Free Republic

WASHINGTON — President Biden’s administration on Friday formalized a new policy of opening Obamacare health insurance exchanges to people who arrived illegally in the US as children who have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. The change, pending since last year, is projected to ease access to insurance and federal subsidies for roughly 100,000 uninsured DACA status holders and could soften the blow to pro-immigration advocates if Biden tries to curb record-high illegal immigration before the Nov. 5 election. “This landmark final rule will make DACA recipients eligible for the Affordable Care Act coverage for the first time. It...

BART’s ridership is only 12% of what it was before the coronavirus pandemic and it’s facing a projected loss of $975 million over the next three years — nonetheless, the transit agency’s workers got a 2.75% raise July 1, bringing the top salary for station agents and train operators to $93,085.20 a year, plus benefits.“It was clear from the beginning of the budget process that staff and a board majority was committed to maintaining status quo,” BART board Director Debora Allen said. “That meant no layoffs, furloughs or pay cuts.”

The Census Bureau reported in a study released this week that 65 percent of American children lived in households taking aid from one or more federal program as of the fall of 2011. "Almost two-thirds (65 percent) of children," said the Census Bureau, "lived in households that participated in at least one or more of the following government aid programs: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), Medicaid, and the National School Lunch Program." How to be dependent on government is now one of...

The number of Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs) receiving food stamps zoomed from 1.7 million to 3.9 million between Fiscal Year 2007 and Fiscal Year 2010. In that same period, food stamp recipients in total grew from 26 million to nearly 40 million. Spending on food stamps now totals somewhere around $80 billion, twice what the number was in Fiscal Year 2008. Presently, the work waivers foisted on the states by Obama allow ABAWDs to receive food stamps indefinitely--without working or preparing for work.

A new report shows that nearly 10 percent of non-Medicaid food-stamp recipients in New Hampshire actually live outside the state. WMUR reports: After an audit of 24,355 non-Medicaid food stamp recipients in New Hampshire, the report shows 2,200 hold a primary address outside of the state. [...] “We are up to a potential in that program alone of up to $41 million worth of payments that may be questionable,” said House Speaker Bill O’Brien. The report also cites cases of incarcerated or deceased residents getting benefits, including one where the recipient may have been dead since 1983. Full transcript: ANCHOR:...

Sometimes, government programs, subsidies and entitlements need no embellishment. In 2008, TracFone Wireless of Miami began distributing free cell phones to people who get food stamps, welfare or other government assistance. Recipients of the free cell phones are allowed to earn up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level, or no more than $33,075 a year for a family of four. The phones provide 68 free minutes a month and, in the words of The Philadelphia Inquirer, "they're paid for, in part, by charges on phone bills that the federal government allows carriers to levy." The free cells are...

WASHINGTON, June 7, 2010 – Twenty-eight Medal of Honor recipients recently launched the “Medal of Honor – Speak Out” campaign to encourage troops struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and other health problems to take advantage of services to help them. The Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipients dating back to World War II echo a common theme in video messages for today’s returning combat veterans: Take advantage of the resources now available to treat the unseen scars of war. “Make use of them,” they encourage today’s troops. “Stay strong, and don’t let...

4/14/2009 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) -- Two Medal of Honor recipients visited with Airmen from the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing April 10 here. Retired Army Col. Robert Howard and retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Gary Littrell, visited as part of a Medal of Honor Society tour of the area of responsibility. The Vietnam veterans who earned the military's highest award for valor participated in a retreat ceremony, spoke to Airmen and signed autographs. Colonel Howard said the people of the United States owe a debt to American servicemembers and appreciate their efforts. "Out of 300 million Americans, we got less...

*SINGLETON, WALTER K. Rank and organization: Sergeant, U.S. Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Gio Linh District, Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 24 March 1967. Entered service at: Memphis, Tenn. Born: 7 December 1944, Memphis, Tenn. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Sgt. Singleton's company was conducting combat operations when the lead platoon received intense small arms, automatic weapons, rocket, and mortar fire from a well entrenched enemy force. As the company fought its way forward, the extremely...

AL ASAD, Iraq (April 26, 2006) -- Two Medal of Honor recipients from the Vietnam era toured through Al Asad, Iraq, April 20, meeting with deployed service members. Retired Army Col. Robert L. Howard and retired Marine Capt. John J. McGinty III ate lunch and dinner with several service members. Upon completion of dinner, the two honored visitors met with service members in the Morale, Welfare and Recreation building and gave a speech on their tales of war. The two gentlemen also met with several service members individually, giving each a morale boost, an autograph and a 100-minute phone card...

Medal of Honor recipients Gary Littrell and John McGinty III, visit soldiers of the 1/10th Mountain Division to tell of their heroic actions in an attempt to boost the soldiersÂ’ morale. Here, soldiers study the design of the Medal of Honor, after recipient Littrell takes his medal off of his neck and passes it around to the soldiers in the room. Medal of Honor Recipients Visit Troops Soldiers of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division had the opportunity to meet two Medal of Honor recipients. By Pfc. Jason Jordan 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division CAMP LIBERTY,...

This graphic is to highlight the recent news that 21 recipients of the nation's highest honor -- the Congressional Medal of Honor -- have signed a letter supporting President Bush's re-election and openly refuting Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry for falsely attacking Bush's record concerning funding for veterans.