Elections
Sen. Ron Johnson accuses Sen. Gary Peters of ‘Peddling Russian Disinformation’
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing on Wednesday to discuss and review election security and administration issues. During the hearing, an argument broke out between U.S. Senators Ron Johnson (R-Wi) and Gary Peters (D-Mich) concerning the spread of disinformation regarding the Russia investigation.
Johnson accused Peters of introducing Russian disinformation ‘into our investigation record by leaking to the media and accusing him of ‘accepting and disseminating Russian disinformation from Andre Derkach.’
Derkach is a pro-Russian Ukrainian who promoted allegations against Joe Biden. U.S. intelligence has identified Derkach as an intelligence officer.
‘I’d never heard of the person until they brought it up,’ Johnson said. Johnson then referenced the Hunter Biden probe and confirmed the federal investigation of the president-elect’s son.
“Senior Democrat leaders, including ranking member Peters, were involved in a process of creating a false intelligence product, it was supposed to be classified, they leaked to the media, that accused Senator Grassley, the president pro tempore of the Senate, and myself of accepting and disseminating Russian disinformation.”
He continued, “I can’t sit by here and listen to this and say that this is not disinformation at this hearing today. This is getting information we have to take a look at to restore confidence in our election integrity.”
Peters denied the accusations saying, “I had nothing to do with this report you’re talking about.”
“You lied repeatedly in the press that I was spreading Russian disinformation. That was an outright lie and I told you to stop lying and you continued to do it!” Johnson replied.
Peters told Johnson that the hearing was not meant “for the airing your grievances.”
Johnson banged his gavel and attempted to move on to the next subject matter.
“This is terrible what you’re doing to this committee,” Peters continued.
“It is what you have done to this committee, falsely accusing the chairman of spreading disinformation,” Johnson fired back. “Nothing could have been further from the truth and you’re spouting it again, which is why I had to respond.”
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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