WASHINGTON, Feb 4 (Reuters) – The U.S. Congress approved on
Wednesday a bill expanding a health insurance program for
children and raising tobacco taxes to pay for it, giving
President Barack Obama a big legislative victory a day after
his pick to lead a healthcare industry overhaul stepped aside.
The House of Representatives voted 290-135 for the $32.8
billion expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance
Program, or SCHIP, which was approved Read the rest of this entry »

Does your child need health insurance? Help may be around the corner for you and the parents of 4 million other uninsured children. This week the U.S. House of Representatives, including Congressman Neil Abercrombie and Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, voted 289 to 139 to approve the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act to renew and expand the State Children Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) extending government funded health insurance Read the rest of this entry »

• 1. $700 Billion Bailout: Refused, 42-52, to block the release of $350 billion not yet disbursed from the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) that Congress and President Bush enacted last October to rescue the U.S. economy. This vote on SJ Res 5 cleared the way for the Obama administration to spend the $350 billion for what it says will be purposes such as further shoring up financial institutions, preventing home foreclosures Read the rest of this entry »

A year ago today, the
that federal law bars lawsuits “challenging the safety or effectiveness of a medical device,” as long as the device is marketed in a form approved by the FDA.
The ruling, in a case called
, relied heavily on a federal law that regulates medical devices; now, some key congressional players are looking to change the law, this morning’s
reports.
Democrats Henry Waxman and Frank Pallone plan to introduce Read the rest of this entry »

Does your child need health insurance? Help may be around the corner for you and the parents of 4 million other uninsured children. This week the U.S. House of Representatives, including Congressman Neil Abercrombie and Congresswoman Mazie Hirono, voted 289 to 139 to approve the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act to renew and expand the State Children Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) extending government funded health insurance Read the rest of this entry »

Congress Reaches Deal On Stimulus That Includes $90B For Medicaid, $19B For Health IT
The House and Senate on Wednesday reached an agreement on a $789.5 billion economic recovery package that includes billions in funding for state Medicaid programs and health information technology, the
reports. According to the
, the deal “all but clinches passage” of the stimulus plan, with both chambers expected to quickly finalize its approval (Hitt/Weisman,
Read the rest of this entry »

11-09-08, 9:17 am
15,000 physicians urge enactment of single-payer system
A group of over 15,000 U.S. physicians has called on President-elect Barack Obama and the new Congress to “do the right thing” and enact a single-payer national health insurance plan, a system of public health care financing frequently characterized as “an improved Medicare for all.”
“Our country is hailing the remarkable and historic victory of Barack Obama and the mandate Read the rest of this entry »

Team Kennedy Aligns Congress, Health Lobbyists Behind Overhaul
Dec. 22 (Bloomberg) — Senator
, battling a
deadly brain tumor, is pushing ahead on a plan to overhaul the
U.S. health-care system, ordering meetings with interest groups
and negotiating with colleagues to ready a proposal that
can act on after taking office.
Kennedy, 76, had surgery for his
in June, and has
since been treated with chemotherapy and radiation. While the
type of Read the rest of this entry »

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline)- A leading industry group pushing Congress to overhaul the nation’s health care system — including medical malpractice laws — got some grim news Sunday from a leading House Democrat.
House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., said in an appearance on CSPAN’s “Newsmakers” program that he doubts major health care legislation will emerge this year.
As for how to proceed on health care reform, Clyburn said lawmakers ought Read the rest of this entry »

Despite an abundance of tributes to the heroism and patriotism of wounded veterans, Congress might leave town to campaign before acting on key bills to help them.
Some of the delays are due to politics, which angers veterans advocates.
“It’s still surprising to me the extent to which you have to fight when everyone in Congress would say they support the troops and they want to help veterans,” said Vanessa Williamson, the policy director for Iraq Read the rest of this entry »