Posted on 08/04/2009 3:45:39 PM PDT by Cindy
THE BRIEFING ROOM • THE BLOG
THE BLOG
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4TH, 2009 AT 6:55 AM Facts Are Stubborn Things Posted by Macon Phillips
Opponents of health insurance reform may find the truth a little inconvenient, but as our second president famously said, "facts are stubborn things."
Scary chain emails and videos are starting to percolate on the internet, breathlessly claiming, for example, to "uncover" the truth about the President’s health insurance reform positions.
In this video, Linda Douglass, the communications director for the White House’s Health Reform Office, addresses one example that makes it look like the President intends to "eliminate" private coverage, when the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.
For the record, the President has consistently said that if you like your insurance plan, your doctor, or both, you will be able to keep them. He has even proposed eight consumer protections relating specifically to the health insurance industry.
There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.
Here are the complete videos that Linda refers to. First from the AARP:
And then from the President's news conference:
Quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2419086/posts
The Weapon of Mass Health Destruction
To The Point News ^ | January 01, 2010 | Dave Janda M.D.
Posted on January 1, 2010 11:31:08 AM PST by shield
For years our military has been in search of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) in Iraq and Afghanistan, and our intelligence agencies have also been scouring the world to unearth these threats.
The heart and core of their plan is based on the most inhumane and unethical means of cutting costs: the rationing and denying of care. Even worse, the death panels that will ration and deny care, according to the Obama-Pelosi-Reid plan, will be unelected and unaccountable Federal bureaucrats.
On Sunday, November 22, Fox News Sunday interviewed Senator Arlen Specter, who was a Democrat before he was Republican before he was a Democrat. Senator Specter let the “secret agenda” of Obama-Pelosi-Reid slip.
When questioned on the fact that the Senate Bill cuts $500 Billion in Medicare spending over ten years, yet in ten years there will be 30 percent more people in Medicare, Senator Specter stumbled. He admitted that Congress has never cut Medicare benefits in its history and then confessed, “This Bill has a provision, a cure, in how we can cut Medicare: a Commission.”
That’s right, a non-elected Commission will be appointed by The President. Sarah Palin accurately desribed it as a “death panel.” Starting in 2015, this Commission will oversee Medicare and its expenditures, but this Commission will not be accountable to or recallable by the electorate. Initially, the Commission will oversee cuts to Medicare Advantage, the same program that services 10 million Seniors.
Using this type of panel to make such cuts, when it is not accountable to or elected by the public, is like bombing an enemy from 40,000 feet. Destruction occurs, but you don’t see their faces. By 2019, all limits are off, and every American can become the target of the carpet bombing.
(Excerpt) Read more at tothepointnews.com ...
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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/01/07/final-health-care-require-proof-insurance-tax-returns/
Updated January 07, 2010
“Final Health Care Bill May Require Proof of Insurance on Tax Returns”
By Molly Henneberg - FOXNews.com
SNIPPET: “As if U.S. tax forms aren’t complicated enough, Congress is expected to include in its final health care reform bill a requirement that nearly all Americans have health insurance — and prove it on their tax returns or face a fine.
The Internal Revenue Service would be tasked with enforcing this new health insurance mandate, prompting some in the tax preparation business to say this is going to add a whole new burden to the tax agency.”
SNIPPET: “In addition, the health care reform bill likely would require the IRS to dole out taxpayer dollars — subsidies — to low-income Americans to help them pay for health insurance, administer tax credits to small businesses to help them offer health insurance to workers and collect billions of dollars in new taxes on employers, insurance companies and medical device companies.”
Quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2476674/posts
CONGRESS VOTES TO SOCIALIZE HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED STATES
CNS NEWS.com ^ | Monday, March 22, 2010 | By Terence P. Jeffrey, Editor-in-Chief
Posted on March 22, 2010 1:44:50 AM PDT by Cindy
“Congress Votes to Socialize Health Care in United States” Monday, March 22, 2010 By Terence P. Jeffrey, Editor-in-Chief
SNIPPET: “According to the CBO, by 2016, the cheapest family health care plan that Americans will be required to buy under the law will cost $12,000 per year. The average family plan will cost $15,200. A family of four making $88,201 per year—or more than 400 percent of the poverty level—will not receive any federal subsidy to purchase such a plan. They will pay taxes, however, to subsidize the health care purchases of people earning less than 400 percent of poverty.
According to the Treasury Department the Medicare system faced about $37 trillion in unfunded liabilities before Sunday’s bill was passed.”
(Excerpt) Read more at cnsnews.com ...
Quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2476677/posts
The Doctors of the House
The Wall St Journal ^ | Mar 22, 2010 | editorial
Posted on March 22, 2010 1:53:12 AM PDT by The Raven
House Democrats last night passed President Obama’s federal takeover of the U.S. health-care system, and the ticker tape media parade is already underway. So this hour of liberal political victory is a good time to adapt the “Pottery Barn” rule that Colin Powell once invoked on Iraq: You break it, you own it.
[snip]
We have never understood why pro-lifers consider abortion funding more morally significant than the rationing of care for cancer patients or at the end of life that will inevitably result from this bill. But in any case Democratic pro-lifers sold themselves for a song, as they usually do.
[snip]
While the passage of ObamaCare marks a liberal triumph, its impact will play out over many years. We fought this bill so vigorously because we have studied government health care in other countries, and the results include much higher taxes, slower economic growth and worse medical care. As for the politics, the first verdict arrives in November.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
>> The average family plan will cost $15,200 ... will not receive any federal subsidy to purchase such a plan.
And can we also assume that’s not deductible?
The net on this fiasco will be more government jobs, fewer liberties, and lower quality of health care.
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2479272/posts
“HEALTH CARE VICTORY” (Commmunist Party U.S.A. Newspaper Applauds Passage Of Obamacare: No Joke)
Peoples World Newspapers, (Communist Party U.S.A.) ^ | 24 March 2010 | PW Editorial Board (i.e. a bunch of COMMUNISTS)
Posted on March 24, 2010 11:51:34 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
Almost every sector of American society greeted yesterday’s signing of a historic health care law as a major step toward guaranteeing affordable health insurance for all. Labor unions, health care professionals, small business owners, retirees, students, and ordinary people from throughout the country applauded President Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for having the tenacity to push through what’s being called the most sweeping health care legislation since the establishment of Medicare in the 1960s.
We join with those who hail this legislation both as a measure that will save lives now and begin curbing the insurance industry, and as a giant first step to further reforms that will provide quality, affordable health care for every person in the United States.
Beyond that, its passage is a major defeat for the far right - the Republican Party, sections of Corporate America, and their fascist-like tea party shock troops. The enactment of this bill is an enormous victory for the broad progressive movement in our country. It will give energy and enthusiasm to that movement as it mobilizes and builds for the struggles ahead to advance a pro-worker, pro-people agenda.
The far right has been left glaringly isolated but perhaps even more dangerously aggressive. These racist hate-mongers fought viciously to block the bill on behalf of the nation’s insurance companies and now say they will continue their dirty campaign by trying to repeal it. But it’s clear that an energized people’s movement will not let that happen.
Even organizations and individuals critical of the bill (because of restrictions on women’s reproductive rights, or its exclusion of undocumented immigrants, or because it doesn’t go far enough) have acknowledged its importance and far-reaching implications.
The great majority of health care reform advocates, including those who call for a single-payer system, see the legislation as opening up space to further the struggle for Medicare for all. Many note the bill provides a number of immediate benefits.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka called the bill’s passage a “momentous step toward comprehensive coverage” and vowed that labor will continue to advocate for health care that works for working families.
The new law reestablishes the role of government in providing a “safety net” to support ordinary folks against the most outrageous excesses of our health care system. As President Obama put it, “It enshrines the idea that everybody should have universal health care.”
The fight isn’t over. The corporate-backed far right will continue to use racism, lies and anti-government conspiracy theories to try to scare and confuse people. We got some ugly glimpses of this just as Congress was on the eve of passing the health care bill.
Tea party protesters in Ohio yelled at and abused a man with Parkinson’s disease because he was courageous enough to show his support for health care reform. In Washington, others yelled racist and homophobic epithets at members of Congress.
Some call it the tea-partiers’ Bull Connor moment. Connor was the racist, pro-segregation “public safety” commissioner in Birmingham, Ala., who used dogs and fire hoses against African American children standing up against Jim Crow in the 1960s.
Just as the American people rejected the Bull Connor segregationists after seeing the fire-hosing of children in Birmingham, the American people will reject the vicious racism and hate-filled attacks of today’s Bull Connors.
After almost a year of lobbying, demonstrations, petitions, rallies, health care story collections, town hall meetings, this is a moment to savor a hard-fought victory. And it’s a moment to celebrate the persistence and tenacity of the people’s movement for progressive change - a good thing since there are many more battles ahead.
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http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/socialism/index?tab=articles
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/socializedhealthcare/index?tab=articles
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http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9ELOMH80&show_article=1
Cuban leader applauds US health-care reform bill
Mar 25 12:11 PM US/Eastern
By PAUL HAVEN
Associated Press Writer
HAVANA (AP) -
SNIPPET: “Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro on Thursday declared passage of American health care reform “a miracle” and a major victory for Obama’s presidency, but couldn’t help chide the United States for taking so long to enact what communist Cuba achieved decades ago.
“We consider health reform to have been an important battle and a success of his (Obama’s) government,” Castro wrote in an essay published in state media, adding that it would strengthen the president’s hand against lobbyists and “mercenaries.””
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http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/universalhealthcare/index?tab=articles
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www.whitehouse.gov/video
Note: The following text is a quote:
www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-health-insurance-reform-university-iowa-field-house-iowa-city-iow
Home • Briefing Room • Speeches & Remarks
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release March 25, 2010
Remarks by the President on Health Insurance Reform, University of Iowa Field House, Iowa City, Iowa
University of Iowa Field House,Iowa City, Iowa
1:08 P.M. CDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Iowa! (Applause.) Are you fired up? (Applause.) Oh, it is good to be back in Iowa. (Applause.) I got to take off my jacket when I’m in Iowa. (Applause.) It is good to be back in Iowa. It’s a little colder than it is in D.C., I got to admit. (Laughter.) But I can feel spring coming.
I want to make a couple of acknowledgements. First of all, University of Iowa President Dr. Sally Mason and the entire Hawkeye community, thanks for hosting us. (Applause.) The outstanding governor of the great state of Iowa, Chet Culver and First Lady Mari Culver. (Applause.) There he is back there.
A couple of great friends, Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge. (Applause.) The cochairs of my campaign here in Iowa, Attorney General Tom Miller and Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald. (Applause.) The former governor of Iowa who is now I think going to end up being one of the greatest Secretaries of Agriculture in history, Tom Vilsack is in the house. (Applause.)
I want to acknowledge Iowa City Mayor Matt Hayek. (Applause.) The entire Iowa delegation could not be here because they are still busy finishing business, crossing “T’s” and dotting “I’s” in Washington. But I want every single person to know that this celebration would not be happening if it were not for your members of Congress, Leonard Boswell, Bruce Braley, your own personal congressman, Dave Lopsak — (applause) — and Senator Tom Harkin. (Applause.)
Now, thank you Secretary Sebelius for the introduction, but more importantly, for all the amazing and tireless work that you’ve done to make health care reform a reality. I, too, feel your pain because in my bracket — (laughter) — I had Kansas winning it all. I feel a little bitter. The President of Northern Ireland came here and he was just, big smile, he was gloating — (laughter and applause) — I now — I’m sold. I want to congratulate all the Northern Iowa fans in this part of the state on their big win. (Applause.) And since you ruined my bracket I’m rooting for you now. I want you to just go ahead and take it. (Laughter.) Go all the way.
I also want to start things off — oh, there’s one other thing. Some of you know that I have a military aide that travels with me wherever I go. This is one of the things the President does, is carries a big satchel with all kinds of important stuff in there. And the military aide I have with me today is a guy named Lieutenant Colonel Dave Kalinske. And Dave was strong safety for the Hawkeyes. (Applause.) There he is right there — there’s Dave Kalinske. (Applause.) Strong safety. See, that briefcase is big so you got to have a former strong safety carrying it. (Laughter.)
I want to start off by telling folks here how inspired that I’ve been by your continued resilience in the wake of the floods that devastated this region a few years back. And I remember traveling here right after they happened and how tough things were.
I know — I know the rebuilding has been difficult, but you should know that you always have a committed partner in this administration to support the road to recovery. (Applause.) And we know that Iowa City is going to be as good as new and better; Cedar Rapids, all across the state we’re seeing that rebuilding take place.
So it’s just good to be back in Iowa. This is the state that first believed in our campaign. (Applause.) When all the pundits had written us off, when we were down in the polls, this is the state that inspired us to keep on going, even when the path was uncertain. And because of you, this is the place where change began. (Applause.)
Three years ago, I came here to this campus to make a promise. Just a few months into our campaign, I stood at the University of Iowa hospital right around the corner and I promised that by the end of my first term in office, I would sign legislation to reform our health insurance system. (Applause.)
On Tuesday, after a year of debate, a century of trying, after so many of you shared your stories and your heartaches and your hopes, that promise was finally fulfilled. (Applause.) And today, health insurance reform is the law of the land all across America. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE: Yes we did! Yes we did! Yes we did! Yes we did! Yes we did! Yes we did! Yes we did!
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, we did. Yes, we did. Just like the campaign that led us here, this historic change didn’t start in Washington. It began in places like Iowa City, places just like this, with Americans just like you.
It began when people had the courage to stand up in town hall meetings and talk about how insurance companies were denying their families coverage because of a preexisting condition.
It began when folks wrote letters about how premium hikes of 40 and 50 and a hundred percent were forcing them to give up their insurance.
It began when countless small business owners and families and doctors shared stories about a health care system that works better for the insurance industry than it does for the American people.
So this is your victory, because when the special interests sent an army of lobbyists to Congress, they blanketed the airwaves with millions of dollars of negative ads, you mobilized and you organized and you refused to give up. And when the pundits were obsessing over who was up and who was down and how is this affecting the Obama administration and what’s going on over in the House, you never lost sight of what was right and what was wrong. You knew this was not about the fortunes of one party — this was about the future of our country. (Applause.) And today, because of what you did, that future looks stronger and more hopeful and brighter than it has in some time — because of you. (Applause.)
Three years ago, we made a promise. That promise has been kept. Of course — of course, over the last year, there’s been a lot of misinformation spread about health care reform. There’s been plenty of fear-mongering, plenty of overheated rhetoric. You turn on the news, you’ll see the same folks are still shouting about there’s going to be an end of the world because this bill passed. (Laughter.) I’m not exaggerating. Leaders of the Republican Party, they called the passage of this bill “Armageddon.” (Laughter.) Armageddon. “End of freedom as we know it.”
So after I signed the bill, I looked around to see if there any — (laughter) — asteroids falling or — (applause) — some cracks opening up in the Earth. (Laughter.) It turned out it was a nice day. (Laughter.) Birds were chirping. Folks were strolling down the Mall. People still have their doctors.
From this day forward, all of the cynics, all the naysayers — they’re going to have to confront the reality of what this reform is and what it isn’t. They’ll have to finally acknowledge this isn’t a government takeover of our health care system. They’ll see that if Americans like their doctor, they’ll be keeping their doctor. You like your plan? You’ll be keeping your plan. No one is taking that away from you. Three months from now, six months from now you’re going to look around. You’re going to be sitting in a doctor’s office reading through the old People magazines. (Laughter.) And you’ll say, hey, this is the same doctor, same plan. It wasn’t Armageddon.
What this reform does is build on the system of private health insurance that we already have. So does that mean that it’s going to solve every health care problem that we have? No. But it finally tells — oops, it looks like somebody may have fainted. That happens sometimes in the crowd. Just give him some space. If the medics can make sure to check on them, in the meantime just make sure that they’ve got some air. And if anybody has some water down there, that’d be great. They’ll be all right.
But here’s what the bill does. It finally tells the insurance companies that in exchange for all the new customers they’re about to get, they’ve got to start playing by a new set of rules that treats everybody honestly and treats everybody fairly. (Applause.) The days of the insurance industry running roughshod over the American people are over.
So if you already — if you already have insurance, this reform will make it more secure and more affordable. If you can’t afford insurance right now or if you’ve been denied coverage — and I’ll bet there are some folks here who don’t have insurance or can’t afford it or have been denied coverage — you’re going to finally be able to get it. Costs will come down for families, and businesses, and the federal government, reducing our deficit by more than $1 trillion over the next two decades. That’s what reform is going to do. (Applause.)
Now, it’s going to take about four years to implement this entire plan — because we’ve got to do it responsibly and we need to do it right. So I just want to be clear: that means that health care costs won’t go down overnight; not all the changes are going to be in place; there are still going to be aspects of the health care system that are very frustrating over the next several years.
But we have built into law all sorts of measures that in the years to come, health care inflation, which has been rising about three times as fast as people’s wages, is finally going to start slowing down. We’ll start reducing the waste in the system, from unnecessary tests to unwarranted insurance subsidies. So that over time, Americans are going to save money.
And meanwhile, there are a set of reforms that begin to take into effect this year, so I want to talk about this. This year, millions of small business owners will be eligible for tax credits that will help them cover the cost of insurance for their employees. (Applause.) This year, millions of small businesses will benefit.
So let me talk to you about what this means for a business like your own Prairie Lights Bookstore downtown. (Applause.) This is a small business that’s been offering coverage to their full-time employees for the last 20 years. Last year their premiums went up 35 percent, which made it a lot harder for them to offer the same coverage. On Tuesday, I was joined at the bill signing by Ryan Smith, who runs a small business with five employees. His premiums are going up too. He’s worried about having to stop offering health insurance to his workers.
So starting now, small business owners like Ryan and the folks at Prairie Light, they’re going to have the security of knowing that they’ll qualify for a tax credit that covers up to 35 percent of their employees’ health insurance. (Applause.) Starting today, starting today, small business owners — (applause) — so starting today, small business owners can sit down at the end of the week, look at their expenses, and they can begin calculating how much money they’re going to save. And maybe they can even use those savings to not only provide insurance but also create jobs. This health care tax credit is pro-jobs, it is pro-business, and it starts this year, and it’s starting because of you. (Applause.)
Starting this year, tens of thousands of uninsured Americans with a preexisting condition and parents whose children have a preexisting condition will finally be able to purchase the coverage they need. (Applause.)
On Tuesday, right after I signed the bill, I met David Gallagher, whose daughter Lauren had written me a letter last year. And when Lauren’s mom lost her job, the entire family lost their health insurance. And when they tried to get new insurance, David was denied coverage because he once had a complication-free hernia surgery.
So Lauren’s been worried sick about what would happen if her father became ill or injured. But now, because of this reform, David Gallagher can finally have access to health insurance again. That starts this year — because of you and the work that you did. (Applause.)
This year, insurance companies will no longer be able to drop people’s coverage when they get sick, or place lifetime limits or restrictive annual limits on the amount of care they can receive. (Applause.)
This year, all new insurance plans will be required to offer free preventive care. And by the way, for all the students who are here today — (applause) — starting this year, if you don’t have insurance or if you’re about to graduate and you’re not sure what your next job is going to be or there’s a little gap between getting that job with insurance, all new plans and some current ones will allow you to stay on your parents’ insurance policy until you’re 26 years old, starting this year. (Applause.) Because as you start your lives and your careers, the last thing you should worry about is whether you go broke just because you get sick.
This year, for the seniors who are in the audience, if you fall in the coverage gap known as the doughnut hole, you’re going to receive $250 to help pay for prescriptions, which will be the first step toward closing that doughnut hole, that gap completely. (Applause.) And I want seniors to know that despite what some have said, these reforms will not cut your guaranteed benefits. In fact, under this law, Americans on Medicare will receive free preventive care without co-payments and deductibles.
Darlyne Neff is here today. She’s a breast cancer survivor. She has fought her heart out for reform over the last few years. Today, the preventive care she needs will finally be covered without charge. That’s what this reform will do. That’s what’s happening because of you. (Applause.)
And once this reform is implemented, then health insurance exchanges are going to be created. This is the core — the core aspect of this bill that is going to be so important to Americans who are looking for coverage. Basically, we set up a competitive marketplace where people without insurance, small businesses, people who were having to pay through the teeth because they’re just buying insurance on their own, maybe you’re self-employed — you’re finally going to be able to purchase quality, affordable, health insurance because you’re going to be part of a big pool — by the way, with members of Congress. So you will be able to get the same good deal that they’re getting, because if you’re paying their salary, you should have health insurance that’s at least as good as theirs. (Applause.)
That’s what’s going to happen in the next few years. And when this exchange is up and running, millions of people are going to be getting tax breaks to help them afford coverage. And the credits add up to the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history.
This is a — that’s the basic aspects of reform.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: What about the public option?
THE PRESIDENT: That’s not in it.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Why not?
THE PRESIDENT: Because we couldn’t get it through Congress, that’s why. So they — let’s — there’s no need to shout, young man, no need to shout.
Thirty-two people — 32 million people are going to have health insurance because of this legislation. That’s what this work is about. (Applause.) So that’s what’s going to happen.
Now, I want to just make this point. This legislation is not perfect, as you just heard. (Laughter.) This young man is dissatisfied with an aspect of it, which is fine. I mean, that’s part of what democracy is about. But what this is, is a historic step to enshrine the principle that everybody gets health care coverage in this country, every single person. (Applause.)
And it’s absolutely true — it’s absolutely true this is a middle-of-the-road bill. This isn’t single-payer, which some people wanted. It’s also not what the Republicans were looking for, which was basically to deregulate the insurance industry, arguing that somehow this would cut down costs — something that defies the experience of everybody who’s dealt with an insurance company out there. (Laughter.)
So, yes, this is a common-sense bill. It doesn’t do everything that everybody wants, but it moves us in the direction of universal health care coverage in this country and that’s why everybody here fought so hard for it. (Applause.)
This is the reform that some folks in Washington are still hollering about, still shouting about. Now that they passed it — now that we passed it, they’re already promising to repeal it. They’re actually going to run on a platform of repeal in November. You’ve been hearing that. And my attitude is: Go for it. (Applause.)
If these congressmen in Washington want to come here in Iowa and tell small business owners that they plan to take away their tax credits and essentially raise their taxes, be my guest. If they want to look Lauren Gallagher in the eye and tell her they plan to take away her father’s health insurance, that’s their right. If they want to make Darlyne Neff pay more money for her check-ups, her mammograms, they can run on that platform. If this young man out here thinks this is a bad bill, he can run to repeal it. If they want to have that fight, we can have it. Because I don’t believe that the American people are going to put the insurance industry back in the driver’s seat. We’ve already been there. We’re not going back. This country is moving forward. (Applause.)
The road to this victory, Iowa, has been long, it has been difficult. It’s a struggle that a lot of brave Americans have waged for years. For others, like our friend Ted Kennedy, it’s a struggle that was waged for nearly a lifetime. (Applause.)
But what this struggle has taught us — about ourselves and about this country — is so much bigger than any one issue, because it’s reminded us what so many of us learned all those months ago on a cold January night here in Iowa, and that’s that change is never easy, but it’s always possible. (Applause.) It comes not from the halls of power, but from the hearts of our people. Amid setbacks, it requires perseverance. Amid calls for delay, it requires the fierce urgency of now. In the face of unrelenting cynicism, it requires unyielding hope.
And when I came here three years ago, I told the story of when Lyndon Johnson stood with Harry Truman and signed Medicare into law. That wasn’t perfect either. I’m sure there was somebody who was dissatisfied with it at the time. And as he looked out over the crowd in Independence, Missouri, that day, he said, “History shapes men, but it is a necessary faith of leadership that men can shape history.”
What this generation has proven today is that we still have the power to shape history. (Applause.) In the United States of America, it is still a necessary faith that our destiny is written by us, not for us. Our future is what we make it. Our future is what we make it. Look, this is not the end of difficult times for America. From creating jobs to reducing deficits to making sure every child has a decent education, we still face enormous challenges in this country. And as we meet those challenges, we’re going to face more resistance. We’re going to face more doubt, we’re going to face more cynicism. We’re going to hear more voices who will warn us that we’re reaching too far, that we’re going too fast; who are going to tell us that we can’t, who are going to just make wild accusations about what we’re trying to do.
And when that happens, we’ve got to remember the promise that we have already fulfilled, and the people who fulfilled it, and the generations before us who made it possible. We’re going to have to respond with the creed that continues to define the character of this country we love, and it’s my favorite memory of Iowa, that creed that says: Yes, we can. (Applause.)
Iowa — yes, we did, because of you. (Applause.) And it’s because of you that we are going to keep on going to make sure that we fulfill every promise to every child in this country for a brighter future. Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
END
1:37 P.M. CDT
"So, yes, this is a common-sense bill. It doesn’t do everything that everybody wants, but it moves us in the direction of universal health care coverage in this country and that’s why everybody here fought so hard for it."
http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MDgxMjQyYjgwNmYyODVjYTJjN2VhNzcxNjQ5Y2E0Zjg=
Thursday, March 25, 2010
“Cantor: Threats? This. Is. Congress!”
by Daniel Foster
SNIPPET: “”It is reckless to use these incidents as a media vehicle for political gains,” Cantor said, saying that he has consistently chosen not to publicize the volume of threats he routinely receives by e-mail — many because he is Jewish — and revealing that a bullet was recently fired into his offices.”
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Note: Republic Eric Canton discusses threats made against him in this video.
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc1gE7hsJKg
Video Description:
Republican Whip Eric Cantor Statement On The Issue Of Threats, Civility & Media Coverage
EricCantor
March 25, 2010
Republican Whip Eric Cantor delivers a statement on the issue of threats, civility, and media coverage.
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Category: News & Politics
Tags: Eric Cantor Cantor EricCantor Republican Republican Whip Congress House Of Representatives House Of Reps
stepping back in time:
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/09/12/breaking-bomb-threat-against-tea-party-organizers/
“Breaking: Bomb threat against Tea Party organizers”
POSTED AT 1:18 PM ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2009 BY ED MORRISSEY
SNIPPET: “The Washington DC Tea Party appears to be a big success, but it’s not for lack of trying among the movement’s more lunatic opponents. Yesterday, the DC Metro police evacuated the offices of Freedomworks after several threats, including a bomb-threat phone call that police considered credible enough to investigate:”
SNIPPET: “The threat came when a man called the FreedomWorks main line and told the organization’s female receptionist: “I put a bomb in your building, bitch.”
The FreedomWorks staffer who spoke with ABC News said that the organization has received multiple threats but that for some reason, the DC Metro police thought that this one was credible enough to evacuate the building.”
SNIPPET: “It’s doubly ironic that these terroristic threats — and that’s what they are — took place on the eighth anniversary of 9/11, an irony apparently lost on the nutcases trying to disrupt a peaceful demonstration. It’s simply despicable.”
A Look at Propaganda:
Note: The following text is a quote:
www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-and-dr-jill-biden-signing-health-care-and-education-reconciliatio
Home • Briefing Room • Speeches & Remarks
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release March 30, 2010
Remarks by the President and Dr. Jill Biden at Signing of Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act
Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria, Virginia
11:04 A.M. EDT
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Fired up!
THE PRESIDENT: Fired up! (Laughter.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Obama! (Laughter.)
DR. BIDEN: Good morning, everyone, and thank you for being here today. I’m Jill Biden and I am honored to be a community college instructor. (Applause.) I have been a teacher for almost three decades and a community college instructor for the past 16 years. In fact, I’m an English teacher right here on this campus. (Applause.) It’s my great pleasure to welcome you all to Northern Virginia Community College. (Applause.)
Last week, our President signed an historic health care bill that will provide quality, affordable medical care for millions of Americans. (Applause.) Today we are here to celebrate another historic piece of legislation — one that will make a college education a reality for millions of middle-class Americans. (Applause.)
All of us here today know that higher education is essential to the success of our children and vital to the economic future of our country. But too many American families, they’ve had to take on crushing debt to pursue a college degree. I see every day in my classroom just how hard my students work in order to pay their tuition bills. Often their family budgets are stretched to the limit. And when things get tough — someone loses a job or a family member gets sick — a college education is the first thing to go.
Thanks to the leadership of President Obama, our Vice President, and members of Congress here today, families across the country will find it a little easier to get to college and stay in college. (Applause.)
I am pleased to say that the reforms in this bill will make a huge difference to those Americans who need it most. The expansions in Pell Grants will provide critical financial support to millions of middle-class Americans who are struggling with the costs of college. The caps on student loan repayments will ensure that our students don’t go broke because they chose to pursue a college education. And I am particularly thrilled that this bill invests in community colleges across our country so that more students can gain the knowledge and technical job skills that they need to compete and succeed.
I have seen firsthand the power of community colleges to change lives and serve as a gateway to opportunity for students at all stages of their lives and careers. This bill increases investments in community colleges around the country to help these institutions do what they do best — prepare our students for the workforce of today and tomorrow.
The President has set an ambitious goal for higher education in this country. By 2020, we want America once again to have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. (Applause.) To make this happen, we’ll need to invest in these students and invest in the colleges that they will attend.
The bill that President Obama will sign here today is a huge step forward toward meeting our goal. I can’t think of a better investment in America’s future.
I’m proud to be here as a community college instructor, and I am especially proud and honored to introduce a President who is making higher education a reality for millions more Americans.
Please welcome President Barack Obama. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Alexandria! Thank you very much. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, everybody. (Applause.) Please, have a seat.
Thank you, Dr. Biden, for that outstanding introduction and for putting up with Joe. (Laughter.) I want to also thank Dr. Biden for being one of the thousands of instructors all across the country who make such a difference in the lives of students each and every day. So we are very proud of you for that. (Applause.)
I want to thank President Templin and the entire NOVA Community College family for hosting us here today — you can applaud for that. (Applause.)
On stage we’ve got a couple of my outstanding Cabinet members: Secretary Sebelius and Secretary Arne Duncan — please give them a big round of applause. (Applause.) In the audience we’ve got Secretary Salazar of Interior; Secretary Donovan of HUD; and Ambassador Ron Kirk, our U.S. Trade Representative — please give them a big round of applause. (Applause.)
To all the outstanding members of Congress who made this day possible — and I’m going to mainly single out the amazing Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. (Applause.)
Today, we mark an important milestone on the road to health insurance reform and higher education reform. But, more broadly, this day affirms our ability to overcome the challenges of our politics and meet the challenges of our time.
When I took office, one of the questions we needed to answer was whether it was still possible to make government responsive to the needs of everyday people, middle-class Americans, the backbone of this country; or whether the special interests and their lobbyists would continue to hold sway, like they’ve done so many times before. And that’s a test we met one week ago, when health insurance reform became the law of the land in the United States of America. (Applause.)
And it’s a test we met later in the week when Congress passed higher education reforms that will have a tremendous impact on working families — and America’s future. That’s two major victories in one week that will improve the lives of our people for generations to come. (Applause.)
Now, I’ve said before and I’ve repeated this week the health insurance reform bill I signed won’t fix every problem in our health care system in one fell swoop. But it does represent some of the toughest insurance reforms in history. It represents a major step forward towards giving Americans with insurance -– and those without -– a sense of security when it comes to their health care. It enshrines the principle that when you get sick, you’ve got a society there, a community, that is going to help you get back on your feet. It represents meaningful progress for the American people.
And today, I’m signing a bill that will make a number of improvements to these core reforms. We’ll increase the size of tax credits to help middle-class families and small businesses pay for their health insurance. (Applause.)
We’re going to offer $250 to seniors who fall in the Medicare coverage gap known as the doughnut hole to help them pay for prescriptions, and that’s a first step towards closing that gap completely. (Applause.)
We’ll make a significant new investment in community health centers all across America that can provide high-quality primary care to people who need it most. (Applause.) And we’ll strengthen efforts to combat waste and fraud and abuse, to make sure your dollars aren’t lining the pockets of insurance companies when they should be making your health care better. (Applause.)
Now, the debate on health care reform is one that’s gone on for generations, and I’m glad — I’m gratified that we were able to get it done last week. But what’s gotten overlooked amid all the hoopla, all the drama of last week, is what happened in education — when a great battle pitting the interests of the banks and financial institutions against the interests of students finally came to an end. (Applause.)
You see, for almost two decades, we’ve been trying to fix a sweetheart deal in federal law that essentially gave billions of dollars to banks to act as unnecessary middlemen in administering student loans. So those are billions of dollars that could have been spent helping more of our students attend and complete college; that could have been spent advancing the dreams of our children; that could have been spent easing the burden of tuition on middle-class families. Instead, that money was spent padding student lenders’ profits.
Now, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that the big banks and financial institutions hired a army of lobbyists to protect the status quo. In fact, Sallie Mae, America’s biggest student lender, spent more than $3 million on lobbying last year alone.
But I didn’t stand with the banks and the financial industries in this fight. That’s not why I came to Washington. And neither did any of the members of Congress who are here today. We stood with you. We stood with America’s students. (Applause.) And together, we finally won that battle.
I don’t have to tell folks here at NOVA why this victory matters. In the 21st century, when the success of every American hinges more than ever on the quality of their education, and when America’s success as a nation rests more than ever on an educated workforce that is second to none, we can’t afford to waste billions of dollars on giveaways to banks.
We need to invest that money in our students. We need to invest in our community colleges. We need to invest in the future of this country. We need to meet the goal I set last year and graduate more of our students than any other nation by the year 2020. And through the extraordinary leadership of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, that’s what the reforms I’m signing today will help us do. (Applause.)
By cutting out the middleman, we’ll save American taxpayers $68 billion in the coming years — $68 billion. That’s real money — (laughter) — real savings that we’ll reinvest to help improve the quality of higher education and make it more affordable.
Now, we’ve already taken a number of steps through the Recovery Act and through my budget to significantly increase the support provided to young people attending colleges and universities all across the country.
And I just — President Templin handed me a sheet just as I walked in. Just in case you’re wondering whether this makes a difference, so far this year — and the year isn’t over — right here at NOVA, Pell Grant recipients increased by 41 percent over last year. (Applause.) The total dollar amount of Pell Grants increased by 59 percent. The number of federally guaranteed loans increased by 43 percent and loan awards increased by 68 percent. That’s right here at this one community college, because of the steps that we had already taken. (Applause.)
So using the $68 billion that we’re saving, that had been going to the banks, here’s what we’re going to be able to do. First, we will reinvest a portion of those savings to upgrade our community colleges, which are one of the great, undervalued assets in our education system. (Applause.)
Community colleges like NOVA are incredibly important because they serve a varied group of learners, from recent high school grads seeking a pathway to a college degree, to adults seeking training for the jobs of tomorrow. By forging private sector partnerships, community colleges can offer students the education and training they need to find a good job when they graduate — and it helps offer businesses the assurance they need that graduates will be ready for the jobs that they’re hired to do.
And because community colleges like NOVA are so essential to a competitive workforce, I’ve asked your outstanding professor, Dr. Jill Biden — who does not have enough to do — (laughter) — to host a summit on community colleges at the White House this fall. And we’re going to bring everybody together, from educators to students, experts to business leaders. (Applause.) We are going to bring everybody together to share innovative ideas about how we can help students earn degrees and credentials, and to forge private sector partnerships so we can better prepare America’s workforce and America’s workers to succeed in the 21st century.
Now, to help open the doors of higher education to more students, we’ll also reinvest part of that $68 billion in savings in Pell Grants, one of the most popular forms of financial aid. Pell Grants once covered more than three-quarters of the cost of going to college. But now, because the cost of college has skyrocketed, the amount Pell Grants cover is about one-third.
Today, students hoping to attend college on a Pell Grant are going to be able to feel more secure, because not only are we going to offer over 800,000 additional Pell awards over the next 10 years, we’re also going to raise the amount they’re worth to almost $6,000, so that inflation doesn’t erode the value of your grant. (Applause.)
And we’ll put the entire Pell Grant program on firmer footing for years to come. Altogether, we are more than doubling the amount of Pell Grant funding that was available when I took office –- it’s one of the most significant investments in higher education since the G.I. Bill. (Applause.)
Now, third, we’re going to restore a measure of fairness to how students repay their loans. Today, two out of every three students graduates with help from a loan, and often they take on a mountain of debt as a result. Here in Virginia, the typical student carries almost $20,000 in debt. Across the country, the average student graduates with over $23,000 in debt. I know what that’s like. Michelle and I had big debts coming out of school — debts we weren’t able to fully repay until just a few years before I started running for office.
Today, we’re making it easier for responsible students to pay off their loans. Right now, if you’re a borrower, you don’t have to spend more than 15 percent of your income on loans. But starting in 2014, you won’t have to pay more than 10 percent of your income in repaying your student loans. (Applause.) That will make a meaningful difference for over one million more students. We’re also going to give students an incentive to do what’s right — if you pay your loans on time, you’ll only have to pay them off for 20 years. And you’ll only have to pay them off for 10 years if you repay them with service to your community, and to our country, as a teacher or a nurse or a member of our Armed Forces. (Applause.)
Finally, we’ll reinvest some of the $68 billion in savings to strengthen our Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Serving Institutions. (Applause.) These are institutions that have struggled more than most in these tough economic times.
The reforms in this bill are significant, but they’re just part of a broader effort to strengthen our entire higher education system. We’re putting college tuition tax credits in the pockets of millions of students from working families to help them pay for college. We’ve taken steps to simplify the federal college assistance form -– called the FAFSA -– because it shouldn’t take a PhD to apply for financial aid. (Applause.) And we’re helping ensure that America’s high school graduates are ready for college. All of this is paid for. We’re redirecting money that was poorly spent to make sure we’re making investments in our future.
Now, this won’t solve all of our problems in higher education. We continue to expect colleges and universities to do their part to hold down tuition increases. (Applause.) That has to happen. We’ve got to work on that. And we also need to take greater initiative not only to help more students enter college, we’ve got to make sure that we see more students successfully earn a college degree. But what we’ve done over the past year represents enormous progress.
So I’ll close by saying this. For a long time, our student loan system has worked for banks and financial institutions. Today, we’re finally making our student loan system work for students and our families. But we’re also doing something more.
From the moment I was sworn into office, I’ve spoken about the urgent need for us to lay a new foundation for our economy and for our future. And two pillars of that foundation are health care and education, and each has long suffered from problems that we chose to kick down the road.
With the bill I signed last week, we finally undertook meaningful reform of our health care system. With this bill, and other steps we’ve pursued over the last year, we are finally undertaking meaningful reform in our higher education system. So this week, we can rightly say the foundation on which America’s future will be built is stronger than it was one year ago. (Applause.)
And so at the end of this extraordinary week, I want to acknowledge some of the people who made it possible. There isn’t time to single out everyone who’s here, the outstanding members of Congress, but I want to make sure I once again say this would not have happened had it not been for the leadership of Speaker Nancy Pelosi — (applause) — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — (applause) — Senator Dick Durbin and Congressman Steny Hoyer. All provided outstanding leadership that our nation needed. (Applause.)
On health care, Max Baucus, Chris Dodd, Henry Waxman, Charlie Rangel, and so many others offered invaluable expertise throughout the year. (Applause.) Congressmen George Miller, Jim Clyburn, Dale Kildee, Ruben Hinojosa led the way in the House on education reforms that I sign today. (Applause.)
Senator Tom Harkin’s dedication ensured that the Senate would include these reforms in this bill. (Applause.) Virginia’s own Bobby Scott, and an outstanding freshman, Tom Perriello helped to make this thing possible. (Applause.) We are grateful to them.
Courage is an essential ingredient in any landmark legislation, particularly when the attacks are as fierce and unrelenting — and inaccurate — (laughter) — as they have been over the past year. I just want to commend members of Congress who had the courage to do what’s right — (applause) — and to say a special thank you to all of the newer members. (Applause.)
The past couple of years have brought one challenge after another, and you’ve risen to the moment each time. I could not be prouder of the work that all of you have done. And it would not have happened had it not been for the incredible persistence and stick-to-itiveness of all the folks in the audience here today.
Ultimately, Congress responds to the voices that they’re hearing in their communities, and so many of you have written letters and come to meetings and let people know of the ordinary struggles that people are going through each and every day. You’re what provided members of Congress the courage that they needed to do what was right. And so on behalf of all of us who are serving in Washington, we want to thank you, the American people, for your outstanding leadership. (Applause.)
And with that, I’m going to sign this bill. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
(The bill is signed.) (Applause.)
END
11:32 A.M. EDT
CNS NEWS.com: "OBAMA'S NOMINEE TO RUN MEDICARE: 'The Decision is Not Whether or Not We Will Ration Care -- The Decision is Whether We Will Ration Care With Our Eyes Open'" by Fred Lucas (May 24, 2010) (Read More...)
http://www.posey.house.gov/UploadedFiles/HealthCareReformDraftRegulations-June-2010.pdf
###
NOTE The following text is a quote:
http://www.posey.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=190241
Most Americans Will Lose Their Current Health Plans According to Administration’s Regulations
Washington, Jun 11 - According to an official draft of the Administration’s regulations for implementing the new health care reform law, 51% of all Americans will lose their current health care plans over the next three years. Furthermore, 66% of all employees working for small businesses will lose their current health care plans under the regulations to establish how existing plans will meet the new mandates of the health care reform law.
“This is a bait and switch. The President and leaders in Congress made a different set of promises to the American people before their bill was passed, now the details are coming out and they don’t match the promises,” said Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge). “The President promised repeatedly that people who like their current plans can keep them but now the details of their plan actually confirm what many suspected all along, most Americans will lose their current health care plan.”
A copy of the draft regulations can be viewed HERE.
Last month the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a revised cost estimate of the new health care reform law upping the total cost by $115 billion thereby virtually eliminating the earlier estimated cost savings that was touted by the Majority when the bill passed in March. This was due to the fact that in their original cost estimate, CBO excluded many of the add-on discretionary costs.
The CBO said the administrative costs of implementing health care reform combined with various federal grants programs and mandatory Medicaid expansion will now push the overall cost of the legislation to well over $1 trillion. Addressing the bill’s $300 billion shortfall in payments to physicians under Medicare drives the real costs of the bill to nearly $1.5 trillion over the first 10 years; far above the $900 billion cost advertised the day the bill was passed. “This is why transparency in the process is so important. Congress shouldn’t pass thousands of pages of legislation affecting all Americans without allowing folks the proper time to read and analyze the proposals. This bill must be repealed.”
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“Administration: 51% Of Companies’ Health Plans Won’t Pass Muster”
By Sean Higgins and David Hogberg
Fri., June 11, 2010 5:05 PM ET
SNIPPET: “This could pose a serious threat to President Obama’s claim that if you like your coverage, you’d get to keep it.”
###
“Keep Your Health Plan Under Overhaul? Probably Not, Gov’t Analysis Concludes”
By DAVID HOGBERG AND SEAN HIGGINS, INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 06/11/2010 07:32 PM ET
SNIPPET: “Internal administration documents reveal that up to 51% of employers may have to relinquish their current health care coverage because of ObamaCare.
Small firms will be even likelier to lose existing plans.
The “midrange estimate is that 66% of small employer plans and 45% of large employer plans will relinquish their grandfathered status by the end of 2013,” according to the document.
In the worst-case scenario, 69% of employers — 80% of smaller firms — would lose that status, exposing them to far more provisions under the new health law.
The 83-page document, a joint project of the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the IRS, examines the effects that ObamaCare’s regulations would have on existing, or “grandfathered,” employer-based health care plans.”
NOTE The following text is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2535398/posts
So Much For ‘Keeping Your Plan’
IBD Editorials ^ | June 15, 2010 | Investors Business Daily staff
Posted on June 15, 2010 6:30:37 PM PDT by Kaslin
Broken Pledge: An early draft of regulations written for the health care overhaul estimates that more than half of U.S. workers will see their medical insurance change. Funny, that’s not the promise we remember.
Late last week, reports surfaced that an 83-page White House document had been leaked from the White House. If the rules included in this draft are promulgated, the health plans of 51% of workers will be subject to change within three years.
In the new system, companies that modify employee coverage after Jan. 1, 2014, will lose their “grandfather” status and be forced to comply with ObamaCare rules. This means they will have no choice but to buy plans that will cost more because the law says they must include expanded coverage.
Changes in plans that would cause a company to lose its grandfather status can be as modest as a small shift in the co-payment amount or in the employees’ contribution to the coverage. By merely asking workers to share a bit more of the burden, companies will have to buy new plans.
Many Americans are likely to find the added coverage of the new plans unnecessary for their needs and the extra costs taxing to household budgets. How many who liked their plans will have new ones forced on them by a bureaucracy that’s not equipped to make decisions for people it doesn’t know?
According to the midrange estimate cited in the White House document, small businesses will be hit hardest. Two-thirds of them “will relinquish their grandfathered status by the end of 2013” while 45% of large employer plans will be affected.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
QUOTE:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2539940/posts
CONGRESS MUST REPEAL OBAMA’S HEALTH-CARE RATIONING PLAN
KANSAS CITY.com ^ | Posted on Sun, Jun. 20, 2010 10:15 PM Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/20/2031634/congr | by Senator Pat Roberts
Posted on June 23, 2010 2:47:07 AM PDT by Cindy
AS I SEE IT
Congress must repeal Obama’s health-care rationing plan By SEN. PAT ROBERTS
Special to The Star
SNIPPET: “U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican from Dodge City, Kan., is a member of the Senate Health and Finance committees. He voted against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.”
SNIPPET: “It has scarcely been three months since the new health reforms, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), were signed into law. Unfortunately, as I and many of my colleagues predicted, the promises made to the American people by the president and the majority are already unraveling.
The president promised Americans that “if you like your insurance plan, you can keep it.” Well, not exactly. Under regulations proposed by the Department of Health and Human Services to implement the new law, more than 51 percent of American workers could lose the plans they currently have.
By the administration’s own estimates, small businesses are especially affected — as many as 80 percent would not be able to continue to offer the plans they currently have. For many Kansans, this means their employer will drop their coverage altogether. Others will be forced to purchase a more expensive plan that complies with all of the new government mandates.
Either way, my fear that you won’t be able to keep the plan you like is being confirmed.
The president promised Americans that their Medicare benefits won’t change. However, the law cuts more than a half-trillion dollars from Medicare, with more than $100 billion cut from Medicare Advantage alone.”
Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2010/06/20/2031634/congress-must-repeal-obamas-health.html
(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...
Off Thread Topic:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2549966/posts
#
“ObamaCare: Dream Turned Nightmare”
Posted 07:02 PM ET
PHOTO CAPTION: “Tom Coburn, left, and John Barrasso, the only M.D.s in the U.S. Senate, offer an ugly prognosis for health care reform.”
SNIPPET: “Add to that the fact that according to the Joint Committee on Taxation, much of ObamaCare’s new taxes will trickle down and end up being paid for by health care consumers. These include “the $60 billion tax on health plans, the $20 billion tax on medical devices and the $27 billion tax on prescription drugs.” Makes you wonder which party is on the side of the little guy.”
SNIPPET: “That’s just one of a series of ObamaCare negatives highlighted by the report, including: 16 million forced into the going-broke Medicaid system, which many doctors avoid like the plague; a free ride for illegal immigrants, with citizens paying their costs; criminalization of the uninsured, with possible IRS harassment on the way; and millions losing the health plans they now enjoy “as employers either drop coverage or purchase more expensive, government-dictated health insurance.””
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