House Speaker Mike Johnson lashed out at Democrats on Monday for creating the healthcare crisis they are now using to demand more than a trillion dollars in new spending to reopen the goverment, much of which would be used to continue subsidizing “Obamacare” medical premiums.
But in the Senate, 60 votes are needed to overcome the filibuster and advance legislation. So far, only a few Democrats have joined the 53 Republicans to support the bill after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) instructed his caucus to oppose the bill and keep the government shuttered while demanding the Obamacare subsidies be added before they expire next month.
Republican leaders have said they are willing to negotiate the subsidies but demanded that Democrats support the clean spending bill to reopen the government after many of them supported an identical measure last spring.
At a Monday press conference, Johnson addressed the subsidies and blamed Democrats for using them as leverage to reopen the government.
“It is the Democrats who created Obamacare. It is the Democrats who did that without any Republican votes” during then-President Barack Obama’s first term, Johnson said.
“It’s the Democrats who by extension have cost the American taxpayers and people who have health insurance, have made their costs skyrocket,” he added.
“It is their policies that made that happen. And instead of reforming it, the Democrats don’t reform Obamacare. They want to subsidize it. They want to spend more taxpayer dollars,” he continued.
“That, by the way, goes mostly to insurance companies, which makes the cost rise further. That’s the Democrats’ plan,” he said. “When they passed Obamacare in 2010, they called it the ‘Affordable Care Act.’ We know the truth is exactly the opposite. By some estimates, premiums have risen 60 percent.”
“Republicans are the ones fighting to save healthcare. Why? It’s not just talking points to us. We do this. We have ideas and we have already implemented ideas and measures to reduce costs, increase access and quality, and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse,” Johnson continued.
“We got millions of ineligible enrollees off the program and it preserved it. It strengthened Medicaid for the people who rely upon it, which is the elderly, disabled, and young pregnant women, as we always use an example,” he added.
“No, [the shutdown] is not about healthcare. That is a false claim and everybody knows it. Everyone in America, and certainly everybody in this room, understands that this is about something else. It’s about FEAR [of the radical left],” he added.
On “Fox News Sunday,” Johnson said President Donald Trump was “eager” and “determined” to reopen the federal government as quickly as possible.
“I think what you’re seeing there is a reflection of his anger, his real frustration that the government is closed. He he is a big-hearted president,” Johnson told anchor Shannon Bream.
“He wants everybody to get their services, and the health services for veterans and SNAP benefits and all the rest. And he’s tried everything he can, and he is now exhausting his ability. The courts are now saying you can’t go any further. So he’s just desperate for the government to open. He’s tried everything,” Johnson said.
It’s not unusual for wild animals in Florida to wander into neighborhoods while searching for food, but in one dramatic case in 2008, a 400-pound black bear’s misstep nearly turned deadly. Wildlife officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) responded to a call after the bear was spotted roaming through a residential area near Alligator Point. In order to safely relocate the animal to its natural habitat, they made the decision to sedate it with a tranquilizer dart.
At first, everything went according to plan — the dart hit its mark. But then things quickly spiraled out of control. Panicked by the sting, the massive bear bolted straight toward the ocean. Once in the water, the sedative began to take effect, leaving the animal groggy and disoriented. The heavy black bear soon started to struggle, and before long, it was on the verge of drowning.
That’s when one man’s bravery made all the difference. Adam Warwick, a biologist with FWC, refused to let the bear die in front of him. Without hesitation, and fully aware of the risks, he dove into the ocean. “It was a spur-of-the-moment decision,” Warwick later explained. “I had a lot of adrenaline pumping when I saw the bear in the water.” He knew full well that if the bear regained strength suddenly, it could have lashed out, but he pressed on.
Amazingly, the bear seemed to sense he was there to help. Warwick positioned himself alongside the 400-pound animal and began guiding it back toward shore. Using all of his strength and determination, he managed to keep the bear’s head above water and slowly coax it into the shallows. By the time they reached land, Warwick had suffered only a scratch, an incredible outcome considering the risks he faced.
Once onshore, additional team members rushed to assist. Together, they came up with a practical solution — using a tractor’s bucket to lift and transport the exhausted bear safely. The plan worked, and soon the animal was secured for relocation. Warwick rode along with the animal on the short journey to its new home: the Osceola National Forest, a vast protected area where the bear could live safely, far from residential neighborhoods.
Thanks to Adam Warwick’s quick thinking and fearless action, what could have been a tragic story ended in triumph. The black bear was returned to its natural environment, and Warwick became a quiet hero. His act of bravery served as a reminder that not all heroes wear capes — sometimes, they wear field clothes and step into danger simply because it’s the right thing to do.
Brave Man Saving a Drowning 400-lb Black Bear Is Possibly one of the Greatest Rescue Stories Ever!
Bears have an incredible sense of smell, and when they’re hungry bears will go to some pretty crazy extremes to get their paws on a snack. Bears are also very intelligent, so once they learn that humans provide a seemingly endless supply of snacks, by way of garbage or half-eaten candy bars that get left behind, they will search out residential areas to find something tasty to eat.
In this particular story, a 400-pound black bear set out to follow his nose and wandered all the way from his home in Osceola National Forest to a residential area in Alligator Point, Florida. When he was discovered shuffling through one of the residents garbage, wildlife authorities set out to capture and return the bear back to his forest home…this is when things started to go horribly wrong.
Once the bear was located authorities attempted to sedate the bear–as a 400-pound, claw-weilding black bear is not exactly the most cooperative animal–this would be the safest way they could transport him back to his home. But the bear had other plans…
After being hit with a tranquilizer dart, the bear took off towards the ocean and hopped into the water.
As he was swimming out into the Gulf, the tranquilizers began to kick in and he became drowsy and started to drown.
Luckily, Adam Warwick, a biologist with the Wildlife Commission was nearby…
Without even flinching at the size and strength of the bear, Warwick grabbed a hold of the floundering animal.
The bear was beginning to lose feeling in his legs and struggled to crawl onto Warwick to stay afloat.
Knowing he would need to act quickly and stay as calm as possible, Warwick began to drag the bear to shore.
The bear was having trouble keeping his head above the water, losing more and more mobility.
But the brave biologist just kept swimming, despite the growing weight of the 400-pound bear.
Warwick managed to tow the bear the entire 25 yards to land.
Finally on shore, the groggy bear and exhausted Warwick were hoisted onto land.
The bear weighed too much for the crew to handle, so they used a tractor bucket to move the sedated bear.
Warwick made sure the sleepy bear made it safely onto the transport vehicle. Surely, if the bear hadn’t been so groggy he would have given Warwick a big bear hug.
Back at Osceola National Forest, the bear is looking MUCH happier…it’s going to be a long time before this guy goes rummaging through human garbage again!
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All image source: Becky Bickerstaff and Adam Warwick of The Nature Conservancy
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