Health Care Costs, Online Privacy and Workplace Safety

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announces a cost estimate for major new health care legislation.

The Members of the House Commerce Committee hold a hearing on online consumer privacy.

A Senate committee approves the nomination of David Michaels to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Listen to LibertyWeek, the CEI podcast, here.

1. HEALTH

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announces a cost estimate for major new health care legislation.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Fellow Gregory Conko on the bill’s deceiving appearance:

“Although the Senate Democrats’ bill appears to do more than the House alternative to rein in health care costs, looks can be deceiving. Like the earlier bill reported out of the Senate Finance Committee, the only measures that could reduce the rate of growth in health care costs are those that erect government barriers between patients and their doctors, while jeopardizing long-term medical innovation.”

 

2. TECHNOLOGY

The Members of the House Commerce Committee hold a hearing on online consumer privacy.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Vice President for Policy Wayne Crews on what members of Congress should be focusing on:

“The real question that policymakers should be asking is not whether competitive enterprise can offer strong privacy assurances, but rather, will government allow it? If Congress wants to protect Americans’ privacy interests, its first priority should be reforming U.S. data retention laws, the PATRIOT Act, and privacy protections regarding information stored in the ‘cloud.’  Congress should also reject proposals that would create a new national identification regime (REAL ID) and impose burdensome requirements on telecom firms to retain customer data.”

 

3. SAFETY

A Senate committee approves the nomination of David Michaels to head the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

CEI Expert Available to Comment: Senior Attorney Hans Bader on Michaels’ controversial background:

“As I noted in a New York Times story, Michaels’ appointment could ‘dramatically alter OSHA’s approach to ensuring workplace safety.’ Michaels has been called ‘one the nation’s foremost proponents of allowing junk science to be used in jackpot-justice lawsuits.’ Many business groups raised concerns about his nomination and extreme views. Iain Murray notes that Michaels seeks to ban useful products from the workplace based on imaginary risks. One newspaper calls Michaels ‘virulently anti-business.’”

 

Listen to LibertyWeek, the CEI podcast, here.