Barack Obama News
Read news, analysis, and commentary on Barack Obama, his administration’s legacy, and his continuing impact on national debates.
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Obama Holdover Colluded With Unions to Pressure Congress on Budget Cuts
An Obama administration appointee with deep ties to labor unions promoted a grassroots campaign to reverse the Trump administration’s proposal to eliminate funding for the federal regulatory board he sits on. The Daily Caller News Foundation obtained emails that show Chemical Safety Board member Rick Engler worked with union activists to promote a grassroots campaign to…Michael Bastasch -
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Federal Communication Commission Takes Steps to Undo Obama-Era Net Neutrality
The Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 Thursday to start a process of undoing internet rules, commonly known as net neutrality, promulgated by the Obama-era FCC. Undoing the 2015 Open Internet Order would “encourage more investment in broadband [and] more innovation,” James Gattuso, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal in…Rachel del Guidice -
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I’m a Conservative Senator. Here Are Some Changes I Want to See in Obamacare Replacement
This week, a working group of United States senators began meeting on a biweekly basis to reach a consensus on how to repeal and replace Obamacare. We are still very early in the process, but it is clear already that there is much work to be done before we can find the votes needed to…Sen. Mike Lee -
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Aetna’s Withdrawal From Exchanges Highlights Obamacare’s Inherent Problems
A major insurance company has decided to entirely withdraw from all of Obamacare‘s health insurance exchanges in 2018. According to the Washington Examiner, the experience with Obamacare has been a financial disaster for Aetna, one of the nation’s largest insurance companies. The insurance giant sustained almost $700 million in losses between 2014 and 2016, and…Robert Moffit -
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Aetna Ditches Obamacare Entirely
Aetna announced Wednesday that it will stop offering Obamacare exchange plans in 2018, making it the latest major health insurance provider to completely opt out of former President Barack Obama’s landmark health care legislation. The company cites massive losses among exchange participants and projects the problems to increase over the short term. Aetna will also…Robert Donachie -
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Faced With Angry Voters, House Republicans Get Cover on Airwaves for Obamacare Repeal Bill
House Republicans fielding questions from constituents over their bill repealing and replacing Obamacare are getting some cover from GOP-aligned groups on the airwaves and online. Republican lawmakers passed their health care bill last week and headed home to their districts for a weeklong recess. Upon arriving home, some GOP lawmakers are hosting town halls, where…Paul Runko -
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As Senate Mulls Obamacare Repeal, Insurers in 2 States Ask Double-Digit Premium Hikes
Consumers in at least two states face the prospect of double-digit increases in health insurance rates next year, as insurers attempt to price premiums amid uncertainty, including from Congress and President Donald Trump on the fate of Obamacare. Also driving rate increases is the fact that the millions of Americans enrolled on Obamacare’s exchanges are…Melissa Quinn -
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How Court Reviewing Challenge to Trump’s Travel Ban Swung Left Under Obama
The federal appeals court deciding the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s travel ban was once reliably conservative. But it underwent a transformation during the Obama administration, and Democratic appointees now outnumber Republican appointees 2 to 1. A New York Times Magazine article in March 2003 vividly described the Richmond, Virginia-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit…Josh Siegel -
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Here Are the Challenges Facing the Senate After House Passes Obamacare Replacement Bill
Republicans cleared a major hurdle on Thursday in advancing their proposal repealing and replacing Obamacare. But the House GOP’s health care bill is likely to see major changes in the Senate, where Republicans must contend with strict budget rules and slim margins to pass the legislation. The House passed the American Health Care Act by…Melissa Quinn -
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Find Out Which Republicans Voted Against House’s Obamacare Replacement Bill
The House of Representatives voted by a razor-thin 217-213 to pass Republicans’ revised Obamacare replacement bill and move it to the Senate, where more changes are expected. House Speaker Paul Ryan needed 216 votes to pass the legislation, and 20 GOP members voted no Thursday along with all 193 Democrats. BREAKING NEWS → The House of…Rachel del Guidice -
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The House Acts on Obamacare. Time for the Senate to Follow Suit.
By passing the American Health Care Act by a vote of 217-213, the U.S. House of Representatives has taken a major step in the process of repealing and replacing Obamacare. It’s now time for the Senate to act. In paving the way for successful House floor action, the House Rules Committee adopted an amendment enabling…Robert Moffit -
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Conservatives Back Newest Changes to Health Care Bill as House Moves Closer to Obamacare Repeal
House Republicans are inching closer to a vote on the GOP’s revised health care bill following the addition of an amendment that gained the support of two prominent Republicans, and maintained the backing of conservatives. Reps. Fred Upton, R-Mich., and Billy Long, R-Mo., negotiated the terms of the amendment with President Donald Trump during a…Melissa Quinn -
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The First Step in Revoking Obama’s Land Grab
What is done by executive power can be undone by executive power. Former President Barack Obama began to learn that lesson this Wednesday when President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to conduct a review of all Antiquities Act designations larger than 100,000 acres over the past 30 years. Specifically,…Sen. Mike Lee -
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What You Need to Know About the Obamacare Subsidies at the Center of the Health Care Debate
While Republicans and Democrats negotiated a government spending bill this week, another form of financial assistance that aims to help low-income Americans under Obamacare has been at the center of a debate involving insurance companies, consumers, and President Donald Trump. These subsidies aren’t the tax credits implemented under the health care law, which lower the…Melissa Quinn -
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Trump’s Agriculture Chief Tosses Out Michelle Obama’s School Lunch Rules
Former first lady Michelle Obama’s dictates on school lunches were thrown out Monday by one of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet members. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue signed a proclamation to begin to undo federal standards that the Obama administration placed on lunches in public schools and return those decisions to local schools. “This announcement is the…Rachel del Guidice -
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We Hear You: ‘No More Reasons Why Congress Can’t Totally Repeal Obamacare’
Editor's note: Republicans' failure to repeal Obamacare after assuming control of the White House as well as Congress registered strongly with our audience in recent days. The day after President Trump's 100th day in office, today's mailbag leads off with two related letters, one signed by 17 GOP and grassroots activists in Pennsylvania.—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Since…Ken McIntyre -
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What’s Next as House GOP Gains Conservatives’ Backing for Bill to Replace Obamacare
For Republicans in Congress, the path to repealing and replacing Obamacare could be made more difficult by less conservative members who say a revised proposal would cause health insurance premiums to swell for sick patients. GOP leaders were prepared to put a bill dismantling the health care law before lawmakers for a vote by Saturday,…Melissa Quinn -
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FCC Chairman Set to Roll Back Obama’s Overbearing Net Neutrality Rules
The narrative dominating the media this week has been the success or failure of President Donald Trump’s first 100 days. But at the Federal Communications Commission, there is no question that change is afoot. On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai revealed his most important change yet: eliminating the spectacularly nonsensical “net neutrality” rules imposed by…James Gattuso -
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With Support From Conservatives, House Republicans Move Closer to Obamacare Repeal Deal
Republican leaders in the House received a boost to their attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare on Wednesday as the Freedom Caucus, an influential bloc of conservatives, announced its support for a revised plan. The group of more than 30 lawmakers said it would support a new version of the bill, called the American Health…Melissa Quinn -
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We Hear You: Obamacare and ‘Progress in Wrong Direction’
Editor's note: This weekend we reach deeper into the mailbag for a smattering of your views on a bunch of different issues. Let's lead off with observations on the state of our union by Anthony Cosenza, a Defense Department veteran who teaches at Philadelphia University these days. Enjoy.—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: This is regarding your reporting on Obamacare…Ken McIntyre