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In 2013, Republicans were quick to call the Affordable Care Act (ACA) a disaster, racing to the cameras to falsely claim that 5 million Americans were losing coverage. Republicans did not mention that all these people did not actually lose coverage but could now sign up for new plans with enhanced consumer protections, many paying less for better coverage with the help of a new affordability tax credit. Republicans are now looking to fully repeal the ACA without a replacement plan, this time actually leaving more than 30 million people without coverage of any kind.
Joint Economic Committee Democrats released the first in a series of reports today on education as the foundation for economic success. The introductory report outlines the value of education in today’s economy, and where the United States falls short. Although overall educational attainment has been on the rise, many groups of Americans are being left behind in a labor market that increasingly requires more education.
Since the U.S. trade balance with Russia began deteriorating in November 2016, U.S. exports to Russia fell $203 million on an annualized basis after inflation, or 3 percent; imports from Russia, larger in volume than exports, increased $1.8 billion dollars, or 13 percent. In all, the U.S. trade deficit with Russia worsened by 24 percent in the seven months through May, the most recent available data.
Greater uncertainty complicates these decision and is exceedingly costly, which is why businesses and consumers invest substantial resources and time to limit it and manage risks of the unknowable. The public sector can play a significant role in creating certainty or completely undermining it. Republicans have decided to take the latter approach by dismantling the ACA.
Families across the nation face difficult challenges providing for themselves and their loved ones. Earlier this year, President Trump released his FY2018 budget proposal that would severely worsen these challenges for working Americans. This week, the House Budget Committee passed a budget resolution that doubles down on Trump’s most harmful proposals and goes further by cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans and corporations while slashing funding for proven programs on which millions of Americans rely.
Over the course of the past six months, Americans have raised their voices to Congressional Republicans that their TrumpCare bills do not work for the American people. Now, Republicans are going back to their original rallying cry of repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without a plan in place to provide adequate health care to millions of Americans.
The latest version of the Senate Republicans’ TrumpCare plan continues to fail to keep premiums and out-of-pocket costs affordable for Americans. TrumpCare reduces the benchmark value of plans from 70 percent of a consumer’s expected costs to 58 percent, increasing out-of-pocket costs for millions of Americans.
United States public lands are a cherished aspect of American heritage, and a key contributor to local economies. With their stunning views and unmatched recreational opportunities, national parks and public lands attract visitors, support jobs and drive economic growth in communities across the country. Rural economies in particular benefit from proximity to public lands.
331 million people who visited national parks spent an estimated $18.4 billion in local gateway communities, supported 318,000 jobs, and added $34.9 billion in economic output to the national economy. Protected public lands also boost local economies by increasing income per person.