The federal government’s recent move to restrict Medicare and Medicaid funding for so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors has ignited predictable outrage. Activists describe it as discriminatory. Advocacy groups frame it as a moral emergency. Critics accuse policymakers of ignoring “settled science.” But beneath the noise is a quieter, more sobering reality: for the first time…
A Reflection on the GOP’s Health-Care Rift
Washington, D.C., never lacks for drama, but every now and then the Republican caucus serves up an episode spicy enough to make daytime television blush. This time, the plot centers on something far more consequential than committee assignments or who accidentally unplugged the espresso machine in the Capitol cafeteria. House Republicans have found themselves in…
Washington Could Use a Little More Light and a Lot More Honesty
If you’ve glanced at the headlines lately, you’ve probably noticed a theme: Washington is allergic to transparency. Whether we’re talking about the Epstein files, the longest shutdown in American history, questionable investigations into political opponents, violence against federal officials, senators collapsing from undisclosed medical issues, or a congressman now facing mortgage-fraud allegations, it’s all pointing…
A Tangled Ruling with Real-World Stakes
Yesterday, the Supreme Court handed down a razor-thin 5–4 decision that allows the Trump administration to move forward with its plan to pause—or even fully terminate—roughly $783 million in NIH grants. These aren’t small, obscure projects either. We’re talking about research on women’s health, HIV prevention, suicide and mental health interventions, real-world studies that deal…
Life and Death in Albany: A Response to New York’s Assisted Suicide Bill
On June 9, 2025, the New York State Legislature passed the Medical Aid in Dying Act (S.138/A.136), a bill that, if signed by Governor Kathy Hochul, will make New York the twelfth U.S. jurisdiction to legalize physician-assisted suicide. The law permits mentally competent adults, diagnosed with a terminal illness and given a prognosis of six…
Standing Firm on Truth and Compassion: Why Taxpayer Dollars Shouldn’t Fund Gender-Affirming Treatments
As we continue to consider the Medicaid provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, today we’ll tackle one that’s really ruffling some feathers on the far left: the provision that prohibits Medicaid and CHIP from covering gender-affirming treatments for individuals of all ages. This sweeping ban, tucked into what’s now being affectionately dubbed the…
Medicaid Integrity or Bureaucratic Overreach? Looking at the Six-Month Eligibility Check Provision
Yesterday we looked at the work requirements provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Today, we turn to another element of the legislation: the requirement that states conduct income and residency checks every six months to ensure that individuals enrolled in Medicaid are still eligible. This provision may sound technical—just another line item in…
Work and Welfare: What the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Means for Medicaid
Over the past week or so, we’ve delved into the tax provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, President Trump's flagship legislation aimed at revitalizing America’s economy, restoring common sense to federal policy, and, let’s be honest, making bureaucrats sweat a little. Now, let’s look at the changes it would make to Medicaid. Today,…
Pills, Politics, and Price Tags
If you’ve ever tried reading one of those congressional megabills, bless your heart. Most of us can’t even get through Leviticus without needing a break, and at least Leviticus came with divine authority. These megabills? They're more like legislative casseroles: a thousand ingredients, half of which are mystery meat, and no one’s really sure what…
Tragedy in New Orleans: A Call for Compassion, Community, and Action
On New Year's Day 2025, a tragic event unfolded in New Orleans' French Quarter when a truck, driven by 42-year-old U.S. Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, plowed into a crowd of revelers, resulting in 15 fatalities and injuring dozens more. Jabbar, who had served 13 years in the Army with a deployment to Afghanistan, was killed…
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