The Daily Signal, the multimedia news organization of The Heritage Foundation, is kicking off 2017 with a bang. Reports from the news organization are having an impact in the nation’s capital.
In the House Budget Committee’s hearing, “The Failures of Obamacare: Harmful Effects and Broken Promises,” Galen Institute President Grace-Marie Turner cited Daily Signal news stories three separate times to explain Obamacare’s negative impact on Americans.
In her testimony, Turner referred to The Daily Signal’s article about the experience of Rochelle Bird, a financial adviser from Overland Park, Kansas, whose deductible increased and insurance coverage decreased due to Obamacare.
“Again, The Daily Signal offers an example of a veterinarian whose premiums doubled over three years while the quality of his coverage eroded,” she said.
Turner went on to share another Daily Signal story about Scott Womack, who sold his 16 IHOP restaurants in part because of Obamacare. After crunching the numbers, Womack estimated it would cost $7,000 to provide health coverage for each full-time employee, an Obamacare mandate he couldn’t afford.
Turner also used information reported by The Daily Signal to highlight specific instances of Americans who have been burdened by the failures of Obamacare.
"The Daily Signal strives to put a human face on the policy issues confronting Washington,” says editor-in-chief Rob Bluey. “In the case of Obamacare, we’ve had no shortage of personal stories to illustrate the law’s consequences. When these stories reach the halls of Congress, lawmakers see firsthand how their actions affect the American people."
Congress isn’t the only spot in Washington where The Daily Signal is having an impact. At the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the organization’s White House correspondent is getting noticed as well.
Fred Lucas joined The Daily Signal team last June. After President Donald Trump’s victory in November, he began covering the transition, and now the Trump administration. He can be spotted during the daily press briefing. Press secretary Sean Spicer has called Lucas’ name several times already. Lucas is always prepared with a policy-related question.
During Spicer’s first week, Lucas asked about Obamacare repeal and attempts by some Republicans to salvage parts of the law.
“First and foremost, let’s get back to what his goal is: We are working with Congress, some of those conversations started last night, staff has been working on a plan to repeal and replace [Obamacare],” Spicer told The Daily Signal during the press briefing. “His goal, first and foremost, is to make sure we give the American people a health care system that is affordable, more accessible, more doctors and more plans.”
Later that night, in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, Spicer referred to The Daily Signal as a news outlet Americans can trust.
“The lucky thing for us is that through the beauty of talk radio and a lot of new sites that are popping up day in and day out—there’s Breitbart, The Daily Caller, The Daily Signal—over and over again we’re seeing people gravitate toward sites because they recognize the mainstream media isn’t the only game in town anymore.”
Under the leadership of Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint, The Daily Signal debuted in June 2014. Its goal is to be the go-to multimedia outlet for stories about how Washington’s policymaking affects real people. It’s also increasingly the source of news about what matters most to conservatives on Capitol Hill. The team’s news reporting is complemented by commentary and analysis from Heritage’s research team as well as prominent conservative voices.
If you would like to stay informed about The Daily Signal’s work, sign up for the Morning Bell newsletter. It’ll arrive in your inbox each morning with the day’s top stories.
