kscarbel2

KamAZ Trucks Press Release / November 29, 2016 This year, Rostec subsidiary KamAZ Trucks has decided on something special for the children of company employees to help them celebrate the New Year holidays. By the New Year, KamAZ children under 15 years old will receive a package of wood in the form of a KamAZ Dakar race truck. The wooden truck will bring the younger generation about a kilogram of different sweets from leading Russian confectionery factories, and colored markers allowing the children to customize the appearance of their wooden race trucks. KamAZ has already commissioned more than 18,000 New Year's toy trucks. Half the cost of the New Year gift is financed by KamAZ Trucks, while the other half is paid by the parents. However, about 6,000 sweets trucks for the children of employees entitled to a discount are fully paid for my KamAZ. Those families receiving free gifts include large families, families in which there are people with disabilities, and women who are on leave for child care up to three years. Christmas presents for the children of non-working pensioners, former KamAZ employees, are also financed by the company. .

Do you feel burning the U.S. flag is right or wrong ?

Renault Trucks Press Release / November 25, 2016 Renault Trucks introduces Urban Lab 2 - its laboratory distribution vehicle developed with six partners under the collaborative EDIT (Efficient Distribution Truck) project. Combining innovative technology in aerodynamics, hybridisation of the engine, tyres and vehicle-infrastructure communication, fuel consumption savings of 13% have been achieved. Whereas Optifuel Lab 1 and 2 were experimental vehicles dedicated to Research and Development for Long Distance transport, Urban Lab 2, designed using a 19-ton Renault Trucks D WIDE Euro 6, targets the urban and regional distribution sector. The truck features a range of technology developed with six partners, namely Valeo, Lamberet, Michelin, BeNomad, INSA Lyon (LamCoS) and IFSTTAR (LICIT). Urban Lab 2 is the result of the EDIT (Efficient Distribution Truck) project, financed by the Single Inter-Ministry Fund, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Region, Métropole de Lyon, Ain Department Council and the FEDER. The aim is to offer accessible innovation by 2020, focusing on four key areas: aerodynamics, the drive chain, connectivity and tyres. Aerodynamics To reduce the aerodynamic drag of the Urban Lab 2 - and therefore its fuel consumption - engineers worked on airflow throughout the vehicle. Lamberet and Renault Trucks adapted the cab, chassis and refrigerated body to the recommendations of aerodynamic specialists, whilst meeting the regulatory and operating requirements of controlled-temperature transport. The first step involves reducing the front surface area: "The refrigeration unit is normally located above the cab", explained François Savoye, Energy Efficiency Strategy Manager at Renault Trucks. "On Urban Lab 2, we decided to position it in the wheelbase of the vehicle to free up space overhead and optimise the body/tractor link to lower the body and improve airflow. This meant we could incorporate a roof deflector shaped to provide seamless continuity with the body. Redesigning the interior architecture of the refrigerated body has made a marked improvement in the shape of the roof, without adding to the height. As for the sides of the vehicle, these are fitted with textile side deflectors. "We have used a PVC-coated textile for the first time", François Savoye added. "When stretched and fitted on the side protectors, it provides a light, effective and economic system." Lateral airflow is also boosted by streamlined wheels and the fitting of rear deflectors that are perfectly in keeping with the architecture and continuity of the tailgate. These deflectors are angled so as to reduce depression in the slipstream of the vehicle and do not require any manual operation when handling the doors. The access step is completely covered thanks to a mobile guard opened by door extensions that provides a seamless continuity between the upper and lower sections of the cab. Ground clearance is optimised by the addition of flexible components, thus optimising air flow in the understructure. Lastly, replacing wing mirrors with a system of profiled cameras and internal feedback screens also helps reduce vehicle air resistance. Stop & start and micro-hybrid To reduce fuel consumption, Urban Lab 2 also proves innovative in its engine design, with a system combining Stop&Start and micro-hybrid technology, developed in partnership with Valeo. The Stop&Start system cuts the engine when the vehicle comes to a halt, at a red light for example, thereby reducing fuel consumption. In addition, the micro-hybrid system recovers "free" energy, such as energy generated during foot lift or braking, via a high-power (48 V) reversible electric machine. This energy can be used to drive the electrical accessories of the vehicle or reduce the mechanical power required by the thermal engine. Renault Trucks has also been working with the Lyon INSA to reduce friction in the front face of the engine in order to optimise the overall efficiency of the micro-hybrid system. Connectivity For Renault Trucks, drivers play a key role in reducing fuel consumption. This is why Urban Lab 2 features technology to help them with their driving by connecting the vehicle to infrastructures. Working with the company BeNomad, engineers have developed special navigation software that to provide this connectivity. For each journey, the GPS proposes the route that is the most efficient and uses the least fuel, estimating both the predicted journey time and fuel consumption. This software has been configured to take not only fuel consumption into account, but also, and above all, the operational constraints of a distribution vehicle. Lastly, Urban Lab 2 is connected to infrastructures to optimise driving through green lights. When Urban Lab 2 approaches traffic lights, it receives information from the lights and the system calculates if it is more efficient to brake or accelerate, when conditions and regulations allow it to do so. This therefore limits the amount of stop-start driving, which has a highly negative impact on fuel consumption. The traffic modelling expertise of LICIT has helped Renault Trucks to effectively integrate the effect of traffic on fuel consumption. Tyres Already a partner on the Optifuel Lab 1 and 2 projects, Michelin is once again working with Renault Trucks to develop energy-saving tyres specially designed for distribution vehicles. "The objective of these tyres is to further reduce rolling resistance, without negatively impacting other performance criteria, such as safety, grip or longevity", explained Jean-François Cordonnier, Truck Pre-development Manager at Michelin. To this end, Michelin has deployed its wide range of technologies, in particular Infini-Coil technology, to guarantee tyre endurance and safety. Firstly, the self-generating tread ensures a lasting grip throughout the life of the tyre and secondly, silica is used as a reinforcing agent in the tread to improve the compromise between longevity and rolling resistance. Finally, Renault Trucks and its partners have set themselves the ambitious target of reducing fuel consumption by 13% compared to an equivalent Renault Trucks D WIDE. The vehicle was tested for the first time on a closed circuit in November 2016 and will be road-tested in Bordeaux from February 2017 onwards. The results will be presented at the end of the project, scheduled for 2018. .

Volvo Trucks Press Release / November 29, 2016 .

Volvo Trucks Press Release / November 29, 2016 .

As Trump's presidential transition spokesman Jason Miller so aptly said, "Flag burning should be illegal, end of story". Mr. Miller is referring to the "higher law". The vast majority of Americans don't need a law to know that burning the United States flag is wrong. It is the utmost act of disrespect. You have adamantly voiced your support for Trump. However now, you are now completely in disagreement with our president-elect over respect for our country's flag. Your tremendous enthusiasm for advocating the burning (desecration) of the United States flag is troubling.

Associated Press / November 29, 2016 Protesters burned United States flags outside the Trump International Hotel in New York on Tuesday, in an angry response to a tweet by President-elect Donald Trump that flag-burners should face legal consequences. On Tuesday, Trump suggested that burning the United States flag should be punishable by a year in jail or a revocation of citizenship. Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) Nov. 29, 2016 'Flag burning is completely ridiculous ... and I think the vast majority of Americans would agree,' says Trump presidential transition spokesman Jason Miller. 'It's completely ridiculous, and I don't think there's a big universe of people out there who support flag-burning. It's terrible and it's despicable.' . .

If "close to 1,000 jobs" will remain in Indianapolis, then close to 400 Indy workers are still seeing their jobs relocated to Mexico, and all of the 700 workers in Huntington are still having their jobs sucked away (Ross Perot speak) to Mexico. It's not a success story to brag about unless all the jobs remain in the US. In fairness, I would like to know the wages of these union workers relative to the tasks they perform.

Carrier Corp. Agrees to Keep About 1,000 Jobs at Indiana Plant The Wall Street Journal / November 29, 2016 Carrier Corp. has agreed to keep in Indiana roughly 1,000 jobs it had planned to shift to Mexico, after a lobbying effort from the incoming Trump administration. In exchange for keeping the jobs in Indiana, the company will receive new government incentives [free taxpayer money]. Carrier, a division of United Technologies Corp., that makes heating and air conditioning equipment, had announced plans earlier this year to shift some production to Monterrey, Mexico, as part of a broader corporate cost-cutting. The decision became a target during the presidential campaign of Donald Trump, who pledged to prevent such outsourcing or punish U.S. firms that shifted jobs abroad. In a statement on Tuesday, Carrier said the company was “pleased to have reached a deal with President-elect Trump & VP-elect Pence to keep close to 1,000 jobs in Indy. More details soon.” Mr. Trump and Vice President elect Mike Pence are expected to travel to Indiana on Thursday to announce the details of the agreement with Carrier. Trump transition officials have been in close contact with Carrier and United Technologies executives for weeks trying to iron out specifics of the package. “If they’re saving us some jobs, anything’s positive,” said Chuck Jones, president of United Steelworkers Local 1999 in Indianapolis. Union leaders had complained this year about Carrier’s lack of cooperation with workers on the plans for closing the plant. Mr. Pence, who is governor of Indiana, had taken the lead in negotiating with United Technologies officials. Mr. Pence has held wide-ranging talks with the company in the weeks since the presidential election, which focused not just on Mr. Trump’s objections to NAFTA and free trade, but also on key priorities for the company in the coming Republican Congress, including an expected tax reform package that could hold windfalls for big manufacturers like United Technologies. Mr. Pence has also in the past held the company to account for its plans to close the two affected plants—a Carrier Corp. factory in Indianapolis employing 1,400 workers and another factory in Huntington, Ind. for its electronic controls unit employing 700. The governor negotiated a deal earlier this year under which he clawed back state and municipal incentives previously granted to Carrier, after the company’s February announcement that it would leave for Mexico. Mr. Trump lambasted the move on the campaign trail this year, at one point suggesting he would impose a 35% tariff on Carrier products made in Mexico that it shipped to the U.S.

Violence spreads in trucker strike The New York Times / February 2, 1983 Violence spread today as independent truckers tried to enforce their efforts to shut down the trucking system to protest scheduled increases in Federal fuel taxes and user fees. Federal transportation officials and the trucking industry called for restraint and vowed to maintain truck movements across the nation. In the worst of the violence, George Franklin Capps, 33 years old, a teamster from Clayton, N.C., was shot through the neck by a sniper Monday night while driving along Route 701 near Newton Grove, N.C. Howard N. Adams, 45, of Riverside, Calif., was wounded in the chest Monday afternoon and was in serious condition at a Utah hospital. Another trucker was in satisfactory condition after he was shot this afternoon as he walked out of a truck stop in Gary, Ind., and still another man was shot when a bullet fired at a truck by a sniper near LaPorte, Ind., missed but hit a man driving a van filled with 11 children. The wounded man, Chris Balawender, 35, was hospitalized in fair condition with a hip wound. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission offered a $10,000 reward today for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for injuring a girl near Pittsburgh. Melissa Sarsfield, 14, was struck in the head with a brick at 5:15 P.M. Monday as she rode along the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Police say the brick was thrown at a truck from an overpass or a nearby hill and crashed through the back window of the Sarsfield car. The was listed in guarded condition today after five hours of surgery. Eight other shootings were reported Monday night in four western counties of Pennsylvania. The Associated Press reported that the police were investigating attacks on at least 50 rigs in 22 states since the strike began early Monday. Five drivers were hurt when bullets or rocks hit their trucks in unrelated incidents in Alabama, Maryland, Florida, Connecticut and Oregon. After Ohio's independent drivers joined the strike today, eight trucks were hit by gunfire and dozens had their windshields smashed. Although truck traffic appeared to be down considerably in many areas of the country Monday night, Federal officials said traffic picked up today, indicating that many drivers were choosing to drive in daylight and park at night. Some drivers expressed more fear of militant strikers than a desire to stop work over their grievances. A seven-state survey of selected truck plazas by the National Association of Truck Stop Operators today found that gasoline and diesel sales were off 15 percent from last Tuesday in the West and Southwest and down 25 percent in the Middle West. No shortages of goods were reported in the nation's markets. Despite the intimidation, trucking specialists said there were only remote chances of a widespread shutdown. ''Given this recession, for every trucker who parks his rig, three or four others will chase after his freight,'' said an official of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), which represents most of the major carriers. Michael Parkhurst, president of the Los Angeles-based Independent Truckers Association, has led the call for a shutdown, but others oppose it. Independent truckers, or owner-operators, make up about one-fourth of the nation's 400,000 truck drivers. The independent drivers object to recent legislation raising the Federal taxes on gasoline and diesel fuel, imposing excise taxes on heavy equipment and increasing registration fees for large trucks. Because of the poor economy and heavy competition, they contend, they will be unable to pass on the higher costs for fuel. The strike is opposed by drivers who work for companies and by their union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The ATA has also called for an end to the strike while it works more quietly in Congress to oppose the taxes. 'Call Your Congressmen' Mr. Parkhurst told drivers today: ''We have stressed over and over that we deplore violence. If you want to help, go home and call your Congressmen and senators.'' However, Bennett C. Whitlock Jr., president of the ATA, laid the blame indirectly at the feet of Mr. Parkhurst, saying: ''We deplore violence, which is the natural aftermath of a shutdown characterized by Parkhurst and his organization as a 'war.' It is unfortunate that the actions of a few ill-advised and frustrated individuals may adversely affect not only the vast majority of law-abiding truckers, but also the American public.'' On Capitol Hill, meanwhile, the number of bills to repeal or roll back portions of the tax package rose to six today as Senator Rudy Boschwitz of Minnesota and Senator Larry Pressler of South Dakota, both Republicans, introduced legislation.

"I am free of all prejudices. I hate everyone equally." - W. C. Fields

Elaine Chao Post: Secretary of Transportation Previous experience: Deputy Secretary of Transportation under President George H. W. Bush (1989-1991); Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush (2001-2009); Director of the Peace Corps; Chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission; Deputy maritime administrator; White House Fellow. Age: 63 (64 next March) Schooling: Chao attended Tsai Hsing Elementary School in Taipei for kindergarten and first grade, and Syosset High School in Syosset, Long Island, New York. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, in 1975 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1979. Chao has received 36 honorary doctorates, most recently a Doctor of Humane Letters from Georgetown University. Background: Elaine Chao was born in Taipei, Taiwan. Her parents had fled from Shanghai to Taiwan in 1949 when the Communists took over the mainland. Chao arrived in the U.S. with her family in 1961 at age 8. Chao is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. They married in 1993. Trump says Chao will play a key role in carrying out his campaign pledge to revitalize U.S. infrastructure with up to $1 trillion in funding, a goal that will require broad support from Congress. “Secretary Chao’s extensive record of strong leadership and her expertise are invaluable assets in our mission to rebuild our infrastructure in a fiscally responsible manner. She has an amazing life story and has helped countless Americans in her public service career," said Trump in a statement. "The President-elect has outlined a clear vision to transform our country's infrastructure, accelerate economic growth and productivity, and create good paying jobs across the country. I am honored to be nominated by the President-elect to serve my beloved country as Transportation Secretary,” said Chao in a statement. “Chao has a distinguished record of serving the nation and has already shown she can work effectively with members on both sides of the aisle. Her leadership will benefit the Department of Transportation in guiding investment in our infrastructure and making transportation safer and better for the public,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Commerce Committee, which oversees trucking policy.

You can't simply go by a casting number. That casting was machined at least 2 or 3 different ways to meet differing requirements, resulting in different Mack part number "P variations".

Cultural decay and declining standards of behavior in the United States. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Father sexually abuses and kills his 10-week-old girl The Washington Post / November 28, 2016 The initial allegations in the case were brutal: Robert Davidson, a 24-year-old father in Rockville, had sexually abused his 10-week-old daughter and then killed her. In court Monday at Davidson’s plea hearing, it became even more clear how much the little girl had suffered in her short life. The autopsy of Aleah Thompson showed a broken collarbone and 34 rib fractures in “various states of healing,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Mary Herdman. The injuries occurred during at least three “severely traumatic events” and appeared to be the result of Aleah’s chest being constricted, Herdman said. Davidson pleaded guilty to sex abuse of a minor and first-degree child abuse resulting in death. As part of his entering the plea, prosecutors agreed to drop an additional charge of second-degree murder. Davidson faces up to 50 years in prison. [why not death?] On June 23, 2015, Davidson called police and medics to an apartment where he lived with Aleah and Aleah’s mother, Lorena Thompson. The child died three days later at a hospital. Davidson initially told detectives he’d been in the living room playing video games when he heard labored breathing coming from a bedroom. He went to check on Aleah, he had said, and found her limp and unresponsive. Davidson also told police that he had dropped his daughter several times and that she had rolled off a couch. He later admitted to police that he had shaken the child. An autopsy found the child died of “multiple blunt force injuries.” Doctors found injuries to her head, eyes and spine. A forensic anthropologist examined Aleah’s bones, and determined she had suffered severe trauma during the first two weeks of her life, several weeks after that, and just before her death. Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors agreed to seek no more than 50 years in prison for Davidson. Aleah’s mother also was charged in the case. On July 22, 2016, she pleaded guilty to neglect of a minor. Police and prosecutors say she had seen bruising on her girl and suspected Davidson had inflicted the injuries, but she took no action. She was sentenced to five years of probation. .

In the country's early documents, the founding fathers wrote both "democracy" and "republic". I suspect that since they borrowed many thoughts from France's system of government, and France was a "republic", that is how the collection of wording came about. No country lives its government to the exact letter of the definition. One can say our country is a "hybrid" system which adopted traits of what the concepts of "democracy" and "republic" represented to the founding fathers some 240 years ago. And as Paul would say, it was a different time and place, with different attitudes (outlooks).

If we had a direct voting system, one person - one vote, and it was real.......and free of corruption, then we would have an "inarguable" election result. Trump has publicly denounced the electoral college system. I agree with him.

The casting number usually is NOT the part number. Can you post your truck's line sheet?

I always liked the International Cub 154 "low-boy". Never a more serious lawn tractor. It had a 15-horsepower liquid-cooled L-head 4-cylinder International C60 engine (59.5 cu.in.). .

Paul, I know Tasmania gets snow. Doesn't it snow as far north as Sydney?

This all reminds of an older article in The Mack Bulldog about a gentleman who built a mini R-model on a Dodge chassis, a believe it was a D300.

Northern Territory livestock transport route upgraded Australasian Transport News (ATN) / November 29, 2016 Completed project will improve safety for trucks moving livestock through the NT A key livestock freight route has been upgraded in northern Australia with the completion of the $5.8 million Carpentaria Highway project. Part of the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Programme, the works improved a 3.8km stretch of the major access route for the Borroloola and Gulf Region. Welcoming the news, Northern Territory senator Nigel Scullion says the highway services up to 15 pastoral stations and is vital to the local economy. "The Carpentaria Highway is the major access route for Borroloola and the Gulf Region, especially for services provided out of Katherine and Darwin," Scullion says. "These works have made the highway flatter through the dangerously steep Borroloola Jump Up section, which means it is easier for trucks travelling uphill and much safer for everyone travelling downhill. "It also provides better sight distance to oncoming traffic reducing the risk of crashes. "Up to 15 pastoral stations rely on the Carpentaria Highway to carry around 30,000 cattle every year to the East Arm Port in Darwin for the live export market, making our investment in this project an investment in the livelihoods of locals and the national economy." Completed just before wet season begins in the region, Northern Territory deputy chief minister and infrastructure, planning and logistics minister Nicole Manison says the road will help industries, such as mining, that work all year round. "Getting fuel, as well as all the supplies and heavy equipment, in and out can be a real logistical challenge with wet season load restrictions, which is why we have repaired broken highway pavement and made it more resistant to wet season damage," Manison says. The upgrade was NT and federally funded.

Prime Mover Magazine / November 29, 2016 The $5.8 million safety upgrade to the Carpentaria Highway in the Northern Territory has just been completed. According to Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Darren Chester, the upgrade of the 3.8 kilometre stretch into Borroloola and the Gulf Region was a key project for the State under the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Programme. “This programme is all about improving the efficiency and safety of the national road network so truck drivers can deliver freight on time with less chance of being involved in crashes,” the Minister said. Northern Territory Senator, Nigel Scullion, said the works were vital to the Territory's economy. “The Carpentaria Highway is the major access route for Borroloola and the Gulf Region, especially for services provided out of Katherine and Darwin,” he said. “These works have made the highway flatter through the dangerously steep Borroloola Jump Up section, which means it is easier for trucks travelling uphill and much safer for everyone travelling downhill. It also provides better sight distance to oncoming traffic reducing the risk of crashes.” “Up to 15 pastoral stations rely on the Carpentaria Highway to carry around 30,000 cattle every year to the East Arm Port in Darwin for the live export market, making our investment in this project an investment in the livelihoods of locals and the national economy.” Northern Territory Deputy Chief Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Nicole Manison, said mining and other industries relied on the Carpentaria Highway to do business. “Getting fuel, as well as all the supplies and heavy equipment, in and out can be a real logistical challenge with wet season load restrictions, which is why we have repaired broken highway pavement and made it more resistant to wet season damage,” she said. The Carpentaria Highway upgrade was jointly funded by the Australian and Northern Territory governments.

I read that lines of people waiting for stores to open were a rarity this year. The article said many people shopped online instead. That said, I saw few good specials online this year. The good items that you'd want to buy were either not on sale, or had modest discounts that are available throughout the year. Last year, I waited until Black Friday to buy a wide range of items (online) and did very well. But not this year. I'm getting annoyed with Amazon in the way they constantly fluctuate the prices. I watched an item fluctuate between $191 and $239 no less than four times in a 24-hour period. I've zero tolerance for that way of doing business.

Georgia Republican Congressman Tom Price Post: secretary of Health and Human Services Previous Experience in health and human services: Price ran an orthopedic clinic in Atlanta for 20 years before returning to Emory University as assistant professor of orthopedic surgery. He also was the director of the orthopedic clinic at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital. Age: 62 Schooling: Price attended Adams Jr. High and Dearborn High School in Dearborn. He graduated with an M.D. from the University of Michigan. He completed his residency at Emory University in Atlanta, and decided to settle in the suburb of Roswell, where he still lives. Background: Price was born in Lansing, Michigan and grew up in Dearborn. Price will play a key role in Trump’s plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (Note: Trump took a more dovish tone towards repealing the Affordable Care Act after meeting with Obama). Price has been at the center of congressional efforts to repeal Obamacare as chairman of the House Budget Committee. He was one of a handful of GOP lawmakers to design a replacement plan for the 2010 health care law — a proposal that never received a vote in committee or on the floor of the House. As secretary of Health and Human Services, Price could leverage his close relationship with Speaker Paul Ryan, a friend from their years together on the budget panel, to reimagine health care policy and make changes to entitlement programs such as Medicare. Price’s own Obamacare replacement plan called for tearing down the system’s insurance exchanges, mandates and minimum requirements for health plans. It instead favored tax credits based on a policy holder’s age that would help customers buy insurance on individual markets. Price, who was first elected in 2004, represents the prosperous 6th congressional district in the northern suburbs of Atlanta. It has been traditionally Republican and Price has easily won re-election. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) oversees 11 agencies including: Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Administration for Community Living (ACL) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau Bureau of Primary Health Care Bureau of Health Professions Indian Health Service (IHS) National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Cancer Institute National Eye Institute National Institute on Aging National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute on Drug Abuse National Institute of General Medical Sciences National Institute of Mental Health National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke National Institute of Nursing Research National Library of Medicine Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) What the agencies do: http://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/hhs-agencies-and-offices/index.html ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sanders blasts Trump's HHS pick: 'What hypocrisy!' The Hill / November 29, 2016 Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Tuesday blasted President-elect Donald Trump's selection of Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) as the next Health and Human Services secretary. While Sanders reiterated his support for some of Trump's economic policies, he criticized the president-elect's HHS selection, saying it runs counter to his campaign promises. "Donald Trump asked workers and seniors to vote for him because he was the only Republican candidate who would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid - programs that are of life-and-death importance for millions of Americans," Sanders said. "Now, he has nominated a person for secretary of Health and Human Services, Rep. Tom Price, who has a long history of wanting to do exactly the opposite of what Trump campaigned on," Sanders added. The Vermont lawmaker outlined Price's positions and said Trump should publicly admit that his promises "were just lies." "Rep. Price has a long history of wanting to cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. What hypocrisy! Mr. Trump needs to tell the American people that what he said during the campaign were just lies, or else appoint an HHS secretary who will protect these programs and do what Trump said he would do," Sanders said. "Chairman Price, a renowned physician, has earned a reputation for being a tireless problem solver and the go-to expert on healthcare policy, making him the ideal choice to serve in this capacity," said Trump. "He is exceptionally qualified to shepherd our commitment to repeal and replace Obamacare and bring affordable and accessible healthcare to every American. I am proud to nominate him as Secretary of Health and Human Services," Trump added. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Tom Price, a Radical Choice for Health Secretary The New York Times Editorial Board / November 30, 2016 In picking Representative Tom Price, President-elect Donald Trump has chosen as his secretary of health and human services a man intent on systematically weakening, if not demolishing, the nation’s health care safety net. Price, a Republican from Georgia, is a fierce opponent of the Affordable Care Act, the 2010 health reform law, and beyond that, supports plans to slash Medicare and Medicaid, which cover tens of millions of elderly, disabled and low-income Americans. He is against a woman’s right to choose and has backed legislation to strip Planned Parenthood of federal funding. Trump and many Republicans have talked vaguely about plans to repeal the health reform law but suggest they might keep some popular parts of the law. Mr. Price makes no such noises. The detailed legislation he introduced most recently in 2015 would destroy the reform law and is a good indication of his philosophy in managing the nation’s largest health programs: cut benefits and leave millions with no health care at all. His bill would, among other things, roll back the federally financed expansion of Medicaid in 31 states and the District of Columbia, taking coverage away from 14 million poor people. It would severely cut federal subsidies that help individuals and families buy policies on government-run health exchanges. The reduced subsidies would make it hard, if not impossible, for millions to afford the coverage they have gotten since the Affordable Care Act went into effect. And the bill would no longer require insurers to cover addiction treatment, birth control, maternity care, prescription drugs and other essential medical services. As for coverage of pre-existing medical conditions — a key element of the current law, requiring insurers to sell plans to those with health problems — Price’s bill has that protection only for those who maintained continuous health coverage with any insurer for the previous 18 months. This means that insurers would not be required to sell an affordable plan to anyone who did not have coverage for, say, a month while he or she was between jobs. Beyond his commitment to tearing apart the health care law, Price, who leads the House Budget Committee, published a budget proposal last year that would convert Medicaid into a block grant to state governments. This would reduce federal spending on the program by 34 percent by 2025, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Such a cut would inevitably cause states to offer fewer benefits and reduce the number of people covered, far beyond the 14 million who would lose their coverage if Medicaid expansion is rolled back. Price also supports big changes to Medicare that could hurt older Americans by increasing their health care costs. A plan backed by Price and the House speaker, Paul Ryan, would turn Medicare, which covers the cost of medical care for people over 65, into a program in which people would buy private insurance through what is known as premium support. The idea is to turn Medicare into a voucher program, designed to limit federal spending while forcing seniors to bear more of the cost. Given that most American families have little or no retirement savings, this would be disastrous. It also stands in stark contrast to Trump’s campaign promise not to “cut” Medicare and Social Security. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Associated Press / January 16, 2017 Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) last year purchased shares in a medical device manufacturer days before introducing legislation that would have directly benefited the company. Price is Trump's nominee for Health and Human Services secretary. Price bought between $1,001 to $15,000 worth of shares last March in Zimmer Biomet, according to House records. Less than a week after the transaction, the Georgia Republican congressman introduced the HIP Act, legislation that would have delayed until 2018 a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulation that industry analysts warned would significantly hurt Zimmer Biomet financially once fully implemented. Zimmer Biomet, one of the world's leading manufacturers of knee and hip implants, was one of two companies that would been hit the hardest by the new CMS regulation that directly impacts the payments for such procedures. After Price offered his bill to provide Zimmer Biomet and other companies relief from the CMS regulation, the company's political action committee donated to the congressman's reelection campaign. The new revelation is the latest example of Price trading stock in a health care firm at the same time as pursuing legislation that could impact a company's share price. The issue has become a major liability for the congressman after The Wall Street Journal reported last month that he traded roughly $300,000 in shares over the past four years in health companies while pursuing legislation that could impact them. Concerns over insider trading on Capitol Hill, where members of Congress traded stock based on intelligence gleaned from the legislative process, prompted the enactment of the STOCK Act in 2012 aimed at combating the practice. Price sat on an influential Ways and Means subcommittee that directly oversees health care policy. Over the last year-and-a-half, Price raised objections to the CMS regulation that proposed major changes to how providers and manufacturers are paid and reimbursed for hip and knee implants through Medicare. Medical device manufacturers were poised to be hit the hardest by the new regulation, posing a significant threat to Zimmer Biomet. In September 2015, Price spearheaded a letter to Andy Slavitt, the acting administrator of CMS, asking that the regulation be delayed because it "represents a significant change to our healthcare delivery system which could have a negative impact on patient choice, access and quality." Two days after the letter, Zimmer Biomet's PAC wrote Price's reelection committee a check for $1,000. When CMS didn't listen to Price, the congressman unveiled his legislation to delay implementing the regulation until 2018, with the bill coming days after investing in the company, whose shares were selling for $103.59 at the time. Three months after he introduced the bill, the company's PAC wrote Price's campaign committee another $1,000 check. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has now called for an ethics investigation into Price. "This new report makes clear that this isn't just a couple of questionable trades, but rather a clear and troubling pattern of congressman Price trading stock and using his office to benefit the companies in which he is investing," said Schumer. "The Office of Congressional Ethics needs to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into these potential violations of the STOCK Act before Rep. Price's nomination moves forward." .