Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democrats, Hoping For Election Sweep, Eye Big Increases In Health Spending
Politico: Democrats Prepare Sweeping Budget Plans If They Win In November
Democrats are eyeing aggressive budget and spending plans if they sweep in November, aiming to deploy every fiscal tool at their disposal to deliver major investments in infrastructure, clean energy, child care and more. ... It’s also possible that Democrats would turn to reconciliation for a massive health care expansion if the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Care Act, said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), a senior appropriator. ... Democratic leaders have signaled their first priority would be another multi-trillion-dollar coronavirus relief package if Congress and the Trump administration can’t reach a deal by early next year. (Emma, 10/19)
PolitiFact: Donald Trump’s Long, False List Of Things Joe Biden Would Ban, Abolish Or Destroy
According to President Donald Trump’s storyline, Joe Biden and his allies want to ban or destroy many things that matter to Americans, like health care protections, the Second Amendment and churches. ... As part of our 2020 election coverage, PolitiFact has been monitoring and fact-checking Trump’s claims like these on Twitter, at campaign rallies, at White House events and during media interviews. And we’ve noticed a pattern: His claims about things Biden and Democrats want to eliminate are routinely inaccurate, misleading, oversimplified or exaggerated. (We’ve also been fact-checking Biden.) Here’s a rundown of more than a dozen things Trump commonly — and falsely — says Biden wants to ban, abolish or destroy, along with the facts. (Valverde, 10/19)
In other election news —
The Hill: Rally Crowd Chants 'Superman' After Trump Talks Coronavirus Recovery
The crowd at a Trump campaign rally in Arizona erupted into chants of "Superman" on Monday after President Trump recounted feeling like the superhero upon recovering from his coronavirus diagnosis. "People are pandemic'd-out. You know that? They're pandemic'd-out. That's why it's so great what your governor has done. He's opened up your state," Trump said at the rally. "I'm here. And now I'm immune. I can jump into this audience and kiss every man and woman. I'm immune." (Seipel, 10/19)
KHN and Politifact: Progressive Group Highlights Trump, Tillis Weakness On Insulin Price Tags
During the first presidential debate of 2020, President Donald Trump touted his efforts to curb skyrocketing drug prices and declared that insulin is now “so cheap, it’s like water.” The response on social media was swift, and divided, with some people sharing pharmacy bills showing thousands of dollars they’d spent on insulin, while others boasted of newfound savings. The next day, a self-described progressive political action committee called Change Now jumped into the fray by releasing an ad that circulated on Facebook attacking Trump and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on this issue. (Pattani, 10/20)
KQED: How California Propositions Could Affect The Food Industry
This year’s elections feature old and new issues that are breaking spending records. It’s fair to say that each candidate and measure this election will affect the food world at individual and industry levels. Some statewide propositions in particular, like Proposition 22, California’s costliest ballot campaign to date at nearly $190 million ... spent, explicitly affect the food industry. If it passes, Proposition 22 would exempt companies from classifying their labor force including delivery drivers and grocery shoppers as employees and instead leave them as contractors. (Gebreyesus, 10/16)
