POLITICAL MUSINGS
OBAMA PRESIDENCY & THE 113TH CONGRESS:
OP-EDS & ARTICLES
HealthCare.gov website problems leads to bipartisan calls for Obamacare delays
- Government
- October 29, 2013
Non-partisan and unbiased.
Blog posts of Presidential speeches, Congressional documents and campaign speeches regardless of party in power.
Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS is a journalist, librarian, & historian. She is the author of Silver Boom! The Rise and Decline of Leadville, Colorado as the United States Silver Capital, 1860–1896. She has a BA in History & Art History, and a Masters in Library and Information Studies both from McGill University, and has done graduate work in Jewish history at Concordia University as part of the MA in Judaic Studies., where she focused Medieval & Modern Judaism and her thesis was on American Jewish History & Southern Jewish History.
Ms. Goodman wrote regularly about politics, news, education, and Judaism for Examiner.com until the publication closed in July 2016. She is the editor of History Musings... History, News & Politics which covers history news. She was also the former Editor/Features Editor for the History News Network (HNN), and had been working for HNN from 2004-2010, where she was the editor of some of the online magazine’s popular features, "History Buzz," "Political Highlights," "Top Young Historians," "History Doyens," "On this Day in History."
Ms. Goodman has also contributed to a number of reference publications; including the overviews, and chronologies for History of American Presidential Elections, 1789-2008, 4th edition, edited by Gil Troy, Fred L. Israel, and Arthur Meier Schlesinger, Facts on File, Inc. 2012, and the bibliographies for The Encyclopedia of the Cold War: a Political, Social, and Military History, edited by Spencer Tucker, ABC CLIO, 2007, and The Home Front Encyclopedia: United States, Britain, And Canada in World Wars I And II, edited by James D. Ciment & Thaddeus Russell, ABC-CLIO, 2006.
Ms. Goodman currently blogs at
Medium, where she is a top writer in history and regularly writes on "On This Day in History (#OTD in #History)" Feature and on the Times of Israel. Her scholarly articles can be found on Academia.edu
Source: CNN, 9-27-18 Prepared Written Testimony of Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh Nomination Hearing to Serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court September 27, 2018 (submitted September 26, 2018) Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Feinstein, and Members of the Committee: Eleven days ago, Dr. Ford publicly accused me of committing a serious wrong more than […]
Source: CNN, 9-27-18 This morning, we continue our hearing on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to serve as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States. We will hear from two witnesses, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Kavanaugh. I’d like to thank Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh for accepting the […]
Source: CNN, 9-26-18 Written Testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford United States Senate Judiciary Committee September 26, 2018 Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Feinstein, Members of the Committee. My name is Christine Blasey Ford. I am a Professor of Psychology at Palo Alto University and a Research Psychologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine. I […]
Source: National Post, 9-26-18 The following is the full speech U.S. President Donald Trump gave at the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly Annual General Debate in New York City on Tuesday. Madam President, Mr. Secretary-General, world leaders, ambassadors, and distinguished delegates: One year ago, I stood before you for the first time […]
Source: Vox, 9-7-18 Former President Barack Obama speaks to students at the University of Illinois, where he accepted the Paul H. Douglas Award for Ethics in Government on September 7, 2018. Scott Olson/Getty Images BARACK OBAMA: Hello, Illinois! I.L.L.! I.L.L.! Okay, okay. Just checking to see if you’re awake. Please have a seat, everybody. It is […]
Source: CNN, 9-1-18 Meghan McCain delivered a tribute to her father, the late Sen. John McCain, on Saturday at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Read the transcript: “The world is a fine place and worth the fighting for, and I hate very much to leave it.” When Ernest Hemingway’s Robert Jordan at the close […]
Source: Town & Country, 9-1-18 To John’s beloved family, Mrs. McCain, to Cindy and the McCain children, President and Mrs. Bush, President and Secretary Clinton, Vice President and Mrs. Biden, Vice President and Mrs. Cheney, Vice President Gore, and as John would say, my friends. We come to celebrate an extraordinary man. A statesman, a […]
Source: Town & Country, 8-30-18 “My name is Joe Biden. I’m a Democrat. And I loved John McCain. I have had the dubious honor over the years of giving some eulogies for fine women and men that I’ve admired. But, Lindsey, this one’s hard. The three men who spoke before me I think captured John, […]
Source: Time, 7-17-18 MR. OBAMA: Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you so much. AUDIENCE: Yes, we can! Yes, we can! Yes, we can! ADVERTISEMENT MR. OBAMA: Thank you. To Mama Graça Machel, members of the Mandela family, the Machel family, to President Ramaphosa who you can see […]
M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
29 | 30 |
ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF: ISRAEL NEWS PM Netanyahu’s Speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Iran’s Secret Atomic Weapon Sites Source: PMO, 9-27-18 “Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, When I spoke here, three years ago, Israel stood alone among the nations. Of the nearly 200 countries that sit in this hall, only […]
ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF: ISRAEL NEWS Statement by PM Benjamin Netanyahu on US President Donald Trump withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Deal Source: PMO, 08/05/2018 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this evening, issued the following statement: “Israel fully supports President Trump’s bold decision today to reject the disastrous nuclear deal with the terrorist regime […]
ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF: ISRAEL NEWS Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Speech claiming Iran is violating nuclear deal Source: Haaretz, 4-30-18 Good evening. Tonight, we’re going to show you something that the world has never seen before. Tonight, we are going to reveal new and conclusive proof of the secret nuclear weapons program […]
ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF: ISRAEL NEWS PM Netanyahu’s Remarks at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center Event Marking Israel’s 70th Anniversary Source: PMO, 4-23-18 Photo by Kobi Gideon, GPO Thank you Herzi Makov, and thank you distinguished diplomats and friends. It’s an honor for me to be here at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. […]
ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF: ISRAEL NEWS Excerpt from PM Netanyahu’s AIPAC Speech Source: PMO, 06/03/2018 “Good morning, AIPAC. It’s always great to be here. But as I told President Trump yesterday, it’s especially great to be in America’s capital now that he has recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Thank you, President Trump for […]
ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF: ISRAEL NEWS PM Benjamin Netanyahu statement in response to Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech attacking Israeli settlements Source: PMO, 12-28-16 הצהרת ראש הממשלה נתניהו 28/12/2016 יום רביעי כ”ח כסלו תשע”ז הנאום של מזכיר המדינה ג’ון קרי הוא אכזבה גדולה. הוא עוסק באופן אובססיבי בנושא ההתנחלויות בארץ ישראל, במקום […]
ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF: ISRAEL NEWS Remarks on Middle East Peace Source: State.gov, 12-28-16 Remarks John Kerry Secretary of State The Dean Acheson Auditorium Washington, DC December 28, 2016 <iframe src=’https://players.brightcove.net/1705665025/HJ8lQG1Eg_default/index.html?videoId=5263818077001′ allowfullscreen frameborder=0> SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very, very much. Thank you. (Coughs.) Excuse me. Thank you […]
ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF: ISRAEL NEWS PM Netanyahu’s Remarks at the Start of the Weekly Cabinet Meeting 25/12/2016 Source: PMO, 12-25-16 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, made the following remarks: [Translated from Hebrew] “I share ministers’ feelings, anger and frustration vis-à-vis the unbalanced resolution that is […]
ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF: ISRAEL NEWS U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power’s Full Speech at the Security Council Source: Haaretz, 12-23-16 The full text of Samantha Power’s address to the Security Council concerning the resolution against Israeli settlements. The full text of Samantha Power’s address to the United Nations Security Council concerning […]
ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF ISRAEL POLITICAL BRIEF: ISRAEL NEWS United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 Source: UN, 12-23-16 The full text of resolution 2334 (2016) reads as follows: “The Security Council, “Reaffirming its relevant resolutions, including resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 446 (1979), 452 (1979), 465 (1980), 476 (1980), 478 (1980), 1397 (2002), 1515 (2003), and 1850 (2008), […]
Posted by bonniekgoodman on October 29, 2013
https://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/political-musings-october-29-2013-healthcare-gov-website-problems-leads-to-bipartisan-calls-for-obamacare-delays/
Source: ABC News Radio, 1-10-13
JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images
With the departure of Hilda Solis at the Labor Department, we have now seen five members of the President Obama’s Cabinet announcing their intention to leave since the election: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson and now, Secretary of Labor Solis.
Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood has also long suggested he would not stay for a second term.
At least three other cabinet secretaries have been asked to stay as the Obama begins his second term:
Posted by bonniekgoodman on January 10, 2013
https://historymusings.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/political-headlines-january-10-2013-president-barack-obamas-cabinet-shuffle-who-is-leaving-who-was-asked-to-stay/
Source: WH, 2-10-12
President Barack Obama, with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius behind him, announces a new health care policy that requires a woman’s insurance company to offer contraceptive care free of charge if the woman’s religious employer objects to providing contraceptive services as part of its health plan coverage. The announcement was made in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, Jan. 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Today, President Obama announced a policy that will accommodate religious freedom while making sure that women have access to preventive health care, including contraception, at no additional cost, no matter where they work.
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most health insurance companies will cover women’s preventive care — services like well-woman visits, mammograms, immunizations, as well as contraception — without charging a co-pay or deductible beginning in August 2012.
Churches had already been exempted from providing employees with health care that covered contraception. The new policy announced today ensures that if a woman works for other types of religious employers with objections to providing contraceptive services as part of their health plan, the religious employer will not be required to provide, pay for or refer for contraception coverage.
Instead her insurance company will be required to directly offer her contraceptive care at no additional charge, as President Obama explained:
Under the rule, women will still have access to free preventive care that includes contraceptive services — no matter where they work. So that core principle remains. But if a woman’s employer is a charity or a hospital that has a religious objection to providing contraceptive services as part of their health plan, the insurance company — not the hospital, not the charity — will be required to reach out and offer the woman contraceptive care free of charge, without co-pays and without hassles.
Covering contraception is cost neutral for insurance companies since it saves money by keeping women healthy and preventing spending on other health services. The President said that nearly 99 percent of all women have relied on contraception at some point in their lives, but more than half of women between the ages of 18 and 34 have struggled to afford it.
Neither cost nor employer should dictate a woman’s ability to make choices about her own health, the President said:
Whether you’re a teacher, or a small businesswoman, or a nurse, or a janitor, no woman’s health should depend on who she is or where she works or how much money she makes. Every woman should be in control of the decisions that affect her own health. Period.
Read more about the policy announced today here.
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
12:15 P.M. EST
Q Here we go.
THE PRESIDENT: Here we go.
Q Here he is.
THE PRESIDENT: Here I am.
Q “Hello, everybody.”
THE PRESIDENT: That was pretty good.
Q I’ve been working on that.
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. (Laughter.) I was actually going to say good morning. But I guess it’s afternoon by now.
As part of the health care reform law that I signed last year, all insurance plans are required to cover preventive care at no cost. That means free check-ups, free mammograms, immunizations and other basic services. We fought for this because it saves lives and it saves money –- for families, for businesses, for government, for everybody. That’s because it’s a lot cheaper to prevent an illness than to treat one.
We also accepted a recommendation from the experts at the Institute of Medicine that when it comes to women, preventive care should include coverage of contraceptive services such as birth control. In addition to family planning, doctors often prescribe contraception as a way to reduce the risks of ovarian and other cancers, and treat a variety of different ailments. And we know that the overall cost of health care is lower when women have access to contraceptive services.
Nearly 99 percent of all women have relied on contraception at some point in their lives –- 99 percent. And yet, more than half of all women between the ages of 18 and 34 have struggled to afford it. So for all these reasons, we decided to follow the judgment of the nation’s leading medical experts and make sure that free preventive care includes access to free contraceptive care.
Whether you’re a teacher, or a small businesswoman, or a nurse, or a janitor, no woman’s health should depend on who she is or where she works or how much money she makes. Every woman should be in control of the decisions that affect her own health. Period. This basic principle is already the law in 28 states across the country.
Now, as we move to implement this rule, however, we’ve been mindful that there’s another principle at stake here –- and that’s the principle of religious liberty, an inalienable right that is enshrined in our Constitution. As a citizen and as a Christian, I cherish this right.
In fact, my first job in Chicago was working with Catholic parishes in poor neighborhoods, and my salary was funded by a grant from an arm of the Catholic Church. And I saw that local churches often did more good for a community than a government program ever could, so I know how important the work that faith-based organizations do and how much impact they can have in their communities.
I also know that some religious institutions -– particularly those affiliated with the Catholic Church -– have a religious objection to directly providing insurance that covers contraceptive services for their employees. And that’s why we originally exempted all churches from this requirement -– an exemption, by the way, that eight states didn’t already have.
And that’s why, from the very beginning of this process, I spoke directly to various Catholic officials, and I promised that before finalizing the rule as it applied to them, we would spend the next year working with institutions like Catholic hospitals and Catholic universities to find an equitable solution that protects religious liberty and ensures that every woman has access to the care that she needs.
Now, after the many genuine concerns that have been raised over the last few weeks, as well as, frankly, the more cynical desire on the part of some to make this into a political football, it became clear that spending months hammering out a solution was not going to be an option, that we needed to move this faster. So last week, I directed the Department of Health and Human Services to speed up the process that had already been envisioned. We weren’t going to spend a year doing this; we’re going to spend a week or two doing this.
Today, we’ve reached a decision on how to move forward. Under the rule, women will still have access to free preventive care that includes contraceptive services -– no matter where they work. So that core principle remains. But if a woman’s employer is a charity or a hospital that has a religious objection to providing contraceptive services as part of their health plan, the insurance company -– not the hospital, not the charity -– will be required to reach out and offer the woman contraceptive care free of charge, without co-pays and without hassles.
The result will be that religious organizations won’t have to pay for these services, and no religious institution will have to provide these services directly. Let me repeat: These employers will not have to pay for, or provide, contraceptive services. But women who work at these institutions will have access to free contraceptive services, just like other women, and they’ll no longer have to pay hundreds of dollars a year that could go towards paying the rent or buying groceries.
Now, I’ve been confident from the start that we could work out a sensible approach here, just as I promised. I understand some folks in Washington may want to treat this as another political wedge issue, but it shouldn’t be. I certainly never saw it that way. This is an issue where people of goodwill on both sides of the debate have been sorting through some very complicated questions to find a solution that works for everyone. With today’s announcement, we’ve done that. Religious liberty will be protected, and a law that requires free preventive care will not discriminate against women.
We live in a pluralistic society where we’re not going to agree on every single issue, or share every belief. That doesn’t mean that we have to choose between individual liberty and basic fairness for all Americans. We are unique among nations for having been founded upon both these principles, and our obligation as citizens is to carry them forward. I have complete faith that we can do that.
Thank you very much, everybody.
Posted by bonniekgoodman on February 10, 2012
https://historymusings.wordpress.com/2012/02/10/full-text-february-10-2012-president-barack-obama-speech-announces-new-policy-compromise-contraception-health-plan-coverage-rule/
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY HISTORY FEATURES OTD in History… May 13-June 20, 1939, the ill-fated St Louis filled with German Jewish refugees is refused entry into the Americas Bonnie K. Goodman May 31, 2019 By Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS Source: Washington Post Eighty years ago on this day in history, May 27, 1939, […]
HEADLINE NEWS HISTORY Sanders’s views on Judaism similar to the last Jew as close to presidency Judah Benjamin Bonnie K. Goodman Feb 14 Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS In an unfamiliar sight, Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders lights a Hanukkah menorah wearing a kippah at a Des Moines, Iowa event, December 29, 2019. Kelsey Kremer/The Register […]
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY HISTORY FEATURES OTD in History… June 10, 1967, Israel’s Triumphant Six-Day War Victory Bonnie K. Goodman Jun 11, 2019 By Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS On this day in history June 10, 1967, the Six-Day War ends with Israel victorious and tripling their territory capturing the Sinai Peninsula, the West Bank, the […]
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY HISTORY FEATURES OTD in History… January 10, 1776, Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense argues for American independence Bonnie K. Goodman Jan 10 By Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS On this day in history January 10, 1776, Thomas Paine (1737–1809) publishes anonymously his pamphlet Common Sense arguing for American independence from Great Britain. The popular […]
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY HISTORY, NEWS & POLITICS HISTORY & POLITICAL HEADLINES OTD in History June 22, 1807, The Chesapeake-Leopold Affair one of the key events leading to the War of 1812 By Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS On this day in history June 22, 1807, the British ship the HMS Leopold attacked the American […]
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY HISTORY, NEWS & POLITICS HISTORY & POLITICAL HEADLINES OTD in history… June 21, 1888, the United States Constitution is ratified becomes law By Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS On this day in history, June 21, 1788, the United States Constitution is ratified after New Hampshire became the ninth out of thirteen […]
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY HISTORY, NEWS & POLITICS HISTORY & POLITICAL HEADLINES OTD in History… June 20, 1963, President Kennedy establishes direct hotline to the Soviet Union By Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS On this day in history, June 20, 1963, the United States and the Soviet Union signed an agreement creating a direct hotline […]
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY HISTORY, NEWS & POLITICS HISTORY & POLITICAL HEADLINES OTD in History June 17–19, 1856, the first Republican Convention nominates John C Frémont for president By Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS On this day in history June 17–19, 1856, the first Republican Party convention convenes at the Musical Fund Hall, Philadelphia […]
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY HISTORY, NEWS & POLITICS HISTORY & POLITICAL HEADLINES OTD in history… June 18, 1812, President Madison signs declaration beginning the War of 1812 against Britain and colonial Canada By Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS On this day in history, June 18, 1812, the War of 1812 begins after President James Madison signs the […]
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY HISTORY, NEWS & POLITICS HISTORY & POLITICAL HEADLINES OTD in History… June 17, 1972, Five men break into DNC at Watergate launching a crisis and the fall of President Nixon By Bonnie K. Goodman, BA, MLIS On this day in history… June 17, 1973, five men broke into the Democratic National Committee […]