Monday, August 5, 2013

US House To IRS 'Stay Out Of Healthcare'

On August 2, 2013 the US House of Representatives, in a bipartisan effort, told the IRS to "stay out of healthcare".

H.R. 2009 received 232 "yes" votes to 185 "nays" with 16 not voting. Four Democratic representatives crossed partisan lines in passing the important bill. The 185 "nay" votes came exclusively from Democratic supporters of the original Parent Protection and Affordable Care Act. Given the amount of time since its partisan passage in 2009, they should have had ample time to read the "Obamacare" law.

The bill was founded upon several key congressional findings:

    Congress finds the following:
      (1) On May 10, 2013, the Internal Revenue Service admitted that it singled out advocacy groups, based on ideology, seeking tax-exempt status.
      (2) This action raises pertinent questions about the agency's ability to implement and oversee Public Law 111-148 and Public Law 111-152.
      (3) This action could be an indication of future Internal Revenue Service abuses in relation to Public Law 111-148 and Public Law 111-152 given that it is their responsibility to enforce a key provision, the individual mandate.
      (4) Americans accept the principle that patients, families, and doctors should be making medical decisions, not the Federal Government.

Based upon the aforementioned four facts, the House of Representatives passed the following:

    The Secretary of the Treasury, or any delegate of the Secretary, shall not implement or enforce any provisions of or amendments made by Public Law 111-148 or 111-152.
Passed the House of Representatives August 2, 2013.

 

Meanwhile, In The Senate...


H.R. 2009 has several companion or related bills, including S. 983, the Senate's version of H.R. 2009 filed and sponsored by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX). S. 983's wording is identical to the House bill, which has been engrossed and received by the US Senate.

In July, Cornyn also filed S.1315. That bill also has nearly identical wording to S. 983 and HR 2009. Its primary difference is in its "short title".

Senator Cornyn's sponsorship of these two bills begs a serious question, though. Senator Cornyn removed his name from a letter sponsored by Senator Mike Lee. Lee's letter was a letter of intent that meant to form a coalition pledging to cut off funding to the PPACA. Should the law not be repealed in the US Senate, the letter would at least demonstrate a concerted stand to at least attempt to halt or hinder a law that the majority of US Citizens now see as potentially disastrous.

When Sen Cornyn was asked about his support for H.R 2009 and Mike Lee's letter, one of Cornyn's staffers reminded constituents that Cornyn sponsored S. 1315 and S. 983. However, no answers were given concerning Lee's letter.

Other constituents pushed similar questions through different avenues, receiving what they viewed as similar condescending answers.  The Cornyn camp's main talking points seem to revolve around media propaganda that falsely claims defunding "Obamacare" would necessitate a "government shutdown". This is something Senator Ted Cruz debunked in recent days. Cornyn's staffers still hold onto this claim, adding that Cornyn sees a similar goal, but wishes to use different tactics and means toward that end.

Ted Cruz asks American Citizens to sign the petition to cut Obamacare funding. Meanwhile, he is challenging grassroots opponents of the PPACA:  "#DontBlink".

Citizens may want to refresh themselves on the last time our federal government passed a budget. That last one was passed in the fall of President Bush's last year in office. There has not been a budget passed since. Somehow, without a budget, our government has not shut down. It appears the alarmist cries are slightly hyperbolic. The last "shutdown" occurred when President Clinton and Speaker Gingrich had their budgetary showdown. The result was a budget eventually passed. That budget led to budgetary a budgetary surplus. Perhaps the threatened "shutdown" would reap the same rewards. With a nearly $17T national debt, our country could use it. 

What our citizens don't need are rising healthcare costs, increased taxes on "medical equipment" such as fishing poles, part-time employment that won't pay the bills, lowered wages, decreased production, IRS "death panels", increased taxes (labeled as "fines") for not being able to afford adequate health insurance, an increase to an already over-bloated federal bureaucracy, or tax penalties for being wise enough to set up a Health Savings Account (HSA).

It more sounds as though Cornyn may have spent one weekend too many golfing in Phoenix with Senators John McCain and Barbara Boxer. (There is no evidence that such a weekend has ever occurred.)

This leads some constituents to wonder if Cornyn truly plans to fight against the PPACA and the implementation of its "employer" and "individual" mandates. Many are now worried Cornyn may just be "paying lip service" and "sold out" his constituents, who are comprised of a conservative majority.

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