skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Obamacare's Survival a Relief for Pro-Choice Advocates

play audio
Play

Friday, September 29, 2017   

WASHINGTON, D.C. - One group indicating relief about the U.S. Senate not voting on a new Affordable Care Act replacement bill this week is pro-choice advocates.

Republican leaders in the Senate canceled a scheduled vote on Tuesday, leaving the "Obamacare" mandates on family-planning coverage in effect for now. Some estimates have said as many as 32 million Americans would have lost their health insurance under the bill.

And, according to Kaylie Hanson Long, the national communications director for NARAL Pro-Choice America, it would have imposed severe restrictions on reproductive rights.

"Allowing states to waive birth-control coverage, really restrict abortion coverage," she says. "What's really offensive too is, the whole time, they have been talking about passing a bill that really slashes maternity care."

Republicans have called the Affordable Care Act a disaster with increasingly unaffordable premiums, dwindling choices for consumers and exorbitant costs. Failure of the latest repeal effort is likely to restart a bipartisan effort to improve the ACA.

And Long adds there is another option on the table - Senator Bernie Sander's "Medicare for All" bill, which would cover abortion services.

"That would have the impact of repealing the Hyde Amendment, which does nothing but prevents low-income women from receiving the same kind of health care that their wealthier peers can access," she explains.

The Sanders bill would create a national, single-payer health-care system, replacing most private health insurance.

President Donald Trump, who made ACA repeal a central theme of his election campaign, expressed his disappointment that the effort failed again. But Long stresses the fight is far from over.

"This won't be their last attempt," she warns. "They're going to continue to try to chip away at the law in whatever way they can. But that's why we all need to stay on our toes and keep up these resistance efforts."

Republicans say they will renew their repeal efforts after they have resolved the issue of tax reform.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021