Death of Democrats' proposals criticized

Death of Democrats' proposals criticized

(The Center Square) – Democrats in the North Carolina Legislature complained Tuesday that the Republican majority killed good bills without even considering them in the respective rules committees of the Senate and House of Representatives. Crossover day for a bill to clear one chamber or the other has now passed, shutting out Democrat-sponsored bills for this session, the legislators said. "We are gathered here today to mourn the death of bills filed by Democratic legislators that have died in committee," Sen. Natalie Murdoch, D-Durham, said in a news conference at the Legislative Building. The bills called for reopening rural hospital clinics, expanding child care support, increased breast cancer screenings and Medicaid expansions, Murdoch said. In rebuttal, House Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, shared a cartoon on social media depicting a grave for Democratic bills about pickleball diversity; policies of diversity, equity and inclusion, commonly known as DEI; parental rights; taxpayer money for illegal immigration; and sex changes for prisoners. "These are not partisan ideas," Murdoch said of party's proposals. "These are life saving, common sense solutions with bipartisan roots." Ninety-one percent of North Carolina residents oppose Medicaid cuts, she said. "Republicans in D.C. will create at least a $2.5 billion hole in the North Carolina budget to pay for tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations," Murdoch said. North Carolina has a "trigger law" that will immediately cause deep cuts in the state's Medicaid program if federal funding for states that expanded the program is reduced enacted, she said. "Democrats have continued to offer ways to avoid that," Murdoch said. "Instead of action, those bills were sent to die in Rules Committees. No hearings. No votes. No debates." Democrats filed dozens of bills this year to help keep communities safe, said Sen. Woodson Bradley, D-Mecklenburg, a survivor of domestic violence. The bills included legislation to modernize protection against domestic violence and to protect children online, she said. "Not one of them got a hearing," she said. "Less than 5% of the people in this building know what it's like to be a victim. That's who I came here to help. And that's who the North Carolina GOP silenced when they buried these bills."

byRicky Wilson

in

May 13, 2025

Death of Democrats' proposals criticized

Death of Democrats' proposals criticized (The Center Square) – Democrats in the North Carolina Legislature complained Tuesday that the R...

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Venezuelans in El Salvador prison plead for freedom in video

Venezuelans in El Salvador prison plead for freedom in video

By Kristina Cooke and Ted Hesson (Reuters) - Venezuelans held in a high-security prison in El Salvador shouted "freedom" and used a hand signal for help in a video published by the far-right One America News Network, a rare glimpse of the detainees since they were sent there by the U.S. in March. Matt Gaetz, a former U.S. lawmaker and ally of President Donald Trump, toured the prison with the conservative news outlet and Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna. As part of the tour on May 9, they visited the wing of the prison holding the deported Venezuelans, who the Trump administration alleges are members of the gang Tren de Aragua, OANN said. Video footage showed dozens of men pressed up against cell bars clad in white prison-issue shorts and shirts or shirtless. The men shouted as the tour passed through but could be heard calling to be liberated and saying "Venezuela." The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not comment on the video footage, and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The cells in El Salvador's "Terrorism Confinement Center" (CECOT) included the towering stacks of bunkbeds seen in another part of the prison commonly featured in media tours. One of the cells in the wing housing Venezuelans had a towel with a cross drawn onto it draped across the bars. Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act on March 15 to rapidly deport alleged Venezuelan gang members. While Trump's proclamation was blocked later that day, two planes carrying Venezuelans deported under the little-used wartime statute continued on to El Salvador. Family members, many of whom deny the gang allegations, have been unable to communicate with the men, who have no access to phones, attorneys or legal venues to contest their detention. On Tuesday, they pored over the footage, looking for their loved ones. Reuters spoke with a dozen people who said they recognized their family members. Reuters could not independently verify whether the men the family members recognized were in the prison. The U.S. has not released a list of the names of the deportees. Angie Rios, a U.S. citizen, spotted her husband Jesus Rios, 22, in the video, calling out to the camera pleading for freedom in English and in Spanish. She felt a mix of emotions, she said, "confused, desperate, angry, hopeful, frustrated."  After seeing the video she was barely able to get out of bed, she said. Maria Alejandra Falcon recognized her son, 25-year-old Yolfran Escobar, hugging the bars of his cell. "Since I saw it I haven't stopped crying and thinking what can I do to help my son?" she said. "It is a pain so great it feels like they are tearing out my soul." Paola Moreno, sister of Maikel Moreno, 20, said she felt helpless seeing her brother in the cells. "He is not a criminal, he doesn't deserve this," she said. On a post on X, Gaetz highlighted allegations that the men were gang members. "These are the Tren de Aragua guys democrats want back in America," Gaetz said in a post accompanying a video clip. Trump nominated Gaetz to serve as his attorney general in late 2024 before taking office but Gaetz withdrew in the face of steep Senate opposition over his past conduct. He now hosts a talk show on OANN. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited the prison in late March with pool reporters, later sharing a video on social media with prisoners in the backdrop that warned of the consequences of being in the U.S. without legal immigration status. (Reporting by Ted Hesson in Washington, D.C. and Kristina Cooke in San Francisco; Editing by Sonali Paul)

byRicky Wilson

in

May 13, 2025

Venezuelans in El Salvador prison plead for freedom in video

Venezuelans in El Salvador prison plead for freedom in video By Kristina Cooke and Ted Hesson (Reuters) - Venezuelans held in a high-securit...

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Here are the times Trump has said he wouldn't cut Medicaid

Here are the times Trump has said he wouldn't cut Medicaid

President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed he wouldn't allow Medicaid to be cut, but House Republicans' bill to fund his agendaaims to cuthundreds of billions of dollars from the program that provides health care for poor, elderly and disabled Americans. For several months, Trump has promised not to touch the program, though on Monday he urged Republicans to "UNIFY" around the "one, big beautiful bill," which plans to slash Medicaid spending by imposing work requirements for recipients, make more frequent eligibility checks, and penalize states likeNew Yorkand California that offer Medicaid to illegal immigrants. The Congressional Budget Office wrote in a letter to Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie that the proposal met its lofty target for $880 billion of savings over the next decade. The health portions would save about $715 billion, according to CBO. However, at least 8.6 million more Americans will go uninsured. MORE: House Republicans plow ahead on $880 billion in Medicaid, other cuts despite internal differences In his first-ever campaign speech for president in 2015, Trump said he would "Save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cuts," then tried to dismantle it once in office. During his last campaign, Trump primarily promised to save Social Security and Medicare, with Medicaid not specifically mentioned in hisplatform, though he pledged to protect it once it came up as a target for cuts. While promising not to touch Medicaid, Trump has countered that the administration is looking for "fraud" and "abuse" in the benefits program. On"Meet the Press" on May 4, Trump said he would veto the bill if it includes cuts to Medicaid while adding, "but they're not cutting it." "They're looking at fraud, waste and abuse. And nobody minds that," he said. "If illegal immigrants are in the mix, if people that aren't supposed to be there, people that are non-citizens are in the mix, nobody minds that. Waste, fraud and abuse. But we're not cutting Medicaid, we're not cutting Medicare, and we're not cutting Social Security." When asked if he could guarantee that Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security will not be touched whilebefore a Cabinet meeting on Feb. 26, Trump said, "I have said it so many times, you shouldn't be asking me that question." "We're not going to touch it. Now, we are going to look for fraud," he continued. MORE: Lack of full analysis leaves GOP effort to cut $880 billion under cloud of political uncertainty Those other times included during aFeb. 18 interviewwith Fox News host Sean Hannity, when, while referring to Medicaid and Medicare, Trump said, "None of that stuff is going to be touched." "We're going to love and cherish Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid," Trump also said in the Oval Office on Jan. 31. "We're not going to do anything with that, other than if we can find some abuse or waste, we'll do something, but the people won't be affected. It will only be more effective and better." In March, the White House also maintained in astatementthat Trump will not cut Medicaid benefits, referring to remarks by Trump vowing not to touch the program while highlighting reports on entitlement program payment errors. "What kind of a person doesn't support eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending that ultimately costs taxpayers more?" the White House statement said. In a Truth Social post on Monday, the president noted that an executive order he signed that day would "slash the cost of prescription drugs" and the "hundreds of billions of tariff money coming in" should be factored into the bill's scoring. MORE: Everything to know about Medicaid, the largest US public health insurance program In Tuesday's markup, House and Energy ranking member Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said Republicans including Trump broke their promises to not cut Medicaid under the current GOP proposal. "So, you can call it a trim, you can call it a cut, call whatever you want. The bottom line is these people are going to lose their Medicaid," he said. House Republicans are working to advance key components of their bill this week. With Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress, they are using a process called reconciliation that only requires a simple majority for passage to fast-track their legislation. The legislation has already received pushback from Republicans in the Senate who will have to go along with it, including Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, who wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times Monday warning against moves to cut Medicaid. "This wing of the party wants Republicans to build our big, beautiful bill around slashing health insurance for the working poor. But that argument is both morally wrong and politically suicidal," Hawleywrote. The Federation of American Hospitals, which represents more than 1,000 hospitals and health systems throughout the U.S., criticized the "drastic cuts" to Medicaid in the bill that it said will "slash health coverage for millions" while calling out Trump's promise to protect the benefits. "Congressional Republicans and President Trump rightly pledged to protect Medicaid benefits and coverage -- this bill fails that test," Federation of American Hospitals' President and CEO Chip Kahn said in a statement on Monday. "It is imperative Republicans go back to the drawing board; too many lives depend on it." Here are the times Trump has said he wouldn't cut Medicaidoriginally appeared onabcnews.go.com

byRicky Wilson

in

May 13, 2025

Here are the times Trump has said he wouldn't cut Medicaid

Here are the times Trump has said he wouldn't cut Medicaid President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed he wouldn't allow Medicaid to...

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Wilkeson sends pleas to D.C. as rural bridge closure cuts off tourism lifeline

Wilkeson sends pleas to D.C. as rural bridge closure cuts off tourism lifeline

(The Center Square) - After hand-delivering over 100 letters to Washington, D.C., Pierce County Councilmember Dave Morell says emergency grants could save a historic mining town that the state left out to dry. Washington State Route 165 leads hundreds of thousands of tourists to Mount Rainier National Park every year. The highway stretches through Wilkeson to one of the few entrances, but not before crossing a 103-year-old bridge the stateclosedlast month, cutting off access to the park. The Fairfax Bridge israpidlydeteriorating after the Legislature put off years of maintenance. Morell said a few coats of paint every three decades could have avoided this, but the state is out of options. Years could pass before it can afford to rebuild, upending Wilkeson's economy. "Whenever we do in-district meetings at the county, whether it be in District 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, I remind them," Morell told The Center Square, "that it was the towns of Wilkeson and Carbonado that built Tacoma, and without them, Tacoma would not be where it is today." Morell met with the state's congressional delegation in Washington, D.C., last week and returned home on Friday. While he planned the trip before the state closed the bridge, it allowed him to lobby for federal support. A solution may still be years away, but he said Wilkeson could survive. Businesses, residents and even outdoor enthusiasts from Tacoma and Auburn sent more than 100 letters with Morell. Someone wrote one on the back of a napkin. Morell said U.S. Rep. Kim Schier, D-Wash., smiled as she opened it, reflecting on the rural community amid the chaos of Congress. A group of roughly 30 people who live on the other side of the bridge collected the letters before Morell left. The Friends of the Carbon Canyon help maintain the area and told The Center Square that the local access route they now have to take adds almost an hour to their trip into town. "It's over an hour if we call 911," Jill Cartwright said, "Carbonado and Wilkeson are volunteer fire departments, and they're going to be the first ones that would be coming through, but we wouldn't expect any help for over an hour — if that." Bridge maintenance typically falls on the state, but Morell said Wilkeson could declare an emergency to open the door to U.S. Department of Commerce grants. The funding wouldn't rebuild the bridge but could save the city and local economy until the state has enough money. Morell said the county talked to Wilkeson Mayor Jeff Sellers about a declaration and plans to explore all possible avenues. The Washington State Department of Transportation willhosta meeting after Memorial Day so residents can weigh in on potentially rerouting the bridge later. In the meantime, Morell said the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and the state have an opportunity to repair campsites, trails and other infrastructure on the other side of the bridge. "Things are happening behind the scenes. We're not sitting around, saying, 'Woe is me,'" he told The Center Square. Wilkeson is the first stop for gas on the way down from the park, but it takes another 20 minutes to get to grocery stores in Bonney Lake. Some residents who live across the bridge are disabled and feel trapped on the other side without a quick way to town. Cartwright wants to prevent Wilkeson from becoming a ghost town like the other mining communities that once thrived there. One lies beneath the Fairfax Bridge, serving as a reminder of what the loss of tourism could mean for Wilkeson, much like the decline of the coal industry in the area. "They do depend on the tourist traffic," Cartwright said. "People come from all over the world in those three months."

byRicky Wilson

in

May 13, 2025

Wilkeson sends pleas to D.C. as rural bridge closure cuts off tourism lifeline

Wilkeson sends pleas to D.C. as rural bridge closure cuts off tourism lifeline (The Center Square) - After hand-delivering over 100 letters ...

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Four takeaways from House hearings on Republican Medicaid, tax proposals

Four takeaways from House hearings on Republican Medicaid, tax proposals

WASHINGTON – House Republicans defended a bill that would enact sweeping tax cuts, raise the debt ceiling, and add restrictions to benefit programs during a heated marathon day of committee hearings on Capitol Hill. Three separate panels reviewed the legislation that would become part of a massive package to implementPresident Donald Trump's agenda on May 13, including the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee; the committee with oversight of Medicaid, the Energy and Commerce Committee; and the committee that manages food assistance programs, the House Agriculture Committee. Democrats repeatedly slammed the package as a giveaway to the wealthy at the expense of benefit programs like Medicaid and food stamps. The hearings are expected to go well into the night. The Medicaid hearing is expected to break records, going past the 27 consecutive hours lawmakers debated a repeal of theAffordable Care Actin 2017. The proposals that lawmakers considered will become the biggest portions of the most important piece of legislation passed during Trump's second term. As the House Energy and Commerce hearing on Medicaid kicked off, protesters began chanting: "No cuts to Medicaid!" They were escorted out of the hearing room and 26 people were arrested for "crowding, obstructing, and incommoding," according to U.S. Capitol Police. Araucous crowd of protestersalso chanted and shouted outside the hearing room. "People feel very strongly because they know they're losing their healthcare," said Rep. Frank Pallone, D-New Jersey, the top Democrat on the committee. While Republicans did not pursuethe drastic cuts they had considered before releasing the legislation, an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the Medicaid changes would result in7.6 million fewer peoplewith health insurance over the next 10 years. That would save around $625 billion in federal spending, which Republican lawmakers are hoping will balance out lost revenue from tax cuts. Tensions ran high at the Energy and Commerce hearing over the proposed Medicaid changes. Republican members argued that they are trying to eliminate waste and fraud from the system in order to protect it for those who really need it. Among the changes would be work requirements for adults enrolled under the 2010 Medicaid expansion and more frequent eligibility checks. "Medicaid was created to provide health care for Americans who otherwise could not support themselves, but Democrats expanded the program far beyond this core mission," said Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Kentucky, the committee chairman. Democrats highlighted the stories of people on Medicaid who could lose coverage under the proposal. They argued that Republicans had produced a bill that would cut coverage, even though they have in the past claimed such cuts would not happen. "For months, Republicans told the American people that their budget would not cut Medicaid," said Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-California. "That is not true. And today they continue to say it. Don't believe it." Republicans said Democrats were the ones lying during the hearing by highlighting the stories of children and people with disabilities, which Republicans argued would not be impacted by the proposed changes. "I have a young daughter and if she was on Medicaid and we were at risk of taking that away from her, I would share that fear," said Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas. "The problem with this narrative is that there's no reason to have that fear . . . I am sorry that so many people on the left and in the media have lied to you about what's in this bill." The House Ways and Means Committee debated House Republicans'broad tax plan. The proposal would make the2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Actpermanent, increase the standard deduction, increase the child tax credit, temporarily create a tax deduction for tips and overtime through 2028, and implement an additional $4,000 tax deduction for seniors,among other proposals. Democrats lampooned the proposal as a giveaway to the wealthiest Americans, repeatedly invoking the name of Trump ally Elon Musk, the world's richest man. "So here we are, one big beautiful tax cut for billionaires. The Republican pathology with tax cuts for wealthy people continues," said Rep. Richard Neal, D-Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the committee. Democrats are referencing the 2017 tax cuts, which would be extended under the plan and whichdisproportionately benefittedwealthy Americans while cutting taxes for all income brackets. Republicans highlighted the provisions in the bill that would help working class Americans. Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Oklahoma, highlighted that likelihood that billionaires would not significantly benefit from the tax breaks on tipped income, overtime and the child tax credit. "While we're talking specifically here about the tax rate staying permanent, all these other provisions that we put in there that President Trump has talked about taking that they're wanting to demagogue – these other ones do (direct) hundreds of billions of dollars to the lower end of the income scale that they don't want to allude to," he said. The House Agriculture Committee is meeting at 7:30 p.m. on May 13 to debateproposed changesto the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP or food stamps, which provides food assistance to around 42 million Americans. The Republican plan would implement new work requirements for people ages 55 to 64, require states to provide more funding for the program for the first time, cap reimbursement to states for administrative costs, limit SNAP eligibility to citizens and lawful permanent residents, and prevent future presidential administrations from increasing benefits without Congressional approval. The proposals could force people off of the program asstates may restricttheir programs without the continued federal funding.GOP leaders arguethat the changes would make sure the program works the way it was intended to by "reinforcing work, rooting out waste, and instituting long-overdue accountability incentives." The nonpartisanCongressional Budget Officeestimated the committee's plan would cut $300 billion over the next decade – exceeding the $230 billion they were instructed to eliminate. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Four takeaways from marathon hearings on GOP Medicaid, tax proposals

byRicky Wilson

in

May 13, 2025

Four takeaways from House hearings on Republican Medicaid, tax proposals

Four takeaways from House hearings on Republican Medicaid, tax proposals WASHINGTON – House Republicans defended a bill that would enact swe...

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