COLUMBUS, OHIO—I just finished testifying for a bill that would make it illegal for the state government to rip children away from loving parents who refuse to &#8220;affirm&#8221; that child&#8217;s so-called &#8220;transgender identity.&#8221;
It&#8217;s not every day an investigative journalist weighs in on legislation like this. But this is different.
More than two years ago, I began investigating how transgender activists were working to weaponize child welfare systems against loving parents.
I was horrified by what I found.
The <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2024/10/23/exclusive-child-services-dept-working-with-biden-harris-admin-tracked-trans-kids-on-secret-database/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cuyahoga County</a> Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) was chosen as one of four agencies nationwide to develop gender ideology-based child welfare interventions that suggest parents and caregivers who do not affirm a child’s sexual orientation or gender confusion are unsafe.
As part of its &#8220;Safe Identification&#8221; program, Cuyahoga County DCFS created a database that tracked the sexual orientation, transgender identity, and pronouns of children who interacted with the child welfare system. The database noted if parents were &#8220;accepting&#8221; or &#8220;rejecting&#8221; of their child&#8217;s gender identity. Parents who were &#8220;rejecting&#8221; could be referred to re-education programs where parents learned to &#8220;accept&#8221; their child&#8217;s transgender identity as a last resort before CPS stepped in and removed the child.
Some transgender activists believe refusing to affirm a child’s gender confusion is a form of<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-harris-hhs-consulted-activist-who-said-parents-should-be-prosecuted-for-transphobia" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> child abuse</a> and have even suggested families should be prosecuted as abusers for refusing to call their gender confused child the opposite sex.
Public records revealed that behind the scenes, members of the Cuyahoga County DCFS team were communicating with the Biden administration on how interventions like Safe Identification could be implemented at the federal level.
This would be insane regardless of where it was happening. But the fact that it&#8217;s been going on in a red state like Ohio is truly shocking.
As part of my reporting, I reached out to Ohio State Representative Gary Click and asked him to comment on what was happening in Cuyahoga County. He promised the Ohio legislature would not be idle while local government attempted to usurp the role of the family and harm children.
Click has kept that promise by co-sponsoring the<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ohio-may-protect-parents-who-wont-affirm-their-childs-gender-identity" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Affirming Families First Act</a>, the bill I testified in favor of today. It states that parents have a right to use their child’s given name and correct pronouns, and prohibits state agencies from using state funds for training, education, or programming that characterizes affirming a child’s sex as abuse or neglect.
I’m proud to have played a part in this bill’s inspiration. As a mother, I know if we can’t protect our children from lies and raise them according to reality, without fear of retribution from the state, we no longer live in a free nation.
When the state strips custody from loving parents who simply don&#8217;t want to affirm their confused child&#8217;s gender delusions, it violates all the rights Americans hold dear: the freedoms of speech and religion first and foremost, as well as parental rights and medical freedom. All these protections are swiftly swept away as families are ripped apart and vulnerable youth are placed in the hands of transgender activists who encourage them to destroy their bodies.
I&#8217;ve spoken with parents who’ve experienced this nightmare, and I wouldn&#8217;t wish their pain on my worst enemy. I want to see vulnerable children and families in our nation protected from this insanity, which is why I&#8217;ve traveled to Ohio to testify in favor of a bill that will protect parents who do not “affirm” their transgender-identifying children.
I wasn&#8217;t always a journalist. I&#8217;m a nurse by training, but switched careers when I realized the extent to which radical transgender ideology was endangering children. I&#8217;ve since spent hundreds of hours exposing the horrors of transgenderism because I understand stopping gender ideology is the most important issue of our time. If we can’t define the basic reality of the sexes, we can’t define anything.
President Donald Trump has kept his campaign promises to purge gender ideology from the federal government, but without legislation, these policies can be reversed as quickly as they were implemented.
Some parental rights advocates I&#8217;ve spoken with are concerned we are one election away from a full return to the transgender insanity we were living through just 15 months ago.
The transgender activists have lost some major battles under President Trump. But the war for sanity is raging on. We can&#8217;t let up on fighting gender ideology until it&#8217;s been returned to the pit of hell it came from.

‘1 Million March for Children’ protest in Toronto

Why I Testified For A Bill That Would Stop The State From Taking Gender-Confused Kids From Parents

Children's Health

Healthcare

Ohio

Transgender

A major nurses union is holding secretive training sessions for union members to learn how to &#8220;fight&#8221; federal immigration enforcement in their hospitals.
An email reviewed by The Daily Wire reveals that the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is promoting training sessions for nurses to resist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in hospitals.
ONA, which represents around 15,000 nurses, is the largest nurses union in Oregon. As an affiliate of National Nurses United—the largest nurses union in the United States—ONA also wields influence at the national level.
Notably, the email says that the sessions will not be recorded or posted publicly, adding a secretive element to the training sessions.
The email addresses &#8220;ONA members&#8221; with the subject line, &#8220;Trainings: Accountability for ICE&#8221; and reads as follows:
&#8220;As frontline healthcare workers, we are entrusted with a fundamental responsibility: to preserve life, reduce harm, and provide care with dignity to everyone who comes through our doors,&#8221; the email continues. &#8220;As ICE and Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) activity increases across Oregon, that responsibility is in jeopardy. Intimidation and the use of force create fear that keeps immigrant communities from seeking care and until conditions become life-threatening. This fear directly interferes with our ethical, professional, and legal duties and endangers lives rather than protecting public safety.&#8221;
The training sessions were promoted as being run by ONA’s &#8220;Legal and Government Relations teams,&#8221; advancing &#8220;critical training and opportunity to join the fight against ICE and CBP in our hospitals.&#8221;
ONA offered two sessions, one early Wednesday, and one Thursday morning.
&#8220;The trainings will provide essential context on our role in this fight, practical guidance for frontline staff, and updates on our collective advocacy efforts,&#8221; nurses are told.
<div id="attachment_1035131" style="width: 958px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1035131" class="wp-image-1035131 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-7.29.24-PM-948x576.png" alt="" width="948" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-7.29.24-PM-948x576.png 948w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-7.29.24-PM-300x182.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-7.29.24-PM-768x466.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-7.29.24-PM.png 1248w" sizes=" (max-width: 948px) 100vw, 948px" />Credit: The Daily Wire</div>
Specifically, the training promised to cover nurses&#8217; &#8220;legal rights and obligations as a healthcare worker if ICE or CBP enter your facility,&#8221; &#8220;ONA’s efforts to hold ICE accountable,&#8221; and &#8220;Opportunities to engage in ONA’s upcoming legislative fight to ensure hospitals remain places of healing.&#8221;
&#8220;Please note: Trainings will not be recorded or posted online. All attendees must register in advance. Anyone represented by ONA may attend,&#8221; the email added.
A registered nurse who received the email and attended one of the training sessions told The Daily Wire they found it odd that the sessions would not be posted publicly. &#8220;My question is WHY? Are they afraid that what they are &#8216;training&#8217; is possibly against the law?&#8221; the nurse posed.
The RN said the training session, in part, talked about legislation restricting ICE near hospitals, churches, and community centers.
<div>
<div>&#8220;They tried to remain vague when talking about how to directly address ICE in facilities,&#8221; the source told The Daily Wire, &#8220;And I did appreciate that their lawyers who spoke said that you &#8216;can’t physically obstruct ICE.'&#8221;</div>
Recently, an ICU nurse named Alex Pretti was killed during a scuffle with Border Patrol agents. Pretti was armed—though it remains unclear whether he ever brandished his weapon—and inserted himself into an encounter as agents were dealing with an agitator during an operation. Video from weeks before the incident shows Pretti <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alex-pretti-attacked-immigration-enforcement-days-before-fatal-shooting-video-shows">spitting</a> at federal immigration officers and kicking out a vehicle’s taillight. The circumstances surrounding Pretti’s death remain under investigation.
Separately, as reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/virginia-nurse-urges-medical-professionals-to-inject-ice-agents-with-paralyzing-drug?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Virginia+Nurse+Urges+Medical+Professionals+To+Inject+ICE+Agents+With+Paralyzing+Drug">The Daily Wire</a>, a Virginia hospital fired a nurse after she encouraged other medical professionals to inject ICE officers with succinylcholine—a drug that temporarily paralyzes muscles—in order to “sabotage” them.
The nurse, who used the TikTok handle Redheadredemption, urged doctors and nurses to “grab some syringes with needles on the end” and “have them full of saline or succinylcholine, you know, whatever. Whatever.” She added, “That will probably be a deterrent. Be safe.”
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The Daily Wire reached out to ONA about the training sessions and asked why they are explicitly being kept from the public.
An email from ONA Director of Communications Peter Starzynski defended the training sessions, accusing &#8220;unaccountable immigration enforcement&#8221; of &#8220;increasingly overstepping its authority and treading on the rights of local communities in Oregon—including patients, hospitals, and healthcare providers.&#8221;
&#8220;This places nurses in an extraordinarily difficult position of providing care to patients in a manner that is consistent with their professional obligations,&#8221; Starzynski said.
The communications director said the training sessions focus on the following:
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>
<div role="presentation">Supporting nurses and frontline healthcare professionals in providing the highest quality care to all patients—even when federal agents are present in the hospital.  </div>
</li>
<li>
<div role="presentation">Educating members on Federal and State law and how to comply with their licensing obligations while treating patients in this context. </div>
</li>
<li>
<div role="presentation">Affirming the shared ethical and legal responsibilities of hospitals, nurses, and other frontline care providers to ensure every patient receives respectful, appropriate, and high-quality care, regardless of immigration status.  </div>
</li>
<li>
<div role="presentation">Providing guidance on how to comply with professional license obligations to protect patient confidentiality and a patient’s medical autonomy in this environment.  </div>
</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
It remains unclear why the training sessions are not made public.
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ONA also posted to its Facebook page on January 25 about its participation in a vigil for Pretti.
&#8220;We must not standby [sic]. We must stand up against injustice and human rights violations. That is exactly what Alex Pretti was doing,&#8221; the post said. &#8220;He deserves justice. We honor his legacy and call on all major healthcare systems in Oregon to stand up for nurses, publicly denounce this killing and hold ICE and similar federal agencies accountable.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_1035147" style="width: 539px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1035147" class="wp-image-1035147 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-8.05.37-PM-529x576.png" alt="" width="529" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-8.05.37-PM-529x576.png 529w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-8.05.37-PM-276x300.png 276w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-8.05.37-PM-768x836.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-28-at-8.05.37-PM.png 1354w" sizes=" (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px" />Facebook: ONA</div>
In a lengthy statement on Pretti, ONA said, &#8220;A nurse&#8217;s job is to care for their patients — but they are also ethically bound to speak out in the face of injustice and human rights violations. Provision 8.2 of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses is clear: &#8216;Where there are human rights violations, nurses ought to and must stand up for those rights and demand accountability.&#8217; That is exactly what Alex was doing.&#8221;
Starzynski also told The Daily Wire that &#8220;hospitals can only function when everyone who enters follows the same rules&#8221; and &#8220;no federal agency should be above protocols designed to protect patients, healthcare workers, and the integrity of medical care.&#8221;
&#8220;Taxpayer dollars should not be used to undermine public health, violate basic rights, or erode trust in institutions meant to keep our communities safe,&#8221; he said. &#8220;For months, ONA has urged hospitals to support frontline caregivers by complying with state and federal patient protections. Throughout it all, ONA members have remained steadfast in their commitment to ensuring our hospitals are places of care, dignity, and healing for everyone.&#8221;

Major Nurses Union Holds Secretive Training Sessions To ‘Fight Against ICE’

Major Nurses Union Holds Secretive Training Sessions To ‘Fight Against ICE And CBP In Our Hospitals’

Hospitals

Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Nurses

Oregon

Unions

A new poll indicates that the majority of Americans back President Donald Trump’s proposal to allow people to buy their own health insurance with direct funding from the government, as it is being mulled as a possible alternative to continuing Affordable Care Act subsidies.
OnMessage Public Strategies and the Insurance Watchdog Coalition asked 1,000 likely voters nationally their thoughts on a variety of health care issues from Jan. 15-18, including 59% who said they would back Trump’s health care pitch. A memo from the polling firm described it as a “center-right coalition” with that 59% being made up of 82% of Republicans and 51% of Independents. Twenty-eight percent opposed, 13% did not know or did not have an opinion.
Last week, Trump announced the “Great Healthcare Plan” pitch for Congress, as the president said in a video announcement last week that it “will truly make health care affordable again.”
The webpage for the policy states that it “stops sending big insurance companies billions in extra taxpayer-funded subsidy payments and instead sends that money directly to eligible Americans to allow them to buy the health insurance of their choice.”
Sixty-three percent of those polled said that health insurance companies should be the focus of policymakers “to solve the problems in health care” affecting them, with 13% saying pharmaceutical companies.
There was also 97% consensus on having “more transparency for health insurance companies so they can’t use secret rules or computer programs to decide who gets care and when” and that “health insurance pricing needs to be made more transparent so that patients know the cost for every appointment, procedure or prescription drug, allowing patients to make informed choices, driving down costs overall.”
In addition, 70% of those polled agreed with the premise that “health insurance companies should be forced to cover all drugs offered on the new government website without marking up the price,” in a specific reference to TrumpRx, a government website launched to help people find the lowest drug prices available for specific medications. Only 11% disagreed.
“While many Democrats believe that the issue of health care offers them political inroads, Republicans and the Trump Administration have the chance to go on offense with meaningful policy wins for voters as it relates to health insurance and have begun to do so,” the OnMessage memo stated.
Congress has been at odds over the Affordable Care Act subsidies that expired at the end of 2025, with the House voting to extend the subsidies for three years with the support of a handful of Republicans through a discharge petition. Talks have been murkier in the Senate on the continuation of the subsidies, as ACA plan premiums rose significantly for many, as many conservatives have argued it serves as evidence that Obamacare was not a fiscal sound policy to begin with.
<a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/01/20/congress/congress-clinches-health-deal-to-crack-down-on-drug-intermediaries-00736680" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> reported Tuesday that a bipartisan health care deal was achieved on some aspects of the debate, but not the subsidies.

President Trump Tours Ford Rouge Complex In Michigan

Exclusive: Majority Of Americans Back Key Element Of Trump’s ‘Great Healthcare Plan’

Congress

Health

Obamacare

Politics

Trump Administration

Talks on extending Obamacare subsidies in the Senate appear to be stalling, as President Donald Trump calls for the “Great Healthcare Plan” to go through Congress.
Enrollment for those who use Affordable Care Act plans ends Thursday in most of the country, as expired subsidies have led to higher premium costs. Many conservatives argue that this is evidence that the ACA was not a sustainable program in the first place.
The White House released a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/01/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-calls-on-congress-to-enact-the-great-healthcare-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fact sheet</a> on Thursday about Trump’s healthcare plan, which would include “price transparency” reforms and “send money directly to the American people, lower health insurance premiums, and cut kickbacks that raise insurance premiums.” The president’s proposal would also expand the list of “verified safe pharmaceutical drugs” that Americans can buy over the counter and include a “cost-sharing reduction program” for plans.
“The Great Healthcare Plan stops sending big insurance companies billions in extra taxpayer-funded subsidy payments and instead sends that money directly to eligible Americans to allow them to buy the health insurance of their choice,” the webpage states.
President Donald Trump said in a video on Thursday that it “will truly make healthcare affordable again.”
In the Senate, Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) said, “We’re still in the red zone” when it comes to the possibility of extending the subsidies for another two years while a longer-term plan is figured out, according to <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/senate/senate-obamacare-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punchbowl News</a>. <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/01/13/congress/senators-punt-release-of-health-package-to-end-of-january-00725086" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> reported that the actual language of a proposal might not be ready until after the Senate returns from its 10-day recess that began Thursday.
However, there have been serious splits regarding taxpayer dollars for abortions through the Hyde Amendment, along with the generally partisan divide on whether the subsidies should continue in the first place.
In December, Moreno and Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) went public with a two-year extension proposal, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has sought a three-year extension of the COVID-era subsidies.
“Barack Obama and the Democratic Party created this disaster, lining the pockets of massive insurance companies while healthcare costs for everyday Americans skyrocketed,” Moreno said in a statement last month. “But I refuse to let the American people pay the price for the Democrats’ incompetence. I am willing to work with anyone to finally bring down costs for all Americans and hope my colleagues across the aisle will commit to doing the same.”
According to Punchbowl News, the proposal could restore enrollment in March if a deal is reached in Congress.
In the House, a bill to extend ACA subsidies for the next three years passed last week, with Democrats and 17 Republicans passing the legislation in the Republican-led chamber after a successful discharge petition to forced a floor vote — but it seems unlikely to gain traction in the Senate.
“The House just decisively passed legislation that restores the Affordable Care Act tax credits. Over the objection of Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson. If you don’t know, now you know,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wrote on X after the vote.

Donald Trump

Trump Pitches ‘Great Healthcare Plan’ As Senate Stalls On Obamacare Subsidies

Bernie Moreno

Senate

Trump

A fraud conviction could trigger denaturalization under the Immigration and Nationality Act, amid growing concerns over the misuse of taxpayer dollars in Minnesota.
The “Fraud Accountability Act” would specifically designate fraud under the INA as a crime that could result in deportation and loss of U.S. citizenship. The bill is sponsored by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Ted Budd (R-NC), with Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) introducing a companion measure in the House.
“Anyone who comes to the United States and steals from American taxpayers by committing fraud should be deported,” Blackburn stated. “The fraud schemes we have seen in Minnesota and across the country are a betrayal of hardworking American taxpayers, and individuals like the Somali scammers in Minnesota should be subject to both deportation and denaturalization for these crimes. The Fraud Accountability Act would hold these criminals accountable for robbing American taxpayers.”
“The rampant and unprecedented fraud uncovered in Minnesota involving Somali-run childcare centers and nonprofits is unconscionable, and Governor Walz’s complete deflection of any responsibility for this massive theft of U.S. taxpayer dollars under his watch is cowardly but unsurprising,” Cornyn stated.
Earlier this week, Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, announced he would not seek a third term as governor amid mounting scrutiny over fraud allegations and convictions tied to the state’s social programs, such as Medicaid.
The Justice Department has brought fraud charges against 98 individuals in Minnesota, 60 of whom have pleaded guilty, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi, who said 85 of the defendants were of Somali descent.
“We have more prosecutions coming…BUCKLE UP, LAWMAKERS!” she posted to X following a viral video from independent journalist Nick Shirley alleging widespread fraud at daycare centers.
While it’s unclear at this time what the results of legal investigations into daycares specifically will be, the video accelerated federal attention to the issue. In total, federal prosecutors estimate the fraud could be as high as $9 billion, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/billions-paid-out-by-medicaid-in-minnesota-may-be-fraudulent-us-attorney/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services, said there would be an audit to assess how federal taxpayer dollars are being used for 14 Medicaid programs in Minnesota, along with a pause in payments.
“We will begin auditing Medicaid receipts and defer paying on claims based on fraud, waste, and abuse,” he said, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dr-oz-blasts-minnesotas-deeply-insufficient-plan-as-feds-audit-medicaid-payments?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dr.+Oz+Blasts+Minnesota%E2%80%99s+%E2%80%98Deeply+Insufficient%E2%80%99+Plan+As+Feds+Audit+Medicaid+Payments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> reported.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Announces He’s Ending His Reelection Bid

Republicans Push To Denaturalize Fraudsters Who Scammed Taxpayers

Fraud

Marsha Blackburn

Minnesota

Tim Walz

The House will vote on a three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidies after 218 lawmakers – all Democrats and four Republicans – signed a discharge petition on Wednesday.
The move comes after Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not personally allow a floor vote, saying, “In the end, there was not an agreement,” <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/12/16/congress/mike-johnson-aca-vote-00692703">according</a> to POLITICO.
The subsidies are set to expire at the end of this year as a longer-term solution continues to be debated. Most Democrats have argued that the subsidies must continue to avoid insurance premiums from spiking. Many Republicans have argued that the dependency on subsidies to keep premiums low demonstrates that the Obama-era program is unsustainable.
“This morning I signed the discharge for the clean 3-year extension of the enhanced premium tax credit. While I have been working for a bipartisan compromise with reforms, the failure of leadership to allow a vote on the floor left me with no choice but to sign the Democrats discharge petition,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) <a href="https://x.com/lawler4ny/status/2001309363571425600">posted to X</a>. “With [Brian Fitzpatrick], [Rob Bresnahan] and [Ryan Mackenzie] joining me in signing, it now has 218 signatures.”
“The Speaker should immediately bring it to the floor for an up or down vote and let the House do the work of the American people,” Lawler continued.
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A vote following the petition could occur today if a specific procedural action is taken, but the vote is more likely to happen in January.
“To get this done TODAY, we need to defeat the previous question on the House Floor. And we need them to vote with us to do it,” Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) <a href="https://x.com/RepMcGovern/status/2001312688765382927">posted to X</a>. “To be clear, that vote on my amendment to the rule is the exact same language they already signed on to today.”
“It’s our last chance before Congress goes out of session since the discharge petition they signed takes 7 legislative days to ripen,” the congressman added.
If the House votes to extend the subsidies, it will then go to the Senate.
“Obviously, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,&#8221; Senate Majority Leader John Thune said amid news of the discharge petition, according to Semafor. &#8220;Even if they have a sufficient number of signatures, I doubt they would vote this week.&#8221;
Trump has railed against the Affordable Care Act, suggesting during the government shutdown in November that “the Hundreds of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare provided by ObamaCare, BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE.”
&#8220;Somebody said I want to extend it for two years. I don&#8217;t want to extend it for two years. I&#8217;d rather not extend them at all,&#8221; Trump said in November, according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-extend-obamacare-subsidies/story?id=127900310&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a>, adding that “some kind of an extension may be necessary to get something else done because the unaffordable care act has been a disaster. It&#8217;s a disaster.&#8221;

Federal Government Shuts Down After Congress Fails To Pass Funding Bill

House To Force Vote On Obamacare Funding

Obamacare Subsidies Vote Will Be Forced In House After Successful Discharge Petition

Mike Johnson

The U.S. Senate failed to advance two competing health care proposals on Thursday, leaving millions of Americans possibly facing steep insurance premium hikes when enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies expire at year’s end.
Both parties offered plans aimed at averting those increases, but neither secured the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. The Republican measure, the Health Care Freedom for Patients Act of 2025, co-sponsored by Sens. Bill Cassidy and Mike Crapo, would have allowed the COVID-era subsidies to sunset on the timeline Democrats originally set. Instead of continuing tax credits to insurers, the bill would have redirected federal funds into health savings accounts (HSAs): $1,000 for adults ages 18–49 and $1,500 for those 50–64, capped at 700% of the federal poverty level. The proposal also would have expanded eligibility for catastrophic plans and restricted federal funds from being used for abortion or gender transition services. Republicans argued the plan sends money “back to patients” rather than insurance companies. Still, it failed <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1191/vote_119_1_00643.htm">51–48</a>.
The Democrat-backed proposal, the Lower Health Care Costs Act, sought a three-year extension of the enhanced ACA subsidies created during the pandemic, at an estimated cost of $83 billion. Democrats warned that without renewal, premiums could double for many families and that the expiring subsidies were crucial to keeping coverage affordable. Republicans countered that claims of widespread doubling were misleading, noting that most enrollees would continue receiving the original ACA subsidies and that only about 1.6 million people would lose enhanced credits entirely.
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With both bills blocked in the Senate, millions nationwide are expected to face higher premiums. According to <a href="https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/mapping-the-uneven-burden-of-rising-aca-marketplace-premium-payments-due-to-enhanced-tax-credit-expiration/#:~:text=In%2019%20states%2C%20this%20person,modest%20at%20all%20income%20levels">KFF</a>, those losing enhanced support could see increases ranging from several hundred dollars to more than $1,500 per person. University of Montana economist Katrina Mullan warned that lower-income individuals not eligible for Medicaid and older adults not yet on Medicare will feel the sharpest impacts. Rising premiums may also push healthier people out of the market, potentially driving costs higher for those who remain insured.
Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul, the only Republican to vote against the GOP bill, has his own plan, which he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-senate-is-about-to-vote-on-obamacare-heres-what-to-know">said</a> was not a “watered-down version” of Obamacare.
“My plan actually fixes the system. It doesn’t cost taxpayers a dime, and it finally frees Americans to buy insurance across state lines through real co-ops. No bureaucracy, no bloated mandates – just competition, choice, and lower costs,” Paul said. &#8220;Basically I would legalize the ability to buy insurance across state lines, through a co-op.”
Despite the Senate stalemate, House lawmakers may pursue their own measure, while Republicans continue developing alternative plans, including broader HSA-based proposals and bills to expand insurance competition across state lines.

Affordable Care Act ACA and stethoscope on a table.

Senate Gridlock Puts Obamacare Funds At Risk As Competing Health Care Bills Fail

U.S. Senate

WASHINGTON—Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has taken a lot of flak for his approach to the government shutdown, particularly a video the New York Democrat released on Monday.
“We will not let Republicans blow up our health care system,” Schumer said in the highly-produced video. &#8220;No f***ing way.&#8221;
The rest of the video is less profane, but no less controversial. Schumer goes on to reiterate the Democrats’ main argument for keeping the government shut down: Obamacare’s expanded tax credits would “expire” unless Congress passes the Democrats’ funding bill.
That turned out to be more controversial than the senator’s choice deployment of an f-bomb.
“Once again, Chuck Schumer is lying and hopes you just take his word for it,” Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) wrote in a reply to Schumer’s post. “The expiration date of these tax credits was set in the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, which Democrats passed without a single Republican vote. The sensible forms Republicans made to sustain the program did not cut Medicaid, and he knows this.”
“Looking for someone to blame for the health care crisis Americans are facing? Look in the mirror,” the Republican continued.
Schumer’s fellow New Yorker, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, called the minority leader the “biggest schmuck in Washington.”
“50 years in elected office! Go the f**k home. It’s time,” he posted. “Open the government and get back to work. And if the ACA is working so well, why do we need COVID subsidies to make it affordable? Maybe it’s time to fix the system.”
Brian Blase, a former White House policy official and president of the Paragon Health Institute, whose scholars have heavily scrutinized <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/yes-democrats-want-to-give-illegals-free-healthcare-here-are-the-facts?author=Tim+Rice&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Yes%2C+Democrats+Want+To+Give+Illegals+Free+Healthcare.+Here+Are+The+Facts." target="_blank" rel="noopener">the system in question</a>, says the tax credits should be allowed to expire.
“Obamacare is the reason for high premiums in the individual market and why they are increasing. Not a single Republican voted for the COVID-era Obamacare subsidy add-ons that Democrats set to expire after 2025,” Blase told The Daily Wire. “Any Democrats are misleading the public and claiming that all the Obamacare subsidies are expiring. That is not true. The original subsidies are permanent and cover more than 80 percent of the premium for the typical enrollee.”
“The original subsidies have gotten more generous over time. In 2014, they covered about 68 percent of the typical enrollees’ premiums. Next year, after the COVID credits expire, they will cover more than 80 percent,” Blase continued.
While Democrats are largely united behind Schumer’s call for the extension of the Obamacare tax credits, some are unhappy with the party’s approach to the shutdown.
“It’s a sad day for our nation. Our government shuts down at midnight. I voted AYE to extend ACA tax credits because I support them—but I won’t vote for the chaos of shuttering our government,” Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) wrote on September 30, just before the government shut down. “My vote was [for] our country over my party.”
Schumer’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

US Government Shutdown Looms With Trump, Democrats At Odds

Republicans Slam Schumer For Profane Video On Government Shutdown

Charles Schumer

Government Shutdown

Democrats Have Been Trying To Cover Up One The Biggest Healthcare Scams Ever

illegal immigrants

Matt Walsh

Medicaid

Opinion

Multiple California-based healthcare workers lost their jobs after they were seen in a TikTok video mocking patients in medical exam rooms.
The incident occurred at Sutter Health’s Pesetas Urgent Care facility in Santa Barbara. The video went viral over Labor Day weekend and has since been taken down. 
In the clip shared by the handle @angieuncut, a group of workers asks via caption, “Are patients allowed to leave you guys gifts?” The following images show exam chair papers stained with bodily fluids left by patients, along with the responses, “Yes!” and “We love them so much.” 
“All shapes and sizes,” another caption reads alongside a photo of a different employee sticking out her tongue while bending over a large stain.
The employees posed around the soiled exam chairs, smiling and giving thumbs-up signs. “Guess the substance,” the original video caption said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Healthcare workers at Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, CA, pose next to bodily-fluid-stained exam paper and post it on social media.
The workers were apparently mocking the &#8220;sweet gifts&#8221; that their patients left them.
&#8220;Guess the substance!&#8221; the caption read.
In response to… <a href="https://t.co/WN6UqmUcGe">pic.twitter.com/WN6UqmUcGe</a>
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) <a href="https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1963307752618668142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“We are deeply concerned about a disrespectful social media post made on a personal account by a former employee, and we are conducting a full review in line with our policies,” a Sutter Health spokesperson told <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/santa-barbara-clinic-staff-tiktok-bodily-fluids/">KTLA</a>. The company also stated that the employee who posted the video had not worked at the healthcare facility for two months.
In a later statement, Sutter Health confirmed that the individuals involved had been terminated.
“Sutter Health has terminated the employees responsible for the inappropriate and insensitive photos posted on social media,” a spokesperson said in a statement, per <a href="https://people.com/clinic-workers-fired-for-outright-violation-of-policy-after-posting-photos-mocking-patients-pap-smear-discharge-11803181">People</a>.
“This unacceptable behavior is an outright violation of our policies, shows a lack of respect for our patients and will not be tolerated,” it said. “Protecting the trust of those we serve is our highest priority and when that trust is violated, we take swift action to address it.”
“We expect all team members to live our patients-first mission and uphold the highest standards of compassion, professionalism and respect,” the representative went on. “We are using this inappropriate incident to reinforce our comprehensive policies with all our team members across the organization as part of our commitment to providing all patients with high-quality, compassionate care.”

Exam Chair

California Clinic Workers Fired After Mocking Patients In Viral TikTok: ‘Unacceptable’

California Clinic Workers Fired After Mocking Patients In Viral Video: 'Unacceptable'

California

Medical

viral video

A public health journal is undermining scientific inquiry through “blatantly partisan” calls for submissions that attack pro-life policies and laws shielding children from transgender procedures, a medical watchdog organization told The Daily Wire.
The Boston Congress of Public Health Review, a “social justice” health journal, <a href="https://bcphr.org/wp-content/uploads/BCPHR-Edition-93-Letters-to-the-Editor.pdf">issued a call</a> for submissions from researchers and students “impacted by conservative political policies.” These conservative policies include “abortion bans on health care, anti-trans laws on access to gender-affirming care,” “LGBTQ+ health,” and “anti-climate policies.” 
The call for submissions from researchers, public health officials, and students for its fall 2025 issue drew criticism from Do No Harm, an organization devoted to de-politicizing medicine. Do No Harm Medical Director Kurt Miceli told The Daily Wire that the journal was undermining science by focusing on politics. 
“The Boston Congress of Public Health Review’s blatantly partisan call for submissions highlights the harmful politicization of medicine,” Miceli said. “Rather than centering its efforts on advancing public health and improving medical outcomes through rigorous, evidence-based inquiry, the BCPHR Journal elevates ideological themes – such as social justice and health equity – at the expense of objective analysis.”
Previously known as the Harvard Public Health Review, the Boston Congress of Public Health Review is <a href="https://bcphr.org/about-hphr-journal/">published</a> by the Boston Congress of Public Health, a non-profit organization. Its mission is to “improve health equity and social justice globally through the publication of public health content grounded in the thoughtful evaluation of evidence.”
Topics that the journal is accepting submissions on include: “Barriers to conducting or publishing research on reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ health, or gun violence”; “Reflections on abortion bans on health care, anti-trans laws on access to gender-affirming care, loss of comprehensive sex education in schools or communities”; “Personal and mental health impacts of conservative policies on one’s public health education, funding, career, or research”; “Effects of anti-climate policies on vulnerable populations and environmental health”; and “Calls for action to protect science, equity, and public health infrastructure.”
The journal is also seeking submissions on themes such as “<a href="https://bcphr.org/wp-content/uploads/BCPHR-Edition-48-Lesbian-Healtha-1.pdf">Lesbian Health</a>,” “<a href="https://bcphr.org/wp-content/uploads/BCPHR-Edition-57-Indigenous-Healtha-1.pdf">Indigenous Health</a>,” and Immigration. This includes <a href="https://bcphr.org/wp-content/uploads/BCPHR-Edition-92-Immigration.pdf">topics</a> on “sexuality and two-spirited in public health,” “policing, disappearing, and terrorism: deportation in 2025,” and “impact of white supremacy, nativist policies, racism, homophobia, xenophobia, and stigma on migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.”
The journal also suggests a “<a href="https://bcphr.org/social-justice-guidelines/">social justice checklist</a>” on its website for those submitting articles to “ensure that some of these criteria are present before submission. Those include “racial and ethnic minorities,” “LGBTQ+ individuals,” and “individuals in sex work,” among others. 
Miceli said the journal was emblematic of how activists have hijacked the medical field. 
“Empirical study gets displaced by ideological narratives rooted in identity politics and progressive activism,” he told The Daily Wire. “In doing so, the BCPHR undermines the essential role of a medical journal: to foster fact-based dialogue and improve healthcare through scientific investigation.”

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This ‘Blatantly Partisan’ Medical Journal Is Targeting Conservatives

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