Obama’s Veto Threats Seek To Protect Health Law
The president is also requesting hundreds of millions of dollars to develop personalized medical treatments. Elsewhere on Capitol Hill, Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., pushes to repeal the medical device tax and lawmakers debate the definition of rape.
The Associated Press:
What Issues Roil Washington? Obama's Veto Threats Are Clues
In addition to delivering eight formal veto notices on specific bills under consideration, the president has sounded broader warnings that he’ll block legislative efforts that jeopardize his health care law, roll back rules governing Wall Street, reverse his immigration actions or impose new sanctions on Iran. There’s a little bit of everything in Obama’s veto threats: the culture wars (abortion), energy policy (Keystone XL oil pipeline), social matters (Obamacare), foreign policy (Iran), economic angst (financial regulation), even wonky details of governance. (1/23)
The New York Times:
Obama To Request Research Funding For Treatments Tailored To Patients’ DNA
President Obama will seek hundreds of millions of dollars for a new initiative to develop medical treatments tailored to genetic and other characteristics of individual patients, administration officials say. The proposal, mentioned briefly in his State of the Union address, will be described in greater detail in his budget in the coming weeks. The effort is likely to receive support from members of both parties, lawmakers said. (Pear, 1/24)
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
Democrat Ron Kind Supports Obamacare But Pushes To Repeal Medical Device Tax
Although he supports the Affordable Care Act, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind has taken the lead among House Democrats in pushing to repeal a tax in the law that affects almost all of the products made by GE Healthcare in Wisconsin and sold in the United States. (Boulton, 1/26)
The Hill:
Groups Seize On 'Definitional Problem Of Rape' Comments
Abortion rights activists are trying to awaken a debate on rape that they believe will put the GOP in dangerous waters ahead of 2016, after a top Republican said Thursday that his party had a “definitional problem of rape.” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) spoke at the March for Life, a national anti-abortion rally, just hours after the issue of rape unexpectedly forced House Republicans to cancel a vote on an abortion bill. (Ferris, 1/23)
Also in the news, a rising grassroots Republican renews his push for repealing the health law in a speech in Iowa.
Politico:
Ben Carson Draws Raucous Applause At Iowa Summit
Ben Carson on Saturday delivered a forceful defense of conservatism, arguing for dramatically scaling back the federal government and saying that he wouldn’t support Obamacare even if it worked. (Topaz, 1/24)