COVID-19 & Healthcare

Federal judge rules that House has standing to sue to challenge ‘ObamaCare’ subsidies to healthcare insurers

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ObamacareThe reason that the TanMan, Weeper of the House John Boehner, feels emboldened to threaten to sue the President every time that his Tea-Publican Caucus fails to achieve their prime directive of obstructing all things Obama, it is because the federal court system has been packed with conservative activist judges who stand at the ready to give Tea-Publicans a second bite at the apple to continue their fight in another forum.

This was the case on Wednesday when a conservative activist judge ruled that the TanMan and the House have standing to pursue a legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act aka “ObamaCare.” GOP scores early win in ObamaCare lawsuit:

A federal district judge on Wednesday delivered a blow to the Obama administration, ruling that the House Republican lawsuit against ObamaCare can move forward.

“The Court concludes that the House has standing to pursue those constitutional claims,” Judge Rosemary Collyer wrote in a 43-page decision.

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No, anti-choicers, there aren’t thousands of clinics that could easily replace Planned Parenthood

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Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

PlannedParenthoodIsCritical-HealthAffairs

As anti-choice activists continue to push the now-thoroughly discredited “Planned Parenthood sells baby parts!” story as a ruse to defund the organization and deprive millions of women of contraception and health screenings (since federal funds can’t be used on abortion), you will often hear them speak of “thousands of community health clinics” that are readily available to low income patients who currently use Planned Parenthood. This, it turns out, is a bunch of garbage (as is approximately 99.9% everything claimed by anti-choicers but mainstream news people continue to treat them as a credible movement for dog knows what reason). The Congressional Budget Office commissioned an analysis of health provider availability for women who need contraception and found that Planned Parenthood is a crucial provider of birth control to a large number of regions and the women who live in them, as the graph above illustrates.

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Anti-choicers are out to replace Planned Parenthood with “clinics” that don’t offer birth control

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Crossposted from DemocraticDiva.com

What Does Planned Parenthood Do?

A lot of very naive people hold a cherished illusion that the abortion debate can be solved through respectful dialog leading to a truce where the pro-choice side cedes ground on things like later term abortions and parental consent and the anti-abortion side agrees to stop opposing birth control and sex ed. This will lead to a glorious permanent state of first term abortion remaining legal while gradually fading away, as formerly irresponsible women (the trollops!) will have finally reined in their capricious behavior, upon realizing how serious a thing abortion is!

As I’ve exhaustively explained here too many times to count, the naive illusion ignores how those compromises on abortion are actually terrible and imperil real women* and how relentless the anti-choice movement is in its quest to return America to the legal climate of 1964, when it was still legal for states to ban birth control. Opponents to full reproductive rights of women are not interested in a compromise. They are interested in a solution. Theirs. And they are highly adept at exploiting how little average people know about how laws and public policies work, while expertly taking advantage every possible way to game the system in their favor. They have demonstrated this since 1976, when they convinced Congress to ban Medicaid funding of abortion (Hyde Amendment) on the absurd theory that taxpayers should not pay for abortions (as opposed to any other medical intervention). Subsequently, anti-choicers convinced sympathetic majorities in the Supreme Court to allow states to restrict abortion procedures on spurious medical grounds.

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(Update) Mutiny on the Boehner

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FreedomWorksI posted about Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and his “motion to vacate the chair” to unseat the TanMan, Weeper of the House John Boehner, back in July. Mutiny on the Boehner.

With Congress set to return after the August recess, Meadows’ motion is suddenly back in the news as the side-show to watch when Congress returns.

Arizona Congressman Matt Salmon, a co-founder of the farther-far-right “House Freedom Caucus,” Freedom is just another word for another wingnut group  — the caucus is made up of Reps. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.), Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), John Fleming (R-La.), Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.), Justin Amash (R-Mich.), Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho), Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.), Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) — that has been making the TanMan’s life a living hell since January, told the Arizona Republic that he is prepared to vote to remove the TanMan from his Speakership this fall. Matt Salmon predicts, backs effort to oust House Speaker Boehner:

Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., says he won’t vote for House Speaker John Boehner to remain leader of the GOP majority and believes a conservative insurrection to replace him this fall is inevitable.

The congressman drew applause Tuesday at a town hall of about 50 people in Queen Creek as he spoke about the potential for a leadership shakeup and another government shutdown.

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(Update) Attorney General pursues Governor Ducey’s witch hunt against Planned Parenthood

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Witch Hunt (wĭch′hŭnt′) n. An investigation carried out ostensibly to uncover subversive activities but actually used to harass and undermine those with differing views.

handmaids-tale_0“Cathi’s Clown,” Governor Doug Ducey, beholden to Cathi Herrod and her Christian Taliban at the Center for Arizona Policy for his election, decided to join the GOP witch hunt against Planned Parenthood over surreptitious videos made by fetus fetish Forced Birthers from the Center for Medical Progress discussing fetal tissue donations with Planned Parenthood representatives.

“Cathi’s Clown” sicked his abortion cops, led by state Health Director Cara Christ and Attorney General Mark Brnovich, on Planned Parenthood. (h/t image: The Handmaid’s Tale). Governor Ducey joins GOP witch hunt against Planned Parenthood.

Howard Fischer reports today, AG seeks OK for probe of fetal tissue sales:

The Attorney General’s Office is asking a federal judge to allow it to pursue an investigation fishing expedition into whether anyone in Arizona is violating state laws dealing with abortions and fetal remains.

In legal papers filed in federal court, Assistant Attorney General Maria Syms wants U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick to rule that his injunction barring the anti-abortion Center for Medical Progress from releasing more undercover videos does not apply to copies already being sought by prosecutors. Syms said her boss, Mark Brnovich, believes the injunction, unless amended, will impede his legal obligation to investigate whether state laws are being violated.

The Attorney General’s Office would not comment on what it is investigating other than to say it is a “possible violation of Arizona law.’’

But court documents obtained by Capitol Media Services confirm there is an active investigation: Judge Orrick specifically said a subpoena already has been issued by the state.

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