Trump Administration Wants To Upend Time Limits For Detaining Migrant Children Set By Decades-Old Court Decree
The 1997 Flores settlement has helped govern the treatment of minors in federal custody for the past 20 years, and has survived numerous court challenges. The Trump administration, however, is proposing a new rule that would lift the 20-day limit established in Flores.
The New York Times:
Trump Administration Moves To Sidestep Restrictions On Detaining Migrant Children
The Trump administration moved on Thursday to remove court-imposed time limits on the detention of migrant children, proposing to end 20 years of judicial oversight and allow families to be held indefinitely in secure facilities as their cases wend through the immigration courts. The proposed new regulation reflects President Trump’s frustration that thousands of families from Central America and elsewhere are continuing to stream across the southwest border, assured in part by guarantees in the current legal process that migrants who arrive with children will not be held for long periods in detention. (Dickerson, 9/6)
The Associated Press:
Group: Reports Of Sex Abuse At Kids' Shelters Need Inquiry
A group formed in the wake of outrage over the separation of immigrant families at the Mexico border criticized an investigation by the state of Arizona into reports that some of those children were sexually abused at shelters. The group Uncage and Reunite Families, composed of elected officials, community activists and religious leaders called on Gov. Doug Ducey to launch an independent investigation after the one conducted by the state health services department only found issues with personnel records and delayed background checks. (9/6)
In other national health care news —
The New York Times:
DeVos Punts To Congress On Federally Funded Guns For Schools
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has left it to Congress to decide whether states can use federal funds to purchase firearms for their schools, prompting congressional Democrats to begin a last-ditch effort to restrict those funds. Conservatives said Ms. DeVos’s stance was consistent with her championing of local school control. But Democrats and advocates denounced her decision as a tacit endorsement of federally funded firearms in schools, and federal policy experts saw the move as an abdication of the department’s core function to help districts navigate the federal bureaucracy. (Green, 9/6)
The New York Times:
The E.P.A.’s Review Of Mercury Rules Could Remake Its Methods For Valuing Human Life And Health
When writing environmental rules, one of the most important calculations involves weighing the financial costs against any gains in human life and health. The formulas are complex, but the bottom line is that reducing the emphasis on health makes it tougher to justify a rule. Last week the Trump administration took a crucial step toward de-emphasizing the life and health benefits in this calculus when the Environmental Protection Agency said it would rethink a major regulation that restricts mercury emissions by coal-burning power plants. (Davenport and Friedman, 9/7)
The Hill:
Trump Health Chief Meets With GOP Lawmakers On Lowering Drug Prices
Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar on Thursday met with Republican lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee to discuss ways to lower drug prices. President Trump has railed against drug prices and his administration has rolled out a series of actions seeking to lower prices, though many say the moves have been relatively modest. (Sullivan, 9/6)
The Hill:
Senate To Vote Next Week On Opioid Package
The Senate will vote next week on a package of bills aimed at curbing the nation's opioid epidemic, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Thursday. McConnell's spokesman said that Democrats had dropped their holds on the legislation. Some Democrats had previously objected to a provision, calling it an earmark for a PhRMA-funded advocacy group. (Hellmann, 9/6)
The New York Times:
Kids, Get Your Flu Shot
The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending that everyone older than 6 months get a flu shot for the 2018-19 season as soon as it is available, preferably before the end of October. The policy statement, published in the October issue of Pediatrics, states that the inactivated influenza vaccine, which is given as a shot, is best. Children with egg allergy, even severe allergy, can take the shot safely. (Bakalar, 9/6)