Originally appeared in The New York Times. Health insurance premiums for 2018 are on the rise for many, and for that, most of the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of President Trump. In recent days, a bevy of insurers have announced significant increases for Americans who purchase their coverage on the exchanges: a minimum of […]
Originally appeared in The New York Times. The latest version of the Republican health care bill was unveiled today and within moments, two Republican senators announced their opposition. One more “no” and the bill goes down. That may lead to renewed talk of the fanciful notion of a bipartisan compromise between the more moderate elements […]
Originally appeared in The New York Times. A couple of weeks ago, I was honored to be invited to present my thoughts on the state of manufacturing in America to the Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, headed by Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. The thrust of my message was that, regrettably, we should be leery […]
Originally appeared in The New York Times. With a week to sift through the Trump administration’s first full-fledged budget proposal, two inescapable realities have come into sharper focus: the enormous magnitude of the desired cuts in many domestic programs and an utter disdain for numerical integrity. First, no budget in my 40 years of following […]
Originally appeared in The New York Times. Phony math is a time-honored tradition in the Washington world of budget making, but the first full fiscal plan from the Trump administration breaks new ground. The bottom line: A budget that the White House says will be in balance by 2027 would, in reality, remain deeply in […]
Originally appeared in The New York Times. As the self-anointed job creator in chief, Donald Trump rarely misses a chance to use the presidential podium or his alternative podium, Twitter, to take credit for employment being created or retained in America. But a thorough review of Mr. Trump’s celebrations reveals that virtually none of the […]
Originally appeared in The New York Times. As a young New York Times reporter nearly four decades ago, I helped chronicle the rollout of what proved to be among our country’s greatest economic follies — the alchemistic belief that huge tax cuts can pay for themselves by unleashing faster economic growth. Buoyed by this idea, […]
Originally appeared in The New York Times. After Republicans pulled their legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act last Friday, President Trump told The Washington Post, “The best thing politically is to let Obamacare explode.” Or he could light a match. Republicans may have conceded defeat in their legislative effort to get rid […]
Originally appeared in The New York Times. Watching administration officials play cat and mouse with Sunday talk show hosts is a hoary Washington tradition. But yesterday, Trump spokesmen offered a remarkably large number of flat out untruths as they attempted to defend the Republican health care plan. Untruth #1: “I firmly believe that nobody will […]
Originally appeared in The New York Times. After much uncertainty about what President Trump would propose as a replacement for the Affordable Care Act, he opened his kimono before Congress on Tuesday and came down firmly on the side of a structure that would leave millions of Americans with weaker health insurance or none at […]
