Tag: Shaughnessy Naughton

Prospects for health after the US mid-terms

 Volume 392, Number 10161   

24 November 2018       

 

WORLD REPORT   After the mid-term elections, Susan Jaffe, The Lancet‘s Washington correspondent, looks at the consequences for health-care legislation in the USA.

     In the first national election since Donald Trump won the presidency promising, among other things, to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Americans went to the polls this month still concerned about health care. It was the most important issue for 75% of Democrats and 23% of Republicans who voted in the Nov 6 elections, according to exit polls. But, unlike in 2016, voters handed Democrats—the party responsible for the ACA—their largest victory since Republican Richard Nixon resigned as president after the Watergate scandal….
     “Health care was on the ballot and health care won”, said the House of Representatives’ Democratic minority leader Nancy Pelosi of California, who is expected to become speaker of the house when the new Congress convenes in January. [Continued here.]
…

Scientists and physicians run for office in the USA

 Volume 391, Number 10131   

 28 April 2018

 

WORLD REPORT   Frustrated by what they say is the US Government’s disregard for science, more scientists and physicians are entering politics.  Susan Jaffe, The Lancet’s Washington correspondent, reports.

Nuclear engineer Elaine Luria running for Congress in southeast Virginia (photo/elaineforcongress.com)

Scientists, physicians, engineers, and their supporters surprised many people—and maybe themselves—when they assembled in cities across the USA a year ago demanding an end to President Donald Trump’s Administration’s so-called war on science, which has attacked climate change, environmental protection laws, and funds for biomedical research, among other targets.

But, for some critics, protests are not enough. Instead of appealing to elected officials, now they want to take their place.

“…More and more scientists realise that they have… an obligation to see that the idea of science is defended, that evidence is respected, and that the conditions for science to thrive are respected”, said Rush Holt, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  [Continued here.]  …