Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican and doctor, likes President Donald Trump’s proposal to allocate Affordable Care Act funds directly to Americans instead of insurance companies.  Trump proposed Wednesday that billions of dollars in Affordable Care Act subsidy money be paid directly to Americans, rather than insurance companies, so the people can “buy their own healthcare” which Trump says, “will be better and far less expensive than the disaster known as Obamacare.”  “If you look at an Obamacare policy now, there’s a $6,000 deductible. Democrats are fighting to lower the premiums. You lower a premium on something which has $6,000 deductible, it’s basically a catastrophic policy,” explained Cassidy, who chairs the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, when he joined CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.  Trump is proposing that the federal government take the $26 billion that would be going to insurance companies and “give it directly to the American people in an account in which” they can use “100% of the money to purchase the health care on their own terms,” Cassidy said.  Fix or Replace? Why Patient-Powered Care Must Be the Future of Healthcare@SenBillCassidy backed President Trump’s recent proposal to allocate Affordable Care Act funds directly to Americans rather than insurance companies when he joined CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday.“I’m a… pic.twitter.com/5yCZuxzMIR— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) November 16, 2025 “That makes them an informed consumer. It also helps address the need to have coverage for that deductible. And if they get that policy with a higher deductible, they can actually lower their premium,” Cassidy explained. It’s a sweet spot: Lower premiums help with the deductible, making the patient the informed consumer.”  Cassidy said he and Trump are “united” on this proposal, adding that “we should all be united about [this].”  When asked if Cassidy and the president want to fix or eliminate Obamacare, Cassidy said we need to have a new health care model where the patient is engaged in their own health care.    “I’m a doctor. I worked for 20 years in a hospital for the uninsured. I found that if you give the patient the power, good things happen,” Cassidy stated. “That’s supported by the medical literature: If the patient is engaged in her health care and the health care of her family, she’s going to be a wise shopper for her health and for her pocketbook.”  The post Sen. Cassidy Backs Trump’s Health Care Funding Plan appeared first on The Daily Signal.

When it comes to stopping fentanyl production, “no one has bothered to engage China. The Biden administration didn’t even do it,” Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo. Patel recalled his recent trip to China with President Donald Trump, aimed at halting the flow of fentanyl ingredients out of the communist nation. Kash Patel Credits President Trump's 'Brilliant Leadership' for Tackling US Fentanyl Crisis.@FBIDirectorKash joins Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures to discuss the agreement reached with the Chinese government in dealing with fentanyl precursor ingredients, praising President… pic.twitter.com/6AAjnpRw5H— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) November 16, 2025 “Fentanyl—it’s not like cocaine or marijuana, where it starts naturally in a grow house or a grow facility or grow yards and then is produced into an ultimate chemical and drug. Fentanyl is purely chemically created,” Patel explained. “If you take the ingredients—these precursors that we’re talking about, these chemicals that we’re talking about—and you shut off their flow, then the Mexican drug cartels cannot make it.” “And Biden could have listed one or two or three of the precursors. Zero. Trump got it done, listing all 13 precursors and restricting all seven chemicals, essentially shutting off the pipeline that allows the Mexican drug traffickers to create fentanyl.” Under the Biden administration, the U.S. experienced an overwhelming influx of drugs crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, with reports showing record-high levels of fentanyl overdose deaths. “We went there, and we got the agreement solidified, and it’s already in place. And we’re going to see immediate results in immediate American lives saved by the hundreds of thousands, thanks to President Trump’s brilliant leadership and Attorney General [Pam] Bondi’s care and commitment to this issue,” Patel added. Patel joined White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt last week to discuss the first trip by an FBI director to China in 10 years and the agreement Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have reached in dealing with the fentanyl crisis.“We must attack fentanyl precursors, the ingredients necessary to make this lethal drug. That was the sole purpose of my trip to China to eliminate these precursors, and, if successful, we would suffocate the drug trafficking organization’s ability to manufacture fentanyl in places like Mexico. This was the first time an FBI director has been to China in over a decade and received the audience with his counterpart to address this matter directly,” Patel told the press. “And again, thanks to President Trump’s direct engagement with President Xi, the government of China committed fully to my engagement there on the ground in Beijing at a level never seen before.” The post Trump Will Save Hundreds of Thousands From Fentanyl Crisis Through ‘Brilliant Leadership,’ Kash Patel Says appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Jeffrey Epstein’s newly released estate documents reveal he was texting Stacey Plaskett, the Democrat nonvoting delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands, during a 2019 congressional hearing with President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen.  The texts indicate Epstein, a convicted sex offender since 2008, was watching the hearing live, texting Plaskett before she questioned Cohen. Cohen was testifying against Trump before the House Oversight Committee, claiming his former employer “was racist, manipulated financial records and directed hush money payments to cover up his extramarital affairs,” all allegations of which Trump denied, according to The Washington Post. One of Epstein’s texts to Plaskett was about Cohen mentioning Rhona Graff, Trump’s former executive assistant, during his testimony. “Cohen brought up RONA – keeper of the secrets,” Epstein texted to Plaskett, misspelling Graff’s first name as he did so. “RONA?? Quick I’m up next is that an acronym,” Plaskett responded to Epstein, indicating she would be questioning Cohen soon. “Thats his assistant,” Epstein told her. Shortly after Plaskett concluded her questioning of Cohen, Epstein texted her, “Good work.” Some of Epstein’s other messages to Plaskett during the hearing included asking her if she was chewing something to which Plaskett said she was just chewing the inside of her mouth, a habit she had.  Epstein told Plaskett, “You look great,” early on in the hearing. She replied “Thanks!” According to the Post, some of “the text messages indicate Epstein may have influenced what questions to ask Cohen.” “Hes [Cohen] opened the door to questions re who are the other henchmen at trump org,” Epstein texted Plaskett as she continued to wait her turn to question Cohen. “Yup. Very aware and waiting my turn,” Plaskett told Epstein. During Plaskett’s questioning of Cohen, she did ask him about “Trump associates that he had mentioned previously,” like Graff, according to the Post.  “Rhona Graff… Mr. Trump’s executive assistant… Her office is directly next to his, and she’s involved in a lot that went on [regarding the alleged manipulation of financial records, hush money, etc.],” Cohen told Plaskett during the hearing.  The text message copies were included in the thousands of document pages containing Epstein’s communications which the House Oversight Committee released Wednesday. While Plaskett’s name is redacted from the estate documents, the text messages’ time stamps align with the hearing video and the subject matter, indicating Plaskett is the person who Epstein was texting, the Post explained. Plaskett initially declined to answer the Post’s questions about the Epstein texts, but as the New York Post reported, her office released a statement Friday night. “During the hearing, Congresswoman Plaskett received texts from staff, constituents and the public at large offering advice, support and in some cases partisan vitriol, including from Epstein,” the statement read. “As a former prosecutor, she welcomes information that helps her get at the truth and took on the GOP that was trying to bury the truth. The congresswoman has previously made clear her long record combating sexual assault and human trafficking, her disgust over Epstein’s deviant behavior and her support for his victims.” Plaskett and Epstein Had History However, Plaskett has a history with Epstein going back to her time in the Virgin Islands’ government.Plaskett received a total of $8,100 in campaign donations from Epstein in 2014, 2016, and 2018, the New York Post reported, the maximum allowed. This was years after Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring a child for prostitution. She also personally solicited from Epstein at his New York home a $30,000 donation to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Further, from 2007 to 2012, Plaskett was general counsel to the Virgin Islands Economic Development Commission. Reuters reported that 2023 court filings show this government agency gave Epstein’s companies $219.8 million in tax breaks between 1999 and 2012. A lawsuit filed by six of Epstein’s alleged victims against numerous Virgin Island officials, including Plaskett, for helping facilitate Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation was voluntarily dismissed in August. Epstein was arrested again in July 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors and conspiracy. One month later, Epstein was found dead in his jail cell. The post The Curious Connection Between Jeffrey Epstein and Dem Congresswoman appeared first on The Daily Signal.

While President Donald Trump launches an initiative to make America affordable again, Democrats are crafting their own messaging on cost of living, an issue that will likely define the midterms. Affordability Already Playing Central Role in Elections One of the most recent Democrat politicians to seize on topics of affordability is Amy Acton, a medical doctor who is running to be the Democrat nominee for the 2026 Ohio gubernatorial election. In a recent post on social media, the Ohio doctor attacked her potential Republican opponent in the general election, former biotechnology executive Vivek Ramaswamy, over comments he had made in 2024 about American culture. “Vivek Ramaswamy told us how he really feels when he said that Ohioans aren’t succeeding because they’re lazy and mediocre and watching too much TV,” Acton wrote. “That couldn’t be further from what I’m seeing on the ground every day. Ohioans are working harder than ever, they’re doing everything right, and they just can’t get enough breathing room. Ohio needs a governor who listens, understands, and who is ready to bring down costs on day one,” Acton went on. Acton’s social media post attempts to hit Ramaswamy on the issue of affordability, which voters have repeatedly expressed concern about, especially an increasing number of young Republicans who face rising living costs. Successful messaging on affordability likely helped Democrats secure victories in statewide and local elections in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia last week—especially Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York City mayoral race. Gen Z Sounds the Alarm on Affordability It’s easy to complain about rising costs, but what does the data actually say? Well, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics assembled by the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank located in Washington, key building blocks of a middle-class life in America have doubled in cost since January 2000. That includes hospital services, which were 200% higher in cost in June 2022 than in January 2000; college tuition and fees, which had an excess of 160% increase over the same time period, and medical care services, which sky rocked more than 120% compared to January 2000. For context, overall inflation was 74.4% from January 2000 to June 2022. By comparison, average hourly wages increased by wages by 99.6% over the same time period. In the New York City mayoral election on Nov. 4, young voters turned out in large numbers and broke for Mamdani by a large margin because of the Mamdani campaign’s emphasis on affordability issues. But an increasing number of young Republicans are ringing the alarm bell over these concerns as well. Nalin Haley, the Gen Z son of former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, has amassed a large media profile by talking about affordability issues facing his generation. In a recent interview with Sohrab Ahmari for UnHerd, the Gen Z rising star decried the scarcity of jobs available to his generation. “My friend group from high school, all graduated, great degrees from great schools. It’s been a year and a half, and not one of them has a job—not one,” Haley explained. “I’m angry at that, because I’m having to try and help my friends get jobs when their parents got jobs immediately—not just after graduating college, but out of high school.” The post Midterms Shaping Up to Be a War Over Delivering Affordability for Gen Z appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, D-Mass., is drawing fire from conservatives for appointing Giselle Byrd, a biological male transgender activist, as the new vice chair of the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women’s Programming and Planning Committee. The appointment became effective Nov. 1. ? JUST IN: Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey is being eviscerated for appointing biological male Giselle Byrd to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of WOMEN.The body's entire function is to craft policies for women in the state.THAT'S A DUDE. Mental illness.???? pic.twitter.com/t9FAw4wJjG— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 16, 2025 “Is this a Babylon Bee headline?” Massachusetts Family Institute wrote on Facebook last Wednesday, as the news sparked harsh criticism of the state’s decision. “No, in fact, this is the logical conclusion of feminism in Massachusetts society. Feminism suggests that women can do anything men can do. If this is true, then there is basically no difference between the sexes. If there [is] no distinction between male and female, then why can’t a woman become a man, or vice versa? If men and women are basically the same, then this man, Giselle Byrd, is perfectly justified in wearing the female form like a Halloween costume.” “Our state thought that when we threw God out of the public square, we would become more sophisticated and advanced. Instead, we bought a regressive lie [masquerading] as progressive truth. Massachusetts has rejected God’s perfect design for marriage and sexuality. This is the sad result.” Byrd, the executive director of the Theater Offensive in Boston and activist at several LGBT non-profits, was initially appointed in August. American journalist Megyn Kelly joined the criticism of Byrd’s appointment, sarcastically writing on X, “Men make the best women, we all know that.” Men make the best women, we all know that. https://t.co/1akmhLeYe2— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) November 16, 2025 In an effort to halt biological males from participating in women’s sports, the Trump administration has returned Title IX to its original intent, defining sex based on biological sex at birth, rather than gender identity. President Donald Trump signed an executive order “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports,” back in February that states agencies and public schools will lose federal funds if they fail to comply with Title IX’s definition of sex. Moreover, the International Olympic Committee announced a new policy last week that would bar trans-athletes from competing against biological women. “We understand that there’ll be differences depending on the sport … but it was very clear from the members that we have to protect the female category, first and foremost to ensure fairness,” IOC President Kirsty Coventry said. “But we need to do that with a scientific approach and the inclusion of the international federations who have already done a lot of work in this area.” The post ‘Is This a Babylon Bee Headline?’: Massachusetts Appoints Trans Activist to Women’s Commission appeared first on The Daily Signal.