Washington Examiner
Philip Klein is managing editor of the Washington Examiner. He is the author of Conservative Survival in the Romney Era and Overcoming Obamacare: Three Approaches to Reversing the Government Takeover of Health Care.
Klein is a former Washington correspondent for the American Spectator.
Health insurance subsidies: Now you see them… now you don't Insurance company subsidies are key to the Affordable Care Act. After President Trump cut them last week, he called Obamacare "virtually dead." Then, yesterday, a bipartisan group of Senators proposed to revive the subsidies for two more years -- and the President changed his tune — until this morning. Will any of this keep Obamacare alive? That may depend on the most conservative Republicans in Congress — still determined to dance on its grave. We hear about uncertainty for low-income consumers -- with this year's enrollment scheduled to start in less than two weeks.
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don't Public support for Obamacare now stands at 55% compared to 17% for the replacement bill passed by Republicans in the House. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has kept the Senate's Republican deliberations completely secret — and Democrats are politically outraged. Behind closed doors, one of the questions is: How soon will millions of people lose Medicaid coverage? Meantime, continued uncertainty has insurance companies conducting a "slow-motion meltdown."
Obamacare After Obama The Affordable Care Act is “the biggest and most controversial new law in a generation.” It’s created a new safety net for millions of Americans who can now get health insurance at an affordable price. But that’s not the end of the story. After extensive reporting, Paul Demko of POLITICO reports that Obamacare is both a success… and a failure.
Republicans Vote to Slash the Federal Budget Republicans are trying to make good on the promises that gave them control of the House of Representatives-- planning action on 600 amendments to this year’s budget before taking off for the Presidents’ Day weekend. Will the Senate and the White House allow 100 billion dollars in spending reductions? Would they make a dent in the deficit?
Republicans Vote to Slash the Federal Budget Republicans are trying to make good on the promises that gave them control of the House of Representatives-- planning action on 600 amendments to this year’s budget before taking off for the Presidents’ Day weekend. Will the Senate and the White House allow 100 billion dollars in spending reductions? Would they make a dent in the deficit?
A Growing Divide among American Jews about Israel Even before Israel's bloody effort to enforce the blockade of Gaza, a lengthy article in the New York Review of Books created a firestorm with an attack on mainstream pro-Israel organizations in the United States. It reported a growing division among American Jews with potential consequences for Israel. We speak with the author of the report and others in the US and Israel.
A Rift Grows in the American Jewish Community Israel's bloody enforcement of its Gaza Strip blockade has exposed a growing division among American Jews. AIPAC , the traditional Jewish lobby, played up five Islamic "Radicals" aboard ship. A competing lobby group, J Street , focused on the blockade's impact on Palestinians. Even before Israel's defense of the blockade, a lengthy article in the New York Review of Books created a firestorm with an attack on mainstream Jewish organizations in the US, and a recent survey shows young, liberal American Jews are unwilling to support Israel right or wrong. Is Israel failing to hear an important message? What are the implications for the Obama Administration and US policy?
A Grim Backdrop ahead of the State of the Union With all that's happened during the past year, it’s hard to believe that Barack Obama has yet to deliver his first address on the State of the Union .
A Grim Backdrop Ahead of the State of the Union With all that's happened during the past year, it's hard to believe that Barack Obama has yet to deliver his first address on the State of the Union . One day before that address, Obama faces a grim outlook on the economy and the mid-term elections. Wall Street's not lending, and unemployment threatens the middle class. The benefits from the stimulus package get less attention than the deficit. The Republican upset in Massachusetts has healthcare reform on life support, and Democrats from other states are declining to stand for re-election. With his own approval ratings on the decline, can one of America's most gifted orators turn things around?
Obama Gets a Senate Healthcare Bill for Christmas It's down to a few days and a few procedural votes – by Christmas Eve, the Senate is expected to pass its version of a long-awaited healthcare reform bill. The legislation has caused rancor in the Senate and is filled with compromises that aren't in the House version of the bill. When the House and Senate sit down to reconcile their two pieces of legislation, what will the final bill look like? What's the political cost of reaching an agreement on reform?
Obama Gets a Senate Healthcare Bill for Christmas It's down to a few days and a few procedural votes – by Christmas Eve, the Senate is expected to pass its version of a long-awaited healthcare reform bill. The legislation has caused rancor in the Senate and is filled with compromises that aren't in the House version of the bill. When the House and Senate sit down to reconcile their two pieces of legislation, what will the final bill look like? What's the political cost of reaching an agreement on reform?
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?
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.