Director of Health and Welfare Studies, Cato Institute
Director of Health and Welfare Studies at the libertarian Cato Institute
PROFILE
Michael Tanner
Guest
FROM Michael Tanner
Which Way, L.A.?
Will Healthcare Reform Get to the Senate Floor? After many delays, Senate leader Harry Reid finally unveiled his version of healthcare reform last night in Washington. He called the legislation a "tremendous step forward…(b)ecause it saves lives, saves money and protects Medicare -- makes Medicare stronger."
To the Point
Will Healthcare Reform Get to the Senate Floor? The Senate's healthcare reform bill is finally a 2000-page, $848-billion reality, including the public option, with an allowance for states to opt out. It would cover 94% of legal American residents and reduce the deficit with Medicare cuts and taxes on cosmetic surgery and so-called "Cadillac" plans. What's the same and what's different from the bill passed by the House? What about abortion? Can Republicans prevent the bill from reaching the Senate floor?
To the Point
Health Insurance on Capitol Hill and the Presidential Trail While Hillary Clinton and the rest of the candidates are debating healthcare reform, President Bush and the Congress are at odds over a current program that's about to expire. The State Children's Health Insurance Program was created to provide coverage for children of the working poor—kids whose parents make too much for Medicaid but still can't afford private insurance. After ten years, both parties agree it's been a success—but it's scheduled to expire at the end of this month. In the Senate, Democrats and Republicans have agreed to expand it into the lower middle class. In the House, Democrats working alone have approved a much bigger expansion . President Bush has threatened to veto either version. Claiming that expansion of the program would move middle class families who can afford private insurance to let the government pay, the Administration has enacted new guidelines, requiring privately insured families to wait for a year before they're eligible for SCHIP.
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To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.
To the Point
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.