As House Republicans prepared to pass another symbolic Obamacare repeal, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius argued in a Washington Post commentary that the law already has slowed the increase of health care costs and health insurance premiums, and that it will help, rather than burden, small business and strengthen Medicare. “People are entitled to their opinions, but not to their own facts,” wrote the former Kansas governor. “And the facts in this case are clear: Since the Affordable Care Act was passed, national health spending is rising at a slower rate, health insurance premiums are rising at a slower rate, small-business coverage is holding steady, and Medicare is on a stronger financial footing. Now that the Supreme Court has issued a decision, the American people would be better served if Congress joined the president in working to build on that progress, not undo it.”
The Kansas Board of Regents’ lone voter last month against tougher admissions standards at the University of Kansas said that as a taxpayer-funded institution, KU “should be more accessible to students, instead of building roadblocks.” Janie Perkins also told the Garden City Telegram that her vote was influenced by her work as supplemental programs coordinator for the Garden City school district with at-risk kids, many of whom would be first-generation college students. She knows that KU intends to review cases in which students don’t qualify and work hard to help them be admitted and successful, but she said, “I felt increasing those standards would keep some students from even thinking they could get in.” Because the rest of the board approved KU’s request, an incoming freshman as of 2016 will need a 24 or better on the ACT (up from 21 now) and a 3.0 grade point average in high school (up from 2.0) for automatic admittance to KU (an even higher GPA could offset a lower ACT score).
As House Republicans prepared to pass another symbolic Obamacare repeal, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius argued in a Washington Post commentary that the law already has slowed the increase of health care costs and health insurance premiums, and that it will help, rather than burden, small business and strengthen Medicare. “People are entitled to their opinions, but not to their own facts,” wrote the former Kansas governor. “And the facts in this case are clear: Since the Affordable Care Act was passed, national health spending is rising at a slower rate, health insurance premiums are rising at a slower rate, small-business coverage is holding steady, and Medicare is on a stronger financial footing. Now that the Supreme Court has issued a decision, the American people would be better served if Congress joined the president in working to build on that progress, not undo it.”
