Latest news with #Kiley
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Opposition grows over cuts to Medicaid and SNAP programs
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – A coalition of lawmakers, families, and advocates gathered on Capitol Hill Tuesday to voice strong opposition to House Republican proposals that would slash funding for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The proposals, still under negotiation, are part of broader efforts by Republican lawmakers to reduce federal spending and address the national deficit. However, critics say the proposed cuts would hurt millions of vulnerable Americans who depend on the programs for basic needs like health care and food. Dozens of advocates traveled to Washington to speak out against the potential funding reductions. Emotions ran high as speakers shared stories of how these programs have impacted their communities. 'They deserve to eat. They deserve their medications, and they deserve to live a fulfilling life,' said one advocate during the rally. 'Communities like mine will never forgive you if you don't vote no on these large cuts,' added another community member. GOP lawmakers argue the current structure of programs like Medicaid and SNAP is unsustainable and requires reform. 'We need to make sure these programs don't continue to see costs spiral out of control in a way that doesn't actually help people,' said Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.). He added that the intention is not to take coverage away, but to improve how the programs function. 'We're not going to reduce Medicaid spending, and we're certainly not going to do it in a way that causes average beneficiaries to lose their coverage,' Kiley said. Part of the Republican plan reportedly includes stricter work requirements and shifting more funding responsibility to states, though full legislative details have not yet been released. Democratic lawmakers at the rally promised to push back forcefully in upcoming budget negotiations. Several expressed concern that the cuts would disproportionately harm low-income families, children, and seniors. 'It's cruel to cut nutrition assistance from needy children, seniors, and families,' said Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.). 'This bill hands out trillions of dollars of tax breaks to billionaires and the biggest corporations,' added Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.). As the budget fight unfolds on Capitol Hill, both sides are bracing for a contentious debate over the future of America's most critical social safety net programs. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
San Francisco Chronicle
09-05-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Have California Republicans finally found their spines on Trump?
Like many California Republicans, Rep. Kevin Kiley has gone out of his way to show he's not just on board with President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's priorities — he's eager to help make them happen. Since Trump's election, Kiley, of Rocklin (Placer County), has introduced bills to eliminate funding for California's high-speed rail, to allow law enforcement officers to ignore the state's sanctuary law and to reverse its law to phase out gas-powered cars. He even introduced a measure to reform Federal Aviation Administration bureaucracy that he made clear would benefit Musk's SpaceX. So, it was a surprise to see a far more measured statement from Kiley on Friday asking his House colleagues to 'provide robust funding for AmeriCorps' in the upcoming budget. It was a gentle way of acknowledging the obvious: Trump's cuts are hurting his constituents. Musk's Department of Government Efficiency recently cut $400 million from AmeriCorps, the national volunteer program that connects young adults to volunteer opportunities in poor neighborhoods. Kiley, a veteran of AmeriCorps' Teach for America program, did not directly mention Musk, Trump or the cuts in his plea. But he gave a nod to DOGE's purported mission by touting the programs as 'proven, cost-effective solutions to longstanding workforce challenges.' Kiley isn't the only California Republican who is beginning to speak out as popular programs and agencies are unceremoniously gutted. Some state lawmakers this week joined Democrats in defending programs that have been gutted. More than a dozen Republicans in the state Legislature signed onto a letter pleading with their congressional colleagues to preserve funding for Head Start, which provides free early learning and support services across the state, which they called 'foundational to our state's early childhood education, home visiting, and family support infrastructure.' About two-thirds of the state Legislature signed on while doing something exceedingly rare under Trump — it stated that the bipartisan group is 'deeply aligned' on the 'shared goals of advancing opportunity, equity, and economic resilience.' (Nobody tell the Republicans who signed the letter that they just put to paper their commitment to the 'E' in DEI.) Meanwhile, a separate discussion in the state Assembly this week further exemplified the tightrope Republicans are walking as they take pains to avoid disparaging Trump — even as they oppose his efforts. Lawmakers were discussing a resolution calling on Trump to honor his commitments to wildfire mitigation projects and urging him to veto any legislation that would defund the U.S. Forest Service. It's a symbolic gesture that doesn't include any action or spending. Still, Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher scolded Democrats for their 'rhetoric' regarding the president even as he admitted he supported the measure. Another Republican, Assembly Member Carl DeMaio, likened Democrats criticizing Trump to 'the devil complaining about sin.' Yet he, too, voted for the resolution. It passed unanimously. None of these actions by Republicans were particularly courageous; they all involved wildly popular programs. Head Start is supported by a whopping 74% of Trump voters, according to a recent survey. And California Republicans, unlike their colleagues in red states, have to navigate their allegiance to Trump while representing a state where he is deeply unpopular. One recent poll found that '68% of registered voters in California disapprove of the president's job performance and believe the country is on the wrong track,' according to the Los Angeles Times. The same phenomenon is happening in New York, where some of Trump's top allies in Congress pushed back aggressively against a proposal to raise the cap on state and local tax deductions, known as SALT. 'A higher SALT cap isn't a luxury. It's a matter of fairness. We reject this offer,' they wrote in a letter. Defending noncontroversial programs is an easy way for these politicians to show they're attuned to their constituents' needs. And the sheer breadth of the Trump-led cuts makes it possible for Republicans to pick and choose the most appealing programs to defend. Is anyone in favor of being blindsided by an atmospheric river? Anti-preschooler? Yet the increasing frequency with which Republicans appear to be taking public stands against Trump suggests that the missing-in-action Congress might be awakening to his most egregious actions. This week, Senate Republicans — the ones who welcomed Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel and Pete Hegseth into top leadership positions — forced Trump to abandon his nomination of Ed Martin, an extremist who defended Jan. 6 rioters, as U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. It's against this backdrop that Republicans in Congress will be wrestling with budget cuts, including, potentially, cutting billions from Medicaid. Republicans in swing districts, including California Reps. David Valadao of Bakersfield and Young Kim of Anaheim, told House Speaker Mike Johnson in a letter that 'we cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.' Of course, letters are one thing; standing up to Trump in a contentious budget showdown is another. It's far from clear whether these lawmakers would buckle under meaningful pressure from Trump. Still, their pushback this week offers at least an acknowledgment that Trump's moves are impacting many of their constituents' livelihoods — and perhaps soon, their own.
Newsweek
30-04-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
California Faces Probe After Sharing People's Health Data With LinkedIn
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. California's handling of sensitive health information is under scrutiny following a report that data entered by residents on the state's health insurance marketplace was shared with LinkedIn. Covered California, which runs the state's marketplace, shared sensitive personal data with LinkedIn, a subsidiary of Microsoft, through embedded tracking tools on the website, nonprofit news organization The Markup reported on Monday. Covered California confirmed the data transmission in a news release later that day, saying "some sensitive data was inadvertently collected by the tags, including first names, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, and other sensitive health information like pregnancy status." It added that all advertising-related tags on the website had been turned off as a "precautionary measure," and that it would review the extent of the data shared. Representative Kevin Kiley, the Democrat from California has called for an investigation. "This is incredibly disturbing," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Newsweek contacted Representative Kiley via social media and email, as well as the press offices of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and California Governor Gavin Newsom via email outside of regular working hours on Wednesday. Why It Matters Concerns over personal data have grown in recent months after it emerged the government's Department of Government Efficiencyworked to gain access to the Social Security Administration's data systems, which hold sensitive personal data about approximately 70 million Americans. California's sharing of sensitive data with LinkedIn will likely raise similar concerns about threats to Americans' privacy. File photo: the LinkedIn homepage. File photo: the LinkedIn homepage. Chris Radburn/Press Association via AP What To Know Trackers on which was created under the Affordable Care Act, captured users' answers to questions about blindness, pregnancy, high prescription use, gender identity and experiences with domestic abuse, The Markup reported. The data was then transmitted to LinkedIn using Insight Tag, which uses code to track how visitors interact with websites. Covered California said in a statement that it "leverages LinkedIn's advertising platform tools to understand consumer behavior;" however, LinkedIn notes on its website that Insight Tag "should not be installed on web pages that collect or contain Sensitive Data." The LinkedIn campaign trackers began in February 2024 and were removed "due to a marketing agency transition" in early April, Covered California told CalMatters. Covered California had more than 60 trackers on its site, compared to the average on other government sites of three, CalMatters reported. What People Are Saying Covered California said in a news release on Monday: "Covered California is reviewing its entire website and information security and privacy protocols to ensure that no analytics tools are impermissibly collecting or sharing sensitive consumer information. The LinkedIn Insight tags are no longer active and, as a precautionary measure, all active advertising-related tags across the website have been turned off. "Covered California is committed to safeguarding the confidential information and privacy of its consumers. The organization will share additional findings from this investigation as they become available." California Representative Kevin Kiley, wrote on X: "California's Obamacare website tracked users' personal health information—such as pregnancy and prescription drug use—and sent it to LinkedIn for a 'marketing campaign.' We are asking Secretary Kennedy to investigate for HIPAA violations." What Happens Next The Department of Health and Human Services has yet to respond publicly to Kiley's call for an investigation.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Owner of Welsh supermarket chain told he has to stop digging near his house
A businessman in Gower who's been told to halt digging work on a bank near his house said he was doing it to prevent falling stones damaging cars. Christopher Kiley claimed Swansea Council was responsible for any damage that subsequently occurred. Above the bank and private parking area is a woodland and concerns were raised locally that the work being carried out might be damaging the roots of some trees. The council then visited the site, off Caswell Road in Caswell. A spokesman for the authority said it instructed the landowner to stop the work so that investigations could be carried out and establish if there was any damage to protected areas. READ MORE: DWP names the amount in savings that will set off bank account checks READ MORE: Searches to take place in two locations three hours apart for missing teenagers "Further site visits are planned in relation to possible breaches of planning controls," the spokesman said. Mr Kiley, director and founder of the CK's Supermarket business, said falling stones had recently caused £2,500 of damage to a parked car below and that cars and vans had previously been dented at the site. "Because of this I've got to remove the stones at the top of the bank," he said. A letter of his to the council said the bank situation presented a risk to human life as well as vehicles and that the work to remove stones was around two-thirds of the way through. The letter said no trees had fallen and that his legal advice was that the council was responsible from this point on for damage by falling stones. The council said: "Mr Kiley is responsible for ensuring the safety of his land and property." Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here Mr Kiley has previously applied to build a 98-metre track through the woodland, which he owns, to access a smallholding above but his application was turned down by the council. It said there was "no reasonable justification or need" for the track and that its three-metre width - coupled with the loss of 12 trees covered by a preservation order - would harm the site's rural character. The council's decision was upheld in 2022 by a Welsh Government-appointed planning inspector. This followed an appeal by Mr Kiley for non-determination of the application within the statutory eight-week period. CK's Supermarkets, which Mr Kiley built up, trades as CK Foodstores. There are 32 stores across south west Wales according to its website.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Congressman Blasts California Governor for Death Penalty Pause Amid Omar Hernandez Murder Case
Mario Edgardo Garcia Aquino -- the man who the L.A. County D.A. alleges killed 13-year-old Oscar Omar Hernandez -- deserves the death penalty, one U.S congressman says ... and, he blames California Governor Gavin Newsom for making that impossible. We spoke with U.S. Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) Wednesday about this case ... and, he tells us the moratorium on the death penalty instituted by Gov. Newsom in 2019 has had disastrous consequences. Among them, Kiley says, the people of California voted to keep the death penalty legal ... and, the governor stepped in to override the rule, making criminals less afraid of committing major crimes. California Proposition 62 -- which would've repealed the death penalty -- failed back in 2016. Congressman Kiley adds he's happy L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman is reestablishing law and order in Los Angeles ... blasting former D.A. George Gascón's "insane" policies. Kiley also blasts Newsom for proudly touting California's sanctuary state status ... Aquino is undocumented -- and, Kiley says he has more protections because of it. Worth noting ... Ryan Elizabeth Todd -- a New York City-based immigration attorney with Milstein Law Group -- tells TMZ it is possible for foreign nationals to receive the death penalty, including undocumented immigrants. The U.S. also has to inform the arrested party of their right to notify their consulate -- though this doesn't always happen, Todd says. As you know ... the D.A.'s Office claims Aquino killed Hernandez while engaged in the "performance of a lewd and lascivious act." Aquino was charged with murder in this case, and faces other charges from a previous alleged sexual assault. The last time an inmate was executed in California was 2006. Congressman Kiley says he doubts Gov. Newsom will end that streak ... but, we'll have to wait and see. We've reached out to Newsom's office ... so far, no word back.
