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This R&D provides resources on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare. The law is in its third year and the open enrollment period for health insurance began this week. The Obama administration is hoping that increased penalties for going without health insurance will cause more people to seek out coverage on federal and state exchanges, but rising premiums and the closure of some healthcare cooperatives are giving ammunition to opponents of the legislation.
Effects of the Affordable Care Act are being felt throughout the health-care system https://t.co/d2kH7xGjv5 pic.twitter.com/nwI92KIL6g
— Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 2, 2015
Failed co-ops add ammunition to the G.O.P. war on the Affordable Care Act. https://t.co/llAbPRUrSv via @ropear pic.twitter.com/EQzHFTj8We
— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) November 3, 2015
They aren’t bragging about it, but lawmakers in Congress have agreed on two fixes to Obamacare. https://t.co/vwWZONy9Br
— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) November 4, 2015
For the last several weeks the House Republican caucus was in turmoil over who would succeed Speaker of the House John Boehner. Boehner’s second-in-command, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, was pegged as his successor, but McCarthy’s gaffe about the Benghazi Committee’s intentions and his inability to win over House conservatives forced him to withdraw. McCarthy’s decision left House Republicans without a moderate alternative to conservative interests championed by the House Freedom Caucus so they went to the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Paul Ryan, to gauge his interest in running. Ryan had initially said that he had little desire to become speaker, arguing that he preferred policymaking instead of leading and controlling Republican votes in the chamber. However, after a plea from Boehner and other Republican leaders, and after receiving endorsements from conservative Republicans, Ryan agreed to take the job, thereby becoming the youngest Speaker of the House since the 1860s. Considering that Ryan has a lot of policy experience and has a reputation for compromise, observers are hoping that relations between the White House and the House of Representatives can be improved, and some Republicans hope that Ryan can craft some much needed policy alternatives.
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Last Monday, Canadian voters delivered a stunning victory to the Liberal Party, a result deemed unthinkable several weeks ago. Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party lost its governing majority, losing sixty seats. Meanwhile, the Liberals gained an amazing 148 seats due to the impressive campaigning of its young leader Justin Trudeau, the oldest son of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Observers noted that the Liberal victory was due to Canada’s faltering economy as well as perceptions that Harper’s government was inconsiderate toward the plight of Syrian refugees and neglectful of Canada’s proper place in global affairs. A Trudeau-led government has promised to change Canada’s fiscal policy and reform the nation’s drug laws. The Liberals are also poised to alter Canada’s foreign policy, especially with respect to environmental and security issues. What is certain is that the Liberals will have to contend with a new Conservative Party, as Harper announced his resignation as party leader following the announcement of the election results.
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