Elections
Palestinian Authority reportedly in talks with Biden Campaign
Palestinian officials have confirmed to The Media Line that the Palestinian Authority (PA) is maintaining communication with the campaign of US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
“Having dialogue with the Democratic candidate is important to the leadership,” one of the officials told The Media Line. “We want to let Mr. Biden know that we are willing and ready to talk.”
During President Donald Trump’s first term in office, he has shown strong support for Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt while drawing opposition from many Arab states backed by Iran.
In 2017, Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moved the U.S. Embassy there. In 2019, he recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. He released a new Middle East plan in January 2020 in alliance with Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Meanwhile, the PA has condemned the policies of Trump’s administration as Trump has isolated the Palestinians and their Iranian backers by brokering peace deals with Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. More countries, including Sudan, are expected to also normalize relations with Israel.
As a result of the Trump administration’s efforts, Palestinian leaders cut off contact and refused to enter US-led talks with Israel.
And with the results of Tuesday’s election looming, the Palestinian leaders are eager for a Biden victory.
Jihad Harb, a political analyst for multiple Palestine media outlets, said the Palestinians are watching the election campaign with great interest because whoever wins will have major impact on the Palestinian cause, according to The Jerusalem Post.
“The [Palestinian leaders] definitely want Trump to leave,” said Harb. “He imposed a set of cruel, unfair and anti-Palestine measures, and therefore they prefer Biden, at least because of their experience with him during his years as vice president in the Obama administration.”
Joe Biden served as vice president for two terms under Barack Obama and as a leading Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee before that.
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a longtime supporter of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, is now acknowledging the unintended consequences of the healthcare legislation, particularly its impact on industry consolidation and rising healthcare prices.
Warren, who has been a vocal proponent of Obamacare, has recently had what the Wall Street Journal reported as an “epiphany” regarding the consequences of the healthcare law. In a letter addressed to the Health and Human Services Department inspector general, Warren, along with Senator Mike Braun of Indiana, expressed concerns about vertically-integrated healthcare companies potentially increasing prescription drug costs and evading federal regulations.
According to reports from Fox News, the bipartisan letter highlighted issues with the nation’s largest health insurers allegedly bypassing Obamacare’s medical loss ratio (MLR). According to Warren, these insurers, through vertical integration, have manipulated the system, leading to “sky-high prescription drug costs and excessive corporate profits.”
The senators detailed how conglomerates, like UnitedHealth Group, with ownership across various healthcare sectors, could inflate medical payments to pharmacies and, by realizing those payments on the pharmacy side, appear to comply with MLR requirements while retaining more profits.
Moreover, despite the Democrats’ argument that the MLR would benefit patients, it has incentivized insurers to merge with or acquire pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), retail and specialty pharmacies, and healthcare providers. This, in turn, has made healthcare spending less transparent, as insurers can allegedly shift profits to their affiliates by increasing reimbursements.
Warren, who has consistently voted against Obamacare repeal efforts, notably advocated for a “Medicare for All” proposal during her 2020 presidential campaign. Despite her prior support for the healthcare law, Warren’s recent concerns about its unintended consequences have raised questions about the long-term effects of Obamacare and its impact on the healthcare industry.
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