Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
House Democrats Foreshadow Possible Subpoena With Letters To Barr About DOJ's Decision Not To Defend Health Law
Politico: Dems Tee Up New Document Fight With DOJ Over Obamacare
House Democrats are mounting yet another confrontation with the Justice Department that could lead to subpoenas, but this time it's not about special counsel Robert Mueller's report — it's about health care. Five committee chairman foreshadowed a possible subpoena as soon as May 24 if Attorney General William Barr declines to provide documents related to his decision to stop defending the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act — the health care law signed by President Barack Obama in 2010. (Cheney, 5/14)
The Washington Post: Democrats Press Trump Administration For Documents On Lawsuit To Dismantle Health-Care Law
Five chairmen of House committees sent letters to White House counsel Pat Cipollone and Attorney General William P. Barr on Monday demanding eight categories of documents pertaining to Trump’s decision to direct the Justice Department to intervene in a federal-court case seeking to eliminate the ACA in its entirety on constitutional grounds. The chairmen had requested the information in early April, but the deadline came and went without a reply from the White House. “This action could deprive millions of Americans of health insurance coverage, including 133 million people with preexisting conditions,” they wrote. “Given the grave consequences that would result if the Trump administration’s legal position were to prevail, it is Congress’s responsibility as an independent and coequal branch of government to understand how this decision was made.” (Bade, 5/14)
Los Angeles Times: Democrats Demand Atty. Gen. William Barr Hand Over Documents On Obamacare Decision
Democrats hope to combine the political power of the healthcare law — it was a central plank of their campaign to obtain control of the House in 2018 — with their effort to highlight what they call abuses of power by the Trump administration. In this case, they want documents showing why the Justice Department said it would support a legal effort to invalidate the entire healthcare law, including popular provisions such as protections for people with preexisting conditions. (Haberkorn, 5/14)
