Medicare

Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) said House Republicans are “adamant” about leaving entitlements like Social Security and Medicare untouched as lawmakers battle over the debt ceiling. Banks’ comments came after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen informed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) last week that the U.S. government has hit the $31.3 trillion debt ceiling. Yellen told McCarthy she would use “extraordinary measures” to prevent the United States from defaulting on its debt. Banks told CBS New’s Robert Costa that House Republicans have a “duty to use that majority the American people gave us to address real spending reforms.” News here from House Republican Jim Banks, a former chair of the conservative Republican Study Committee and Sen candidate: He doesn't believe Soc. Sec, Medicare, or Medicaid cuts should be on the table with debt-limit negotiations. Exchange starts 2:59 https://t.co/NIRk8Z8WhA — Robert Costa (@costareports) January 24, 2023 “So The debt limit sets up … [Read more...] about Jim Banks: GOP ‘Adamant’ About Leaving Social Security, Medicare Alone

Amazon .com Inc said it is offering a $5 monthly subscription plan for US Prime members that will cover a range of generic drugs and their doorstep delivery, furthering the ecommerce giant's push into healthcare. The program, named RxPass , includes more than 50 medications addressing over 80 chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, anxiety, diabetes and male pattern baldness, Vin Gupta , Amazon Pharmacy 's chief medical officer, told Reuters. However, customers enrolled in Medicare , Medicaid or any other government healthcare program will not be able to enroll in Amazon Pharmacy's RxPass service. Read Also Techies earning up to $1 million a year laid off at Big Tech firms, claims report Amazon to hike prices of some music subscription plans from February The average Prime member would save about $100 per year with RxPass, John Love, vice president of Amazon Pharmacy, said in an interview. Amazon Prime … [Read more...] about amazon: Amazon deepens healthcare push with $5 monthly subscription

President Joe Biden on Monday delivered remarks in Baltimore, Maryland, where he touted a tunnel project being addressed with funds from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act he signed in 2021. At the same time, he continues to refuse spending cut negotiations with Republican lawmakers over the $31.3 trillion debt ceiling breached on January 19, even though he has admitted Washington politicians need to rein in the national debt. Biden visited Baltimore to discuss a renovation to the Baltimore-Patomic Tunnel, a rail tunnel he claimed to have passed through “a thousand times” as an Amtrak passenger. Ulysses S. Grant was President when the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel opened. 150 years later, the tunnel is the largest bottleneck for commuter passengers between DC and NJ. President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will replace the tunnel. https://t.co/JLIMXfwHq8 — Herbie Ziskend (@HerbieZiskend46) January 29, 2023 “But folks look, I made a … [Read more...] about Biden Visits Baltimore to Tout $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Package

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) urged Democrats on Tuesday to negotiate on a deal that would clear the debt ceiling and slash spending. “I would like to sit down with all the leaders and especially the president and start having discussions,” McCarthy said . Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the debt ceiling would edge towards the debt ceiling on Thursday; however, Yellen said she would take “extraordinary measures” to extend the deadline to June. McCarthy called for negotiations to start before the federal government gets too close to the June deadline. The House leader said, “Who wants to put the nation through some type of threat at the last minute with the debt ceiling? Nobody wants to do that.” President Joe Biden called Republicans “fiscally demented” and the White House has said that they have no plans to negotiate on the debt ceiling, urging Congress to raise the debt ceiling without spending cuts. “As President Biden has made clear, Congress must … [Read more...] about Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden to Clash over Looming Debt Ceiling Deadline

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) said on Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that President Joe Biden’s invitation to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to discuss the debt ceiling was a “good thing.” Partial transcript as follows: MARGARET BRENNAN: Right. And that may take some time. I want to ask you about some of the business that Congress will have to get to soon. As you know, the White House wants a clean lift to the debt limit with no strings attached. Senator Manchin said it’s a mistake for the White House to refuse to negotiate with Republicans. Do you think that position is changing? Is it a mistake? KAINE: Well, first, we should- we should have a clean lift of the debt ceiling because the 14th Amendment to the Constitution says nobody should question the credit worthiness of the United States. This is about whether the U.S. pays our credit card or not. And I don’t think anyone should flirt with not paying for the US credit card, which is what Republicans are doing. So the … [Read more...] about Kaine: Biden Invitation to McCarthy to Discuss Debt Ceiling a ‘Good Thing’

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that “there will not be a default” while discussing raising the federal debt ceiling while controlling government spending. Partial transcript as follows: MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to get to some of the top agenda items. You have accepted an invitation to meet with President Biden. When will that happen, and what offer will you put on the table? MCCARTHY: Well, we’re going to meet this Wednesday. I know the President said he didn’t want to have any discussions, but I think it’s very important that our whole government is designed to find compromise. I want to find a reasonable and a responsible way that we can lift the debt ceiling, but take control of this runaway spending. I mean, if you look at the last four years, the Democrats have increased spending by 30%, $400 billion. We’re at a 120% of GDP. We haven’t been in this place to debt since World War Two. So we can’t continue down this path. And I … [Read more...] about McCarthy on Debt Ceiling: ‘We’re Not Going to Default’

The city of Chicago, Illinois, in partnership with big business, is launching an effort to score jobs for foreign H-1B visa workers who have been laid off from their tech jobs in recent weeks. The city’s World Business Chicago group, which is a public-private firm, has joined P33, the Chicago Chamber of Commerce, the Corporate Coalition of Chicago, and others to fill jobs at companies like Caterpillar, Illinois Tech, John Deere, Ulta Beauty, and Walgreens with foreign H-1B visa workers who have recently been laid off. On average, about 1,600 tech workers are being laid off every day, with multinational corporations like Amazon, Google, Salesforce, Facebook, and Microsoft announcing employee cuts. A sizeable portion of these layoffs, an estimated 80,000 , are foreign workers who arrived on H-1B and L-1 visas and who are now scrambling to stay in the United States. Chicago is looking to help those foreign H-1B visa workers stay in the U.S. by landing them new tech jobs in … [Read more...] about Chicago Launches Effort to Score Jobs for Foreign H-1B Visa Workers Laid Off from Tech Industry