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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- Opinion
Dismantling Obama Regulations Will Require Resolve in the Senate
In just eight years, the Obama administration was responsible for creating 22,700 new burdensome regulations on the American people. During this time, federal agencies seized more power than ever in creating laws on their own, going largely unchecked by Congress. Regulatory overreach became a hot-button issue during the 2016 election as the American people grew…Brad Bishop -
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GOP Leaders Release Details of Plan to Replace Obamacare
House Republican leaders mapped out their proposal for how Obamacare will be repealed and replaced in a closed-door meeting Thursday, outlining plans for Medicaid reforms and refundable tax credits for Americans. Joined briefly by newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, and…Melissa Quinn -
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Lawmakers Are Using Congressional Review Act to Dismantle Obama Regulations
In the four weeks since President Donald Trump was inaugurated, congressional lawmakers have moved to address some of the 22,700 regulations adopted under President Barack Obama. “There has not been nearly as much attention paid to this issue as there should have been,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, told The Daily Signal in a phone interview….Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
4 Broken Obamacare Promises That Town Hall Protesters Should Remember
While the House and Senate plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, members of Congress are hosting town hall meetings with their constituents and have been greeted by hostile crowds. These folks seem to have amnesia about Obamacare’s glaring failures. Here’s a quick refresher on Obamacare’s top four broken promises. 1. Costs are exploding. President Barack…Jean Morrow -
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Conservatives Coalesce Around New Obamacare Replacement Plan
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., introduced a bill to replace Obamacare on Wednesday, increasing the pressure on GOP leaders who continue to discuss moving the law’s replacement at the same time as its repeal. The legislation already has the full support of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of roughly 40…Melissa Quinn -
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House Conservatives Draw Hard Line on Obamacare Repeal Bill
Conservatives in the House are drawing a hard line with party leadership on what legislation repealing Obamacare they’ll support and making it clear they won’t accept anything less than a bill dismantling the health care law that passed last year. “The commitment for Republicans in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016 has been repeal and replace, not…Melissa Quinn -
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We Hear You: From Obamacare to Affordability and Choice for Consumers
Editor's note: We're hearing from so many enthusiastic members of The Daily Signal's audience that we decided to begin running some of your correspondence. Here's a batch on the topic of Obamacare. You'll find our address below. —Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: Thank you for Elizabeth Fender’s data-filled article on the Obamacare approval ratings over…Ken McIntyre -
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How Tom Price Can Begin to Unravel Obamacare From Inside the Agency That Implemented It
Tom Price took the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services on Friday, capping a lengthy confirmation process that ended in the wee hours of the morning. Now, as the health and human services chief, Price can begin fulfilling a yearslong goal of unwinding Obamacare. But instead of dismantling the health care law from…Melissa Quinn -
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Trump’s Acting Treasury Secretary, an Obama Holdover, Helped Craft Iran Nuclear Deal
As President Donald Trump’s nominee for treasury secretary continues to wait for Senate confirmation, an architect of the Obama administration’s Iran nuclear deal is currently running the agency. “Once Iran came to the table, we reached a strong, comprehensive deal,” Adam Szubin says. Acting Treasury Secretary Adam Szubin—who had been a career department employee—previously served…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
Why Delaying Obamacare Repeal Is Hurting the American People
When President Donald Trump took office, repeal of Obamacare seemed like a guarantee—and then the timeline started slipping. All the elements are in place: A Republican-controlled Congress and a Republican president, all elected after promising to repeal Obamacare. But once the celebration and ceremonies died away, Congress started to do what it does best. Nothing….Sondra Clark -
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Conservatives Push to Separate Obamacare’s Repeal From Replacement
A trio of conservatives said they want to see Congress move faster with their efforts to repeal Obamacare and are worried that adding the law’s replacement to the repeal bill could drag down their dismantling of the health care law. During a breakfast with reporters held Wednesday at The Heritage Foundation, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah,…Melissa Quinn -
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Why Congress Is Right to Undo Obama-Era Education Rules
Last week, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce took an important step toward rescinding some of the most burdensome regulations levied under the Every Student Succeeds Act (the replacement for the No Child Left Behind Act) by the Obama administration Department of Education. Reps. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Todd Rokita, R-Ind., formally introduced…Anne Ryland -
- Opinion
Polls Show Personal Experience With Obamacare Increases Opposition
As Congress comes closer to repealing Obamacare, proponents of the law have mounted a vocal defense of it, touting both its necessity and popularity among those it has helped. But public opinion polls tell a different story. Obamacare was passed in 2010 amid controversy, and has not done very well since. Because some of its…Elizabeth Fender -
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Conservatives Offer Solution to Repeal Obamacare, Defund Planned Parenthood: Pass 2015 Bill Again
Two prominent House conservatives are calling on Republican leadership to bring a 2015 bill repealing major parts of Obamacare before members for a vote “as soon as possible.” In a statement Thursday, Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Mark Meadows of North Carolina pushed GOP leaders to bring the legislation unwinding major provisions of the…Melissa Quinn -
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New Obamacare Report Shows Rising Costs and Fewer Options for 2017
A new report shows that Obamacare enrollees could pay more money and end up with fewer options in 2017. The study from Avalere Health, a health care consulting firm, showed rising premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs for many customers, a shrinking amount of insurance options in the exchange market, and a drastically lower number of…Caleb Ecarma -
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Nebraska Woman Loses Health Insurance for Fourth Time Under Obamacare
Pamela Weldin’s experiences with Obamacare can be boiled down to just a few numbers. Since the health care law’s implementation three years ago, Weldin, 60, has lost her insurance four different times. And the Nebraska woman is currently enrolled in her fifth new insurance policy in four years. “Yet again, and through no fault of…Melissa Quinn -
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Former House Freedom Caucus Chairman on Obamacare: ‘Let’s Repeal It as Quickly as We Can’
Several Republican congressmen from the House Freedom Caucus say they want a full repeal and replacement of Obamacare, despite private talk from some GOP lawmakers about a partial repeal. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla.; Mark Meadows, R-N.C.; Raul Labrador, R-Idaho; Scott Perry, R-Pa.; Mark Sanford, R-S.C.; and Jim Jordan, R-Ohio; were all present at the January…Caleb Ecarma -
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Republicans Express Doubts Over Obamacare ‘Repeal and Replace’ Plan
Some Republican lawmakers are beginning to have doubts about the GOP’s plans to repeal and replace Obamacare, they revealed in a closed-door gathering Thursday in Philadelphia. But those lawmakers find themselves at odds with conservatives who have for years pushed for repeal of the Affordable Care Act—as well as the top Republican in the House….Melissa Quinn -
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Conservatives, GOP Committee Chairs Back Away From Bill Allowing States That Like Obamacare to Keep Obamacare
PHILADELPHIA–Republican leaders in Congress appear to be backing away from a plan supported by four GOP senators that would’ve kept Obamacare in place for states that like the law. According to a senior Republican aide, GOP committee chairmen, as well as conservative lawmakers, are moving against the bill introduced earlier this week by Republican Sens….Melissa Quinn -
- Opinion
Congressional Delay Threatens Obamacare Repeal
The effort to repeal Obamacare may be headed in the wrong direction. That it could be so was unthinkable just a few short weeks ago when the GOP triumphantly returned to our nation’s capital with majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate and control of the presidency for the first time since the…James Wallner