Latest news with #U.S.SenateFinanceCommittee
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Have thoughts on affordable housing in Idaho? Here's how to weigh in on U.S. Sen. Crapo's survey.
U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) (R) and Ranking Member Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) preside over a meeting as the committee votes to advance the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services on Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The full committee voted along party lines to advance the nomination to the entire Senate for confirmation. (Photo by) U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, is collecting Idahoans' opinions on affordable housing through a survey. The survey is meant to inform Crapo about common issues to possibly consider legislation, the senator's office announced in a news release in March. In 2014 and 2015, the senator's veterans' surveys led Crapo to introduce legislation that became law, his office said. 'A lack of affordable housing is the number one issue Idahoans raise with my staff and me in meetings across the State,' Crapo said in a prepared statement. 'Idaho is far from alone in this nationwide challenge, but Idahoans can be a key part in piecing together the housing puzzle as I continue to work to find collaborative solutions to this issue. I invite any Idahoan to complete the survey and share as much detail as they are willing and able to provide.' For two years in a row, Idahoans have listed workforce and affordable housing as their overall top budget priority for the Idaho Legislature, according to the annual Idaho Public Policy Survey by Boise State University. Almost a third of Idahoans, 32%, listed the issue as their top state legislative budget priority. Nearly half of Idahoans, 49%, reported feeling financially strained by housing costs, the survey found. Crapo's affordable housing survey, available online, is open through May 31. The survey is intended to hear feedback from homeowners, renters, insurance brokers, bankers, realtors, government officials and general contractors, Crapo's office said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Idaho U.S. Sen. Crapo blocks tariff bill days before Trump imposes tariffs on Canada, Mexico
U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) (R) and Ranking Member Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) preside over a meeting as the committee votes to advance the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next Secretary of Health and Human Services on Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The full committee voted along party lines to advance the nomination to the entire Senate for confirmation. (Photo by) This story was first published by Idaho Reports on March 5, 2025. U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, blocked a bill Feb. 27 that would have prevented the president from imposing tariffs without Congressional consent on countries that are allies of the United States, calling the proposal 'too blunt of an instrument when nuance is called for.' The move came just days before President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on nearly all products imported from Canada and Mexico, the United States' biggest trading partners, prompting the two countries to say they would impose their own retaliatory tariffs on American products. The U.S. Senate bill, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, would have required Congress to sign off before a president could impose tariffs on free trade partners or allies. Coons asked for unanimous consent to pass the bill during a Feb. 27 floor session, but Crapo, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, blocked the request. During his remarks on the Senate floor, Crapo said he agrees with Coons on several trade issues, including the need for the United States to negotiate more free trade agreements like the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, or USMCA. 'I also agree that we should not undertake tariff actions lightly, on our allies or on free trade agreement partners,' Crapo continued. 'We should, however, take care before we say that all options are completely off the table. In fact, all of our free trade agreements provide exceptions for when parties can remove economic benefits, including on national security grounds.' Trump has repeatedly cited the flow of fentanyl into the United States as the reason for imposing tariffs on Canada and Mexico. While authorities seized more than 21,000 pounds of fentanyl at the southern border during the 2024 fiscal year, they discovered just 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border, seizing less than a pound some months, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. As of the end of January, authorities have seized only 10 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border for the 2025 federal fiscal year, which runs from October through September. 'Tariffs are appropriate tools if used in the right way, and can be a useful means of balancing unfair trade practices and opening foreign markets to U.S. exports,' Crapo wrote in an email comment to Idaho Reports. 'We want to avoid any unnecessary actions that would harm families recovering from four years of inflation under the previous Administration. President Trump makes a strong case that his tariff policies and other economic reforms will recover our economy from the Biden era's mistakes.' This isn't the first time in recent months Idaho's senior U.S. senator has mentioned tariffs. According to Politico, Crapo took a 'cautious stance' on tariffs during a December Senate Finance Committee hearing, saying he wanted to hear more about Trump's plans before attacking them. 'I think that we all agree that tariffs are appropriate tools if used in the right way, and we all agree that there is a wrong use of tariffs, and we'll get into that as we move through the next three or four years,' Crapo said. During a February nomination hearing for the now-confirmed United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Crapo mentioned the importance of having someone in the USTR position who could report to Congress on international trade issues, especially when the president imposes tariffs. 'The executive orders (on tariffs) rely on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, and concern drug policy and border security. The President, not USTR, invokes IEEPA, and the Department of Homeland Security, not USTR, is responsible for securing our borders,' Crapo said during the hearing. 'What the president has done that is different, though, is bringing tariffs into the discussions about border security,' Crapo said. 'USTR is… America's chief trade negotiator. Any time the U.S. government is considering tariffs or something that implicates trade policy, (the trade representative) should be part of those conversations, and report to us about those conversations and solicit our input.' Also in February, Crapo published a column outlining trade policy priorities, including negotiating trade agreements that are fair to the United States and help Idaho producers. 'The United States must resume negotiating real, comprehensive trade deals that expand market access for Idaho producers, protect Idaho interests competing abroad and thoughtfully reduce those tariffs that help our manufacturers, businesses and consumers,' Crapo wrote. In 2018, during the first Trump administration, Idaho producers lost millions due to retaliatory tariffs from Mexico: An estimated $15.4 million in potato exports under a 20% tariff, $14.4 million in cheese and whey due to the 25% tariff, and $1.1 million in export revenue from pork and ham due to an added 20% tariff, said Fabiola McClellan, then-head of Idaho's Mexico City-based foreign trade office, in a February 2019 press release. Mexico put those tariffs in place in response to the United States placing tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico. The same press release said overall exports from Idaho to Mexico stayed steady in 2018. 'We are very relieved to see that the numbers have somehow remained even,' McClellan said at the time. 'And a lot of that is due to hardworking Idaho companies. … We need to protect our market down there very carefully.' The United States reached a deal with both Canada and Mexico in May 2019 to remove retaliatory tariffs. Currently, Canada is Idaho's top export partner, with exports to the country totaling almost $1.5 billion in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available. Food and agriculture products accounted for one fourth of that total, at $383 million, according to the Idaho Department of Commerce. Idaho also imports a number of goods from Canada, including $360 million worth of food and agriculture products in 2023, and $272 million in wood, pulp and paper products. In 2023, Idaho imported nearly $169 million worth of goods from Mexico, with food and agriculture accounting for about $68 million of that total, as well as $61.5 million of transportation equipment, according to the Department of Commerce. Mexico is Idaho's third largest export partner, with exports to Mexico totaling $284 million in 2023. Food and agriculture accounted for 88% of Idaho's exports to the country. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Care or Chaos? Inside the Portsmouth teen center at the heart of abuse allegations
PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – When Alyssa Hertle, 15, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, entered Harbor Point Behavioral Health Center last August, neither she nor her mother, Rachelle, knew it had been cited in a congressional investigation for abuse. Alyssa had experimented with drugs, but her primary diagnosis was elopement; she was a chronic runaway. Rachelle, the chief operating officer of a mental health practice, has experience in the mental health field. During her search for a suitable facility for Alyssa, Harbor Point emerged as an option. However, Harbor Point was mentioned 10 times in the report 'Warehouses of Neglect' from the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, stemming from an investigation that began in July 2022. According to the report, the findings included… 'Dragging or throwing of children''Rather than de-escalating a situation, a staffer hit the child'Violence among children 'including kicking and punching the child in the face' and 'the child was kicked in the head' A staffer telling a child 'I will slap the sh*t out of you, I don't care''Staff gave children incorrect and/or mislabeled medications' Harbor Point, operated by Universal Health Services, declined to respond on camera but provided an extensive response online. Alyssa and Rachelle Hertle stated that while Alyssa was not physically abused, conditions at Harbor Point were often chaotic, leaving parents uninformed. They highlighted issues related to lack of communication, insufficient attention to critical details, and what they believe to be violations of the patient's bill of rights. 'We weren't told about her daily activities. We weren't told about what was going on,' Rachelle said. 'They were giving her or attempting to give her medication that was not hers,' which Rachelle and Alyssa consider a violation of her rights. 'Denying outgoing calls is actually a violation of their human rights,' Rachelle said. Harbor Point CEO Freddie Anderson responded to concerns in an email to WAVY, stating: FULL TEXT OF RESPONSE FROM HARBOR POINT BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CENTER Monday, Feb 10, 2025 Chris, I received your inquiry and am providing the below responses. Please confirm receipt. Due to HIPAA patient privacy laws, I cannot offer comment on specific patients or their care. As a matter of facility protocols here at Harbor Point Behavioral Health Care, I can confirm that family involvement in patient care is critical to a patient's success. We engage with families and guardians to provide transparency and to elicit their full involvement in supporting their loved one during treatment. Engagement with families includes phone calls, zoom sessions, meetings, emails, and of course direct phone calls between patients and families. We seek to accommodate the schedules of family members as needed to ensure maximum participation. Our treatment plans are centered around the whole child. Our therapy staff hold the necessary qualifications to treat and care for patients as required by the State licensing department and the VA Licensing Board. As a matter of regulatory compliance, any medication error is promptly reported to the State via the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS). Harbor Point Behavioral Health Care is in compliance with all local, state and federal regulatory reporting requirements. In addition, the facility takes all necessary remedial actions following each reported concern. For additional information on the response to the Senate Finance Committee Report, please see: Harbor Point Behavioral Health Care, located in Portsmouth, VA, provides inpatient, outpatient and specialty behavioral health programs for children and adolescents. Our compassionate clinical staff is committed to the delivery of evidence-based, individualized, high-quality care that support strong patient outcomes. Freddie Anderson, Jr. | CEO He emphasized that therapy staff possess the necessary qualifications to treat and care for patients as required by the state and noted that any medication error is promptly reported to the state. Anderson also highlighted that Harbor Point's compassionate clinical staff is committed to achieving strong patient outcomes. However, Rachelle Hertle claimed that a staff member who treated Alyssa was, at best, vague about her qualifications. 'She assured me that she was licensed as a therapist,' Rachelle said. 'Later, I saw on a piece of paper that her title was actually 'resident in counseling.' Now her email signature says 'licensed eligible clinician' instead of therapist. I had never seen that title before.' State regulators told WAVY that in 2024, they received 19 reports of abuse, neglect, or rights violations from Harbor Point. Most of the reports involved peer-to-peer altercations, and regulators noted that conditions have improved since August. At that time, Alyssa entered Harbor Point and reported that staff turnover was an ongoing problem. 'We constantly had different staff, and we'd ask, 'Who are you? Why are you here? If you can't handle working with kids who clearly have issues, then you shouldn't work there at all,'' Alyssa said. As far as the development of any useful skills, Alyssa said she was taught by Harbor Point staff to crochet while she was there. 'Now when I try to do it, I get bored. I think that says a lot about everything we had to do at Harbor Point,' the speaker said. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., says improving the lives of adolescents and children requires action at both the state and federal levels. 'I'm glad that you guys are staying on this, and we're going to stay on Gov. Glenn Youngkin to see what we can do in concert. These stories are horrific,' Warner said. Both mother and daughter say even something as simple as more time outdoors would be a significant step forward. Alyssa said she went outside 'maybe ten' times during her five-month stay. The fights among residents mentioned in the Senate report do not surprise her mother. 'When you treat them like prisoners, they're going to rage against the bars,' Rachelle added. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health chief nominee faces tough questions on vaccines, Native health care
Daniel Herrera CarbajalICT Appearing before the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vowed to bring a Native American into his central office if confirmed as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 'I'm going to bring a Native in for the first time in history into my central office,' he said. 'He or she will have a direct impact on all the major offices.' This week, members of two Senate committees – finance on Wednesday and health on Thursday – questioned Kennedy, an environmental lawyer turned public health critic, about his controversial views on vaccines, as well as about his shifting views on issues like abortion. Native American health concerns, however, were only briefly mentioned during the hearings. Kennedy's nomination to be the nation's top health official is uncertain after a key Republican joined Democrats to raise persistent concerns over the nominee's deep skepticism of routine childhood vaccinations that prevent deadly diseases. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, ended a three-hour confirmation hearing Thursday by telling Kennedy that he was 'struggling' with his nomination and might call him over the weekend, though he did not say how he would vote. Cassidy, a liver doctor who has regularly encouraged his constituents to vaccinate against COVID-19 and other diseases, implored Kennedy several times to reject theories that vaccines cause diseases like autism. Kennedy's refusal to do so clearly troubled Cassidy. 'If there's any false note, any undermining of a mama's trust in vaccines, another person will die from a vaccine preventable disease," Cassidy said. If all Democrats reject Kennedy's nomination, he can only afford to lose three Republican votes. Kennedy will also have to win over the swing votes of Sens. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Mitch McConnell, who have raised concerns about Kennedy and also voted against Trump's defense secretary nominee. Kennedy repeatedly promised senators he is not 'anti-vaccine' and that he, in fact, supports inoculations. But Thursday's Senate health committee hearing exposed Kennedy's deep-seated mistrust in the nation's vaccine program. Cassidy directly asked Kennedy if he would unequivocally reassure parents that the Hepatitis B and measles vaccines do not cause autism. Kennedy would not. Instead he avoided answering directly, saying 'if the data is there, I will absolutely do that.' If confirmed, Kennedy would manage an agency that oversees the Indian Health Service, which provides healthcare to 2.8 million American Indian and Alaska Native people. During his presidential campaign, Kennedy said he would address tribal environmental concerns, a position he demonstrated in 2016 when he stood with Native activists during anti-pipeline protests in North Dakota. Healthcare provided by the federal government for Indigenous nations is a treaty right. The Indian Health Service has been chronically underfunded, and President Donald Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to shrink the federal government. Last year, Kennedy told a group of tribal leaders he would triple federal support to support tribes if elected, a promise he reiterated this week. On Wednesday, Sen. Ben Ray Luján's (D-New Mexico) asked Kennedy if he would seek to ensure clinical trials for new drugs include patients from diverse backgrounds, to which Kennedy said he would. 'I'm going to do everything I can to make sure Native Americans are included in medical trails,' said Kennedy. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) said Kennedy should not be given the position. 'After a careful review of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. 's statements, actions, associations and views, I have reached the conclusion that he should not be entrusted with the health and well-being of the American people,' Wyden said. Kennedy made close to $5 million in book deals mostly promoting 'junk science,' according to Wyden. In his book 'The Measles Book: Thirty-Five Secrets the Government and the Media Aren't Telling You About Measles and the Measles Vaccine,' Kennedy alleged that Americans have been lied to about the effectiveness of the measles vaccine. 'The readers – American and global consumers of measles vaccines – will learn that they have been misled by the pharmaceutical industry and their captured government agency allies into believing that measles is a deadly disease and that measles vaccines are necessary, safe, and effective,' wrote Kennedy. Throughout the finance committee hearing, senators mentioned his lack of healthcare management and his lack of preparation for the meeting. And in a Tuesday letter to senators, his cousin Caroline Kennedy said he lacks any relevant medical, financial or government experience to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. The daughter of former President John F. Kennedy also called her cousin a 'predator' and described his healthcare views as 'dangerous' and his anti-vaccination opinions as profit-motivated – allegations he has denied. The nominee said Wednesday he has shifted his stance on reproductive rights. During his presidential campaign, Kennedy said he supported women's rights to abortions. 'I agree with him (President Trump) that we cannot be a moral nation if we have 1.2 million abortions a year,' Kennedy said. The shift led some senators to express concern about where he really stands on important issues. 'If you want to move from advocacy to public responsibility, Americans are going to need to hear a clear and trustworthy recantation of what you have said on vaccinations,' said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island). 'When was it you decided to sell out the values you've had your whole life in order to be given power by President Trump?' said Sen. Margaret Wood Hassan (D-New Hampshire). If Kennedy were to be confirmed as the nation's top health leader, he would be in charge of overseeing agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration. In an NPR interview last November, Kennedy said Trump had given him three 'instructions': remove corruption from health agencies, return these institutions to 'evidence-based science and medicine,' and 'end the chronic disease epidemic.' The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our stories are worth telling. Our stories are worth sharing. Our stories are worth your support. Contribute today to help ICT carry out its critical mission. Sign up for ICT's free newsletter.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Sen. Whitehouse says people need to ‘chill' with speculating over his RFK Jr. vote
NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse on Monday downplayed speculation that he could break with his party to support Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination as health and human services secretary. Typically a staunch foe of President Donald Trump's policies, Whitehouse has repeatedly stopped short of saying which way he plans to vote for the nominee, fueling concerns within the Democratic Party he might choose to support the Republican president's controversial pick. 'I have not been inclined to telegraph my votes before someone has even had his hearing, so I think people need to kind of chill on that for a bit,' Whitehouse told local reporters after an event in North Kingstown. 'Let him have his hearing and then we'll go forward.' EARLIER: Whitehouse seen as potential vote for RFK Jr. due to long friendship Whitehouse is a member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, which has scheduled a hearing for RFK's nomination for Wednesday. Whitehouse also has a long personal history with RFK, who's the son of U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, dating back to their days as law students at the University of Virginia. In 1998, The Providence Journal reported that Whitehouse and Kennedy hiked and hunted in the woods around Charlottesville, Virginia, while in law school. 'Kennedy half-kiddingly says he failed his first bar exam because Whitehouse persuaded him to take a four-day whitewater rafting trip in West Virginia when he should have been studying,' the paper reported. Whitehouse said Monday he also once lived with RFK's brother, the late Michael Kennedy, but that he hasn't been in touch with RFK 'for a long time.' The senator said he wants to hear the nominee answer questions on his anti-vaccine activism, which has included repeated false claims linking vaccines to autism. 'There's a lot of anti-vax nonsense that needs to be corrected, and then there's some very specific things that Rhode Island needs that I want to make sure don't get overlooked in the Trump administration,' Whitehouse said. RFK is widely viewed as one of President Trump's most controversial and vulnerable nominations, alongside Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick for director of national intelligence. RFK will need to clear the Senate Finance Committee and then garner 50 votes from the full Senate to secure his position as health secretary. Republicans so far have successfully rallied support behind Trump's cabinet picks, although Vice President JD Vance was required to cast a tie-breaking vote to secure the confirmation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday night. If confirmed, RFK would oversee 18 agencies that regularly interact with state and local governments, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 'I can ensure everyone that I will vote in the way that's best for Rhode Island,' Whitehouse said Monday, before walking away as reporters tried to ask additional questions. Eli Sherman (esherman@ is a Target 12 investigative reporter for 12 News. Connect with him on Twitter and on Facebook. Ted Nesi and Shiina LoSciuto contributed to this report. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
