Archives

Fall is in the air. So too, for many in college (and their parents), are the effects of reforming health care. You see, if not for this day one year ago, college’s super-seniors, grad students, and those just beginning to enter this less-than-ideal job market would have had to face the perils of going uninsured.

On September 23, 2010:

• Young adults (up to age 26) were allowed to remain on their parents’ health insurance, if their parents so desired;
• Insurers could no longer deny children coverage for a pre-existing condition; and
• No health plan could have a lifetime or annual limit on certain benefits or rescind coverage if an individual got sick.

So today, we celebrate. We celebrate the day Congress stood up against injustice and insurance cronies. We celebrate a President who stood up for young people, old people, poor people, rich people, working people, sick people, and yes, even healthy people.

Today, we cheer the million more people ages 19 to 25 who had health insurance in the first quarter of 2011 than in the same time period in 2010, because we know prevention and early-intervention are the best and most cost-effective medicines.

Most of all, we are humbled by the fight that got us to this day. We know it was neither easy nor without risk. But today, we are sure, the Affordable Care Act was a fight worth winning. Thank you, Mr. President.

We hate to break this news; but moderation is not the new ‘black’. In fact, as Sen. Lamar Alexander exits his GOP leadership post, and Sen. John Thune clamors for the megaphone, it seems the hottest thing this season is Republican double-speak. (Say What?!)

We remember a day when Thune found leadership objectionable. We also remember the day Thune registered as a lobbyist. Oh, and the day he then served as a member of Congress and a lobbyist on behalf of his old clients.

What we’re not looking forward to is the day Thune steps into this new leadership role and then sells out South Dakota to the highest bidder. It’s been done before – we remember MetaBank too.

So, Sen. Thune – put Kristi Noem’s Tea Party aside, forget your 2014 Presidential Primary, and remember you represent more than Dan Nelson and his Iowa residency at the Federal Prison.

(Actually, whom are we kidding? What has John Thune ever done for South Dakota? Listen up – two words: Vote Democrat. Two more words: In 2012. Four more: Then Again In 2014.)

Fact: Kristi Noem will say just about anything to get elected – even if that means sacrificing the jobs she “promised” to protect.

You see, kids, Congresswoman Noem told a tall tale on the campaign trail.  She claimed she would go to DC and save Ellsworth Air Force Base.  What she meant was that if she conned you into believing that she would protect South Dakota, she would work darn hard to continue that lip-service in her tele-town halls.

Today, the Department of Defense announced it will have to cut 389 jobs in South Dakota because of Kristi Noem’s Tea Party and its plan to dismantle America.  (Dear Kristi: We are less than impressed.)

The only job Noem is worried about protecting is her own.  Well, perhaps that of her buddy, Speak Boehner – oh, and Mitt Romney, who gave her a sizable donation last year.  The job Noem is not worried about protecting is yours.  (Our condolences…)

So, as Kristi Noem adds to her collection of pink slips – at South Dakota’s expense – let us not forget why, every day, Noem successfully reminds us that we need someone in Washington working to protect us (you know, even the people who couldn’t pay $1000 for a picture with Boehner).

Native American veterans should be able to seek health care through either the Department of Veterans Affairs or Indian Health Service instead of being bounced between the two federal agencies, Sen. Tim Johnson said Tuesday. Continue Reading »

Dear South Dakota: Your new Congresswoman, Kristi Noem, recently claimed that her vote to destroy Medicare as we know it “saved” Medicare. Baffled? Us too.

You see, South Dakota, Kristi Noem claims that her buddy Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan won’t change things for folks 55 and over – except of course for the rising Medicare Part-D premiums that the Bush Administration never bothered to pay for. Kristi Noem also claims that folks under 55 will have guaranteed Medicare – except of course, Medicare will be privatized, her insurance company donors will be raking in the big bucks, and you better not pick the wrong “plan” because you might not get coverage when you need it most, kinda like those drug formularies currently used in Medicare Part-D plans. Oh yeah, and if you’re under 55 and already have Medicare because of a disability, well, Kristi Noem and Paul Ryan don’t plan to protect you. You’re lumped with the Medicare have-nots too.

Now, some of you may want to give Kristi Noem the benefit of the doubt. She is, after all, only a Freshman, and did, after all, just complete a congressional internship this Spring in Washington, DC. So, here’s the direct quote she gave the Sioux Falls Argus Leader yesterday:

Argus Leader: “If you look at a voucher-type program for Medicare when you retire, that’s something you want?”

Noem: “It’s not a voucher program, though. I think that’s something a lot of people like to label it. It’s essentially where insurance plans are going to be subsidized by the federal government. So it’s not where I get a voucher and pick an insurance plan. It’s totally different. It’s where the seniors get to come in and pick the plan that best fits them. Then the federal government will step in and subsidize those plans. So the voucher doesn’t ever come to the senior and they get out and shop around. It’s much more where they get their choice of plans.”

Noem goes on to say,

“And Obamacare certainly changed Medicare as we know it – half a trillion dollars in cuts, and the decisions of a 15-member board, it’s a lot different than a patient and their doctor making those decisions.”

Agreed – her explanation of what a voucher is not sounds a lot like the definition of a voucher. Again, benefit of the doubt – she’s a freshman intern. Perhaps more interestingly, Noem attacks changes the Affordable Care Act (ACA) made to Medicare Advantage Plans, plans that cost the government more per patient than standard Medicare for the same services. Continue Reading »

In an announcement released today by U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD), the Rosebud Sioux Tribe will receive a $6.8 million grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish the first cemetery in the nation established jointly by the VA and a federally recognized tribe. Continue Reading »

When President Franklin Roosevelt signed Social Security into law on August 14, 1935, he said,

“The civilization of the past hundred years, with its startling industrial changes, has tended more and more to make life insecure. Young people have come to wonder what would be their lot when they came to old age. The man with a job has wondered how long the job would last. This law, too, represents a cornerstone in a structure which is being built but is by no means complete. It is, in short, a law that will take care of human needs and at the same time provide the United States an economic structure of vastly greater soundness.”

Roosevelt’s words are as relevant now as they were then.  The Social Security Act and its promise to aid the most vulnerable help comprise the very fabric of our social fiber.  Social Security, and the people it helps, is worth protecting.

As we celebrate its 76^th anniversary, we remember Social Security’s humble beginnings and the lives forever changed because Americans believed we do better when we all do better. As Democrats, we stand proud for the difference Social Security has made, and stand ready to protect a more secure future.

Shortly after Congress finally reached agreement on our nation’s debt ceiling, we received news that shocked us all – 30 Americans belonging to the elite Navy SEALS team that killed Osama Bin Laden were shot down in their helicopter by Afghani insurgents, killing all service members on board. This was the deadliest single loss of US troops since the war in Afghanistan began.

It’s easy sometimes to disconnect from the sacrifices our armed service members make day in and day out. These brave soldiers lost their lives in service to our country. Many more service members return home with permanent injuries in need of persistent care. Their sacrifice demands our support.

Learn More about the Disabled American Veterans Department of South Dakota

For all South Dakotans who have served or whose family members served, please take this moment to support local groups that support our troops. Let’s not forget that sacrifice South Dakota soldiers and their families make every day in service to their country.

I’m highlighting the efforts of Disabled American Veterans, which has been building better lives for America’s disabled veterans for over 90 years. Today, there are ways you can stand up for veterans that stand up for us:

• Text a $5 Donation
• Make a Contribution, Then Save on Prescriptions
• Volunteer
• Check in with a Local Chapter Close to You

In light of recent events, please consider giving your support to the Disabled American Veterans or another local veterans group today.

- Ben

Dear Kristi Noem,

We write this blog entry on behalf of every South Dakotan.  Your vote on the “cut, cap and balance” bill deeply worries us.  We are very concerned about your priorities.  We are even more concerned about the promises you have broken to your constituents back home as you curry favor with your new Washington friends.

So, we have a suggestion. Instead of focusing on keeping your job as leader of the Freshman Class in DC, it might be wise to focus on your real job – no, not your internship or your perpetual career as a college student – but on your job as South Dakota’s lone voice in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Though it’s true we often don’t agree with your choices to advance DC politics over South Dakota’s needs, we feel it’s time you live less dangerously.

Too much is at stake to risk South Dakota’s future on Tea Party ideals.  The revolt over taxes on tea is over. (P.S. We won.)  South Dakota needs a strong voice, one that will speak up when it counts, and make sure even the most vulnerable have a chance to prosper.

So, as we continue to work hard at our jobs back home – please do us a kindness.  Start doing yours.  If you don’t feel up to the challenge, don’t worry – 2012 is right around the corner.

Yours Truly,

The Majority of South Dakotans Who Coincidentally Didn’t Vote For You