thefiscaltimes--2020-09-25--Trump’s ‘Pinky Promise’ on Health Care

Trump’s ‘Pinky Promise’ on Health Care

The White House and President Trump made some big promises about his speech on health care Thursday afternoon in Charlotte , North Carolina .
The White House said Trump would be laying out “ his comprehensive health care vision.
” The president himself , early in his speech , said his plan “ expands affordable insurance options , reduces the cost of prescription drugs , will end surprise medical billing , increases fairness through price transparency , streamlines bureaucracy , accelerates innovation , strongly protects Medicare , and always protects patients with preexisting conditions.
” If you ’ re reading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health policy over the last four years , you know what ’ s coming next ( but keep reading because some of the details might still surprise you and the responses to Trump are worth it ) .
There was , of course , no comprehensive plan .
As for vision , to the extent that there was one undergirding Trump ’ s announcements , seemed to be more about cynical political maneuvering than genuine health care reform .
Trump has long promised to unveil a health care plan that would be less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On Thursday , he suggested he had already accomplished those goals , touting an assortment of actions taken or proposed by his administration as his vision , billed as the “ America First Healthcare Plan.
” ( Trump has , for example , pushed for lower drug and hospital prices , increased price transparency and expanded the use of less expensive , short-term plans that critics call “ junk insurance ” because of their limitations .
See this overview of his record for more . )
“ Obamacare is no longer Obamacare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managed it very well , ” Trump said .
“ What we have now is a much better plan .
It is no longer Obamacare because we got rid of the worse part of it — the individual mandate.
” But health care experts found Trump ’ s “ plan ” sorely lacking in details .
“ It 's not a plan , it 's a mirage .
It 's a series of aspirations with no specific policy proposals to back them up , ” tweeted Larry Levitt , executive vice president for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a non-partisan non-profit focused on health .
“ The actual policies they announced , ” STAT News ’ s Lev Facher and Nicholas Florko wrote , “ are simple , superficial , and non-binding executive orders .
Neither will improve the quality of Americans ’ health care or lower its cost.
” What Trump did : The president signed executive orders that appear designed to win over voters — but that experts say are likely to have little impact on American ’ s actual health care .
Trump ’ s executive orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; promote new rules allowing states to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada ; and direct the Health and Human Services secretary to push for legislation banning surprise medical bills by the end of the year and pursue administrative action if that effort fails .
Trump also promised to send $ 200 discount cards to 33 million Medicare beneficiaries , though it ’ s unclear whether he has the legal authority or the funding to do so .
Here ’ s a look at some problems and questions surrounding Trump ’ s orders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pledge on preexisting conditions carries no legal weight — unlike the protections provided under the Affordable Care Act , which Trump is seeking to invalidate .
White House officials reportedly acknowledged that Trump ’ s protections would not bear the weight of law but were a `` defined statement of U.S. policy.
” That doesn ’ t mean much .
“ It ’ s as if I was walking around with a memo that was titled ‘ Executive Order , ’ and claimed that the policy of the United States is that everybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nicholas Bagley , a professor at University of Michigan ’ s law school and Obamacare supporter , told Reuters .
Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation compared it to a “ pinky promise.
” That promise , as ineffectual as it may be , was made necessary by the Trump administration ’ s support for the ongoing lawsuit seeking to wipe out Obamacare in its entirety .
The executive order “ is yet another example of Trump 's political gaslighting on the subject , ” writes Axios ’ s Caitlin Owens .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way to offer the same level of protection the ACA does .
If Trump succeeds in stripping the ACA 's protections away , people with preexisting conditions would have every reason to worry about their coverage.
” The $ 200 prescription drug coupons : STAT ’ s Facher and Florko calls this a `` political ploy to curry favor with seniors who view drug prices as a priority . ''
Trump said the discount cards “ will be mailed out in coming weeks ” but there are plenty of questions that make it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether Trump has the authority to do it and where the money might come from .
The White House reportedly said it is getting its authority to send the coupons from a Medicare demonstration program , with the $ 6.6 billion cost of the plan covered by savings from Trump ’ s plan to lower drug prices — a plan that has not yet been implemented .
But The Wall Street Journal ’ s Stephanie Armour reported Friday that , according to an administration official , the proposed funding would come from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for testing new initiatives .
“ These waiver programs have generally been required to show they won ’ t increase federal spending beyond what would have occurred without the test , ” Armour notes .
The bottom line : Trump ’ s big health care rollout likely served to highlight what Trump hasn ’ t done more than what he has .
“ The speech and executive order stood as a tacit admission that Trump had failed to keep his 2016 promise to replace his predecessor ’ s signature achievement with a conservative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Toluse Olorunnipa writes .
“ Unable to repeal the law , Trump appeared open to simply rebranding it .
”

The White House and President Trump made some big promises about his speech on health care Thursday afternoon in Charlotte, North Carolina. The White House said Trump would be laying out “his comprehensive health care vision.” The president himself, early in his speech, said his plan “expands affordable insurance options, reduces the cost of prescription drugs, will end surprise medical billing, increases fairness through price transparency, streamlines bureaucracy, accelerates innovation, strongly protects Medicare, and always protects patients with preexisting conditions.”
If you’re reading this or have paid any attention to health policy over the last four years, you know what’s coming next (but keep reading because some of the details might still surprise you and the responses to Trump are worth it). There was, of course, no comprehensive plan. As for vision, to the extent that there was one undergirding Trump’s announcements, seemed to be more about cynical political maneuvering than genuine health care reform.
Trump has long promised to unveil a health care plan that would be less expensive than Obamacare while offering superior coverage. On Thursday, he suggested he had already accomplished those goals, touting an assortment of actions taken or proposed by his administration as his vision, billed as the “America First Healthcare Plan.” (Trump has, for example, pushed for lower drug and hospital prices, increased price transparency and expanded the use of less expensive, short-term plans that critics call “junk insurance” because of their limitations. See this overview of his record for more.)
“Obamacare is no longer Obamacare, as we worked on it and managed it very well,” Trump said. “What we have now is a much better plan. It is no longer Obamacare because we got rid of the worse part of it — the individual mandate.”
But health care experts found Trump’s “plan” sorely lacking in details. “It's not a plan, it's a mirage. It's a series of aspirations with no specific policy proposals to back them up,” tweeted Larry Levitt, executive vice president for health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-partisan non-profit focused on health.
“The actual policies they announced,” STAT News’s Lev Facher and Nicholas Florko wrote, “are simple, superficial, and non-binding executive orders. Neither will improve the quality of Americans’ health care or lower its cost.”
What Trump did: The president signed executive orders that appear designed to win over voters — but that experts say are likely to have little impact on American’s actual health care.
Trump’s executive orders pledge to protect Americans with preexisting conditions; promote new rules allowing states to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada; and direct the Health and Human Services secretary to push for legislation banning surprise medical bills by the end of the year and pursue administrative action if that effort fails.
Trump also promised to send $200 discount cards to 33 million Medicare beneficiaries, though it’s unclear whether he has the legal authority or the funding to do so.
Here’s a look at some problems and questions surrounding Trump’s orders.
Preexisting conditions: Trump’s pledge on preexisting conditions carries no legal weight — unlike the protections provided under the Affordable Care Act, which Trump is seeking to invalidate. White House officials reportedly acknowledged that Trump’s protections would not bear the weight of law but were a "defined statement of U.S. policy.” That doesn’t mean much.
“It’s as if I was walking around with a memo that was titled ‘Executive Order,’ and claimed that the policy of the United States is that everybody gets a cheeseburger on Tuesdays,” Nicholas Bagley, a professor at University of Michigan’s law school and Obamacare supporter, told Reuters. Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation compared it to a “pinky promise.”
That promise, as ineffectual as it may be, was made necessary by the Trump administration’s support for the ongoing lawsuit seeking to wipe out Obamacare in its entirety.
The executive order “is yet another example of Trump's political gaslighting on the subject,” writes Axios’s Caitlin Owens. “Republicans have never come up with another way to offer the same level of protection the ACA does. If Trump succeeds in stripping the ACA's protections away, people with preexisting conditions would have every reason to worry about their coverage.”
The $200 prescription drug coupons: STAT’s Facher and Florko calls this a "political ploy to curry favor with seniors who view drug prices as a priority."
Trump said the discount cards “will be mailed out in coming weeks” but there are plenty of questions that make it unclear whether that will happen, including whether Trump has the authority to do it and where the money might come from.
The White House reportedly said it is getting its authority to send the coupons from a Medicare demonstration program, with the $6.6 billion cost of the plan covered by savings from Trump’s plan to lower drug prices — a plan that has not yet been implemented. But The Wall Street Journal’s Stephanie Armour reported Friday that, according to an administration official, the proposed funding would come from a Medicare trust fund under the waiver program for testing new initiatives. “These waiver programs have generally been required to show they won’t increase federal spending beyond what would have occurred without the test,” Armour notes.
The bottom line: Trump’s big health care rollout likely served to highlight what Trump hasn’t done more than what he has. “The speech and executive order stood as a tacit admission that Trump had failed to keep his 2016 promise to replace his predecessor’s signature achievement with a conservative alternative,” The Washington Post’s Toluse Olorunnipa writes. “Unable to repeal the law, Trump appeared open to simply rebranding it.”


thefiscaltimes--2020-09-30--A Few Health Care Highlights From a Debate Filled With Lowlights

A hot mess .
A train wreck .
A national embarrassment .
Just plain annoying .
It ’ s clear that the first presidential debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden was painful to watch .
But before you look to purge all memory of the disturbing debacle — and President Trump ’ s outlandish , hectoring performance won ’ t soon be forgotten — here ’ s a look at some of the little substance , on health care specifically , that got intermingled with the interruptions , insults and mockery .
Protections for those with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ question of the night , about Trump ’ s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s Supreme Court seat , to say that the future of the Affordable Care Act is at stake .
The Trump administration is backing a challenge to the Obama health care law that will be heard by the court on November 10 .
Biden said that the law ’ s protections for people with preexisting medical conditions could be wiped out and that there are 100 million people with pre-existing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but as Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation points out , 54 million non-elderly Americans have a pre-existing condition that made them uninsurable before the Affordable Care Act and as many as 133 million had a condition that could have led insurers to decline coverage , exclude coverage of the condition or charge significantly higher premiums .
Biden and “ socialist medicine ” : Trump accused Biden of pursuing “ socialist medicine , ” trying to tie Biden to those in the Democratic Party who are pushing for a single-payer “ Medicare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who does not support a single-payer system and is instead proposing a public option , pushed back .
`` The party is me .
Right now , I am the Democratic party , '' he said .
When asked by moderator Chris Wallace whether his public option would , as Republicans and insurers argue , lead to the end of private insurance “ and create a government takeover of health , ” Biden said the public option would be limited to low-income people who would be eligible for Medicaid but whose states have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Care Act .
The Democratic platform says that the public option would also be available to people who are offered coverage through their jobs , Modern Healthcare notes .
Trump ’ s missing health care plan : Wallace said that the president has never issued a comprehensive plan to replace Obamacare .
“ Of course I have , ” Trump said .
“ The individual mandate .
Excuse me .
I got rid of the individual mandate , which was a big chunk of Obamacare.
” Wallace pressed for more , and Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to lower drug prices .
“ Drug prices will be coming down 80 or 90 % , ” he claimed .
Trump also claimed he has brought down the price of insulin .
“ I ’ m getting it for so cheap it ’ s like water , ” he said .
The Trump administration has cut insulin costs for some seniors through a plan capping out-of-pocket costs at $ 35 a month , but as STAT ’ s Nicholas Florko explains , for most people , insulin still costs just as much @ @ @

A hot mess. A train wreck. A national embarrassment. Just plain annoying. It’s clear that the first presidential debate between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden was painful to watch. But before you look to purge all memory of the disturbing debacle — and President Trump’s outlandish, hectoring performance won’t soon be forgotten — here’s a look at some of the little substance, on health care specifically, that got intermingled with the interruptions, insults and mockery.
Protections for those with preexisting conditions: Biden used the first question of the night, about Trump’s nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to fill the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Supreme Court seat, to say that the future of the Affordable Care Act is at stake.
The Trump administration is backing a challenge to the Obama health care law that will be heard by the court on November 10. Biden said that the law’s protections for people with preexisting medical conditions could be wiped out and that there are 100 million people with pre-existing conditions. Trump disputed the number, but as Larry Levitt of the Kaiser Family Foundation points out, 54 million non-elderly Americans have a pre-existing condition that made them uninsurable before the Affordable Care Act and as many as 133 million had a condition that could have led insurers to decline coverage, exclude coverage of the condition or charge significantly higher premiums.
Biden and “socialist medicine”: Trump accused Biden of pursuing “socialist medicine,” trying to tie Biden to those in the Democratic Party who are pushing for a single-payer “Medicare for All” system. Biden, who does not support a single-payer system and is instead proposing a public option, pushed back. "The party is me. Right now, I am the Democratic party," he said.
When asked by moderator Chris Wallace whether his public option would, as Republicans and insurers argue, lead to the end of private insurance “and create a government takeover of health,” Biden said the public option would be limited to low-income people who would be eligible for Medicaid but whose states have not expanded the program under the Affordable Care Act. The Democratic platform says that the public option would also be available to people who are offered coverage through their jobs, Modern Healthcare notes.
Trump’s missing health care plan: Wallace said that the president has never issued a comprehensive plan to replace Obamacare. “Of course I have,” Trump said. “The individual mandate. Excuse me. I got rid of the individual mandate, which was a big chunk of Obamacare.”
Wallace pressed for more, and Trump touted his administration’s yet-to-be-implemented plans to lower drug prices. “Drug prices will be coming down 80 or 90%,” he claimed. Trump also claimed he has brought down the price of insulin. “I’m getting it for so cheap it’s like water,” he said.
The Trump administration has cut insulin costs for some seniors through a plan capping out-of-pocket costs at $35 a month, but as STAT’s Nicholas Florko explains, for most people, insulin still costs just as much as before.


thefiscaltimes--2020-09-30--House Stimulus Vote Delayed as Pelosi-Mnuchin Talks Continue

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin failed to reach an agreement on a coronavirus relief package Wednesday .
Following a roughly 90-minute meeting — the first time the pair had met in person in more than a month — Pelosi said negotiations will continue , and the House pushed off a scheduled final vote Wednesday evening on the slimmed-down , $ 2.2 trillion stimulus bill Democrats introduced earlier this week .
The vote , now slated for Thursday , would be largely symbolic in the absence of an agreement with the White House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virtually no chance of being taken up by the Republican-controlled Senate .
“ Today , Secretary Mnuchin and I had an extensive conversation and we found areas where we are seeking further clarification .
Our conversations will continue , ” Pelosi said in a statement .
Mnuchin sounded cautiously optimistic after the meeting , saying the negotiators had “ made a lot of progress over the last few days ” and “ we ’ re going to see where we end up ” after more talks .
In an interview with CNBC earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House was interested in a stimulus package similar to the $ 1.5 trillion bill put forth two weeks ago by the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus .
However , there were no details about the offer Mnuchin presented to Pelosi in the meeting .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) sounded a more pessimistic note Wednesday , telling reporters that a deal remained elusive .
“ We ’ re very , very far apart , ” he said .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin failed to reach an agreement on a coronavirus relief package Wednesday.
Following a roughly 90-minute meeting — the first time the pair had met in person in more than a month — Pelosi said negotiations will continue, and the House pushed off a scheduled final vote Wednesday evening on the slimmed-down, $2.2 trillion stimulus bill Democrats introduced earlier this week. The vote, now slated for Thursday, would be largely symbolic in the absence of an agreement with the White House, since the Democrat’s package has virtually no chance of being taken up by the Republican-controlled Senate.
“Today, Secretary Mnuchin and I had an extensive conversation and we found areas where we are seeking further clarification. Our conversations will continue,” Pelosi said in a statement.
Mnuchin sounded cautiously optimistic after the meeting, saying the negotiators had “made a lot of progress over the last few days” and “we’re going to see where we end up” after more talks. In an interview with CNBC earlier in the day, Mnuchin said the White House was interested in a stimulus package similar to the $1.5 trillion bill put forth two weeks ago by the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. However, there were no details about the offer Mnuchin presented to Pelosi in the meeting.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) sounded a more pessimistic note Wednesday, telling reporters that a deal remained elusive. “We’re very, very far apart,” he said.


thefiscaltimes--2020-09-30--The First Presidential Debate: A Night of Rapid-Fire Interruptions and Inaccuracies

Tuesday night , President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden appeared for the first presidential debate , offering voters their first side-by-side comparison of the candidates .
Little was said about what either candidate would do if elected ; at one point , Biden ’ s attempts to explain his health care plan were drowned out by Trump ’ s persistent interruptions about Biden ’ s Democratic primary opponents .
Instead , the presidential nominees traded a dizzying array of accusations and falsehoods .
Our partners at PolitiFact unpacked a number of them for you in their wide-ranging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some health care highlights : Trump : “ I ’ m getting [ insulin ] so cheap it ’ s like water.
” Trump signed an executive order on insulin at the end of July , but the scope was limited .
It targeted a select group of health care providers that represent fewer than 2 % of the relevant outlets for insulin .
Between 2017 and 2018 , insulin prices for seniors rose .
“ The truth is that patients who need drugs like insulin are having a hard time affording them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now uninsured , ” said Vanderbilt Medical Center ’ s Stacie Dusetzina .
Biden : “ The president has no plan ” for the coronavirus pandemic .
The Trump administration has announced a plan for distributing vaccines .
The plan shows that the federal government aims to make the two-dose vaccine free of cost , for instance .
However , public health experts have said Trump and his administration did not have a plan to combat the pandemic or a national testing plan .
Biden : Trump suggested that “ maybe you could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would take care of [ the coronavirus ] .
” Trump did not explicitly suggest that people inject bleach into their arms .
He did express interest in exploring whether disinfectants could be applied to the site of a coronavirus infection .
The comment came after an administration official presented a study that found sun exposure and cleaning agents like bleach could kill the virus when it lingers on surfaces .
Trump said at the time : “ And then I see the disinfectant , where it knocks it out in one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we can do something like that , by injection inside or almost a cleaning , because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs , so it ’ d be interesting to check that , so that you ’ re going to have to use medical doctors with , but it sounds interesting to me.
” During the debate Tuesday , Trump discounted his previous remarks as “ sarcastic.
” Trump : Biden “ wants to shut down the country.
” In an interview with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was prepared to shut down the country to deal with the coronavirus .
“ I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives , because we can not get the country moving until we control the virus , ” Biden said .
“ In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing , and people employed , you have to fix the virus , you have to deal with the virus.
” And then he said , “ I would shut it down .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 24 that says those with preexisting conditions will be able to get affordable health care coverage .
The executive order language was a response to criticisms about Trump ’ s efforts against the Affordable Care Act .
However , legal and health policy experts said the executive order guarantees nothing near the protections in the ACA .
The experts said actual congressional legislation , not this type of order , is necessary to maintain these preexisting conditions protections if the ACA goes away .
Biden : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been killed because of the coronavirus.
” It ’ s tough to say precisely how many African Americans have died of COVID-19 because the government does not have complete information about the race and ethnicity of those who have died .
But based on the limited available data , Biden seems to be in the ballpark .
Earlier this month , the research arm of American Public Media found that 1 in 1,020 Black Americans have died of the virus — the highest mortality rate of any racial group nationwide — based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the District of Columbia .
Trump : “ Dr .
Fauci said the opposite , he said very strongly , ” challenging Biden ’ s statement that no “ serious person ” would say masks weren ’ t important in reducing the spread of COVID-19 .
In a March 7 CBS News interview , Dr. Anthony Fauci said , “ Right now in the United States , people should not be walking around with masks.
” At the time , still early in the COVID pandemic , the Centers for Disease Control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
Masks were instead being reserved for health care workers , because there were concerns about shortages of personal protective equipment .
As it became clear that many people were asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 , the CDC updated its guidelines April 3 to recommend wearing masks .
Fauci later acknowledged the resulting confusion but said public health leaders were making decisions based on the information they had at the time .
He has since maintained that masks are important in preventing the spread of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff writers Jon Greenberg , Louis Jacobson , Amy Sherman , Samantha Putterman , Miriam Valverde , Bill McCarthy , Noah Y. Kim and Daniel Funke and KHN reporters Victoria Knight and Emmarie Huetteman .
Kaiser Health News ( KHN ) is a national health policy news service .
It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente .

Tuesday night, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden appeared for the first presidential debate, offering voters their first side-by-side comparison of the candidates.
Little was said about what either candidate would do if elected; at one point, Biden’s attempts to explain his health care plan were drowned out by Trump’s persistent interruptions about Biden’s Democratic primary opponents.
Instead, the presidential nominees traded a dizzying array of accusations and falsehoods. Our partners at PolitiFact unpacked a number of them for you in their wide-ranging debate night fact check.
Here are some health care highlights:
Trump: “I’m getting [insulin] so cheap it’s like water.”
Rating: Mostly False
Trump signed an executive order on insulin at the end of July, but the scope was limited. It targeted a select group of health care providers that represent fewer than 2% of the relevant outlets for insulin. Between 2017 and 2018, insulin prices for seniors rose.
“The truth is that patients who need drugs like insulin are having a hard time affording them, particularly for the many who are now uninsured,” said Vanderbilt Medical Center’s Stacie Dusetzina.
Biden: “The president has no plan” for the coronavirus pandemic.
Needs context
The Trump administration has announced a plan for distributing vaccines. The plan shows that the federal government aims to make the two-dose vaccine free of cost, for instance.
However, public health experts have said Trump and his administration did not have a plan to combat the pandemic or a national testing plan.
Biden: Trump suggested that “maybe you could inject some bleach in your arm and that would take care of [the coronavirus].”
Needs context
Trump did not explicitly suggest that people inject bleach into their arms. He did express interest in exploring whether disinfectants could be applied to the site of a coronavirus infection. The comment came after an administration official presented a study that found sun exposure and cleaning agents like bleach could kill the virus when it lingers on surfaces.
Trump said at the time: “And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning, because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be interesting to check that, so that you’re going to have to use medical doctors with, but it sounds interesting to me.”
During the debate Tuesday, Trump discounted his previous remarks as “sarcastic.”
Trump: Biden “wants to shut down the country.”
Needs context
In an interview with CBS News, Biden was asked if he was prepared to shut down the country to deal with the coronavirus.
“I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives, because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus,” Biden said. “In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing, and people employed, you have to fix the virus, you have to deal with the virus.”
And then he said, “I would shut it down. I would listen to the scientists.”
Trump: “We guaranteed preexisting conditions.”
Misleading
President Trump signed an executive order on Sept. 24 that says those with preexisting conditions will be able to get affordable health care coverage. The executive order language was a response to criticisms about Trump’s efforts against the Affordable Care Act. However, legal and health policy experts said the executive order guarantees nothing near the protections in the ACA. The experts said actual congressional legislation, not this type of order, is necessary to maintain these preexisting conditions protections if the ACA goes away.
Biden: “One in 1,000 African Americans has been killed because of the coronavirus.”
Needs context
It’s tough to say precisely how many African Americans have died of COVID-19 because the government does not have complete information about the race and ethnicity of those who have died. But based on the limited available data, Biden seems to be in the ballpark. Earlier this month, the research arm of American Public Media found that 1 in 1,020 Black Americans have died of the virus — the highest mortality rate of any racial group nationwide — based on death rate data collected from every state and the District of Columbia.
Trump: “Dr. Fauci said the opposite, he said very strongly,” challenging Biden’s statement that no “serious person” would say masks weren’t important in reducing the spread of COVID-19.
Misleading
In a March 7 CBS News interview, Dr. Anthony Fauci said, “Right now in the United States, people should not be walking around with masks.” At the time, still early in the COVID pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was not recommending that Americans wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Masks were instead being reserved for health care workers, because there were concerns about shortages of personal protective equipment.
As it became clear that many people were asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19, the CDC updated its guidelines April 3 to recommend wearing masks. Fauci later acknowledged the resulting confusion but said public health leaders were making decisions based on the information they had at the time. He has since maintained that masks are important in preventing the spread of COVID-19.
This report was written by PolitiFact staff writers Jon Greenberg, Louis Jacobson, Amy Sherman, Samantha Putterman, Miriam Valverde, Bill McCarthy, Noah Y. Kim and Daniel Funke and KHN reporters Victoria Knight and Emmarie Huetteman.
Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.


thefiscaltimes--2020-09-29--Short-Term Health Insurance Plans Promoted by Trump Spent Relatively Little on Claims in 2019

The short-term health insurance plans promoted by President Trump and his administration — and derided by critics as “ junk insurance ” — spent significantly less than Obamacare-compliant plans on paying out members ’ medical claims last year , according to new data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners .
The Trump administration in 2018 changed an Obama-era rule that limited coverage under cheaper , short-term plans to three months .
The new rule allowed those plans — which , unlike Obamacare plans , are not required to cover preexisting medical conditions — to last for up to 364 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three years .
The data , highlighted by Modern Healthcare , show that health insurers selling those skimpier plans spent about 62 cents of every dollar in premiums on paying medical claims .
The five insurers that earned the most in premiums from such plans spent about 55 cents of every dollar in premiums on claims .
Obamacare plans are required to spend at least 80 % of premium dollars on claims or rebate the difference to enrollees .
Enrollment surges : Yet as Americans hunt for less costly insurance coverage , enrollment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rising from 86,600 at the end of 2018 to 188,000 as of December 31 , 2019 , Modern Healthcare reports .
Insurers collected $ 248.2 million in short-term plan premiums last year , up from $ 109.6 million the year before .
Caveats about the numbers : The new data “ likely captures just a fraction of the market for short-term , limited-duration health coverage , as these policies often fly under the radar of insurance regulators .
The data also reflects enrollment in the plans at a point in time and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so customers who had a policy but dropped it before then may not be counted , ” Modern Healthcare ’ s Shelby Livingston cautions .
The bottom line : The new data suggest that there is substantial demand for cheaper plans , even though short-term plans “ offer weaker coverage with more caveats that allow them to not pay , '' Justin Giovannelli , project director at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University , told Modern Healthcare .
Experts warn that people signing up for such plans might not realize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coverage or may risk having their claims denied or coverage rescinded .
Critics also fear that enrollment in such plans , particularly by healthier people , could undermine the Obamacare market by driving up premiums .

The short-term health insurance plans promoted by President Trump and his administration — and derided by critics as “junk insurance” — spent significantly less than Obamacare-compliant plans on paying out members’ medical claims last year, according to new data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
The Trump administration in 2018 changed an Obama-era rule that limited coverage under cheaper, short-term plans to three months. The new rule allowed those plans — which, unlike Obamacare plans, are not required to cover preexisting medical conditions — to last for up to 364 days and be renewed for up to three years.
The data, highlighted by Modern Healthcare, show that health insurers selling those skimpier plans spent about 62 cents of every dollar in premiums on paying medical claims. The five insurers that earned the most in premiums from such plans spent about 55 cents of every dollar in premiums on claims. Obamacare plans are required to spend at least 80% of premium dollars on claims or rebate the difference to enrollees.
Enrollment surges: Yet as Americans hunt for less costly insurance coverage, enrollment in short-term plans jumped last year, rising from 86,600 at the end of 2018 to 188,000 as of December 31, 2019, Modern Healthcare reports. Insurers collected $248.2 million in short-term plan premiums last year, up from $109.6 million the year before.
Caveats about the numbers: The new data “likely captures just a fraction of the market for short-term, limited-duration health coverage, as these policies often fly under the radar of insurance regulators. The data also reflects enrollment in the plans at a point in time and not over the course of the year, so customers who had a policy but dropped it before then may not be counted,” Modern Healthcare’s Shelby Livingston cautions.
The bottom line: The new data suggest that there is substantial demand for cheaper plans, even though short-term plans “offer weaker coverage with more caveats that allow them to not pay," Justin Giovannelli, project director at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University, told Modern Healthcare. Experts warn that people signing up for such plans might not realize that they are getting far less comprehensive coverage or may risk having their claims denied or coverage rescinded. Critics also fear that enrollment in such plans, particularly by healthier people, could undermine the Obamacare market by driving up premiums.


thefiscaltimes--2020-09-29--Trump’s Tax Cuts Didn’t Boost Job Numbers

The job market was remarkably strong before the coronavirus pandemic hit earlier this year , with the unemployment rate falling to a 50-year low .
Even so , President Trump ’ s promise to be the “ greatest jobs president that God ever created ” was looking a little iffy , with the job creation trend running a bit lower than the one established during the Obama administration in the wake of the Great Recession .
“ Trump ’ s signature legislative achievement , the 2017 tax reform bill , reduced taxes for the wealthy and corporations , but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in good jobs for average Americans , ” Bloomberg ’ s Reade Pickert and Catarina Saraiva wrote Tuesday .
The quality of the jobs being created during the last three years had fallen , Pickert and Saraiva said , and Trump ’ s trade war with China depressed growth in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors .
All of that is water under the bridge at this point though , after the coronavirus wiped out years of gains in just a few months .
“ Now , as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on track to be the first U.S. leader since World War II to oversee a net loss of jobs during a four-year term , ” the reporters said .

The job market was remarkably strong before the coronavirus pandemic hit earlier this year, with the unemployment rate falling to a 50-year low. Even so, President Trump’s promise to be the “greatest jobs president that God ever created” was looking a little iffy, with the job creation trend running a bit lower than the one established during the Obama administration in the wake of the Great Recession.
“Trump’s signature legislative achievement, the 2017 tax reform bill, reduced taxes for the wealthy and corporations, but it didn’t translate into big gains in good jobs for average Americans,” Bloomberg’s Reade Pickert and Catarina Saraiva wrote Tuesday.
The quality of the jobs being created during the last three years had fallen, Pickert and Saraiva said, and Trump’s trade war with China depressed growth in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
All of that is water under the bridge at this point though, after the coronavirus wiped out years of gains in just a few months. “Now, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, Trump heads into the November election on track to be the first U.S. leader since World War II to oversee a net loss of jobs during a four-year term,” the reporters said.


thefiscaltimes--2020-10-01--Layoffs Mount and Jobless Claims Keep Coming

About 837,000 people filed for state unemployment benefits last week , the Labor Department announced Thursday , and another 650,000 people applied for aid through the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for self-employed and gig workers .
Combined , the weekly claims numbers come to more than 1.4 million .
The total number of people receiving state and federal unemployment benefits rose slightly to 26.5 million .
The state claims number was lower than the week before and better than expected , although economists warned that the data from California likely skewed the results as the state adjusted its processing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the federal system .
More broadly , economists said that although the months-long downward trend appears to be holding , new jobless claims remain at unprecedentedly high levels six months into the coronavirus recession .
“ There is clearly a stalling out in the improvement in the domestic labor force , ” said Joseph Brusuelas , chief economist at the consulting firm RSM .
“ In particular , the rise in the number of persons on unemployment insurance and the increase in the number of people on PUA need to be monitored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to have a sustained issue over the next couple of years inside the labor market , particularly pertaining to transportation , leisure , hospitality in general , aviation and hotels in particular.
” Layoffs piling up : The weekly jobless claims report comes as major employers announced new layoffs in a still-struggling economy .
This week , Disney said it would fire 28,000 workers , Allstate Insurance said it would lay off 3,800 , Ralph Lauren said it would lay off 3,700 and Dow Inc. said it would reduce its global staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would begin furloughing staff , including 19,000 at American Airlines and up to 16,000 at United Airlines , although those moves could be reversed if the companies received a new round of federal aid in the bill currently under negotiation .
Incomes slipping : Personal income in the U.S. fell in August by 2.7 % , the Commerce Department said Thursday , with the expiration of enhanced unemployment benefits playing a major role .
“ The decline in income highlights the impact of the expiration of the extra $ 600 in weekly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which had temporarily propped up household finances and helped spur consumption , ” Bloomberg ’ s Olivia Rockeman reported .
“ While President Donald Trump in early August announced an additional $ 300 a week in federal jobless benefits , many states didn ’ t get those funds out until early September , and the benefit only lasts six weeks , meaning that further declines in income could continue later this year .
”

About 837,000 people filed for state unemployment benefits last week, the Labor Department announced Thursday, and another 650,000 people applied for aid through the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for self-employed and gig workers. Combined, the weekly claims numbers come to more than 1.4 million.
The total number of people receiving state and federal unemployment benefits rose slightly to 26.5 million.
The state claims number was lower than the week before and better than expected, although economists warned that the data from California likely skewed the results as the state adjusted its processing and reporting system, while claims rose in the federal system. More broadly, economists said that although the months-long downward trend appears to be holding, new jobless claims remain at unprecedentedly high levels six months into the coronavirus recession.
“There is clearly a stalling out in the improvement in the domestic labor force,” said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at the consulting firm RSM. “In particular, the rise in the number of persons on unemployment insurance and the increase in the number of people on PUA need to be monitored, because that signals we’re likely to have a sustained issue over the next couple of years inside the labor market, particularly pertaining to transportation, leisure, hospitality in general, aviation and hotels in particular.”
Layoffs piling up: The weekly jobless claims report comes as major employers announced new layoffs in a still-struggling economy. This week, Disney said it would fire 28,000 workers, Allstate Insurance said it would lay off 3,800, Ralph Lauren said it would lay off 3,700 and Dow Inc. said it would reduce its global staff by 6%. Major airlines said they would begin furloughing staff, including 19,000 at American Airlines and up to 16,000 at United Airlines, although those moves could be reversed if the companies received a new round of federal aid in the bill currently under negotiation.
Incomes slipping: Personal income in the U.S. fell in August by 2.7%, the Commerce Department said Thursday, with the expiration of enhanced unemployment benefits playing a major role. “The decline in income highlights the impact of the expiration of the extra $600 in weekly jobless benefits at the end of July, which had temporarily propped up household finances and helped spur consumption,” Bloomberg’s Olivia Rockeman reported. “While President Donald Trump in early August announced an additional $300 a week in federal jobless benefits, many states didn’t get those funds out until early September, and the benefit only lasts six weeks, meaning that further declines in income could continue later this year.”


thefiscaltimes--2020-10-01--Hopes Fade for Coronavirus Stimulus Package

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke again Thursday as part of a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement on a coronavirus relief bill before Congress leaves town ahead of the election , but no breakthroughs on a potential deal were announced .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke again Thursday as part of a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement on a coronavirus relief bill before Congress leaves town ahead of the election , but no breakthroughs on a potential deal were announced .
The atmosphere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said early Thursday that Mnuchin had offered a $ 1.6 trillion proposal and criticized Pelosi for failing to take the offer seriously .
“ It ’ s a good offer but it ’ s one Nancy Pelosi is not interested in , ” McEnany said in a press briefing .
“ Nancy Pelosi is not being serious .
If she becomes serious then we can have a discussion.
” Pelosi said the offer was too small and was focused more on helping the rich than ordinary citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a loaf , this is the heel of the loaf , ” Pelosi told Bloomberg .
Pelosi cast doubt on the chances of a deal during a private call with House Democrats , listing several areas where the two sides remain far apart , Politico reports .
Still , Pelosi told reporters that she wanted to keep working toward a deal .
“ We 're hopeful that we can reach agreement because the needs of the American people are so great .
But there has to be a recognition that it takes money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporters at her weekly press conference .
The White House proposal : The $ 1.62 trillion proposal offered by Mnuchin includes $ 250 billion in assistance for state and local governments , a boost of $ 100 billion over the previous Republican offer but still well short of the $ 436 billion Democrats are seeking .
It also includes a proposal for $ 400 per week in extra unemployment benefits , running from September 12 to the end of the year , a third less than the $ 600 per week in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House proposal include $ 300 billion for another round of $ 1,200 stimulus checks for most Americans adults ; $ 160 billion for businesses , including restaurants and airlines ; $ 150 billion for education ; $ 75 billion for Covid-19 testing ; $ 60 billion for rental assistance ; $ 50 billion for vaccines ; $ 50 billion for health care providers ; and $ 25 billion for child care .
Republican lawmakers express doubts : Even as Pelosi criticized the White House proposal for being too small , some Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it because it would be too large .
Rep. Kevin Brady ( R-TX ) , the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee , who played a key role in passing the GOP tax cuts in 2017 , said he was concerned about spending too much money on things like aid for the unemployed and state and local governments .
“ How much wasteful spending will we have to swallow to do this ?
” he asked during an interview with Fox Business Network .
Sens .
Ron Johnson ( R-WI @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said they would probably not support the White House plan , with Johnson saying he was unlikely to back anything larger than $ 650 billion bill that failed in the Senate earlier this month .
Talks to continue .
Pelosi and Mnuchin were expected to speak again on Thursday .
Meanwhile , the House is expected to vote on the $ 2.2 trillion stimulus bill Democrats unveiled earlier this week .
Pelosi said that voting on the bill will not preclude making a deal with Republicans , although the vote was delayed on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time to make a deal .
The atmosphere around the talks was notably strained .
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said early Thursday that Mnuchin had offered a $ 1.6 trillion proposal and criticized Pelosi for failing to take the offer seriously .
“ It ’ s a good offer but it ’ s one Nancy Pelosi is not interested in , ” McEnany said in a press briefing .
“ Nancy Pelosi is not being serious .
If she becomes serious then we can have a discussion.
” Pelosi said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more on helping the rich than ordinary citizens .
“ This isn ’ t half a loaf , this is the heel of the loaf , ” Pelosi told Bloomberg .
Pelosi cast doubt on the chances of a deal during a private call with House Democrats , listing several areas where the two sides remain far apart , Politico reports .
Still , Pelosi told reporters that she wanted to keep working toward a deal .
“ We 're hopeful that we can reach agreement because the needs of the American people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a recognition that it takes money to do that , '' Pelosi told reporters at her weekly press conference .
The White House proposal : The $ 1.62 trillion proposal offered by Mnuchin includes $ 250 billion in assistance for state and local governments , a boost of $ 100 billion over the previous Republican offer but still well short of the $ 436 billion Democrats are seeking .
It also includes a proposal for $ 400 per week in extra unemployment benefits , running from September 12 to the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the $ 600 per week in the House bill .
Other provisions in the White House proposal include $ 300 billion for another round of $ 1,200 stimulus checks for most Americans adults ; $ 160 billion for businesses , including restaurants and airlines ; $ 150 billion for education ; $ 75 billion for Covid-19 testing ; $ 60 billion for rental assistance ; $ 50 billion for vaccines ; $ 50 billion for health care providers ; and $ 25 billion for child care .
Republican lawmakers express doubts : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ proposal for being too small , some Republican lawmakers said they would have trouble supporting it because it would be too large .
Rep. Kevin Brady ( R-TX ) , the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee , who played a key role in passing the GOP tax cuts in 2017 , said he was concerned about spending too much money on things like aid for the unemployed and state and local governments .
“ How much wasteful spending will we have to swallow to do this ?
” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Network .
Sens .
Ron Johnson ( R-WI ) and Rick Scott ( R-FL ) said they would probably not support the White House plan , with Johnson saying he was unlikely to back anything larger than $ 650 billion bill that failed in the Senate earlier this month .
Talks to continue .
Pelosi and Mnuchin were expected to speak again on Thursday .
Meanwhile , the House is expected to vote on the $ 2.2 trillion stimulus bill Democrats unveiled earlier this week .
Pelosi said that voting on the bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans , although the vote was delayed on Wednesday in order to give negotiators more time to make a deal .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke again Thursday as part of a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement on a coronavirus relief bill before Congress leaves town ahead of the election, but no breakthroughs on a potential deal were announced.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin spoke again Thursday as part of a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement on a coronavirus relief bill before Congress leaves town ahead of the election, but no breakthroughs on a potential deal were announced.
The atmosphere around the talks was notably strained. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said early Thursday that Mnuchin had offered a $1.6 trillion proposal and criticized Pelosi for failing to take the offer seriously.
“It’s a good offer but it’s one Nancy Pelosi is not interested in,” McEnany said in a press briefing. “Nancy Pelosi is not being serious. If she becomes serious then we can have a discussion.”
Pelosi said the offer was too small and was focused more on helping the rich than ordinary citizens. “This isn’t half a loaf, this is the heel of the loaf,” Pelosi told Bloomberg.
Pelosi cast doubt on the chances of a deal during a private call with House Democrats, listing several areas where the two sides remain far apart, Politico reports.
Still, Pelosi told reporters that she wanted to keep working toward a deal. “We're hopeful that we can reach agreement because the needs of the American people are so great. But there has to be a recognition that it takes money to do that," Pelosi told reporters at her weekly press conference.
The White House proposal: The $1.62 trillion proposal offered by Mnuchin includes $250 billion in assistance for state and local governments, a boost of $100 billion over the previous Republican offer but still well short of the $436 billion Democrats are seeking. It also includes a proposal for $400 per week in extra unemployment benefits, running from September 12 to the end of the year, a third less than the $600 per week in the House bill.
Other provisions in the White House proposal include $300 billion for another round of $1,200 stimulus checks for most Americans adults; $160 billion for businesses, including restaurants and airlines; $150 billion for education; $75 billion for Covid-19 testing; $60 billion for rental assistance; $50 billion for vaccines; $50 billion for health care providers; and $25 billion for child care.
Republican lawmakers express doubts: Even as Pelosi criticized the White House proposal for being too small, some Republican lawmakers said they would have trouble supporting it because it would be too large.
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, who played a key role in passing the GOP tax cuts in 2017, said he was concerned about spending too much money on things like aid for the unemployed and state and local governments. “How much wasteful spending will we have to swallow to do this?” he asked during an interview with Fox Business Network.
Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Rick Scott (R-FL) said they would probably not support the White House plan, with Johnson saying he was unlikely to back anything larger than $650 billion bill that failed in the Senate earlier this month.
Talks to continue. Pelosi and Mnuchin were expected to speak again on Thursday. Meanwhile, the House is expected to vote on the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill Democrats unveiled earlier this week. Pelosi said that voting on the bill will not preclude making a deal with Republicans, although the vote was delayed on Wednesday in order to give negotiators more time to make a deal.
The atmosphere around the talks was notably strained. White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said early Thursday that Mnuchin had offered a $1.6 trillion proposal and criticized Pelosi for failing to take the offer seriously.
“It’s a good offer but it’s one Nancy Pelosi is not interested in,” McEnany said in a press briefing. “Nancy Pelosi is not being serious. If she becomes serious then we can have a discussion.”
Pelosi said the offer was too small and was focused more on helping the rich than ordinary citizens. “This isn’t half a loaf, this is the heel of the loaf,” Pelosi told Bloomberg.
Pelosi cast doubt on the chances of a deal during a private call with House Democrats, listing several areas where the two sides remain far apart, Politico reports.
Still, Pelosi told reporters that she wanted to keep working toward a deal. “We're hopeful that we can reach agreement because the needs of the American people are so great. But there has to be a recognition that it takes money to do that," Pelosi told reporters at her weekly press conference.
The White House proposal: The $1.62 trillion proposal offered by Mnuchin includes $250 billion in assistance for state and local governments, a boost of $100 billion over the previous Republican offer but still well short of the $436 billion Democrats are seeking. It also includes a proposal for $400 per week in extra unemployment benefits, running from September 12 to the end of the year, a third less than the $600 per week in the House bill.
Other provisions in the White House proposal include $300 billion for another round of $1,200 stimulus checks for most Americans adults; $160 billion for businesses, including restaurants and airlines; $150 billion for education; $75 billion for Covid-19 testing; $60 billion for rental assistance; $50 billion for vaccines; $50 billion for health care providers; and $25 billion for child care.
Republican lawmakers express doubts: Even as Pelosi criticized the White House proposal for being too small, some Republican lawmakers said they would have trouble supporting it because it would be too large.
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, who played a key role in passing the GOP tax cuts in 2017, said he was concerned about spending too much money on things like aid for the unemployed and state and local governments. “How much wasteful spending will we have to swallow to do this?” he asked during an interview with Fox Business Network.
Sens. Ron Johnson (R-WI) and Rick Scott (R-FL) said they would probably not support the White House plan, with Johnson saying he was unlikely to back anything larger than $650 billion bill that failed in the Senate earlier this month.
Talks to continue. Pelosi and Mnuchin were expected to speak again on Thursday. Meanwhile, the House is expected to vote on the $2.2 trillion stimulus bill Democrats unveiled earlier this week. Pelosi said that voting on the bill will not preclude making a deal with Republicans, although the vote was delayed on Wednesday in order to give negotiators more time to make a deal.


thefiscaltimes--2020-10-01--Most Favor Biden on Preexisting Conditions, but Republican Voters Trust Trump

Which presidential candidate will do better at preserving protections for people with preexisting medical conditions ?
That might seem like a silly question to some readers , since President Trump ’ s administration is backing a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act , including those protections .
But the president has pledged to maintain those protections — he issued a toothless executive order to that effect last week — and , as Sarah Kliff and Margot Sanger-Katz detail at The Upshot , Republican voters believe him .
While most voters say that Joe Biden will do better at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — including 93 % of Democrats and 57 % of independents in a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey — Republicans overwhelmingly trust Trump more on the issue ( 84 % in the KFF poll ) .
A Commonwealth Fund poll similarly found that 81 % of Republican likely voters said Trump was more likely to protect coverage for those with preexisting conditions .
“ They believe the repeated promises he makes , at campaign rallies , in Twitter messages and with executive orders — despite his support of lawsuits and legislation that would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanger-Katz write .
The Times reporters spoke to a dozen voters who said Trump would do a better job on pre-existing conditions and found that the voters not only believed the president but also couldn ’ t believe that any politician would undo the protections .
“ There is not a single guy or woman who would run for president that would make it so that pre-existing conditions wouldn ’ t be covered , ” Phil Bowman , a 59-year-old retiree in North Carolina , told the Times .
“ Nobody would vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump and Republican lawmakers have struggled to come up with a plan that would match the protections created under the Affordable Care Act , but Trump ’ s repeated promises are clearly enough to convince GOP partisans , even if other voters remain skeptical .
Read more at The New York Times .

Which presidential candidate will do better at preserving protections for people with preexisting medical conditions? That might seem like a silly question to some readers, since President Trump’s administration is backing a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the Affordable Care Act, including those protections. But the president has pledged to maintain those protections — he issued a toothless executive order to that effect last week — and, as Sarah Kliff and Margot Sanger-Katz detail at The Upshot, Republican voters believe him.
While most voters say that Joe Biden will do better at maintaining protections for people with preexisting conditions — including 93% of Democrats and 57% of independents in a recent Kaiser Family Foundation survey — Republicans overwhelmingly trust Trump more on the issue (84% in the KFF poll). A Commonwealth Fund poll similarly found that 81% of Republican likely voters said Trump was more likely to protect coverage for those with preexisting conditions.
“They believe the repeated promises he makes, at campaign rallies, in Twitter messages and with executive orders — despite his support of lawsuits and legislation that would do the opposite,” Kliff and Sanger-Katz write.
The Times reporters spoke to a dozen voters who said Trump would do a better job on pre-existing conditions and found that the voters not only believed the president but also couldn’t believe that any politician would undo the protections.
“There is not a single guy or woman who would run for president that would make it so that pre-existing conditions wouldn’t be covered,” Phil Bowman, a 59-year-old retiree in North Carolina, told the Times. “Nobody would vote for him.”
The bottom line: Trump and Republican lawmakers have struggled to come up with a plan that would match the protections created under the Affordable Care Act, but Trump’s repeated promises are clearly enough to convince GOP partisans, even if other voters remain skeptical.
Read more at The New York Times.


thefiscaltimes--2020-10-01--Trump Is the Largest Driver of Coronavirus Misinformation: Study

President Trump was the single largest driver of misinformation about Covid-19 over the first months of the pandemic , according to a new study by Cornell University researchers .
The researchers analyzed more than 38 million articles about the pandemic published in English-language media around the world from the beginning of the year to May 26 .
They found that more than 1.1 million articles , or just under 3 % , contained misinformation — and mentions of Trump accounted for nearly 38 % of “ the overall misinformation conversation ” more than any other topic .
“ We conclude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was likely the largest driver of the COVID-19 misinformation ‘ infodemic , ’ ” the researchers write , applying the term that the World Health Organization has used for the widespread falsehoods circulating about the coronavirus pandemic .
The study has not yet been peer-reviewed .
Why it matters : Misinformation about the pandemic is “ one of the major reasons ” the United States is not doing as well as other countries in fighting the pandemic , Dr. Joshua Sharfstein , a vice dean at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Food and Drug Administration , told The New York Times .

President Trump was the single largest driver of misinformation about Covid-19 over the first months of the pandemic, according to a new study by Cornell University researchers.
The researchers analyzed more than 38 million articles about the pandemic published in English-language media around the world from the beginning of the year to May 26. They found that more than 1.1 million articles, or just under 3%, contained misinformation — and mentions of Trump accounted for nearly 38% of “the overall misinformation conversation” more than any other topic.
“We conclude that the President of the United States was likely the largest driver of the COVID-19 misinformation ‘infodemic,’” the researchers write, applying the term that the World Health Organization has used for the widespread falsehoods circulating about the coronavirus pandemic.
The study has not yet been peer-reviewed.
Why it matters: Misinformation about the pandemic is “one of the major reasons” the United States is not doing as well as other countries in fighting the pandemic, Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a vice dean at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a former principal deputy commissioner at the Food and Drug Administration, told The New York Times.


thefiscaltimes--2020-10-02--Pelosi: Trump’s Diagnosis Could Speed Stimulus Bill

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ( D-CA ) suggested Friday that Trump ’ s diagnosis could help negotiators reach agreement on another coronavirus relief package .
“ This kind of changes the dynamic because here they see the reality of what we have been saying all along — this is a vicious virus , ” Pelosi said on MSNBC .
“ I ’ m optimistic .
I ’ m always optimistic .
We always have to find a path .
That is our responsibility to do so .
And I believe that we will.
” Pelosi spoke by phone with Treasury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hour and the two will continue discussions , according to Drew Hammill , Pelosi ’ s deputy chief of staff .
In a letter to House Democrats , Pelosi outlined several areas where negotiators still have what she called “ significant disagreements , ” including unemployment insurance ; aid to state and local governments and schools ; the Earned Income and Child tax credits ; and funding for testing and tracing .
“ We are expecting a response from the White House on these areas and others with more detail , ” Pelosi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we continue to work on the text to move quickly to facilitate an agreement.
” With the pace of talks accelerating , Pelosi also called on airlines to delay announced furloughs of thousands of workers .
In a major shift , the speaker said that a $ 25 billion , six-month extension of federal payroll support for airlines would be passed as a standalone bill if negotiators don ’ t reach a broader deal .
Some Republicans objected Friday to an attempt to pass a standalone payroll support measure under unanimous consent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ large relief bill and leaders from the conservative groups Americans for Prosperity , R Street , the Libre Initiative and Heritage Action held a conference call Friday urging lawmakers to reject a deal , according to The Washington Post .
“ We are very concerned about any possible deal at this point , ” said Tim Phillips , president of American for Prosperity .
“ We are urging Congress : ‘ Do not do another spending deal .
’ ”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) suggested Friday that Trump’s diagnosis could help negotiators reach agreement on another coronavirus relief package. “This kind of changes the dynamic because here they see the reality of what we have been saying all along — this is a vicious virus,” Pelosi said on MSNBC. “I’m optimistic. I’m always optimistic. We always have to find a path. That is our responsibility to do so. And I believe that we will.”
Pelosi spoke by phone with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for just over an hour and the two will continue discussions, according to Drew Hammill, Pelosi’s deputy chief of staff. In a letter to House Democrats, Pelosi outlined several areas where negotiators still have what she called “significant disagreements,” including unemployment insurance; aid to state and local governments and schools; the Earned Income and Child tax credits; and funding for testing and tracing.
“We are expecting a response from the White House on these areas and others with more detail,” Pelosi wrote. “In the meantime, we continue to work on the text to move quickly to facilitate an agreement.”
With the pace of talks accelerating, Pelosi also called on airlines to delay announced furloughs of thousands of workers. In a major shift, the speaker said that a $25 billion, six-month extension of federal payroll support for airlines would be passed as a standalone bill if negotiators don’t reach a broader deal. Some Republicans objected Friday to an attempt to pass a standalone payroll support measure under unanimous consent.
Many Republicans also remain opposed to another large relief bill and leaders from the conservative groups Americans for Prosperity, R Street, the Libre Initiative and Heritage Action held a conference call Friday urging lawmakers to reject a deal, according to The Washington Post. “We are very concerned about any possible deal at this point,” said Tim Phillips, president of American for Prosperity. “We are urging Congress: ‘Do not do another spending deal.’”


thefiscaltimes--2020-10-02--Trump’s Brutal Covid Reality Check

Trump’s Brutal Covid Reality Check

As October surprises go , this sure is a doozy .
President Trump ’ s announcement that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19 instantly reshapes his reelection race , but the ramifications of Trump ’ s infection may extend far beyond the campaign trail .
Trump ’ s illness , for example , could affect the public ’ s perception of the pandemic , or even reverberate through the economy .
It could also give lawmakers a much-needed push to finally reach a deal on a long-stalled coronavirus relief package .
Here ’ s an overview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it all means .
Trump hospitalized : Trump , 74 , was being taken to Walter Reed Medical Center , where he is reportedly expected to spend a few days .
“ Out of an abundance of caution , and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts , the President will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days , ” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said .
The White House had earlier said that Trump was experiencing mild symptoms .
He reportedly had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All previously announced campaign events involving the President ’ s participation are in the process of being moved to virtual events or are being temporarily postponed , '' campaign manager Bill Stepien said in a statement .
Despite Trump ’ s diagnosis , mask-wearing at the White House will reportedly remain optional .
Who else has tested positive : Trump ’ s announcement came hours after White House aide Hope Hicks was reported to have the virus .
Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel and Sen. Mike Lee ( R-UT ) have also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Notre Dame ’ s president , Rev .
John I. Jenkins , who attended the White House ceremony Saturday for Trump ’ s Supreme Court nominee , Judge Amy Coney Barrett , a professor at the school .
Who has tested negative : Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence ; Joe Biden , Kamala Harris and their spouses ; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ; White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows ; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin ; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ; Health and Human Services Secretary Alex @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court nominee ; Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner ; and the Trumps ’ son Barron .
Look for updates here .
The election impact : Trump has tried mightily to portray his handling of the pandemic as a success and to shift the focus of the campaign away from the virus that has infected more than 7 million Americans and caused more than 208,000 deaths .
That now will be impossible , as Trump ’ s infection will pull him from the campaign trail with the election just 32 days away and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s dismissiveness toward it are top news for the final weeks of the race .
It will be harder to convince anyone that the country has “ turned the corner ” on the pandemic .
Mocking Joe Biden for wearing a mask and for campaigning “ from his basement ” won ’ t quite work when Trump himself is in quarantine .
A hit to the economy ?
“ This is almost certainly negative news for the economy , because the chances of a significant relaxation in lockdown provisions in the U.S. have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg ’ s John Authers .
“ It was much easier to argue for reopening the economy when a large part of the population truly believed that the pandemic was a hoax .
That will change , and many individuals ' behavior will probably alter even without an adjustment in the official rules.
” Changing how Americans see Covid ?
Trump ’ s illness could get some Americans to take the threat of the virus more seriously — or it could have the opposite effect .
“ There is a genuine concern , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ concern , that in the event that the president was to experience only mild illness , then he might seek to use that as evidence to further suggest that this is not as serious as what it actually is , ” Adam Kamradt-Scott , who researches how governments and organizations deal with health challenges , told Bloomberg .
“ That would be unfortunate , would be the diplomatic way of putting it .
”

As October surprises go, this sure is a doozy. President Trump’s announcement that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for Covid-19 instantly reshapes his reelection race, but the ramifications of Trump’s infection may extend far beyond the campaign trail.
Trump’s illness, for example, could affect the public’s perception of the pandemic, or even reverberate through the economy. It could also give lawmakers a much-needed push to finally reach a deal on a long-stalled coronavirus relief package.
Here’s an overview of what’s happening and what it all means.
Trump hospitalized: Trump, 74, was being taken to Walter Reed Medical Center, where he is reportedly expected to spend a few days. “Out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of his physician and medical experts, the President will be working from the presidential offices at Walter Reed for the next few days,” White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said. The White House had earlier said that Trump was experiencing mild symptoms. He reportedly had a “low-grade” fever.
"All previously announced campaign events involving the President’s participation are in the process of being moved to virtual events or are being temporarily postponed," campaign manager Bill Stepien said in a statement. Despite Trump’s diagnosis, mask-wearing at the White House will reportedly remain optional.
Who else has tested positive: Trump’s announcement came hours after White House aide Hope Hicks was reported to have the virus. Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) have also tested positive, as did the University of Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, who attended the White House ceremony Saturday for Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a professor at the school.
Who has tested negative: Vice President Mike Pence and second lady Karen Pence; Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and their spouses; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi; White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows; Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar; Barrett, Trump’s Supreme Court nominee; Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner; and the Trumps’ son Barron. Look for updates here.
The election impact: Trump has tried mightily to portray his handling of the pandemic as a success and to shift the focus of the campaign away from the virus that has infected more than 7 million Americans and caused more than 208,000 deaths. That now will be impossible, as Trump’s infection will pull him from the campaign trail with the election just 32 days away and ensure that the pandemic and Trump’s dismissiveness toward it are top news for the final weeks of the race. It will be harder to convince anyone that the country has “turned the corner” on the pandemic. Mocking Joe Biden for wearing a mask and for campaigning “from his basement” won’t quite work when Trump himself is in quarantine.
A hit to the economy? “This is almost certainly negative news for the economy, because the chances of a significant relaxation in lockdown provisions in the U.S. have just been sharply reduced,” writes Bloomberg’s John Authers. “It was much easier to argue for reopening the economy when a large part of the population truly believed that the pandemic was a hoax. That will change, and many individuals' behavior will probably alter even without an adjustment in the official rules.”
Changing how Americans see Covid? Trump’s illness could get some Americans to take the threat of the virus more seriously — or it could have the opposite effect. “There is a genuine concern, and it’s not an unreasonable concern, that in the event that the president was to experience only mild illness, then he might seek to use that as evidence to further suggest that this is not as serious as what it actually is,” Adam Kamradt-Scott, who researches how governments and organizations deal with health challenges, told Bloomberg. “That would be unfortunate, would be the diplomatic way of putting it.”


thefiscaltimes--2020-10-06--Trump Cuts Off Coronavirus Stimulus Talks

President Trump said Tuesday that he instructed White House negotiators to cut off talks on another coronavirus relief package until after the November elections .
In a series of tweets posted less than a day after he was released from the hospital , Trump accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of “ not negotiating in good faith ” and claimed that Democrats were seeking to bail out “ poorly run ” blue states by providing funding unrelated to the pandemic .
“ I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when , immediately after I win , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that focuses on hard-working Americans and Small Business , ” Trump wrote .
The two sides were not close to an agreement , but they had resumed talks after weeks of inaction and appeared to be making modest progress in narrowing their differences .
House Democrats passed a $ 2.2 trillion package last week , while Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had offered $ 1.6 trillion .
But Trump and other Republicans have long objected to providing significantly more aid to states , and the issue remained one of several obstacles to a deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fiscal crunch , too , as a result of the pandemic . )
Trump ’ s announcement Tuesday reportedly came after a conference call with Mnuchin and Republican congressional leaders .
In his tweets , Trump said he had asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ( R-KY ) to focus on confirming Amy Coney Barrett , his nominee to the Supreme Court .
Pelosi ripped Trump ’ s move .
“ Today , once again , President Trump showed his true colors : putting himself first at the expense of the country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP Members of Congress , ” Pelosi said in a statement .
“ Walking away from coronavirus talks demonstrates that President Trump is unwilling to crush the virus .
… Clearly , the White House is in complete disarray.
” What it means : More economic suffering is likely , at least in the near term .
Many analysts say that the economy still requires additional support to stave off more prolonged weakness , and before Trump made his announcement , Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell again urged lawmakers to provide more aid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remains uncertain and suggested that it would be better to do too much than too little .
( See more on Powell ’ s comments below . )
Others lamented the likely economic toll .
“ As we speculate on why Trump would kill a relief bill , think of the damage—foeclosures [ SIC ] , evictions , businesses cratering , states struggling to fund anything , hospitals bracing for a new Covid wave without PPE , ” Norman Ornstein , resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute , tweeted .
“ This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is a human tragedy.
” A surprising turn by Trump : The president himself said just a few days ago that the country needed a stimulus bill .
“ OUR GREAT USA WANTS & NEEDS STIMULUS .
WORK TOGETHER AND GET IT DONE , ” he tweeted from the hospital on Saturday .
On Tuesday , though , he tweeted that the economy “ is doing very well ” and touted the jobs rebound and the stock market ’ s gains ( stocks turned sharply lower on Trump ’ s tweet ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Werner and Jeff Stein called out some of the issues with Trump ’ s rosier outlook : “ Even some of Trump ’ s top advisers have said the economy is not doing very well and that more assistance is needed .
Further , the stock market is not at record levels , and it also doesn ’ t reflect the broader health of the economy .
The unemployment rate has come down from its April peak of around 15 percent , but it is still at 8.4 percent and millions of Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ afford food , and find jobs .
The U.S. economy has barely recovered half of the jobs lost in March and April , and Trump is set to be the first president in modern history to end his first term with a net loss of American jobs.
” Axios reports that even some of Trump ’ s advisers were baffled by his decision to pull the plug on talks .
One campaign adviser told Axios : `` You have to try to be this politically inept .
What is going on in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lie with the contrarian conservative outside economic advisers who have Trump ’ s ear , including Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore , both of whom argued that additional stimulus would have been harmful .
Moore reportedly called Trump ’ s move “ heroic , ” suggesting that , while a stimulus bill would have yielded short-term benefits , Trump was “ looking at the future ” and saying , “ I 'm not going to bankrupt our country .
”

President Trump said Tuesday that he instructed White House negotiators to cut off talks on another coronavirus relief package until after the November elections.
In a series of tweets posted less than a day after he was released from the hospital, Trump accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of “not negotiating in good faith” and claimed that Democrats were seeking to bail out “poorly run” blue states by providing funding unrelated to the pandemic.
“I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hard-working Americans and Small Business,” Trump wrote.
The two sides were not close to an agreement, but they had resumed talks after weeks of inaction and appeared to be making modest progress in narrowing their differences. House Democrats passed a $2.2 trillion package last week, while Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin had offered $1.6 trillion. But Trump and other Republicans have long objected to providing significantly more aid to states, and the issue remained one of several obstacles to a deal. (Reminder: Red states face a fiscal crunch, too, as a result of the pandemic.)
Trump’s announcement Tuesday reportedly came after a conference call with Mnuchin and Republican congressional leaders. In his tweets, Trump said he had asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to focus on confirming Amy Coney Barrett, his nominee to the Supreme Court.
Pelosi ripped Trump’s move. “Today, once again, President Trump showed his true colors: putting himself first at the expense of the country, with the full complicity of the GOP Members of Congress,” Pelosi said in a statement. “Walking away from coronavirus talks demonstrates that President Trump is unwilling to crush the virus. … Clearly, the White House is in complete disarray.”
What it means: More economic suffering is likely, at least in the near term. Many analysts say that the economy still requires additional support to stave off more prolonged weakness, and before Trump made his announcement, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell again urged lawmakers to provide more aid. Powell warned that the economic outlook remains uncertain and suggested that it would be better to do too much than too little. (See more on Powell’s comments below.)
Others lamented the likely economic toll. “As we speculate on why Trump would kill a relief bill, think of the damage—foeclosures [SIC], evictions, businesses cratering, states struggling to fund anything, hospitals bracing for a new Covid wave without PPE,” Norman Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, tweeted. “This more than an election ‘strategy.’ It is a human tragedy.”
A surprising turn by Trump: The president himself said just a few days ago that the country needed a stimulus bill. “OUR GREAT USA WANTS & NEEDS STIMULUS. WORK TOGETHER AND GET IT DONE,” he tweeted from the hospital on Saturday. On Tuesday, though, he tweeted that the economy “is doing very well” and touted the jobs rebound and the stock market’s gains (stocks turned sharply lower on Trump’s tweet).
The Washington Post’s Erica Werner and Jeff Stein called out some of the issues with Trump’s rosier outlook:
“Even some of Trump’s top advisers have said the economy is not doing very well and that more assistance is needed. Further, the stock market is not at record levels, and it also doesn’t reflect the broader health of the economy. The unemployment rate has come down from its April peak of around 15 percent, but it is still at 8.4 percent and millions of Americans are struggling to pay their bills, afford food, and find jobs. The U.S. economy has barely recovered half of the jobs lost in March and April, and Trump is set to be the first president in modern history to end his first term with a net loss of American jobs.”
Axios reports that even some of Trump’s advisers were baffled by his decision to pull the plug on talks. One campaign adviser told Axios: "You have to try to be this politically inept. What is going on in the White House?"
One answer may lie with the contrarian conservative outside economic advisers who have Trump’s ear, including Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore, both of whom argued that additional stimulus would have been harmful. Moore reportedly called Trump’s move “heroic,” suggesting that, while a stimulus bill would have yielded short-term benefits, Trump was “looking at the future” and saying, “I'm not going to bankrupt our country.”


thefiscaltimes--2020-10-05--Trump Teases Another Massive Tax Cut

Trump Teases Another Massive Tax Cut

President Trump just left the Walter Reed Medical Center to return to the White House — a decision that ’ s astonishing outside experts and raising additional questions about his condition , his care and the administration ’ s transparency about both .
“ Don ’ t be afraid of Covid .
Don ’ t let it dominate your life , ” the president tweeted in , depending on your perspective , a classic display of Trumpian bravado or a mind-boggingly reckless and insensitive exhortation in the face of a pandemic that has cost more than 200,000 lives .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did 20 years ago .
Trump ’ s doctors said that while he wasn ’ t fully recovered he met the requirements to be discharged and go back to the White House .
“ Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet , the team and I agree that all our evaluations , and most importantly his clinical status , support the president ’ s safe return home , where he ’ ll be surrounded by world-class medical care 24-7 , ” Dr. Sean Conley , Trump ’ s personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing .
Other doctors called the move ill-advised .
“ For someone sick enough to have required remdesivir and dexamethasone , I can ’ t think of a situation in which a patient would be okay to leave on day three , even with the White House ’ s medical capacity , ” Dr. Robert Wachter , chairman of the University of California at San Francisco ’ s department of medicine , told The Washington Post before Trump announced his return home .
Others also questioned the decision to discharge Trump , given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mix of medications he ’ s being given and the likelihood that he ’ s still contagious and will be heading to a White House environment that may have already been host to a superspreader event and where there will inevitably be many other people close by .
Trump promises another tax cut : Even as Trump heads home , it was clear during his hospital stay that the president was very much in campaign mode .
To wit : Trump on Monday morning issued a frenzied series of all-caps tweets seeking to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • BIGGEST TAX CUT EVER , AND ANOTHER ONE COMING .
VOTE !
The reality : On health care , Trump is again promising more than he has delivered .
And on taxes , he is again falsely describing his 2017 cuts as the largest ever .
While Trump has dangled the promise of additional cuts repeatedly in recent years , congressional action would be necessary to enact the sizable middle-class tax cut that Trump has teased .
It ’ s not likely Trump can reach a tax cut deal with Democrats if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I can ’ t imagine them finding agreement on any kind of major tax reform since their agendas are close to diametrically opposed , ” Seth Hanlon , a senior fellow at the Democratic-aligned Center for American Progress , told The Wall Street Journal recently .
Trump has previously considered cutting the capital gains rate and pledged to forgive payroll taxes deferred this year by his executive action .
Stephen Moore , an outside economic adviser to Trump , told the Washington Examiner that he met with the president and his economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax cut for 2021 .
`` He said he wants to lower the income tax percent to 15 from 22 , create a tax-free savings account for the middle class , and revive the payroll tax cut idea .
The goal is to get help for folks who make less than $ 100,000 a year , '' Moore told the Examiner .
He added that there ’ s a `` high likelihood '' Trump will announce a specific tax cut plan before the election .
Trump ’ s tweetstorm also included a claim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax increase , the biggest in the history of our country.
” ( Trump ’ s tweet was , again , in capital letters , but we ’ re sparing you the eyesore . )
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said he would not raise taxes on people making less than $ 400,000 .

President Trump just left the Walter Reed Medical Center to return to the White House — a decision that’s astonishing outside experts and raising additional questions about his condition, his care and the administration’s transparency about both.
“Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” the president tweeted in, depending on your perspective, a classic display of Trumpian bravado or a mind-boggingly reckless and insensitive exhortation in the face of a pandemic that has cost more than 200,000 lives. He added that he feels better than he did 20 years ago.
Trump’s doctors said that while he wasn’t fully recovered he met the requirements to be discharged and go back to the White House. “Though he may not entirely be out of the woods yet, the team and I agree that all our evaluations, and most importantly his clinical status, support the president’s safe return home, where he’ll be surrounded by world-class medical care 24-7,” Dr. Sean Conley, Trump’s personal physician, told reporters at an afternoon briefing.
Other doctors called the move ill-advised. “For someone sick enough to have required remdesivir and dexamethasone, I can’t think of a situation in which a patient would be okay to leave on day three, even with the White House’s medical capacity,” Dr. Robert Wachter, chairman of the University of California at San Francisco’s department of medicine, told The Washington Post before Trump announced his return home.
Others also questioned the decision to discharge Trump, given the risks he still faces, the mix of medications he’s being given and the likelihood that he’s still contagious and will be heading to a White House environment that may have already been host to a superspreader event and where there will inevitably be many other people close by.
Trump promises another tax cut: Even as Trump heads home, it was clear during his hospital stay that the president was very much in campaign mode. To wit: Trump on Monday morning issued a frenzied series of all-caps tweets seeking to drum up votes. They included:
STOCK MARKET HIGHS. VOTE!
LAW & ORDER. VOTE!
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY. VOTE!
BIGGEST TAX CUT EVER, AND ANOTHER ONE COMING. VOTE!
401(K). VOTE!
SPACE FORCE. VOTE!
BETTER & CHEAPER HEALTHCARE. VOTE!
PROTECT PREEXISTING CONDITIONS. VOTE!
The reality: On health care, Trump is again promising more than he has delivered. And on taxes, he is again falsely describing his 2017 cuts as the largest ever. While Trump has dangled the promise of additional cuts repeatedly in recent years, congressional action would be necessary to enact the sizable middle-class tax cut that Trump has teased. It’s not likely Trump can reach a tax cut deal with Democrats if they retain control of the House. “I can’t imagine them finding agreement on any kind of major tax reform since their agendas are close to diametrically opposed,” Seth Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Democratic-aligned Center for American Progress, told The Wall Street Journal recently.
Trump has previously considered cutting the capital gains rate and pledged to forgive payroll taxes deferred this year by his executive action. Stephen Moore, an outside economic adviser to Trump, told the Washington Examiner that he met with the president and his economic team 10 days ago and discussed a tax cut for 2021.
"He said he wants to lower the income tax percent to 15 from 22, create a tax-free savings account for the middle class, and revive the payroll tax cut idea. The goal is to get help for folks who make less than $100,000 a year," Moore told the Examiner. He added that there’s a "high likelihood" Trump will announce a specific tax cut plan before the election.
Trump’s tweetstorm also included a claim that Democrats would enact a “massive tax increase, the biggest in the history of our country.” (Trump’s tweet was, again, in capital letters, but we’re sparing you the eyesore.) Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has said he would not raise taxes on people making less than $400,000.