Following is a summary of current US domestic news briefs.
Biden administration issues new memo ending Trump ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy
The Biden administration on Friday made a renewed attempt to end a Trump-era immigration program that forced asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for U.S. court hearings, according to a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) memo previewed by officials. The administration first ended the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program, informally called “Remain in Mexico” , earlier this year, but was ordered to restart it by a federal judge, who said it had failed to follow proper regulatory procedure.
Safety nets kept U.S. uninsured rate steady during pandemic, HHS says
Enrollment in U.S. government-run health insurance program Medicaid during the COVID-19 pandemic grew 16%, with more than 11 million additional Americans signing up, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Friday. Safety nets like Medicaid and re-opening enrollment through the Affordable Care Act helped stabilize uninsured rates even while millions lost employer-related health insurance coverage as the pandemic rattled the U.S. economy, the department said.
Biden says pope thinks he is a ‘good Catholic,’ further fuelling U.S. abortion debate
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday that Pope Francis told him he was a “good Catholic” who can receive communion, widening a gulf between Francis and conservative U.S. bishops who want to deny it because of Biden’s support for abortion rights. Biden and the pope held an unusually long 1 hour and 15 minute meeting at the Vatican as a debate raged back in the United States about the divisive issue.
Eleven states sue U.S. government over vaccine mandate for federal contractors
Eleven U.S. states with Republican governors sued the Biden administration on Friday seeking to block a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors, arguing it is unconstitutional and violates federal procurement law. Saying they were necessary to fight COVID-19, President Joe Biden issued a pair of executive orders on Sept. 9 requiring all executive branch federal employees and federal contractors be vaccinated.
U.S. Supreme Court to consider allowing Republican bid to defend Trump-era immigration rule
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a bid by a group of Republican state officials to take over the defense of a hardline immigration rule issued by former President Donald Trump’s administration that had barred certain immigrants deemed likely to require government benefits from obtaining legal permanent residency. The justices took up an appeal by 13 Republican state attorneys general led by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich of a lower court’s ruling that rejected their bid to defend Trump’s “public charge” rule. President Joe Biden’s administration dropped the government’s defense of the…
Read More: US Domestic News Roundup: Biden administration issues new memo ending Trump