White House Adviser Stephen Miller Aggressively Pushed For ‘Public Charge’ Restrictions For Green Cards, Emails Show
Emails obtained by Politico reveal a "singular obsession" from White House senior adviser Stephen Miller when it came to the rule that will allow DHS to bar legal immigrants from obtaining green cards if they receive certain government benefits. The previously undisclosed emails could raise legal questions about whether the public charge rule was rushed to completion. Other news from the Trump administration looks at disaster aid for Puerto Rico, CDC's HIV efforts and the FCC's prioritization of telemedicine.
Politico Pro:
Emails Show Miller Pressed Hard To Limit Green Cards
White House senior adviser Stephen Miller wasn't getting an immigration regulation he wanted. So he sent a series of scorching emails to top immigration officials, calling the department an "embarrassment" for not acting faster, according to emails obtained by POLITICO. The regulation in question would allow the Department of Homeland Security to bar legal immigrants from obtaining green cards if they receive certain government benefits. The rule will likely be released in the coming days, according to a pair of current and former Trump officials briefed on the timeline. The emails, which POLITICO obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, shed new light on how aggressively Miller has pressured the Department of Homeland Security to move faster on regulations to limit immigration. Critics say the new rule will be used to shore up Trump's political base in the coming election year, and that it's an illegitimate tool to reduce legal immigration. (Hesson, 8/1)
The Washington Post:
Trump Administration To Stall Billions In Puerto Rico Funds Amid Island’s Political Crisis
The Trump administration will place new restrictions on billions of dollars in federal disaster aid for Puerto Rico, according to two senior government officials briefed on the plan, as the island struggles to recover from a weeks-long political crisis that has forced the governor to announce his resignation. The decision will impose new safeguards on about $8.3 billion in Housing and Urban Development disaster mitigation funding to Puerto Rico, as well as about $770 million in similar funding for the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the senior officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. (Stein and Dawsey, 8/1)
Cincinnati Enquirer:
Trump's War On HIV: CDC Director Hears Ohio's Plans To Fight Infection
Dozens of Ohio’s public health officials met Thursday with the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the Trump administration’s ambitious drive to reduce the rate of new HIV infection in the Buckeye State. ...Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland are among 57 jurisdictions targeted under a plan the president unveiled in his State of the Union address in January to cut new HIV infection by 75% in five years and by 90% in 10 years. The president proposed spending $291 million to kick off the initiative. (Saker, 8/1)
Modern Healthcare:
FCC To Prioritize Telemedicine Funding By 'Rurality'
The Federal Communications Commission is moving forward with plans to reform how funding is distributed for the agency's rural telemedicine program. The FCC on Thursday voted to adopt a report and order for its Rural Health Care Program, which helps fund broadband and telecommunications services for some healthcare providers in rural areas. A major part of the program involves subsidizing the difference between urban and rural rates for telecommunications services. (Cohen, 8/1)
