Kamala Harris statement on Trump's nomination of Amy Barret for the US supreme Court

U.S. Senator and Democratic Vide President pick, Kamala Harris took to Twitter to voice her thoughts of Trump's nomination of Judge Amy Barret to the United States Supreme Court.

Harris tweeted:

Trump’s hand-picked successor to Justice Ginsburg’s seat makes it clear: they intend to destroy the Affordable Care Act & overturn Roe. This selection would move the court further right for a generation & harm millions of Americans.

I strongly oppose Judge Barrett’s nomination.

Sen. Kamala Harris Letter Demands Answers from Barr on DOJ’s Attempt to Overturn Affordable Care Act

U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA) on Friday sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr demanding an explanation for the Justice Department’s latest position in Texas v. United States in support of striking down the entire Affordable Care Act as unconstitutional. During his confirmation hearing in January, Harris secured a commitment from Barr to reconsider the DOJ’s opposition to the Affordable Care Act.

Read the letter below:

March 29, 2019

The Honorable William P. Barr

Attorney General

U.S. Department of Justice

950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20530

 Dear Attorney General Barr:

I write to follow-up on our exchange at your confirmation hearing on January 15, 2019, where you agreed to reconsider the Justice Department’s position on the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  I am deeply concerned by the Justice Department’s filing on Monday in Texas v. United States, which supports striking down the entire ACA.  This is an extreme and legally flawed position that threatens the health care and economic security of millions of Americans.

Under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Justice Department refused to defend the ACA in Texas v. United States.  The Justice Department argued that the law’s individual mandate was unconstitutional due to provisions included in the 2017 Republican tax bill, and urged the court to strike down key consumer protections in the law, including critical benefits protecting the millions of Americans with pre-existing health conditions. On December 14, 2018, a conservative district judge in Texas agreed with the Attorney General’s argument and struck down the entire ACA as unconstitutional. 

The judge’s reasoning has been roundly criticized, even by conservative legal scholars.  Law professor Jonathan Adler, an opponent of the ACA, described the ruling as “pretty bananas.”  Law professor Ilya Somin, another ACA opponent, said the decision was “badly wrong.”  Philip Klein of the Washington Examiner and author of the book Overcoming Obamacare wrote:

I hate Obamacare so much that it’s possible I’ve written more words criticizing it over the past decade than any person alive.  I have supported multiple previous legal efforts against the legislation and its implementation . . . . Despite my policy preferences, I’d say the latest decision from U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor of Texas declaring Obamacare unconstitutional is an assault on the rule of law.

I agree.  Admittedly, I support the ACA because I am a progressive who believes all Americans should have quality health coverage.  But I oppose the Texas ruling because I am an attorney and I understand the law.

I urge you to examine the effects of your decision.  If upheld, the Texas ruling would cause serious harm to millions of Americans.  Nearly 20 million Americans could lose their health insurance.  Protections for pre-existing conditions would be eliminated.  Seniors would pay more for prescription drugs.  And many young adults would no longer be able to stay on their parents’ insurance until the age of 26. 

As Attorney General, you have the ability to change course and direct the Justice Department to take a different position in this case.  That is why, at your confirmation hearing, I asked if you would reverse the Justice Department’s position on the ACA.  In our exchange, you committed to reconsidering the Justice Department’s opposition to the health care law.

Now, under your leadership, the Justice Department has submitted a court filing that supports striking down the entire ACA as unconstitutional.  Reportedly, you opposed this decision, based at least in part on the conservative legal establishment’s skepticism of efforts to invalidate the law through the courts.  Nonetheless, you reportedly allowed the Justice Department’s position in this case to be dictated by officials at the White House and the Office of Management and Budget.

These events raise questions about your commitment to reconsider the Justice Department’s position.  They also raise serious concerns about your obligation to protect the Department’s independence, shield it from political interference, and ensure compliance with Justice Department guidelines relating to appropriate communications with the White House.

• Accordingly, I request that you answer the following questions by Monday, April 15, 2019:
• Since your confirmation, have you reviewed the May 11, 2009 memorandum relating to Justice Department communications with the White House and Congress
• Since your confirmation, have you consulted with Administration official(s) regarding the Justice Department’s position in Texas v. United States?  If yes, with whom and when? Please describe your review and reconsideration of the Justice Department’s position in Texas v. United States, including:

• Any review of filings, including the notice of withdrawal filed by three career Justice Department attorneys immediately before the Justice Department submitted its brief refusing to defend the ACA;
• Any review of legal rulings in the case; 
• Any consultation with Administration officials, health experts, and/or legal scholars; and
• Any review of studies or data relating to the impact of invalidating the ACA.

• Were you directed by any Administration official(s) to support striking down the entire ACA?  If yes, by whom and when?
• Were any career officials involved in the Justice Department’s filing on March 25, 2019?To the best of your knowledge, does the Administration have another proposal to provide coverage to the millions of Americans who would lose health insurance if the ACA were invalidated in its entirety?

Kamala Harris: Playing with ACA is irresponsible

Presidential hopeful Sen. Kamala Harris said Tuesday that the Trump administration is "playing politics, yet again" with the Affordable Care Act, calling it the "height of irresponsibility."

The California Democrat told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room" that "the idea that we would turn the clock back because of some political purpose instead of prioritizing public health is irresponsible," and added, "We're going to have to fight against it again."

Harris joins other 2020 Democrats in slamming the move by the administration and rallying around the Affordable Care Act.

The senator said health care is an issue that "keeps most Americans up at night, regardless of who they vote for," as they worry about whether they can afford it.

She said that "tens of millions of Americans have benefited from the Affordable Care Act, including the removal of pre-existing conditions as a barrier to receive care."

"We have been clear, I think, as a nation that we value and we want all Americans to be able to have access to affordable health care, period," Harris said.

"The idea that people are playing politics, yet again, with the Affordable Care Act is the height of irresponsibility," Harris said.

[SOURCE: CNN]

ObamaCare signups surge in early days to set new record

Despite the Trump administration's sabotage attempts which included cutting funding for advertising the Affordable Care Act's enrollment period, and cutting the enrollment period itself by 40 plus days, it seems that early enrollment figures have set a new sign-up record.

A record number of people signed up for ObamaCare in the first few days of open enrollment this year compared to the same period in previous years, several sources close to the process told The Hill.

The surge in sign-ups, which was confirmed by an administration official, comes despite fears from Democrats that enrollment would fall off due to the Trump administration's cutbacks in outreach and advertising.

On the first day of enrollment alone, Nov. 1, one source close to the process told The Hill that more than 200,000 people selected a plan for 2018, compared with about 100,000 last year. More than 1 million people visited healthcare.gov that day, compared to about 750,000 last year, the source said.

It is still early in the process and it is unclear how the final sign-up numbers will come out. Sign-ups early in the enrollment season are often people renewing their coverage, not new enrollees.

[SOURCE: The Hill].

More Breast Cancers Diagnosed Early After "ObamaCare" Took Effect

MAYWOOD, Ill., June 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A Loyola University Chicago study published this month has found an increase in the percentage of breast cancer patients who were diagnosed in early Stage 1, after the Affordable Care Act took effect.

The increases in Stage 1 diagnoses were higher among African American and Latina breast cancer patients, compared to white patients.

The study by Abigail Silva, PhD, MPH, and colleagues is published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology. Silva is an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

The Affordable Care Act eliminated copayments and other out-of-pocket costs for 45 preventive care services, including mammograms. This made mammograms more affordable, potentially leading to earlier diagnoses.

The earlier cancer is detected, the more effectively it can be treated. Diagnosing breast cancer when it is still in Stage 1 could improve the prognosis for thousands of women and reduce the need for invasive treatments such as chemotherapy for a substantial number of women, Silva and colleagues wrote.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates nearly 253,000 women will be diagnosed this year.

Compared to white women, Latinas are less likely to receive mammograms overall and African Americans are less likely to receive mammograms at recommended intervals. Out-of-pocket payments have been identified as a potential barrier to getting screening mammograms.

The retrospective study included 470,465 breast cancer patients between the ages of 50 and 74 who were covered by private insurance or Medicare and were newly diagnosed with Stage 1-4 cancer. Researchers examined two time periods: 2007-2009 (before the Affordable Care Act took effect) and 2011-2013 (after the act took effect). Researchers obtained data from the National Cancer Database, which includes approximately 70 percent of all newly diagnosed cancers in the United States from about 1,500 hospitals.

Overall, the percentage of breast cancers that were diagnosed at Stage 1 increased 3.6 percentage points, from 54.4 percent to 58.0 percent. There was a corresponding decrease in Stage 2 and Stage 3 diagnoses, while the proportion of Stage 4 cancers did not change. The shift toward Stage 1 breast cancer diagnoses increased by 3.2 percentage points among whites, 4.0 percentage points among African Americans and 4.1 percentage points among Latinas.

Compared to African Americans and Latinas, a higher percentage of white breast cancer patients are diagnosed at Stage 1. This disparity decreased following the Affordable Care Act, as minorities saw modestly higher improvements in Stage 1 diagnoses.

Researchers concluded that further studies to evaluate the impact of the Affordable Care Act on cancer outcomes and disparities "should be supported as they will help inform future policy recommendations."

The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Avon Foundation.

The study is titled "Potential impact of the Affordable Care Act's preventive services provision on breast cancer stage: A preliminary assessment."

In addition to Silva, other co-authors are Talar Markossian, PhD, MPH, of Loyola's Department of Public Health Sciences; Yamile Molina, PhD, of the University of Illinois School of Public Health, and Nazia Saiyed, MPH, of the Sinai Urban Health Institute.

Cory Booker speaks out against Republicans Obamacare repeal & replace strategy

New Jersey Cory Booker took to the floor of the US Senate to implore his Republican peers to reconsider their ill fated strategy of repeal and replace when it comes to the Affordable Care Act.

Listen to his comments below:

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Repealing the #ACA without a plan to replace it will devastate millions of Americans. This is not partisan rhetoric, this is the truth. pic.twitter.com/e5laOzIul3

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) January 8, 2017

Obamacare 'accomplishing goal,' U.S. uninsured drops to six-year low

I guess the republicans/conservatives who promised doom and gloom will have to now explain why there was no apocalypse and the world did not explode because of the Affordable Care Act...LOL. George Cook AAReports.com

The percentage of Americans without health insurance dipped to its lowest in nearly six years due in part to U.S. President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law, commonly known as Obamacare, according to a Gallup poll released on Monday.

Some 15.6 percent of Americans lacked health insurance in the first three months of 2014, down from a high of 18 percent in late 2013, according to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index survey.

'Obamacare' appears to be accomplishing its goal of increasing the percentage of Americans with health insurance coverage," the report said.

Black and low-income Americans saw some of the most pronounced drops in the uninsured rate, with declines of more than 3 percentage points.

Read more here: Obamacare 'accomplishing goal,' U.S. uninsured drops to six-year low: poll

African American Health Alliance encourages people to sign up for health care by March 31

On March 23rd Healthcare.gov released a new infographic explaining the ways to get assistance with signing up for health coverage by the March 31st deadline. The African American Health Alliance (AAHA) encourages those who are promoting enrollment to share the infographic. Fredette West, the Director of AAHA, remarked, "If you are seeking coverage, remember there are multiple ways for people to get help finding coverage in the final 5 days of the Affordable Care Act's first Open Enrollment period, which ends next Monday, March 31, 2014. This infographic released by Healthcare.gov is resource that should be shared widely." For more information on the Affordable Care Act, visit the http://africanamericanhealthalliance.org/ and Healthcare.gov CONTACT: 301-576-0845

About the African American Health Alliance

The African American Health Alliance is a 501 (c) 3 tax exempt organization working to help eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health and healthcare and to addressing the social determinants thereof including education, jobs and employment, nutrition, technology, violence and more. The Alliance is dedicated to strengthening advocacy, outreach and awareness for the purpose of helping to improve the quality of life. Across health and healthcare reform, we have helped to make considerable progress on behalf of the African American and other vulnerable communities. Our Board has tremendous expertise in the health and social determinants arena.

Lebron James aiding in the push to get African Americans signed up for Obamacare.

Lebron James is doing his part to get African americans and young people to sign up for Obamacare. The NBA superstar is appearing in a commercial for the Affordable Care Act that will air during the NCAA Tournament. The deadline for open enrollment is March 31, 2014. Check out Lebron's PSA below and learn more about signing up here: https://www.healthcare.gov/