The federal welfare apparatus has bloomed into disastrous menagerie of nearly one hundred programs. Many in Congress are seeking a solution to the welfare leviathan’s imminent collapse.

At the moment, California is considering the possibility of implementing a single-payer healthcare system. SB 562, the Healthy California Act, would essentially expand Medicare coverage so that it covered every person in the state of California. Having been approved by the Senate, the bill now goes to the state Assembly where it has a chance of passing. However, if it does pass, it would be a massive problem for the state as it would face significant increased state spending, higher taxes, and decreased quality of health care.

Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) reintroduced the CREATES Act, S. 974, in an effort to close regulatory loopholes at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that limit competition in the emerging market for biosimilars. Sen. Mike Lee and all of the other cosponsors of last year’s bill have returned as cosponsors. Rep. Tom Marino also introduced this bill in the House of Representatives on April 27th.

During his bid for reelection in 2012, then-President Obama tried to defend ObamaCare in a campaign speech, telling his supporters, “[Y]our premiums will go down.” It has been about five years since he said that and they have gone significantly differently than the President intended. Evidence has actually found that the reverse happened and that premium prices went up.

On May 5, 2017, Gov. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) signed SB 5035, making Washington the 35th Right to Try state. The Right to Try law allows drugs that have passed the initial phase of FDA testing to be tried by various individuals despite the fact the drug has not yet gone through the lengthy process of full approval by the agency.