Daley’s View from Washington: The Pope, Bob Dole, and the Financial Transaction Tax

What do the Pope, Bob Dole,  and the Archbishop of Canterbury have in common?  They all support some version of a proposal to tax financial speculation. How about we try a tax idea that curbs unproductive speculation on Wall Street and raises money to pay for the governmental services? That is exactly what the Financial TransactionContinue reading “Daley’s View from Washington: The Pope, Bob Dole, and the Financial Transaction Tax”

News from DC: Super-Committee Fails, Now What?

Bill Daley is the Federal Issues Policy Director at The Alliance for a Just Society. On November 21st, the co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee of Deficit Reduction, aka the “Super Committee”,  issued this statement: “After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possibleContinue reading “News from DC: Super-Committee Fails, Now What?”

Report from DC: Can A Financial Transaction Tax Fix The Deficit?

A financial transaction tax (FTT) is one proposal being debated by economists as a solution to the national budget deficits both in the US and in Europe.  The FTT would place a small tax on stock and commodity trade, and a version of it has been introduced in the Congress by Representative Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon)Continue reading “Report from DC: Can A Financial Transaction Tax Fix The Deficit?”

Will the Affordable Care Act Help Eliminate Disparities?

Many provisions of the Affordable Care Act are designed to overcome health outcome disparities caused by social factors associated with race, ethnicity, language, and culture. Will they work?

HHS’s Language Rule Excludes Millions of People

What would you think about a rule designed to give translation of important insurance documents to those who do not speak English well, if that rule required this service in nine counties in New Mexico, but excluded the entire City of Albuquerque?

Debt Deal Puts a Bull’s Eye on Medicaid

As I write, the U.S. Senate has just passed the debt deal that was negotiated with the President over the weekend. It got 269 votes in the House yesterday and 74 votes in the Senate today. It was opposed by both the most progressive and most conservative members. The immediate effect is a cap onContinue reading “Debt Deal Puts a Bull’s Eye on Medicaid”

Community Health Care Clinics Under Attack

Community clinics are an indispensable component of the health care infrastructure in the United States. They are widely regarded as a cost-effective way to provide basic care, saving the health care system billions of dollars every year. Clinics serve over 20 million people in America, and one out of three people in poverty rely onContinue reading “Community Health Care Clinics Under Attack”

Conservative Judicial Activism Must Strengthen Health Care Implementation

On Monday, January 31st, a second federal court ruled against the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A Florida judge opined that the individual responsibility provision was unconstitutional and therefore made the entire Act invalid. The White House and reform supporters were quick to point out that two other courts and numerous judicial scholars hold a contraryContinue reading “Conservative Judicial Activism Must Strengthen Health Care Implementation”

On the State of the Union: Where Are We Going? A National Mystery

After watching the President’s State of the Union Address, I must confess that I am puzzled. I have no idea where our country is going.

House Takes First Step To Increase Indian Health Services Funding

The average cost of mainstream health insurance plans is approximately 40% greater than the Indian Health Service (IHS) funding level for American Indian and Alaska Native people. This funding gap limits health care services and contributes to the lingering disparities of death and disease among Indians. The first step needed to redress this shortfall wasContinue reading “House Takes First Step To Increase Indian Health Services Funding”