We hope everyone enjoyed the July 4th holiday, but Republican Senate candidates didn’t get a break from the bad news this week. In honor of fireworks, barbecue and America we want to send you into the weekend with a special Independence Day version of Takeaways – here are 10 Senate stories to catch up on before Monday.
MO – ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH EDITORIAL: HEALTH CARE ISSUE ISN’T DEAD, THOUGH GOP IS TRYING
Polls continue to show that the health care issue, despite being crowded out of the news by immigration, tariffs, North Korea and Trump administration scandals, remains near the top of voters’ concerns.Republican candidates would be wise not to underestimate the power of this issue to sway votes this fall.
The end of the so-called individual mandate caused 20 Republican state attorneys general to againchallenge the overall constitutionality of Obamacare’s consumer protections, including coverage of pre-existing conditions. The Justice Department chimed in to agree.
In the meantime, voters with pre-existing conditions might want to factor it into their decisions in November.
WV – POLITIFACT: DID MORRISEY JOIN LAWSUIT TO ALLOW INSURERS TO DENY COVERAGE? “PRETTY MUCH, YES.”
Is Manchin correct that Morrisey “joined a federal lawsuit to allow insurance companies to deny coverage for people with pre-existing conditions”? Pretty much, yes.
Morrisey did join a lawsuit filed by numerous state Republican officials that asks a court to rule all or part of the 2010 health care law unconstitutional and to prevent the enactment of rules, regulations or other actions under the law.
Various health-policy specialists agreed that such a decision from the court would effectively eliminate protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
FL – SUN SENTINEL EDITORIAL: GOV. RICK SCOTT SHOULD BETTER EXPLAIN HIS POST-IRMA PRICE GOUGING
Rather than rely on debris pick-up contracts negotiated before the storm, CBS4 News’ Jim DeFede reports the governor awarded emergency oversized contracts in the Keys — creating chaos in the marketplace, delaying debris pick-up across the state and costing taxpayers as much as $30 million more than they otherwise would have paid.
And because of the outsized rates he offered, the governor caused costs elsewhere to balloon. Worse, companies began refusing to honor their pre-negotiated contracts with other cities and counties because their subcontractors were leaving for better pay in the Keys and elsewhere.
For all of Scott’s media presence before and after Irma, his hurricane response record is spotty.
MINI-AZSEN ROUND-UP: The GOP’s latest primary problem spotlights how McConnell pick Martha McSally is struggling with Arizona conservatives and was caught kicking a reporter out from a public meeting leading some to ask: “What, exactly, are you saying that you don’t want us to hear?”
Politico: Republicans struggling to hang on to Jeff Flake’s seat
Arizona Republic: Martha McSally kicks reporter (read: you) out of campaign event
Payson Roundup: McSally kicks reporter from meeting
Arizona Republic: Rep. Kyrsten Sinema tours Arizona factory, talks tariffs
MT – BILLINGS GAZETTE: MONTANANS SHARE CONCERNS OVER U.S.-CHINA TRADE WAR WITH TESTER
Meeting with U.S. Sen. Jon Tester in Billings, representatives from farm groups forecast millions of dollars in lost wheat sales coupled with higher prices for grain bins and other steel products. Other participants warned of higher construction costs, including a six-figure increase for the new Missoula Public Library.
ND – E&E NEWS: ‘STRONGER THAN BATTERY ACID,’ HEITKAMP READIES FOR FIGHT
Heitkamp is laser-focused on the bipartisan legislative victories she’s accumulated in the six years she’s been on Capitol Hill, which span the issues that drive her state’s economy, including energy and agriculture.
PA – HEADLINES THAT MAKE YOU SAY HUH PHILLY INQUIRER: LOU BARLETTA’S NEWEST ALLY AGAINST BOB CASEY IS NIGEL FARAGE, A.K.A. ‘MR. BREXIT’
Stay cool!
Lauren Passalacqua
Ben Ray
David Bergstein
Justin Lavoie
Next Post
