Health Care Coverage

The Question Of Chuck Schumer Remaining As Senate Minority Leader

Ronald 2 Comments

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has come under fire for the reality that eight members of his caucus abandoned the unified party stand on the Federal Government Shutdown, leading to an end of the 43 day crisis, but leaving the issue of health care for millions of American unsettled as 2026 comes upon us.

Millions of Americans are learning their health care costs will dramatically increase, sometimes double or triple the amount monthly, making many have to consider abandoning any insurance coverage, a very dangerous action for anyone to consider.

So the thought is whether Schumer should give his leadership of the Senate Democrats, but the question is who would replace him, and be able to accomplish advancement of Democratic Party initiatives, leading up to the midterm Congressional Elections of 2026, and beyond.

Clearly, any Democratic Senator facing election in 2026 cannot become the Minority Leader.

But also, none of the seven Democrats who voted to end the Federal Government Shutdown can become an alternative to Chuck Schumer.

Additionally, any Democrat retiring in 2026 is ineligible for the position of Minority Leader moving forward.

Also, any Democrat considering the possibility of a White House run in 2028 would not be a likely alternative.

So looking at the present roster of Senate Democrats in the leadership group means there are slim alternatives for now to replace Schumer.

So it seems to this blogger and author, that the only possible alternatives would be the following:

Adam Schiff of California
Brian Schatz of Hawaii
Chris Van Hollen of Maryland
Elissa Slotkin of Michigan
Martin Heinrich of New Mexico
Kirsten Gillibrand of New York

Only Schatz and Gillibrand have any leadership position at the moment in the Senate—-Chief Deputy Whip and Deputy Secretary of the Democratic Caucus in the case of Schatz, and Chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in the case of Gillibrand.

Two States–New Hampshire And Nevada—All Four Women Senators—Break With Democratic Party On Government Shutdown!

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An odd circumstance has occurred regarding the decision of eight Democratic Senators to support the end of the federal government shutdown without gaining assurance of health care coverage for millions of Americans.

That odd circumstance is that both New Hampshire and Nevada have two women Senators who are part of the group that has caused so much turmoil in the Democratic Party by their decision to support ending the government shutdown.

New Hampshire has Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, and Nevada has Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen representing their states in the US Senate.

Nothing like this has ever happened before in American history, and one wonders how the citizens of the New England state of New Hampshire and the Desert Southwest state of Nevada will react.

Eight Senate Democrats Under Fire For Joining Republicans In Agreeing To Reopen The Federal Government!

Ronald 17 Comments

Seven Senate Democrats and Independent Angus King of Maine have come under fire for joining Republicans to pass the Budget bill to reopen the Federal Government, and end the Government Shutdown of 42 days.

Two of these eight Senators—Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois and New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen—are retiring at the end of 2026.

Durbin will be 82 at the end of his term, having served 30 years in the Senate, including times as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, and an additional 14 years in the House of Representatives.

Shaheen will be 80 shortly after leaving office after 18 years in the Senate, and an earlier six years as Governor of New Hampshire.

Three of these eight Senators—John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada—face election in 2028.

Fetterman is 56, earlier was Lieutenant Governor of his state, and is in his first term in the Senate, with a reputation of being an outlier, unpredictable and controversial in his utterances and actions.

Hassan is 67, in second term in the Senate, and former governor of her state.

Cortez Masto is 61, in her second term in the Senate, and former Attorney General of her state.

The remaining three Senators—Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Angus King of Maine—do not face voters again until 2030.

Rosen is 68, in her second term in the Senate, and served one term in the House of Representatives.

Kaine is 67, in his third term in the US Senate, after having served earlier as Governor and Lieutenant Governor of his state, and also, Mayor of Richmond. Most notably, he also was the Vice Presidential nominee for Hillary Clinton in the Presidential Election of 2016.

King is 81, in his third term in the Senate, and former governor of Maine. He is a political Independent, who caucuses with the Democrats.

This group of Senators is generally termed as “moderate”, and they are gaining a lot of criticism, for what is seen as “caving in” to the Republicans, with no certainty that any action will be taken regarding health care coverage for millions of Americans.

It is clear that a new generation of leadership is needed, as by the time the term ends for six of these eight Senators, they will be in their 70s and 80s, with the only exceptions being Fetterman and Cortez Masto.

Trump Demolition Of East Wing Of White House Is Disgraceful Violation Of History Of “The People’s House”! :(

Ronald 20 Comments

On the nine month anniversary of the Second Trump Presidency, America saw the beginning of a massive demolition of the White House, “The People’s House”, on orders of Donald Trump, who decided on his own that the East Wing should be demolished, so that a massive Ballroom could be built to entertain guests, mostly billionaires, in the future!

It is an atrocity to see the damage wrought on the first day, and to realize that the supposed “ghosts” in the White House have been disturbed, due to the maniacal egotism of a man, who is allowing a billionaire oligarchy to subsidize this project, as a reward for dramatic cutting in their taxes at the expense of health care coverage for millions of Americans!

With the damage wrought by Trump in the first nine months, in a multitude of ways, and topped off by the assault on “the People’s House” on this anniversary, one can only imagine and fear what further damage and destruction Trump will create in his intention to create a Fascist authoritarian regime, that destroys American Democracy and the Rule of Law!

The tens of millions who oppose this regime must continue to resist in every way imaginable, and never give up the fight, because it affects not just us alive today, but future generations aas well!

Republican Party Claims To Be Party Of Life, While It Is Instead Party Of Death!

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The Republican Party has, clearly, become the Party of Death, as they show no concern about the COVID 19 Pandemic, and the need to promote masking and vaccination, as more than 750,000 Americans have died from the virus!

The Republican Party also worships guns, and has worked against any kind of gun regulations, despite mass murders going on in schools, churches and synagogues, entertainment events, shopping centers, colleges and universities,and all other public venues.

Additionally, suicides have become endemic, with no concern about people with mental instability, and even children, having access to firearms, including AK 47s and AR 15s!

Also, the Republican Party has no concern about the poverty and deprivation of people who are not wealthy, and particularly so with racial and religious minorities, so we have single mothers who cannot provide adequately for their children!

Republicans also have always been against providing health care to those less fortunate, which demonstrates they do not value life! As a group, they have opposed Medicare and the Affordable Care Act!

Their only interest in “life” is that every fetus must be born, even if the pregnant woman was raped, or a victim of incest, and there is no concern about the dangers to the life of the mother!

And of course, Republicans love the death penalty, even though it is often misused, and particularly against males of color on a much higher scale than whites!

And Republicans love to support wars, as long as it is primarily the poor and minorities who are “cannon fodder” for the “war machines”, and very few of them or their offspring ever serving in the military!

The Pure Cruelty, Heartlessness, And Lack Of Humanity And A Moral Compass Of Donald Trump

Ronald 11 Comments

Every day that goes by, Donald Trump displays ever more cruelty, heartlessness, and a lack of humanity and a moral compass.

Why would he decide to promote emissions of methane into the atmosphere, with the clear knowledge that it will promote more environmental damage, making the planet ever more on the road to destruction?

Why would he order sick children who have come to the United States for medical treatment that saves their lives, to be forced to leave and go back to the nation that they came from, which does not have the medical treatments needed to perpetuate their lives?

Why would he decide that our troops and diplomats overseas, who have children while abroad, shall have their offspring not automatically declared US citizens without any complications for the future of those children?

Why would he heavily criticize Puerto Rico, and lie about the amount of aid to that island after Hurricane Maria, as they faced the threat of Hurricane Dorian?

Why would he have such hatred for immigrants, when two of his wives were immigrants themselves, and his own grandfather migrated in the late 19th century?

What is wrong with this man, that he harbors such ugly thoughts and beliefs, and seems intent on destroying any chance of having his name look at all positive in history, by his love affair with authoritarian dictators around the world?

It is perfectly clear, now if not before, that Donald Trump is a madman, a very dangerous psychopath, and yet has willing accomplices who promote his evil, heartless, and dangerous policies without any forethought.

The Trump loyalists will suffer mightily in the loss of any good reputation they might have had by their constant association with a man who has a strange hold on them, and allows them to suspend all moral and ethical judgment in service to this tyrant.

Trump is absolutely assured to go down in history as a true nightmare, and with no sane person believing that he can possibly be surpassed as being the worst President in American history.

He is a traitor to basic American values of fairness and compassion, that made America the beacon of hope for centuries of immigrants of all backgrounds who came to America and contributed to its greatness!

Sixth Anniversary Of ObamaCare, The Third Great Social And Economic Reform, Alongside Social Security And Medicare!

Ronald 6 Comments

It was six years ago on March 23, 2010, that the Affordable Care Act, better known as ObamaCare, was signed into law by President Obama, after a year long fight, with only three Republican Senators early on giving any support, and no House members.

The fact that ObamaCare was just like the Heritage Foundation–Newt Gingrich–Bob Dole program of 1993, designed as an alternative to HillaryCare, was ignored.

Also, the fact that Mitt Romney accomplished much the same thing in Massachusetts as RomneyCare was denied, even by Romney himself when he ran for President in 2012!

The hypocrisy and pure obstructionism of Republicans and conservatives was so obvious, and is obvious, to anyone who looks at the subject dispassionately!

Today, six years later, ObamaCare, while having its definite quirks and shortcomings, is a success, in the sense that it covers 20 million people who did not have health care before; has lowered the uninsured from 14 percent to 9 percent of the population; and has saved hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives of people who, without coverage, would have died in the past six years!

This is the ultimate Pro Life movement, the acceptance of the idea that ALL Americans should be entitled to health care as a basic human right, especially considering that every other modern industrial nation in Europe, along with Canada, Australia and New Zealand have it, and all of them way ahead of us!

So this is a time to salute Barack Obama and the Democratic Party, for having accomplished one of the three greatest economic and social reforms of the past century, alongside Franklin D. Roosevelt and Social Security (now 81 years old), and Lyndon B. Johnson and Medicare (now 51 years old)!

Try to imagine America in 2016 without Social Security and Medicare, and yet, if left up to the right wing Republican Party, they would not only repeal ObamaCare without any replacement for the 20 million Americans who have gained health care coverage, but also would repeal both Social Security and Medicare, “privatizing” both of them, and giving useless “vouchers” to millions of elderly, poor, and disabled people!

This is why the Republican Party, as it now is constituted, is doomed to be in the dustbin of history!