Posted on 07/18/2007 11:09:52 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Veto threat looms over insurance measure
By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer 11 minutes ago
President Bush on Wednesday reiterated his threat to veto Senate legislation that would substantially increase funds for children's health insurance by levying a 61-cent-a-pack increase in the federal excise tax on cigarettes.
The tax increase would be used to subsidize health insurance for children and some adults with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but not high enough to afford insurance on their own.
The renewal of the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, is considered by many to be the most important health legislation that Congress will take up this year.
"Members of Congress have decided, however, to expand the program to include, in some cases, up to families earning $80,000 a year — which would cause people to drop their private insurance in order to be involved with a government insurance plan," Bush said in a speech in suburban Maryland.
"If Congress continues to insist upon expanding health care through the SCHIP program — which, by the way, would entail a huge tax increase for the American people — I'll veto the bill," he said.
Democratic leaders called for adding $50 billion to the program over the next five years. Bush had recommended a $5 billion increase.
On Friday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in the Senate signaled their support for a $35 billion increase, bringing total funding to $60 billion over five years. The Senate proposal would provide health insurance coverage to current participants as well as an additional 3.3 million uninsured children, according to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I see you live in VA. My wife is a chain smoker. Let me know where you can buy these blackmarket cigarettes.
I have no idea where to buy black market cigs. We make our own for less than $7 a carton. It’s perfectly legal and we pay all applicable taxes. And we tarted doing it long before we moved to Virginia.
A 72 year old friend of mine here in Massachusetts just received a bill for $2500.00 for back taxes for cigs ordered on-line.
Roughly 1/2 of the bill is for interest and penalties.
Madness !!!!
I feel like I’m in the Soviet Union during maybe the early 80’s. Starting to get more things on the black market, as the taxes, regulation, legal costs etc of products on the open market are spiraling out of control.. and invested most of my money out of the country a few years back, to get higher returns:).
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