Healthcare & Policy News
Reporting on health care policy, insurance coverage, and federal health programs. Includes news updates and conservative commentary from The Daily Signal.
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- News
Biden Voter Explains Her Stand Against COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
At the “Defeat the Mandates” rally in Washington, D.C., Sunday, one woman explained why she’s concerned about COVID-19 vaccine mandates. She also talks about voting for President Joe Biden and what she thinks of how he’s handled COVID-19.Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
We Hear You: When Authorities Use COVID-19 to Violate Rights
Editor's note: Americans' rights during the pandemic are very much on the minds of The Daily Signal's audience, judging by reaction to our related coverage on vaccine mandates. Check out these examples from the mailbag at [email protected].—Ken McIntyre Dear Daily Signal: In light of the Supreme Court's decision to block the vaccine mandate for private…Ken McIntyre -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: GOP Lawmakers Demand FDA Explain Inaccurate Prenatal Tests Following Damning Report
Republicans are demanding answers from the Food and Drug Administration following a damning report that the vast majority of noninvasive prenatal tests are inaccurate. In a letter first obtained by The Daily Signal propelled by Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, Rep. Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, and Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, the group of Republican…Mary Margaret Olohan -
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Poll: 71% of Americans Want Limits on Abortion, Rejecting Central Tenet of Roe v. Wade
Many Americans reject a central tenet of the Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision on abortion and want to return the power to limit abortion to the states, a poll released Thursday found. Some 71% of Americans support legal limits on abortion, according to a new poll commissioned by the Knights of Columbus and…Mary Margaret Olohan -
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Blackburn, GOP Call for Answers on Federal Abortion Funding
Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee is leading Republican lawmakers in calling on the Government Accountability Office to explain what kind of federal funding Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers are receiving. In a letter sent Tuesday, the lawmakers reminded the Government Accountability Office that the agency has prepared several congressionally requested reports in the past…Mary Margaret Olohan -
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Why Some Parents Choose to Continue Homeschooling After Pandemic
Sandra Kim, a resident of Loudoun County, Virginia, started homeschooling her three children in the summer of 2020. She doesn’t necessarily have a problem with public schools, Kim says, but realized her children—Yenna Elizabeth, now 13, Emily, 10, and Teddy, 8—could do more. The Virginia mother's second grader, Teddy, now is doing higher-level math and…Melanie Wilcox -
- Opinion
To End Abortion, Changing Hearts Is Even More Important Than Changing Laws
I’ve attended the March for Life in Washington, D.C., numerous times since they began in the mid-1970s, but this year, I have a sense of anticipation and excitement like I’ve never experienced before. Along with other pro-lifers around the country, I’m encouraged to see better protections for our smallest citizens in Texas and Alabama. I’m…Dave Pivonka -
- Opinion
It’s Official: It’s OK to Be Racist If You’re the Left Pushing COVID-19 Mandates
Following the lead of other leftist-run cities, the District of Columbia just instituted a new COVID-19 mandate that requires anyone who wants to dine at a restaurant, go to a movie, or workout at a gym to show proof of vaccination. But a big part of the story that many in the media seem to…Brian Gottstein -
- News
EXCLUSIVE: Congressman Demands HHS Rescind ‘Blatantly Discriminatory’ Guidance Prioritizing Race, Ethnicity in COVID-19 Treatments
Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona called on the Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday to “immediately rescind” guidance indicating that race and ethnicity should be prioritized in providing COVID-19 treatments. The Republican congressman’s letter follows Food and Drug Administration guidance repeatedly stating that “race or ethnicity” are medical conditions or factors that may…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
18 More Federal Agencies Eye Making Vaccine Religious-Objector Lists
This week, we revealed that an obscure federal agency plans to keep lists of the “personal religious information” employees who had religious objections to the federal employee vaccine mandate. As it turns out, the little-known Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia isn’t the only federal agency involved. As we feared, a whole-of-government effort…Sarah Parshall Perry -
- Opinion
9 Reasons Not to Pass Yet Another Federal COVID-19 ‘Relief’ Spending Package
Now almost two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and after $6.6 trillion in total federal spending on it—the equivalent of $51,600 per household—some policymakers want to pass yet another so-called COVID-19 relief package. Not only has Congress already spent more than it should have, some of the previous COVID-19 relief spending is actually hurting…Rachel Greszler -
- News
‘Huge Win’: Business Leaders, Legal Experts Celebrate as Supreme Court Blocks Biden Vaccine Mandate
Legal experts and business leaders rejoiced Thursday following news that the Supreme Court had blocked President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private employers. "The Supreme Court has stood up for small businesses by staying this illegal employer vaccine mandate,” said Alfredo Ortiz, president and CEO of Job Creators Network. “The court has confirmed what…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- Opinion
Unpacking Supreme Court Justices’ Reasoning in Vaccine Mandate Decisions
For nearly 100 million American workers waiting breathlessly for an answer, a Thursday Supreme Court decision delivered good news for many, although not all. In a rare late-day release of opinions, the Supreme Court issued its rulings in a pair of federal vaccine mandate cases that went to the court on an emergency basis. …Sarah Parshall Perry -
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Supreme Court Kills Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Private Employers
The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private companies and other organizations with at least 100 employees. In a separate case, however, the high court did allow vaccine mandates for employees of federally funded health care facilities. In the main case, the majority of justices expressed doubt that…Fred Lucas -
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Politicizing COVID-19 From the Start
From the moment COVID-19 appeared, the pandemic became inseparable from politics. Political frenzy was inevitable since the SARS-CoV-2 virus may have escaped from a level-4 security virology lab in Wuhan, China. The rapid-fire spread soon threatened to indict the Chinese communist government for nearly destroying the world economy and killing millions. Western elites, in response,…Victor Davis Hanson -
- Opinion
Meet the Fire Chief Fired Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
Stephen Davis, the former fire rescue battalion chief of Orange County, Fla., was given an order to refuse religious exemptions and report any unvaccinated people under his command. He said no. As a result, he became one of the thousands of Americans who have been fired over COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Listen to his story here….Daily Signal Staff -
- Opinion
DC Mayor Pushes Proof of Vaccine, but Members of Congress Push Back
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is the latest in a string of left-wing mayors to institute a proof-of-vaccination mandate. Starting on Saturday, anyone 12 or older who wants to eat at a restaurant, go to a concert, or see a movie in the nation’s capital will have to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19. Rep. Ralph…Douglas Blair -
- News
49 Pro-Life Groups Urge Senate Opposition to Biden’s Nominee for FDA
A coalition of pro-life organizations expressed opposition Wednesday to the confirmation of President Joe Biden’s choice to run the Food and Drug Administration, saying the nominee has used selective research to push approval of mail-order abortion pills and to ignore their risks. The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee is scheduled to vote Thursday…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
I Lost My Job as United Pilot for Refusing Vaccine for Faith-Based Reasons
For many Americans who, like myself, have decided not to take the COVID-19 vaccine for religious or medical reasons, staying true to our decision can mean being singled out and rejected by family, friends, and even employers. For me, it meant being placed on indefinite, unpaid leave from my job as a pilot for United…Sherry Walker -
- News
4 Takeaways From Heated COVID-19 Senate Hearing Featuring Another Fauci-Paul Clash
Senators heard from top Biden administration officials Tuesday about the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as the omicron variant rages amid a shortage of tests for the disease. The hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee included another verbal battle between Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of…Virginia Allen