HEALTH CARE // Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released the Senate Republican plan to replace Obamacare. Four conservative Senators said that they are “not ready to vote for this bill” but they also stated that they are open to negotiation. Cruz wants to allow insurance companies to offer one policy compliant with Obamacare’s regulations, but many others which are not. While McConnell does not yet have the necessary 50 Republican Senators to pass a health care bill, most Senate insiders think that he likely will reach 50. http://cvote.it/2s29InC
HEALTH CARE // Health care activists organized protests in the Senate office hallways against the Senate GOP health care plan which they claim would ‘ruin’ Medicaid because it would phase out Obamacare’s expansion of the program. But analysts say that Medicaid is in need of reform because it is very costly while also delivering low-quality health care to many of its enrollees. http://cvote.it/2s1OnKS
PARTY DISCIPLINE // Democratic lawmakers were a united front yesterday in opposing the Senate GOP health care plan. But media analyst Becket Adams noted: “The GOP, in contrast, is home to several lawmakers who thrive on opposing their own party leaders.” http://cvote.it/2s1ImOc
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY // The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled unanimously to allow a Mississippi law to go into effect that protects the religious liberty and conscience rights of those who hold traditional marriage beliefs. The broad-based law provides religious liberty protections to religious organizations, universities, bakers, photographers, florists, and more. http://cvote.it/2s1YWgV
NATIONALISM // Robert C. Koons makes the case that Trump’s nationalism is consistent with Catholic social doctrine. “Catholic thought recognizes the responsibility of rich countries to be compassionate toward refugees and toward those without access to sufficient natural resources. And the United States has indeed been generous, accepting 10 million refugees in the last thirty years, and tens of millions of additional legal immigrants. But this responsibility has limits.” http://cvote.it/2s1Ittp
BLUE COLLAR GOP // In a new book called The Working Class Republican, Henry Olson makes the case that Ronald Reagan was not as ideologically conservative as commonly believed, and that he was more of a blue collar conservative. Reagan kept in mind the ‘truckers and cashiers’ when he crafted his policies, he said. http://cvote.it/2s1yft4
CULTURE // Actor Johnny Depp talks about assassinating President Trump. “When was the last time an actor assassinated a president? I want to clarify, I am not an actor. I lie for a living. However, it has been a while and maybe it is time.” http://cvote.it/2s1PF8D
CATHOLIC // The national effort on religious liberty by the U.S. Bishops is helping state-based advocacy on the issue. http://cvote.it/2s21Fap
CATHOLIC // St. John Fisher: The martyr who got overshadowed by St. Thomas More. http://cvote.it/2s1S6bp
SAINT // Sacred Heart of Jesus – http://cvote.it/dailysaint
DAILY MASS // “The Lord’s kindness is everlasting to those who fear him.” (Ps 103:17) – http://cvote.it/Daily-Readings
DEVOTION // Read about the 12 promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary. http://cvote.it/2s1HVU8