How to lower premiums for 25 million. | Kate O'Beirne, R.I.P. | A third of federal spending is not authorized. | We're failing to teach the tragedy of Communism. | Put these events on your calendar.
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April 29, 2017 |
Freeing states from Obamacare’s insurance mandates can lower health insurance premiums for 25 million Americans. Kate O’Beirne, R.I.P. One-third of what Congress spends in the discretionary budget goes to programs that are not authorized by law. An epoch-defining tragedy began 100 years ago this month, but it remains unknown to many younger Americans. There are a number of conservative events coming up that you should know about. |
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How to lower health insurance premiums for 25 million Americans: Ed Haislemaier writes: “There has been considerable focus on how legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare could affect the 20 million individuals receiving subsidized coverage through the exchanges and the Medicaid expansion. However, much less attention has been paid to another group of 25 million individuals who also have a significant personal stake in the outcome. “That group of 25 million consists of the 10 million people with individual-market coverage who do not qualify for Obamacare subsidies (about 80 percent of the pre-Obamacare individual market of 12 million), plus at least another 15 million with coverage through small group plans (who also get no subsidies). Some of those 25 million are still covered by pre-Obamacare plans (which they risk losing), with the rest in plans that are subject to Obamacare’s costly insurance market provisions. “These are the individuals that most need relief from Obamacare’s soaring premiums. Any repeal-and-replace legislation needs to include provisions that enable them once again to buy health insurance that is not burdened by the additional cost of federal benefit mandates or distorted by Obamacare’s age rating restrictions. This is why one of the top priorities for health reform has been to restore to states the authority to regulate insurance markets, which Obamacare removed from them by layering on new federal insurance mandates. States should be freed from Obamacare’s benefit mandates, the minimum actuarial value requirement, and age-rating restrictions.” [The Heritage Foundation]
Kate O’Beirne, R.I.P. Conservative commentator and journalist Kate O’Beirne died on Sunday. She was National Review’s Washington editor for 11 years, and a regular guest on CNN’s capital gang where she cogently put forth the conservative view alongside Bob Novak. Her career also included positions with Sen. James Buckley, the Reagan administration, The Heritage Foundation, and the National Review Institute. Ramesh Ponnuru remembers her this way: “Both her ‘Bread and Circuses’ column for NR and her television commentary were marked by a rare combination of a deep interest in conservative policy, psychological insight, and common sense. Many of those same qualities put her advice — on politics, editorials, careers, and personal matters — in high demand. It was advice she was happy to give, setting her listeners right while somehow also making them feel like geniuses. She enlivened every party, taking special care for the people who seemed shy or left out. This same impulse led her to take in young colleagues, or classmates of her children, who had nowhere to go for holidays. And it made her one of the most beloved people of Washington, D.C. You had to get to know her very well before you realized she was an introvert, one who was making a titanic effort to make sure everyone was happy.” [National Review]
Spending on unauthorized programs accounted for nearly one-third of the federal government’s 2016 discretionary budget. The failure of Congress’s authorizing committees to exercise oversight, writes Justin Bogie, is one reason the government has a budget problem: “One of Congress’ core constitutional authorities is to maintain the power of the purse. Authorization legislation, budget resolutions, and appropriations bills (collectively known as regular order) are key components of Congress’ oversight function. By authorizing agencies and programs on a regular basis, Congress is able to examine the activities that receive taxpayer dollars. This also allows Congress to consider the usefulness of government programs and make sometimes tough decisions about what the nation’s spending priorities should be. With the gross federal debt now approaching $20 trillion, it is clear that Congress has a spending problem. Lack of oversight has at least in part contributed to this problem. Congress should be working toward reducing wasteful spending and finding ways to put spending and debt on a sustainable path. Yet at the very least, it should perform its oversight function and fully account for exactly how scarce taxpayer resources are being spent. This week, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., introduced the Unauthorized Spending Accountability (USA) Act of 2017. Rodgers’ bill makes a strong push to begin the return to regular order, forcing Congress to do its job and regularly authorize agencies and programs. Under her USA Act, programs would be put on a three-year track to being sunset if they are not reauthorized.” [The Daily Signal]
An epoch-defining tragedy began 100 years ago this month, but it remains unknown to many younger Americans. Marion Smith of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation writes: “A recent study conducted by YouGov found only 33 percent of millennials are familiar with Lenin. Of those who are familiar, 25 percent view him favorably. The study also revealed, among other disturbing insights, that 32 percent of millennials believe more people were killed by the administration of George W. Bush than the regime of Joseph Stalin, which was responsible for no fewer than 15 million deaths. “Influenced by educational and cultural systems hostile to free-market economics and willing to whitewash the human toll of Marxism, young Americans are increasingly turning to socialism and other forms of extremist ideology. In a 2016 poll by Harvard University, 33 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 said they supported socialism while 51 percent said they opposed capitalism. Alarming also are the findings that only 25 percent of millennials now believe that living in a democracy is essential, down from 75 percent for their grandparents’ generation.” [The Daily Beast]
Some events for your calendar: The Alexander Hamilton Award, Manhattan Institute, 6:30 p.m., May 4, Cipriani 42nd Street, New York Canterbury Medal Gala, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, 6 p.m., May 4, The Pierre Hotel, New York Escape from Democracy: The Role of Experts and the Public in Economic Policy, Mercatus Center, 2 p.m., May 4, Mason Hall, George Mason University, Fairfax, Va. A New Course for the FCC: A Conversation with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, Noon, May 5, American Enterprise Institute, Washington, D.C. ALEC Spring Task Force Summit, American Legislative Exchange Council, May 5, The Westin Charlotte 4th Annual Otis McDonald Memorial Second Amendment Lecture & Practice, The Federalist Society, 7:30 a.m., May 6, The Range, Bolingbrook, Ill. BREXIT: Good for North Carolina, Good for World Trade, and Great for Global Prosperity, Noon, May 8, John Locke Foundation, Raleigh, N.C. New Bridges: Texas Advancing Liberty & Prosperity in a Divided America, Independent Institute, 9 a.m., May 9, Collins Center, Southern Methodist University, Dallas 40th Annual Resource Bank: Liberty Depends on You. Will You Rise to the Challenge? The Heritage Foundation, May 9-12, Broadmoor Hotel, Colorado Springs |
 The Heritage Foundation |
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