Media

Trump is taking a hatchet to chop up Austin and our state with the sole objective of maintaining his one-man rule. This is designed to eliminate accessibility, accountability, and a strong voice for our shared values.

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representatives Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, and Health Subcommittee member Greg Murphy, M.D. (R-NC) introduced bipartisan legislation to require Medicare Advantage (MA) to adequately reimburse health care providers for services offered to enrollees of these private plans. The Prompt and Fair Pay Act establishes a floor requiring MA plans to reimburse for all covered health care items and services at least what would have been paid under Medicare Parts A and B; plans and providers may continue to negotiate higher reimbursement rates. The legislation also establishes prompt payment rules for clean in-network claims, which are requirements that would mirror those under Medicare Part D.

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) announced his appointment to serve on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission. Created in 1976, this independent U.S. Government agency monitors compliance and advancement of human rights, democracy, economic, environmental, and military cooperation in the 57-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) region.

Washington, D.C. — Amid the Trump administration's drastic cuts threatening a wide range of community-based services, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) led members of the Texas congressional delegation in demanding answers from Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought on more than $3.5 million in stalled federal funding to local AmeriCorps partners. Some Texas organizations are in limbo, as they cannot access the federal support they were selected for—and need—because OMB has yet to make these congressionally authorized appropriations available.

Washington, D.C.—Today, U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) requested immediate answers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the agency responsible for the National Weather Service (NWS), about the impact of critical understaffing on the recent catastrophe in Central Texas. The Congressman is seeking information regarding how President Trump’s abrupt staffing cuts and hiring freezes may have affected forecasts and warning alerts in the NWS Austin/San Antonio office. One of the six vacant positions is the “Warning and Coordination Meteorologist,” who is responsible for planning, coordinating, and carrying out area-wide public awareness programs to mitigate death, injury, and property damage or loss caused by severe weather.