Free Republic

For the first time in our nation's history, there is now a federal department spending an average of more than $100 billion per month. No, it is not the Department of Defense, which is charged with the core federal responsibility of defending us from foreign enemies. It is the Department of Health and Human Services, which, if Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has his way, will run the "Medicare for All" program. As it now stands, HHS runs Medicare for many and Medicaid for more. "In 2019, the program will cover an estimated 61 million persons (52 million aged...

State health officials have received $352 million from the federal government for storm expenses, but they say that's way too much. Department of Health and Hospitals' officials are baffled as to how the federal government arrived at the amount. DHH expects to spend, at most, $60 million, DHH Undersecretary Charles Castille said. "I don't know where that money came from," Castille said Friday. "We haven't spent anywhere near that much since Katrina." The Federal Emergency Management Agency is distributing disaster relief to state and local agencies. To date, about $676 million has been allocated. The money is used to reimburse...

The Truth Matters No more making things up Tuesday provided yet another of at least three egregious examples in the past weeks of Kathleen Blanco simply making up allegations out of thin air, and then offering no proof or substantiation to back up her allegations. The latest example came in today’s Times Picayune, when Kathleen Blanco “was unable to produce evidence” and “offered conflicting explanations” about her allegations that “Republican truth squad" television ad was airing and attacking her. The three known egregious examples are: 1) On Sunday’s statewide television debate, Blanco attacked Jindal by asserting that he had aired...

<p>SHREVEPORT - Gubernatorial candidate Kathleen Blanco took her gloves off in a debate here Friday, openly criticizing what she said were failures during Bobby Jindal's terms as head of the Department of Health and Hospitals and as head of the University of Louisiana System.</p>