1623 Introduced in Senate committee 10/30) Highlighted in episode CD027: Overtime Allows time and a half in paid time off instead of time and a half pay for overtime, if the employee chooses that option H.R. 45 Repeal Obamacare (Passed House 5/16) Highlighted in episode CD028: The IRS Scandal Introduced by Michelle Bachmann H.R. 1062: Prevent Wall Street Regulations (Passed House 5/17) Highlighted in episode CD028: The IRS Scandal Forces SEC to do a cost-benefit analysis on their regulations of Wall Street SEC must explain why they didn't include suggestions made by the financial industry SEC must review all existing regulations every five years H.R. 258: Don't Lie About Military Medals for Money (Passed House 5/20, Senate 5/22, LAW 6/2) Highlighted in episode CD029: Keystone XL Pipeline The Bush Administration version was ruled unconstitutional for violating the First Amendment This changes it so that you get busted for fraud if you fake having a medal for financial gain H.R. 1073: Penalties for Attacking US and Corporate Ships (Passed House 5/20) Highlighted in episode CD029: Keystone XL Pipeline Penalties that currently apply when a US ship or ship in US territory is attacked would be applied worldwide and would include attacks on corporate ships. H.R. 3: No Permit Needed for Keystone XL (Passed House 5/22) Highlighted in episode CD029: Keystone XL Pipeline [caption id="attachment_580" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Tar sands oil next to a home in Mayflower, Arkansas. Source: EPA[/caption] Bill by Lee Terry of Nebraska Would exempt Keystone XL from the law requiring a Presidental permit Government can waive any law or regulation in order to issue the Keystone XL permit H.R. 1911: Increase Interest Rates for Students (Passed Senate 7/24, Passed House 7/31, LAW 8/9) Highlighted in episodes CD029: Keystone XL Pipeline and CD038: Wasting July Caps student loan interest rates at 8.25% for undergrads and 9.5% for graduate level students H.R. 1344: "Helping Heros Fly Act" (Passed Senate 8/1, House 8/2, LAW 8/9) Highlighted in episode CD029: Keystone XL Pipeline Creates procedures for expediting and private TSA screenings for injured and disabled veterans H.R. 2216: Appropriations for Military Construction and Veterans (Passed House 6/4) Highlighted in episode CD030: Military Construction & Anti-Biotics Never went to conference with the Senate & was funded via Jan 2014 omnibus budget S. 622: Animal Drug Bill (Passed Senate 5/8, house 6/3, LAW 6/13) Highlighted in episode CD030: Military Construction & Anti-Biotics Reauthorizes a fee system for accelerating testing or distribution of animal antibiotics Caps the amount of revenue the fees can bring into the government H.R. 1919: Electronic System for Tracing Pharmaceutical Drug Origins (Passed House 6/3) Highlighted in episode CD030: Military Construction & Anti-Biotics Allows so much time for implementation that the soonest the system would exist is 2028 Prohibits states from enacting stricter standards H.R. 742: Repeal Part of Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform (Passed House 6/12 by 420-2) Highlighted in episode CD031: First Draft of 2014 NDAA Makes SEC (Wall Street Police) liable for lawsuits that arise from them sharing information with other regulators. H.R. 634: Some Financial Gamblers Would be Exempt from Providing Collateral (Passed House 6/12 by 411-12) Highlighted in episode CD031: First Draft of 2014 NDAA H.R. 1256: Merge the Wall Street Police Forces (Passed 6/12) Highlighted in episode CD031: First Draft of 2014 NDAA The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and SEC would have to issue the exact same rules. Would exempt the biggest foreign swap gamblers from United States swaps regulations. Matt Taibbi: "This really just gives banks permission to go around the world regulator shopping." H.R. 1960: House NDAA (Passed 6/14, Final version LAW 12/26) Highlighted in episode CD031: First Draft of 2014 NDAA H.R. 1797: The Abortion Bill (Passed House 6/18, S. 1670 introduced to Senate committee 11/7) Highlighted in episode CD032: The Abortion Bill Doctors can't perform an abortion on a fetus that is 20 weeks or older. Doctors can be fined and sentenced to five years in prison. The mother can't be prosecuted. Exceptions: Life of the mother in danger, rape, or incest. H.R. 1613: Deepwater Drilling in The Center of the Gulf of Mexico (Passed House 6/27) Highlighted in episode CD033: Let's Deepwater Drill Approves the treaty with Mexico allowing drilling the Western Gap - in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Slipped into the 2014 budget and is now LAW H.R. 2231: Force Offshore Drilling Upon States (Passed House 6/28) Highlighted in episode CD034: Let's Drill Offshore Forces Federal government to lease at least 50% of the unleased Outer Continental Shelf with the most fossil fuel resources Increase oil and gas production Forces leases off of the east coast and southern California Limited the content of environmental impact studies H.R. 2609: Energy & Water Funding (Passed House 7/10) Highlighted in episode CD035: Energy and Water Shorted renewable energy by $1.9 billion Shorted power grid upgrades, fuel efficiency, energy efficient buildings, geothermal energy, wind energy, energy assistance for the poor, environmental clean ups, and natural gas. Gave more than requested for nuclear energy and fossil fuels. H.R. 2094: The Epinephrine Bill (Passed House 7/30, Senate 10/31, LAW 11/13) Highlighted in episode CD038: Wasting July Public schools will be allowed to stockpile epinephrine for students with food allergies and train staff to administer it H.R. 2218: Coal Waste is Not Hazardous (Passed House 7/25) Highlighted in episode CD038: Wasting July Coal industry will have 10 years of meet groundwater protection standards EPA cannot categorize waste from burning coal, oil, natural gas, and tar sands as ‘hazardous waste’. H.R. 1582: Stop EPA Regulations (Passed House 8/1) Highlighted in episode CD038: Wasting July EPA is not allowed to issue a regulation costing over $1 billion The social cost of carbon – climate change, cancer rates, etc. – can’t be used in a cost-benefit analysis H.R. 367: Stop All Regulations, Expect Federal Reserve Regulations (Passed House 7/31) Highlighted in episode CD038: Wasting July Authored by Jo Ann Emerson Forces Federal agencies to get Congressional approval for all major rules that cost over $100 million, affect the finances of businesses, or create a carbon tax If Congress does nothing for 70 working days, the rule can’t be enacted None of this is subject to judicial review Monetary policy by the Federal Reserve is exempted H.R. 313: Stop Government Conferences (Passed House 7/31) Highlighted in episode CD038: Wasting July Government conferences capped at $500,000 but private companies can make up the rest. All conference materials must be posed online. H.R. 2879: Screw Federal Workers (Passed House 8/1) Highlighted in episode CD038: Wasting July Makes it easier to fire high level Federal employees Caps some Federal worker bonuses and prohibits any bonus at all for others. H.R. 1660: Customer Service in Government (Passed House 7/31) Highlighted in episode CD038: Wasting July Each agency must establish customer service standards but will get no extra funding to do so. H.R. 2769: No IRS Conferences (Passed House 7/31) Highlighted in episode CD038: Wasting July H.R. 2768: IRS Staff Must be Told that Taxpayers Have Rights (Passed House 7/31) Highlighted in episode CD038: Wasting July H.R. 2565: IRS Agents Can't Target Audits for Political Purposes (Passed House 7/31) Highlighted in episode CD038: Wasting July and CD028: The IRS Scandal H.R. 2009: Stop Enforcement of ObamaCare (Passed House 8/2) Highlighted in episode CD038: Wasting July IRS prohibited from enforcing tax provisions of Affordable Care Act H.R. 5: The Charter School Bill (Passed House 7/19) Highlighted in episode CD039: The Charter School Bill Expands the number of charter schools Gives charter schools as much taxpayer money as real public schools Charter school programs can be provided by for-profit businesses Public money will go to private schools and tutoring Sex education must teach abstinence to get Federal funds High schools students contact information must be given to military recruiters H.R. 2217: DHS Funding Bill (Passed House 6/6) Highlighted in episode CD042: House DHS Funding Bill Never went to conference & was funding in the omnibus budget in January 2014. S. 157 Natural Gas Pipeline in an Alaska National Park (Passed Senate 7/19, House 9/10, LAW 9/18) Highlighted in episode CD043: Nothin' Allows permits for small hydroelectric projects and a natural gas pipeline to cut through an Alaska national park. H.R. 2844: Prevent Americans From Knowing They Have Slow Internet (Passed House 9/9) Highlighted in episode CD043: Nothin' FCC does a 25 country comparison of data transmission speeds and price; this bill repeals that report. H.R. 2275: Damage ObamaCare (Passed House 9/12, passed House & Senate 10/16, LAW 10/17) Highlighted in episode CD043: Nothin' and CD049: Crisis… Postponed The bill was the "vehicle" to end the shutdown. The text was completely changed Prevents Americans from getting subsidies until the Secretary of Health and Human Services has a subsidy verification system in place. Funded government until 1/15/14 Suspended debt ceiling until 2/7/14 Killed the Monsanto Protection Act H.R. 3102: Cut Food Stamps by $40 Billion (Passed House 9/19) Highlighted in episode CD044: Pretend to Defund ObamaCare Was Titled the "Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act" H.R. 1410: Stop a Casino Near Arizona Cardinal's Stadium (Passed House 9/17) Highlighted in episode CD044: Pretend to Defund ObamaCare Done on behalf of wealthy casino-owning tribes in Arizona that don't want the competition S. 793: Organization of American States is the Main Diplomatic Group in South America (Passed House 9/17, Senate 9/25, LAW 10/2) Highlighted in episode CD044: Pretend to Defund ObamaCare South American wants us out of their business; we're saying we're not going away. H.R. 761: Mining Projects are "Infrastructure" (Passed House 9/18) Highlighted in episode CD044: Pretend to Defund ObamaCare Exempts mining projects from environmental regulations. H.R. 1961: Fire Safety Exemption for the Delta Queen (Passed House 9/25) Highlighted in episode CD045: Stop the Shutdown Exempts an old wooden boat from fire safety standards for 10 years so it can carry passengers overnight The Shutdown Bills The House CR that didn’t really defund the Affordable Care Act (Episode CD044) The Senate CR that has not had a vote yet in the House (Episode CD045) The House CR that delays the Affordable Care Act for year (Episode CD046) The House CR that delays the Affordable Care Act & kills employer-paid health benefits for Congress and their staff. The House bill that requests a conference committee with Senate Funds National Parks and some museums Funds operations in Washington D.C. Funds veterans benefits Funds the National Institutes of Health Funds the National Guard and reserves H.R. 2275 finally ended the shutdown (see above) Back to Work H.R. 3080: Rush Water Projects (Passed House 10/23, Passed Senate with changes 10/31) Highlighted in episode CD050: Privatize Water Projects Speeds up and consolidates studies Speeds up permitting by letting utilities and natural gas companies pay the Army Speeds up environmental reviews Prohibits lawsuits after five months Privatizes maintenance and management of public water infrastructure H.R. 992: Expands Bank Bailouts (Passed House 10/30) Highlighted in episode CD051: Expand Bank Bailouts Bill written mostly by Citigroup lobbyists Makes foreign banks eligible for a bailout Allows bailout-eligible banks to trade in credit default swaps H.R. 2374: Prevent Brokers from Having a Fiduciary Duty to Their Customers (Passed House 10/29) Highlighted in episode CD051: Expand Bank Bailouts Prevents a Department of Labor regulation forcing brokers to do what is best for their customers, not themselves S. 252: Reauthorize and Decrease Funding for Premature Birth Research (Passed House 11/12, Senate 11/14, LAW 11/27) S. 330: HIV Organs Can Go to People With HIV (Passed Senate 6/17, House 11/12, LAW 11/21) Highlighted in episode CD053: TPP- The Leaked Chapter S. 893: Cost of Living Adjustment for Disabled Veterans (Passed Senate 10/28, House 11/12, LAW 11/21) Highlighted in episode CD053: TPP- The Leaked Chapter H.R. 2922: Personal Security Detail for Supreme Court Justices (Passed House 11/12, Senate 12/10, LAW 12/20) Highlighted in episode CD053: TPP- The Leaked Chapter H.R. 982: Publicly Publish Names of People Who Make Asbestos Trust Fund Claims (Passed House 11/13) Highlighted in episode CD053: TPP- The Leaked Chapter H.R. 2655: Penalize Americans for Using the Justice System (Passed House 11/14) Highlighted in episode CD053: TPP- The Leaked Chapter Imposes mandatory financial penalties for filing “frivolous” lawsuits. Eliminates the 21-day grace period to withdraw a lawsuit without financial penalty. H.R. 3350: Allow Insurance Companies to Sell Junk Policies (Passed House 11/15) Highlighted in episode CD053: TPP- The Leaked Chapter H.R. 2061: DATA Act (Passed House 11/12) Highlighted in episodes CD054: Hidden Data Act and CD057: Data Act-tually Pretty Good Streamline reporting standards and publish spending data on USAspending.gov H.R. 1965: Hand Over Our Land to Oil Companies (Passed House 11/20) Highlighted in episode CD055: Three Bills for Fossil Fuels Speeds up oil and gas permitting Forces us to lease our land to fossil fuel companies Leases land for oil shale development - a technology that still doesn't exist Limits Americans' access to the courts to stop drilling Severely limit Native Americans' access to the courts to stop drilling H.R. 2728: Prevent Fracking Regulations (Passed House 11/20) Highlighted in episode CD055: Three Bills for Fossil Fuels Prevents Federal regulation of fracking Rigs studies to only examine benefits of fracking, not the costs H.R. 1900: Speed Up Gas Pipeline Permitting (Passed House 11/21) Highlighted in episode CD055: Three Bills for Fossil Fuels Automatically permits pipelines that are not permitted in under 120 days H.R. 3547: Public Insurance for Private Space Flights (Passed House 12/2, served as the vehicle for the 2014 budget, LAW 1/17/14) Highlighted in episode CD059: NDAA 2014 Taxpayers will pay for private space accidents starting at $500 million and up to $2.8 billion H.R. 2719: TSA Must Publish Their Plans for New Technology (Passed House 12/3, S. 1893 referred to Senate committee 12/20) Highlighted in episode CD059: NDAA 2014 TSA must publicly publish a plan for the security technology they intend to buy Private sector must be included and plan must identify "public private partnership" opportunities H.R. 3626: Illegal To Have Firearms Undetectable to Metal Detectors (Passed House 12/3, Senate 12/9, LAW 12/9) Highlighted in episode CD059: NDAA 2014 H.R. 1105: Private Equity Fund Advisors Don't Need to Register With SEC (Passed House 12/4) Highlighted in episode CD059: NDAA 2014 H.R. 3309: Limit Patent Lawsuits (Passed House 12/5) Highlighted in episode CD059: NDAA 2014 Claims must be available on a public, searchable website Limits lawsuits down the supply chain Lawsuit losers must pay expenses and fees of the winners H.R. 3304: NDAA for 2014 (Passed House 10/28, Senate 11/19, LAW 12/26) Highlighted in episode CD059: NDAA 2014 A cyber-security section was added last minute by Jay Rockefeller Creates a "Conflict Records Research Center" and allows states, foreign governments, and “any source in the private sector” to give money to the Department of Defense. Allows contractors to make more than the President of the United States. Expands the drug war to Chad, Libya, Mali, & Niger.
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