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Emails reveal coordination between Chao, McConnell offices

www.politico.com

A trove of more than 800 pages of emails sheds new light on the working relationship between Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, one of the most potent power couples in Washington — including their dealings with McConnell supporters from their home state of Kentucky.

Chao has met at least 10 times with politicians and business leaders from the state in response to requests from McConnell’s office, according to documents provided to Politico by the watchdog group American Oversight. In some cases, those people later received what they were hoping for from Chao’s department, including infrastructure grants, the designation of an interstate highway and assistance in getting state funds for a highway project…

American Oversight obtained the emails under the Freedom of Information Act. The group’s founder and executive director, Austin Evers, said they show an unusually close relationship between a Senate leader and a member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet — and that “Secretary Chao built a political operation in her office to favor Kentucky.”

“We launched this investigation because we were intrigued by the president’s selection of Elaine Chao as Transportation secretary,” Evers said. “The media and political class identified it as a savvy move to hire the spouse of the majority leader of the Senate. We wanted to see what that relationship looked like.”

One group of health-care consumers have had a rough go during the last several years: The 6.7 million Americans who aren’t covered by an employer, who buy insurance on the individual market and who earn too much money to qualify for subsidies under the ACA. These folks tend to be self-employed or work as independent contractors, and insurance premiums for a husband and wife can top $20,000 or even $30,000 a year. Those between 55 and 64 tend to pay the most. (Medicare kicks in once people turn 65.)

• First, the tax legislation Trump signed at the end of 2017 repealed the individual mandate requiring most Americans to have health insurance, beginning next year. 
• Second, Trump wants to allow consumers to purchase “association” or “skinny” health insurance plans that don’t have to comply with ACA rules.
• And third, Trump wants to let consumers buy “temporary” health insurance plans that last for as long as 12 months, which means people could buy a new one every year as their principle source of insurance.

• ObamaCare didn’t work because the President was black even though the majority of Demorcats who passed it were white #NotWhiteEnough
• TrumpCare didn’t work
• RepublicanCare didn’t work
• RyanCare didn’t work
• McConnellCare didn’t work
• Alex Azar bringing Eli Lilly Healthcare to America #OpioidAddiction #DeathCare