Lee Brice: Garth Brooks is my hero | Kurt's Country
Neil A. Carousso produces NewsNation original “Kurt’s Country” – a celebration of country music and a slice of Americana with host Kurt Bardella.
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GOP Healthcare Failure: What Do We Do as ObamaCare Collapses?
By Neil A. Carousso
When the American Health Care Act (AHCA) was pulled from the House vote on Friday, it signaled failure for a Republican Party that campaigned on “repeal and replace” of the Affordable Health Care Act for over seven years, but perhaps, it was for the best.
Premiums have risen by double digits in 31 states including a 116 percent increase in Arizona. One out of every three U.S. counties have just one insurer to choose from as a result of ObamaCare that was signed into law in March 2010 without one Republican vote. Six of 39 cancer drugs on the market in 2010 doubled or tripled in price by 2016, one quadrupled in price and another had an eightfold price increase.
On top of these statistics, millions of Americans were thrown off their insurance plans and lost their doctors despite what was promised by former President Barack Obama.
Seven years ago, the Congressional Budget Office projected 23 million Americans would be enrolled in ObamaCare Exchange enrollments in 2017. The reality is only 12.2 million people are enrolled on the ObamaCare Exchanges. The CBO predicted that 14 million fewer people would have health insurance by 2018 if the AHCA passed and 24 million fewer insured Americans by 2026 – a partial result of removing the ObamaCare mandate and penalty for not having health insurance. The AHCA was projected to reduce the federal deficit by $337 billion.
“We learned a lot about loyalty, we learned a lot about the vote-getting process, we learned a lot about some very arcane rules in obviously both the Senate and in the House.” – President Donald J. Trump in the Oval Office on Friday afternoon
Conservative Republicans like the House Freedom Caucus wanted a seat at the table to negotiate with other Republicans and President Donald J. Trump, the chief negotiator, in order to effectively bring costs down. President Trump met and spoke on the phone early and late at night with moderate and conservative Republicans in trying to negotiate the best plan for the American people. However, House Speaker Paul Ryan and the House leadership seemed stubborn during negotiations after not building consensus in their own Party before rolling out the AHCA.
President Trump on Friday said he’s “disappointed” that the AHCA had to be pulled from a House vote. “When they all become civilized and come together and try to workout a great health care bill for the people of this country, we’re open to it,” President Trump said on Friday shortly after the House removed the AHCA from a vote. “Everybody worked hard. I worked as a team player and would have loved to seen it pass…perhaps, the best thing that could have happened was exactly what happened today because we’ll end up with a truly great health care bill in the future after this mess known as ObamaCare explodes,” the Chief Executive added.
Key Components of the AHCA:
-First major reform of medicaid
-Repeal individual and employer mandate
-Defund Planned Parenthood
-Cuts ObamaCare taxes and if passed, would have made tax relief and reform easier to enact
What the Freedom Caucus Wanted in the AHCA:
-No one-size fits all mandate
-Essential health benefits such as maternity and mental health benefits removed (President Trump reportedly conceded)
-Remove pre-existing conditions, guaranteed issue and community rating
“The ACA chose to deal with [pre-existing conditions] by saying, ‘If you are an insurer, you must sell to anyone who walks through the door, regardless, and you’ll get paid as if the person were healthy.’ That’s a recipe for disaster,” said Dr. Robert Graboyes a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University on episode 36 of “The Neil A. Carousso Show Podcast.”
Dr. Graboyes explained that one piece of legislation will neither fix the health insurance cost problem nor the quality of health care. This reporter asked pointed questions of the health care policy expert: “What should be included in any new legislation as Republicans start over on health care?”
What is better policy: a clean repeal of ObamaCare or a simultaneous repeal and replacement and is that feasible? Listen to episode 36 of the daily podcast above for answers on how your health care may be affected and what the future holds for health care and health insurance.
It seems Speaker Ryan will revisit health care and draw up a new plan as President Trump begins to tackle tax reform next in his ambitious agenda.
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As Seen on “The Neil A. Carousso Show:” Neil Sits Down with a Retired Immigration Agent about the Drug Epidemic’s “Nexus” to Illegal Immigration
Michael Cutler, retired senior special agent for the Immigration and Naturalization Service sat down with Neil A. Carousso for a wide-ranging interview, including insight to FBI Director James Comey’s declaration that Mexican drug cartels are responsible for the drug epidemic in the U.S. This is part of the exclusive interview that aired on The Neil A. Carousso Show on Sunday, March 5, 2017.
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Unity and Leadership: President Trump Delivers an Inspiring Message in a Joint Session of Congress and to the American People, Pleads for Unity between Parties
By Neil A. Carousso
An optimistic, powerful, motivating, inspiring, bold and post-partisan, unifying message to Americans by President Donald J. Trump.
It was a message based on reality, focused on winning economically and militarily in order to protect our freedom and American values.
President Trump delivers his first joint session of Congress address (Reuters) The most emotional and poignant moment was when President Trump ensured Navy SEAL Ryan Owens‘ widow, Carryn, that Owens died for a reason in his mission to protect Americans and advance liberty, despite some of the criticisms from those who believe the raid in Yemen was not appropriate. There was a long standing ovation, lasting over two minutes, for Mrs. Owens.
Chief Petty Officer William ‘Ryan’ Owens. (Courtesy: Capt. Jason Salata/Naval Special Warfare Command) President Trump reinforced his pledge to eradicate the “vile enemy” of the Islamic State and provide much-needed and long overdue support for our veterans.
The Chief Executive called for both sides to come together to pass immigration reform to protect our borders and our children from drugs and violent crime. Trump called for inner-city reform, including school choice, to give people chances to succeed. A guest of Mr. Trump’s, Denisha Merriweathe, was the first person in her family to graduate from high school and college after overcoming adversity of failing 3rd grade twice and other educational and economic disadvantages.
President Trump called for Congress to repeal and replace of the Affordable Healthcare Act that has shrunk the private healthcare industry, driving premiums and deductibles higher and cutting competition across the board. The ACA or ObamaCare has not worked for all Americans.
President Trump called for unity in supporting a non-ideological, common sense agenda that Americans voted for on November 8th.
“The time for small thinking is over. The time for trivial fights is behind us,” pleaded President Trump in his call for American unity.
Democratic politicians, meanwhile, have not represented flexibility in their demeanor to hearing a message of putting the United States interests first and supporting victims of preventable illegal immigrant crime with families of people killed by illegal aliens as guests of the President. Democrats even sat during calls for increased women entrepreneurship. It was clear that the Democrats were not willing to agree with any point, even nonpartisan or more ideologically left positions, that Mr. Trump has taken throughout the campaign and into his administration like paid family leave.
President Trump even called for a more comprehensive infrastructure plan than President Barack Obama proposed.
The President began his speech by discussing Black History Month, saying it reminds us of “work that still remains to be done.” Trump denounced all hate crimes including anti-Semitic actions.
The President reenforced his agenda, listed his early successes, and reminded Americans of his campaign promises with effective messaging, heart and true “American spirit.” It is evident that Mr. Trump is a man of action who truly wants to Make America Great Again for everyone from the coasts to Middle America to the inner-cities.
“Believe in yourselves. Believe in your future. And believe, once more, in America,” said President Trump.
Given that President Trump expressed a more conciliatory tone, an instant CNN/ORC poll found that 57 percent of people who tuned in reporting a “very positive reaction” to the Commander-In-Chief’s first address to Congress. “Nearly 7-in-10 who watched said the President’s proposed policies would move the country in the right direction and almost two-thirds said the president has the right priorities for the country. Overall, about 7-in-10 said the speech made them feel more optimistic about the direction of the country.”
Carryn Owens, widow of Navy SEAL William Ryan Owens, reacts after being recognized by President Donald Trump during his address to a joint session of Congress in the Capitol’s House Chamber. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) 
President Trump looks up at Carryn Owens, widow of a Navy SEAL killed in last month’s raid in Yemen. (Getty Images) 
First Lady Melania Trump receives a standing ovation prior to her husband’s address to Congress. Behind the First Lady is Mr. Trump’s son-in-law and Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump. Next to Ivanka is widow of Navy SEAL Ryan Owens, Carryn Owens. Adjacent to the First Lady are Mr. Trump’s invited guests, family of victims of illegal immigrant crime and others. (AP Photo) 
President Trump (centered) with Vice President Mike Pence (back left) and House Speaker Paul Ryan (back right) applauding the 45th President. After a busy day of signing executive orders prior to the Congressional address, President Trump is expected to pass another order this week suspending immigrants and refugees from terror-riddled nations, as in the original executive order, with some reported changes, that is tied up in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The President is hoping for better messaging from his administration to gain support for the national security measure, following the Department of Homeland Security memos that were issued last week.
Featured Image Courtesy: Associated Press.
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President Trump Calls for an Increase in Military Spending in First Budget
By Neil A. Carousso
The White House announced Monday morning that President Donald J. Trump’s upcoming budget will ask for a $54 billion increase in the defense budget.
“This will be a public safety and national security budget,” said President Trump at the National Governors Association Meeting at the White House. “It will include a historic increase in defense spending to rebuild the depleted military of the United States of America at a time when we most need it.”
Currently, half of the U.S. Navy F-18 Hornets cannot take to the skies, and up to 75 percent of U.S. Marine Corps jets are grounded.
About half of United States Air Force B-1 bombers are out-of-service as it awaits spare parts. Many U.S. military jets have flown well past its expected lives. There is a shortage of spare parts and manufacturers do not make many of the military’s parts necessities.
On January 27, 2017, President Donald Trump, left, listens as Defense Secretary James Mattis, right, speaks at The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) President Trump has vowed to update the military’s dilapidated equipment, much to the appreciation of military brass who have been sounding the alarm under the Obama Administration and drafting expansion plans that would best serve the country’s defense needs.
The Commander-In-Chief has also promised to end the defense sequester, a provision of the Budget Control Act of 2011 that “imposes across-the-board spending cuts if Congress and The White House cannot agree on more targeted cuts aimed at reducing the budget deficit,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense. The DOD and military leaders said last March that “sequestration poses the biggest threat to readiness.”President Barack Obama proposed a $582.7 billion budget in February 2016. The defense budget is currently about $610 billion which is not nearly enough with depleted military equipment and rising daily threats of radical Islamic terrorism and other domestic terror threats, according to military personnel.
The new leadership at The Pentagon under President Trump’s DOD Secretary General James Mattis issued budget guidance earlier this month with three major points to accomplish: improving “warfighting readiness, to achieve program balance by addressing shortfalls, and to build ‘a larger, more capable, and more lethal joint force.'” The Commander-In-Chief has echoed President Ronald Reagan’s mantra of “peace through strength.”
Featured Image: Getty Images.
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“The Real Deal with Neil:” The Future of the Globalist Left is Not the Future of Your Country
In “The Real Deal with Neil” segment on “The Neil A. Carousso Show,” Neil hammers the political left for not listening to the hard-working American people who decidedly voted the Democrats out of power since former President Barack Obama took office in 2009.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK9fwUcHUIw
The “divided and powerless” Democratic Party is clinging to the old establishment wing of the party with Tom Perez, former Obama labor secretary, being elected by the Dems on Saturday to head the Democratic National Committee. Keith Ellison, widely accused as being an anti-semite, by members of his own party and others, who has accepted money and trips from terrorist-funded organizations, will be the deputy DNC char.
The DNC is attempting to recover after former DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz resigned this summer after a WikiLeaks email dump revealed that she and the DNC leadership sabotaged Bernie Sanders’ campaign in favor of candidate Hillary Clinton.
Lastly, Isaac Chotiner writes a deplorable Slate obituary about a late friend, Alan Colmes. Chotiner calls Colmes a “buffoon” and “patsy,” in an obituary remembering the late liberal commentator who passed away at the age of 66 last week. The Slate writer slanders Colmes’ long-time friend and original television partner, conservative talk show host Sean Hannity, and what Chotiner deemed to be a more conservative slanted program, despite having both liberal and conservative co-hosts on Fox News Channel’s Hannity & Colmes, as being a vehicle to disseminate “racist or homophobic or Islamophobic ways” – a typical liberal false smear of Republicans. Neil comments on all of this on the “Real Deal with Neil” segment above.
“The Real Deal with Neil” is the final segment on the weekly live streaming program where Neil picks a topic and expounds upon it with insight and well-informed, bold analysis in a straight-forward, “tell it the way it is” manner.
“The Neil A. Carousso Show” airs live on Sundays at 12 Noon ET/9 AM PT on YouTube and NeilACarousso.com.
