Now that members of Congress have returned from the August recess, they have several big-ticket items to accomplish before the legislative year comes to an end in December. One non-controversial item that could be taken up is the Protecting the Integrity of Medicare Act, which aims to reduce waste and fraud in Medicare.
Rocket Monopoly
In the private sector, monopolies can charge consumers as much as they like due to a lack of competition. When the government creates a monopoly through the use of a sole source contract, the taxpayers get stuck with the tab.
The Secret’s Out about Plain Packaging
Award-winning author Madeleine L’Engle wrote in her 1968 novel, “The Young Unicorns,” that “[t]o take away a man’s freedom of choice, even his freedom to make the wrong choice, is to manipulate him as though he were a puppet and not a person.”
One, Two, Three Examples of ObamaCare’s Harmful Effects
Three interesting articles can be found in the September 8 Weekly Special Edition of Investor’s Business Daily (IBD) concerning the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) with respect to jobs and the economy. Low-Wages + ObamaCare = Fewer Work Hours One article, entitled “Low-Wage Workers See Hours Trimmed as ObamaCare Hits,” concerns how little discussion there is on this topic […]
Garage Bands At Risk
In a September 4, 2014 interview in Esquire Magazine, the legendary Gene Simmons of KISS spoke about the demise of rock, and the inability of new musicians to garner success in today’s music world. When he talked about the difficulty for a 15 year-old’s garage band to achieve success in the music industry because their […]
“Shocking” News: CMS Went Over Budget
I’m shocked…shocked that CMS went over budget! The Health and Human Services Inspector General’s (HHS-IG) office released a report last Tuesday, August 26, that shows the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the agency that is overseeing the implementation and operation of Healthcare.gov, went over its budget for developing the on-line marketplace. The IG […]
Control, Alt, Delete
Control, Alt, Delete seems to be the standard M.O. for the Obama Administration when they want to extricate themselves from politically damaging, and possibly criminal, behavior. Deleting emails, using alias emails, crashing or losing computers seem to be some of their favored tactics.* Most informed citizens are well aware of Lois Lerner’s lost emails due […]
Bringing Home the Davis-Bacon
“Bringing home the bacon” describes earning money for a job performed (i.e., providing the means to purchase basic sustenance). Therefore, it seems fitting that a lingering example of federally-mandated wage supports is named, in part, for Rep. Robert L. Bacon (R-N.Y.): The Davis-Bacon Act of 1931 was also co-sponsored by Sen. James J. Davis (R-Pa.), a former Secretary of Labor.
Irregular Order Comes Back
When Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, it established a topline discretionary spending budget, formally known as the 302(a) allocation, for fiscal years (FY) 2014 and 2015. Although there were several negative aspects of the budget compromise, many of which Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) pointed out to members of Congress before they voted on the bill, one of the positive aspects was that it marked the first time since April 29, 2009 that Congress had passed a budget and set the stage for a return to regular order. Unfortunately, as Congress prepares to embark on a five-week legislative recess, it is certain that a normal budget process will not occur this year.
The Name Game
Biologics are, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), medical products “made from a variety of natural sources (human, animal or microorganism). Like drugs, some biologics are intended to treat diseases and medical conditions. Other biologics are used to prevent or diagnose diseases.” Top-selling biologics include Humira® (adalimumab) and Remicade® (infliximab), which are both used for treating rheumatoid arthritis, and Rituxan® (rituximab), which is used to treat non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. These remarkable drugs represent the future of drug research and development.