*By Justin Chermol*
For veteran congresswoman and cancer survivor Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, the issue of healthcare is both political and personal.
The lawmaker, who just entered remission after 10 months battling small-cell lymphoma, knows she's among the lucky ones. She did not have to battle an insurance company over a pre-existing condition or cope with in spike in her premiums.
In President Trump's second State of the Union speech, he set health care as priority and vowed "to protect patients with pre-existing conditions."
But according to Moore, that promise is empty.
"Despite the rhetoric of Republicans, it's just rhetorical on their part when they say 'Oh, we want to protect people with pre-existing conditions.' No, you can't do it if you in fact repeal the Affordable Care Act," she said.
"I think one of the centerpieces of the Affordable Care Act is that we required insurance companies to provide real plans, not these junk plans, " she added of the Obama-era law that was thrown into question when President Trump took office.
Meanwhile, drug prices continue to surge.
Americans spend nearly $1,200 on prescription drugs a year, according to the [OECD](https://data.oecd.org/healthres/pharmaceutical-spending.htm).
"It is absolutely foolish that the government has one of the biggest pools of customers in the country ー consumers of health care, when you consider Medicaid and Medicare ー and yet we don't require pharmaceutical companies to negotiate their prices.
"It's a totally anti-capitalist notion," Moore continued. "For people who say they are against socialism ー and therefore \[prefer\] the market figuring it out ー one of the things the market would do, is have you negotiate across this huge pool of consumers."
"That's very low hanging fruit."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/rep-gwen-moore-d-wi-aims-to-protect-taxpayers-with-new-legislation).
After a late-night vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal.
The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new Cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” in charge of fighting corruption. The AI, named Diella, will oversee public funding projects and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the government's public service platform. Corruption has been a persistent issue in Albania since 1990. Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in May. It aims to deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, but the opposition Democratic Party remains skeptical.
The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors by Monday, before the central bank’s next vote on interest rates. Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
President Donald Trump's administration is appealing a ruling blocking him from immediately firing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook as he seeks more control over the traditionally independent board. The notice of appeal was filed Wednesday, hours after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb handed down the ruling. The White House insists the Republican president had the right to fire Cook over mortgage fraud allegations involving properties in Michigan and Georgia from before she joined the Fed. Cook's lawsuit denies the allegations and says the firing was unlawful. The case could soon reach the Supreme Court, which has allowed Trump to fire members of other independent agencies but suggested that power has limitations at the Fed.
Chief Justice John Roberts has let President Donald Trump remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission, the latest in a string of high-profile firings allowed for now by the Supreme Court.
