After leading the (doomed) effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) last month, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has become a new target for the President of the United States. Trump ramped up his attacks on McConnell yesterday when he tweeted, “Senator Mitch McConnell said I had “excessive expectations,” but I don’t think so. After 7 years of hearing Repeal & Replace, why not done?” He continued the bitter tweets this morning, writing, “Can you believe that Mitch McConnell, who has screamed Repeal & Replace for 7 years, couldn’t get it done…”
Unfortunately, these social media attacks often overshadow the reality about what’s happening to health care. A new study by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation has concluded that Trump’s lack of clear strategy on policy causes uncertainty, “leading insurers to seek higher premium increases for 2018 than would otherwise have been the case.” Trump’s sabotage of the ACA is more than just a dangerous game—it could impact millions of families across America that have relied on the ACA for access to high-quality health care.
It’s time for Congress to move beyond “repeal and replace,” and for Trump to stop threatening to pull funding for the ACA. Sign Move On’s petition to call for an end to these threats. And continue to let your members of Congress know what the ACA means to you.
ACTION OF THE DAY
#DemandATownHall today! Town halls are one of the best ways for constituents to interact directly with their representatives and talk about key issues that are affecting their lives. As we’ve seen this August, town halls can become heated, especially when people share their personal stories about how a policy has impacted their life. But avoiding tense exchanges is not a sufficient reason to not host a town hall. A new campaign launched by American Bridge is seeking to hold members of Congress who haven’t held town halls recently accountable.
It’s been months—and even years—since some representatives’ last town hall. For example, it’s been nearly 4 months since Senator Jeff Flake from Arizona held a public event for his constituents. And Barbara Comstock? It’s been over 76 months!
If your member of Congress hasn’t held a town hall this summer, speak up! For more resources on how to make your voice heard during this August Recess, head to ResistanceNearMe.org.
WHAT’S TRENDING
#ScienceNotSilence. The Union of Concerned Scientists has launched the Science Protection Project, which seeks to protect valuable scientific reports and data from political interference. To support this effort, share this project, or use their action tool to let your senators know you believe in uncensored science.
Right to Serve. Five transgender active duty service members have filed suit against President Trump, after he announced that transgender individuals would no longer be allowed to serve in the U.S. military. In the lawsuit, they wrote, “The categorical exclusion of transgender people from military service lacks a rational basis, is arbitrary, and cannot be justified by sufficient federal interests.” While Trump claimed that the military could not afford the “tremendous medical costs” for transgender service members, a new report by Navy professors found that discharging and replacing transgender people who are already serving would cost over 100 times more than their health care expenses.
North Korea. As the world continues to nervously watch the increased tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, the crisis can create a lot of questions. How did we get here? What could nuclear war actually look like? Think Progress has the answers.
Nothing to See Here. A new report by Politico finds that Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Department of Education, Candice Jackson, has ordered that her team rush through remaining civil rights complaints. The result? More than 1,500 complaints have been closed in the past two months, with 900 of those being dismissed outright.
Russia. Yesterday, it was discovered that Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, had his home raided in late July by the FBI. The use of a search warrant in this predawn raid indicates that the judge believed there was probable cause that a crime was committed.
Making America White Again. What is it like to see all of your accomplishments reversed by Trump? That’s what Michele & Igor, co-hosts of the Thinking CAP podcast, ask Vanita Gupta about this week. As Former Head of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and President and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, she’s watched the DOJ announce its decision to designate resources to investigating affirmative action policies in college admissions, withhold funding from sanctuary cities and roll back voting rights enforcement… YET she is still fighting. Listen and subscribe here.
UNDER THE RADAR
Regulations. Both houses of Congress have created a version of the Regulatory Accountability Act, which “would paralyze the rulemaking process.” Despite the negative rhetoric around regulations, these important safeguards protect millions of Americans each year. Today, the Economic Policy Institute is hosting a press conference to highlights the risks of having inadequate regulations. For more information, check out the event here.