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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- Opinion
Biden’s State Department Slips Abortion Into Human Rights Report
Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department made a minor change to its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Although the media largely ignored the move, the change adds to the ongoing shift in U.S. human rights advocacy taking place during the Biden administration. Its consequences could be far-reaching. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reinstated an Obama-era…Arielle Del Turco -
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NIH Director Suggests Law Enforcement ‘Track Down’ Spreaders of Online ‘Disinformation’ on Vaccines
National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins stressed the dangers of incorrect claims regarding the COVID-19 vaccines and suggested tracking down spreaders of vaccine misinformation in an interview with NPR on Sunday. “The thing that worries me most is the way in which misinformation and, frankly, disinformation has become so prominent in the face…Ailan Evans -
- Opinion
COVID-19 Protests in New Zealand Are All About Economic Freedom
New Zealand was one of only five economically free countries in the world, as measured by The Heritage Foundation’s 2021 Index of Economic Freedom. For years, the people of New Zealand have enjoyed robust rule of law, clear regulatory efficiency, and free and open markets. The size of the government has been relatively small, which…Patrick Tyrrell -
- News
Small-Business Owners Put Aside ‘Cancel’ Concerns to Fight Biden’s Vaccine Mandate
Despite the threat of getting “canceled” for speaking out, business owners across the country are publicly resisting the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for private employers. “I'm aware that they could put us out of business,” Gary Rabine, founder of The Rabine Group in Illinois, told The Daily Signal. “But being canceled is nothing compared to…Kelsey Bolar -
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6th Circuit Court to Hear Challenge to Biden Vaccine Mandate
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is set to hear legal challenges to President Joe Biden’s workplace vaccination mandate after a Tuesday pingpong ball raffle, NPR reported Tuesday. The rule, set to go into effect on Jan. 4, 2022, was temporarily halted on Nov. 6 by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Now, the 6th…Bryan Babb -
- Opinion
Why This Lawsuit Over Vaccine Mandate Has ‘Good Chance’ of Reaching Supreme Court
The same day President Joe Biden announced details of his COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private employers, The Daily Wire filed a lawsuit to stop it. The Daily Wire, a media outlet founded by conservative commentator and author Ben Shapiro, filed the suit because the mandate on employers of 100 or more workers is unconstitutional, the…Virginia Allen -
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House Freedom Caucus Takes Shot at Biden’s ‘Tyrannical’ Vaccine Mandate
Ahead of the early January deadline for President Joe Biden’s vaccination mandate, members of the House Freedom Caucus gathered in Washington to discuss that mandate, which members called “tyrannical,” and to hear testimony from Americans who could lose their jobs as a result of it. Biden authorized the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Sept….Mary Margaret Olohan -
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Federal Appeals Court Upholds Block to Biden Vaccine Mandate
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit upheld a previous decision to temporarily block the Department of Labor’s vaccine mandate Friday evening in a blow to President Joe Biden’s agenda. The three judge panel wrote that the mandate likely “violates the constitutional structure that safeguards our collective liberty.” The appellate court’s ruling added that…Thomas Catenacci -
- Opinion
Fauci Warned About Coronaviruses in 2003—but Didn’t Act On It
Few would argue the United States, or any country for that matter, was prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, even though, starting in 2003, the U.S. devoted $5.6 billion to fund Project Bioshield, running through 2013, and another $2.8 billion of funding through 2018. Project Bioshield was designed to prepare the United States against a bio…John Kraft -
- Opinion
Why Every American, Vaccinated or Not, Should Oppose Vaccine Mandates
Many Americans are facing a hard choice: Either get vaccinated or risk losing your job. Last week, the Biden administration issued details of its vaccine mandate. The rule, created by the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, mandates employers with 100 or more employees to either require their workers to be vaccinated or to…Virginia Allen -
- Opinion
6 Details That Reveal Long Reach of Biden’s Vaccine Mandate
President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for private employers often is described as requiring employees of large companies either to be vaccinated or be tested weekly. But when you dig into the details, the mandate is far more invasive than that. Nonvaccinated employees must wear masks, even if they are being tested weekly. Employers must maintain…Jarrett Stepman -
- News
Enforcement a Huge Challenge for Biden’s Vast Vaccine Mandate
If the Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private employers survives legal challenges, it will include criminal prosecution for employees who lie about their vaccine status and thousands in fines for companies that don’t comply. But enforcing the mandate covering 84.2 million Americans working for 164,000 different businesses and other organizations could pose a significant…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
To Protect Women, Trust the Science on Abortion
Trust the science. These three words, when heeded, have the potential to save thousands of lives. As a rule, our leaders should defer to peer-reviewed medical research in all matters related to public policy. But in one critical area, they have failed us time and time again: women’s health. As the Supreme Court prepares to…Donna Harrison -
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EXCLUSIVE: HHS Secretary Becerra Refuses to Address GOP Accusations That He Violated Federal Conscience Protections, Worked at ‘Behest of Abortion Lobby’
Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is refusing to address Republican allegations that he violated federal conscience protections and worked at the “behest of the abortion industry,” a letter obtained by The Daily Signal shows. “Xavier Becerra is too busy protecting hospitals that violate the rights of their nurses to give a straight answer,”…Mary Margaret Olohan -
- News
What’s Next as 27 States, Multiple Businesses Sue to Stop Biden’s Vaccine Mandate
One court already has temporarily halted the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for private employers and legal battles are emerging across the nation as 27 states and multiple businesses and nonprofits sue to block the mandate on its likely path to the Supreme Court. Plaintiffs have brought lawsuits in federal appeals courts for the 5th, 6th,…Fred Lucas -
- News
Federal Court Temporarily Blocks Biden’s Vaccine Mandate
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit temporarily halted the Biden administration’s rule requiring employers with over 100 workers to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations or implement weekly testing. In a ruling issued Saturday on a lawsuit filed by state attorneys general, the court ordered the vaccine mandate to be temporarily halted. The mandate was to be…Ailan Evans -
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House Republicans Vow to Fight Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
More than 20 House Republicans pushed back Friday against what they called President Joe Biden’s unconstitutional COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Led by Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., a total of 22 GOP lawmakers assembled to tell reporters that they take issue with two vaccine mandates formally rolled out Thursday by the Biden administration. Hern and the other…Douglas Blair -
- Opinion
Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate ‘a Travesty,’ Sen. Ron Johnson Says
President Joe Biden has rolled out a COVID-19 vaccine mandate affecting about 80 million American workers. Biden is ordering all businesses and other organizations with 100 or more employees to make sure those employees either become vaccinated or are tested weekly for the disease. Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., says he is outraged by what he…Douglas Blair -
- News
Sen. Ron Johnson: Biden’s COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Meets ‘Definition of Insanity’
The Biden administration’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private employers, set to go into effect Friday, poses risks to some Americans, further burdens the economy, and comes close to fitting the “definition of insanity,” Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., says. “Have all these policy responses worked? The shutdowns? The mandates?” Johnson asked rhetorically during remarks Thursday at…Fred Lucas -
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Sen. Marsha Blackburn Aims to Help ‘Essential Workers’ Who Face Firing Under Biden Vaccine Mandates
Sen. Marsha Blackburn is standing behind essential workers who may be fired for standing up to President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates, she told The Daily Signal. “It is so important that we give them the opportunity to have their choice,” the Tennessee Republican said Thursday in a phone interview. Blackburn has introduced legislation, dubbed the…Mary Margaret Olohan