Healthcare.gov’s internal controls did not effectively determine eligibility for coverage because Social Security numbers and citizenship status were not always verified properly, according to a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) audit.
The Inspector General (IG) investigated HHS to determine whether the Federal marketplace’s internal controls determined correctly whether individuals were eligible for qualified health plans.
The IG found that the internal controls did not always correctly verify Social Security numbers, citizenship status, annual household income, and family size information to determine eligibility.
One applicant understated her income by $7,000. According to the IG, the marketplace should have compared this income data to available electronic data sources and realized that the applicant’s income was more than 10 percent below the income listed on these data sources. Then, the marketplace should have asked the applicant for additional evidence of income . . .
Another example of weak internal controls was found in efforts to verify citizenship status. The marketplace did not always verify this information through the Social Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, as was required. (Read more from “This Health Care Site Did Not Verify Social Security Numbers, Citizenship Status” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-08-13 23:43:362015-08-13 23:43:36This Health Care Site Did Not Verify Social Security Numbers, Citizenship Status
At Conservative Review, we’ve focused a lot this year on the nexus between politically correct immigration policies and risks to our national security. That, in fact, clamping down on immigration from volatile parts of the world is more important, prudent, and constitutional than engaging in nation building oversees or expanding the surveillance state.
With the FBI warning that the homegrown terror problem is growing out of control, especially among the ranks of families who emigrated from the Middle East, two conservative senators want answers on the danger of our immigration policies and the role it has played in homegrown terror. Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) have sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, and Secretary of State John Kerry demanding answers regarding the immigration status of the growing list of individuals caught planning terror attacks, executing terror attacks, or flying abroad to fight for Islamic terror groups. In the letter, they state, in part:
Based on publicly available information, we have identified at least 72 individuals in the United States who, over the last year: have engaged in or attempted to engage in acts of terrorism; conspired or attempted to conspire to provide material support to a terrorist organization; engaged in criminal conduct inspired by terrorist ideology; or who have been sentenced for any of the foregoing. We would like to understand more about these individuals, and others similarly situated in recent history, and the nexus between terrorism and our immigration system.
Sessions and Cruz are exactly right. Five American servicemen were murdered on American soil by an Islamic terrorist whose family immigrated here from Kuwait. There are so many unanswered questions about his immigration history and neither the political class nor the media seem interested in asking the relevant questions.
Instead of relying on the administration to supply half-baked information, the senators cleverly created a chart with specific permutations of immigration questions for the 72 cases and are requesting that the relevant departments coordinate to fill them out. In addition, they have requested a list of all immigrants who have engaged in terror activities since 1993. That was the year two CIA agents were shot and killed outside of the Langley headquarters and the World Trade Center was bombed by Muslim immigrants from the Middle East. The Heritage Foundation counts 69 known terror plots since 9/11, most of which were committed by Muslim immigrants to the U.S. or those from families that emigrated from the Middle East.
The senators want to know why more isn’t being done to deter the growing trend of individuals living here who attempt to join terror groups. Cruz’s office pointed to the bill he introduced earlier this year, which would strip citizenship and passports from those who join terrorist organizations. “The Senator plans to continue to push for the Judiciary Committee to take up the Expatriate Terrorist Act. This letter is part of the effort to make the case that ETA is needed as a tool to prevent acts of terror by naturalized citizens.”
What is so offensive about this growing phenomenon is that it is so avoidable. Our government can’t stop all domestic crime nor can they solve the world’s problems, but it is their responsibility and within their power to prevent security risks from coming here to begin with. However, there is so little data collected on the immigration history of domestic terrorists because it flies in the face of the left-wing agenda. And that is the goal of this letter, according to Cruz’s office. “The Senator has grave concerns about how well the government is vetting foreign nationals whom it allows into the country and whom, in some cases, it allows to become US citizens,” said a Cruz aid. “The letter is part of an effort to gain a better understanding of the problem so that we can address it.”
It was disappointing to watch the incoherence of the presidential candidates on this issue during both debates last Thursday. When the question of homegrown Islamic terror was posed to the candidates, they spoke at length about fighting overseas (with too much focus solely on ISIS) and debated the NSA surveillance program, but none of them brought up the 800-pound gorilla in the room – suicidal immigration policies. Have none of them read the bipartisan 9/11 Commission Report?
America represents 4% of the world’s population, yet it already has 20% of the world’s migrants. Gallup finds that 138 million people worldwide would like to immigrate to the U.S. There is no lack of supply for new immigrants; we can choose the best and brightest. So why are our politicians continuing the failed policies that bring in security risks, violent criminals, and even fiscal liabilities? Immigration is an elective policy and should be used to benefit the country, not dismantle it. It’s about time our representatives get to the bottom of our insecure immigration system. The Sessions/Cruz effort is a good start. (Re-posted with permission from the author, “Sessions, Cruz Demand Immigration History of Homegrown Terrorists”, originally appeared HERE)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claims the finalized “Clean Power Plan” will have climate and health benefits for Americans worth tens of billions of dollars and save thousands of lives per year. Despite the rise in electricity prices that will result from the implementation of this rule, the agency asserts the regulation is a “historic step” toward combating climate change and improving public health.
However, the EPA has been extremely one-sided in its analysis of the costs and benefits of the rule. The rule requires states to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent in 2030, though these emission reductions will have essentially no impact on global warming, reducing the rise in global temperatures by just 0.02 degrees Celsius in 2100. Because the climate rule will not affect climate change, the Obama administration relies on health co-benefits that have nothing to do with regulating carbon dioxide. These health co-benefits comprise over two-thirds of the total benefits, including EPA’s claim that the rule prevents thousands of premature deaths. The EPA has also turned to linking climate change to asthma to garner public support for the rule. While EPA claims its carbon rule will save lives, the agency fails to acknowledge how many deaths the plan may cause.
Specifically, EPA ignores the link between health and wealth. By increasing electricity prices and decreasing the disposable income of low-income families,the rule may end up causing far more premature deaths than it prevents, even if we accept the EPA’s numbers at face value. In fact, as explained below, our estimates indicate EPA’s rule could cause—on balance—14,000 more premature deaths by 2030. Vulnerable, low-income families, who spend a of their incomes on energy, will be harmed the most—and could be forced to forgo necessities such as food, medical care, and prescription drugs. By forcing higher energy prices on American families, the rule will end up making the poor poorer and the sick sicker.
The EPA acknowledged this “health-wealth” connection in the past and has used it in economic analyses, stating: “people’s wealth and health status, as measured by mortality, morbidity, and other metrics, are positively correlated. Hence, those who bear a regulation’s compliance costs may also suffer a decline in their health status, and if the costs are large enough, these increased risks might be greater than the direct risk-reduction benefits of the regulation.”
Although the EPA used to appreciate the health-wealth link, EPA now ignores it to promote President Obama’s carbon agenda. Citing Executive Order 13563 in the Regulatory Impact Analysis for the Clean Power Plan, the EPA recounts that, “our regulatory system must protect public health, welfare, safety, and our environment while promoting economic growth, innovation, competitiveness, and job creation.” Unfortunately, in neglecting to accurately assess the public health costs of the carbon rule, the EPA is poised to negatively impact Americans’ health, discourage economic growth, and destroy jobs—all for essentially no effect on climate change. (Read more from “The Poor and the Sick Suffer Under Obama’s Carbon Rule” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-08-13 23:42:142015-08-13 23:42:14The Poor and the Sick Suffer Under Obama’s Carbon Rule
Since presidential debates started in 1960, the journalists who are supposed to “moderate” them have increasingly set the agenda and determined the substance of what the public sees. In the first 2016 presidential debate, Fox News’ “moderators” focused on what might embarrass candidates rather than on their record or proposals. Also, they indulged the Republican Establishment’s animus against its least favorite candidate. Though this made for an exciting show, the biggest loser was the public’s interest in understanding candidates and issues. The public interest would be best served were candidates to question one another. That’s how it was done in Lincoln’s day. We could and should get back to that.
Choosing the president of the United states on the basis of short answers to questions formulated or chosen by journalists was always a bad idea. It has only gotten worse. Limited to two minutes, as in the League Of Women Voters debates (Fox’s limit was one minute answers and 30 second rebuttals) the candidates can only reprise their canned talking points or the cleverish ads that are the foul staples of modern campaigns. Such parodies of debates demean the candidates, and all of us who watch. Along with the candidates, we the people become pawns in a game between the political consultants, the “moderators,” and the commentators who then tell us who played best.
The Myth Of The Moderator
Because no one ever doubted that “moderators” would influence the outcome of presidential debates, much effort went into giving the impression that the persons chosen were such as whom all would consider objective and super partes. Trust in the media’s impartiality, however, had vanished long before “moderator” Candy Crowley helped Barack Obama sustain a lie in 2012’s second presidential debate by instantly and counterfactually “fact checking” Mitt Romney. How, not whether, Mainstream Media “moderators” push the agendas of the Democratic Establishment they represented is the only question. Indeed, by 2012 it was difficult to avoid the sense that the media, Fox News included, was focusing negative coverage on the most conservative candidate who happened to be leading in the polls at any given time.
So, as Megyn Kelly’s team prepared for the first debate of the 2016 cycle, and as trumping Donald Trump’s challenge to the Republican Establishment became that Establishment’s overriding concern, it was clear that Fox’s “moderators” would be the most intrusive ever, and that their push of their employers’ agenda and their “take down” of their least favorite candidate would be explicit. In both regards, the Fox team broke new ground and established precedents that should lead us to scrap the post 1960 format. (Read more from “Megyn Kelly Shows How Low Our Political Discourse Has Sunk” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-08-13 23:41:422015-08-13 23:41:42Megyn Kelly Shows How Low Our Political Discourse Has Sunk
The Alaska Republican Party Communications Director Susan Downing announced in an email circulated among activists that 2016 Presidential Candidate Senator Rand Paul is coming to Alaska on August 25. He has apparently scheduled trips to both Anchorage and Fairbanks.
From the August 13, 2015 email:
We’ve gotten confirmation that presidential candidate Senator Rand Paul will be in Alaska on Aug. 25 for events in Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Our understanding is that he will be in Anchorage during the morning and two events will be announced soon. He’ll spend the afternoon in Fairbanks. There will be rallies in both locations, and possibly other events.
This is very exciting — one of the top candidates coming to Alaska. We’ll send more news as we learn the details, but this is for your calendar.
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-08-13 23:40:542015-08-13 23:40:54Alaska Republican Party Announces that Rand Paul is Visiting Alaska
President Obama and his family are currently residing in a $22.5 million vacation home complete with six bedrooms, five bathrooms, and two half-bathrooms on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
The Huffington Post reported that the nearly 7000-square-foot Chilmark mansion, positioned on nine-and-a-half-acres, houses a sunken living room with double-height windowed walls that allow the first family a view of the heated infinity pool . . .
Despite the estate’s amenities, Obama has been spending plenty of time on the golf course. On Wednesday, the president played a game of golf with NBA stars Alonzo Mourning and Ray Allen.
The group played through the course at the Farm Neck Golf Club in Martha’s Vineyard. Days earlier, Obama was spotted on the same course playing a round with comedian Larry David and others.
President Obama and his family departed the White House for the Massachusetts getaway on August 7, a day earlier than their scheduled departure date. Their 17-day vacation is more than four times the length of the average American vacation. (Read more from “Here’s a Look Inside of Obama’s $22.5M Vacation Mansion” HERE)
Authorities want to talk to a man who donned a fairly realistic bear costume — head and all — and wore it when harassing a bear and two sows trying to feed on pink salmon in an Alaska river.
The incident happened Monday on the Chilkoot River near Haines, said Alaska Fish and Game Assistant Area Management Biologist Mark Sogge . . .
A crowd had gathered at a weir, used to count fish, because the sow and two cubs have frequently been showing up there to feed during the salmon run. (Read more from “Man in Bear Costume Harasses Bears in Alaska” HERE)
By Theodore Schleifer and Jim Sciutto. The outgoing Army chief of staff said Wednesday that Russia posed the “most dangerous” threat facing the United States today, thanks to its “sophisticated” operations in Ukraine.
Gen. Raymond Odierno, who is leaving his post, estimated that only a third of U.S. brigades are capable of operating at the level of the hybrid warfare Russia is undertaking there. And he worries that Russia could next intervene in NATO allies like Latvia or Estonia.
“They are more mature than some other of our potential adversaries, and I think they have some stated intents that concern me in terms of how the Cold War ended,” Odierno said of Russia when asked by CNN. “They have shown some significant capability in Ukraine to do operations that are fairly sophisticated, and so, for me, I think we should pay a lot of attention.” (Read more from “Top Army Leader: Here Is America’s Most Dangerous Threat” HERE)
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Russia vs. NATO – It’s War Time
By Polina Tikhonova. Analysts at the European Leadership Network think tank conducted an analysis of large-scale military drills that took place in March by Russia as well as smaller military drills carried out by NATO in June.
The analysts concluded that the “nature and scale” of the drills showed that “Russia is actively preparing for a conflict with NATO. . .
A Russian Lt. Gen expressed his opinion that if Ukrainian forces decide to cross the ceasefire line to try take back eastern Ukraine, it would unleash a [wider] war.
Russian troops have launched some of their heaviest artillery attacks on the Ukrainian forces’ positions in six months.
According to Russia military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer. back in February 2013 the chief of the General Staff of Russia, Valeriy Gerasimov, warned that a ‘great war’ was coming. (Read more from this story HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-08-13 01:57:272015-08-13 01:57:27Top Army Leader: Here Is America’s Most Dangerous Threat
According to recent reports, a Michigan father has come out on top following a legal battle he said began when he was denied access to his daughter’s elementary school.
Kenneth Herman took his local school district to court after repeated efforts to enter the school while openly carrying his handgun in compliance with local law. The issue, he was told, centered around the school’s designation as a gun-free zone.
“I think schools being gun-free zones is not a wise idea,” he explained to reporters. “I think having law-abiding armed citizens in there provides some measure of protection that isn’t a glass door that can be broken out.”
The district argued that the policy exists to promote the “safety and protection of students,” though its defense did not hold up under Circuit Judge Archie Hayman’s scrutiny.
Citing state law that permits legal concealed carry on public school campuses, Hayman ruled in Herman’s favor.
Michigan Open Carry, which provided legal representation in the case, released a statement applauding the ruling, noting the speed with which it was decided suggested it was “clearly an easy decision” for Hayman. (Read more from “A Dad Wanted to Open Carry at His Daughter’s School but Was Denied – Then a Judge Stepped In” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-08-13 01:54:492015-08-13 01:54:49A Dad Wanted to Open Carry at His Daughter’s School but Was Denied – Then a Judge Stepped In
By Randy DeSoto. A massive series of explosions rocked China’s 4th largest city around midnight local time.
According to CNBC, a smaller blast, the equivalent 3 tons of TNT, triggered a larger one equaling approximately 20 tons, shaking the port city of Tianjin.
China’s “Xinhua news agency said a fire started by the explosion was ‘under control’ but said two firefighters were missing. Shockwaves from the blast could apparently be felt several kilometres away from Tianjin,” the BBC reports.
“At the time of the explosion the ground was shaking fiercely, nearby cars and buildings were shaking, a few buildings’ glass all broke and everyone started to run,” Ms. Yang, an eyewitness, told local media.
The blast came with such force that many residents thought they were experiencing an earthquake and fled outside buildings to the streets. (Read more from “Watch: Mysterious Explosion Of Insane Proportions Rocks Major City” HERE)
By Steven Jiang, Dana Ford and Jethro Mullen. A series of huge explosions shook the northern Chinese city of Tianjin late Wednesday, killing at least 44 people and injuring hundreds more, according to officials and state media . . .
Liu Yue, a 25-year-old Tianjin resident, said she felt the first blast but didn’t think too much of it.
“The second explosion was so powerful that I felt the entire 16-floor-building was shaking,” said Liu, who lives about 4 kilometers (2½ miles) from the site of the blasts. “I thought it was an earthquake! I was extremely scared. I was afraid my family was in danger.”
The initial explosion erupted at a warehouse for a logistics company in an industrial area of the port city, according to Tianjin police. The company was identified as Tianjin Dongjiang Port Rui Hai International Logistics Co. Ltd.
The state-run news agency Xinhua reported that an explosion tore through a warehouse storing “dangerous and chemical goods” in Binhai, an area of the city by the water. (Read more from “Massive Blasts Rock Chinese City” HERE)
https://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.png00Joe Millerhttps://joemiller.us/wp-content/uploads/logotext.pngJoe Miller2015-08-13 01:52:552015-08-13 01:52:55Watch: Mysterious Explosion Of Insane Proportions Rocks Major City
Healthcare.gov’s internal controls did not effectively determine eligibility for coverage because Social Security numbers and citizenship status were not always verified properly, according to a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) audit.
