Posted on 09/26/2013 11:18:54 AM PDT by smoothsailing
BELTWAY CONFIDENTIAL
House Republicans are considering attaching a provision to the government funding resolution that would repeal Obamacare's 2.3 percent tax on medical devices. It's widely viewed as a damaging and counterproductive levy affecting a leading American industry, and all Republicans oppose it. Most Democrats do, too. When the Senate held a non-binding test vote on repeal last March, the vote was 79 to 20. The majority favoring repeal included all 45 of the Senate's Republicans and 34 Democrats. The Democratic opposition to the tax was particularly notable given that three years earlier Democrats voted unanimously to impose it.
So Reid would not reject a repeal provision if the House attaches it to the continuing resolution, right? Wrong. At a news conference today, Reid simultaneously denounced the tax -- he quite pointedly called it "stupid" -- and pledged that he and his fellow Democrats would fight an effort to repeal it in the continuing resolution.
"We want a clean CR," Reid said. "That's what we're going to get. If they want to shut down the government, here's how much time they have to figure it out." With that, Reid pointed to a clock Democrats had brought into the press gallery, which at that moment read 4 days, 11 hours, 22 minutes, and 15 seconds.
"No," Reid said flatly. "They can play around all they want. Some of the biggest supporters for doing away with the stupid tax -- I'm sorry, I shouldn’t have said that -- doing away with that tax have told me they will not support that on CR."
So Reid and his fellow Democrats will kill any effort to kill a tax that they oppose if it comes up in the continuing resolution. They will resist repealing the tax even if a standoff would lead to a government shutdown. Reid went on to hint at possible future cooperation -- "If they want to look at the device tax, let's do it in the context of a separate piece of legislation," he said. But Obamacare has been law for more than three and a half years, and the tax is still there. No matter how "stupid" it is, the Senate Majority leader is determined to protect it.
Because they really have no problem with it.
Whoop-dee-do! Boehner is trotting out HIS version of Obamacare Lite.
The way to WIN, POS Boehner, is to STAY ON OFFENSE !
DEFUND< ABOLISH OBAMACARE !
STAY ON OFFENSE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Democrats opposition to this tax is only based on their constituents objecting to it and we saw in CO how well Democrats listen to their constituents.
Typical rat logic.
I will screw all of America to make some asinine point.
Stand in line Reid, enroll in obamacare without subsidies, or tatoo hypocrite across your forehead.
bobo
I’d swear he and Nasty Pelooser are twins.....
There is absolutely no tax, no matter how much it damages people and businesses, that the Rats will vote to repeal.
Why do only “The Connected” get to be Pro-Choice on ObamaCare
Weird Al Franken and Amy Klubabear had to backpeddle like crazy on that once they found out how many medical device makers there are in MN.
Somebody must have read them the bill to see what’s in it, cuz they were for it before they were against it.
Since the Dems control the WH and the Senate the best way to disable Obamacare is to take it apart one piece at a time.
Start with the most offensive provisions. Attach an amendment to each appropriations bill eliminating an offensive provision.
I know this will take time but it is the only way to slow Obamacare until we have sufficient votes and a different President.
You know, I would have agreed with you, but I think we should put this issue to bed as soon as possible. The large clock tells you that Reid and company want, pray, hope that the republicans force a gov’t shut down. They’re setting us up to take the blame. His comments are so off base, and frankly with him in control screw it. Let Obamacare kick in...Let the people get a good taste of it, and we can deal with is in 2014 elections.
Time to get back on Benghazi, IRS, NSA etc along with the other scandals that are brewing in this WH.
TEd Cruz planted the seed. Everyone knows who to call when Obamacare hits home to the uninformed voters and media types out there.
This is just like what they did with the student loan “rate hike.” The nationalization of student loans and the rate hike was part of 0bamacare. It was supposed to provide a significant part of the revenue stream to finance this monstrosity. But no, the people who received the benefit squealed like little piggies because they didn’t want to pay, and voila! Rate increase repealed.
Now more people are squealing about having to pay another revenue stream to finance 0bamacare and voila! It’s a “stupid tax” and they won’t impose it, either!
Look, I despise 0bamacare. But what I despise more is the government that makes a bad plan worse by gutting it of what little economic rationale it had. And I also despise an American electorate who squeals for it.
We are a nation of spoiled children governed by the idiot loud mouth punks in the tree fort.
We will never be stronger than we are now.
Surrender before a fight has given Boehner and McConnell.
Now is the time to stay on offense and force the Democrats to shut down their corrupt Federal Government to try to save their Communist Obamacare system of taxation.
Government shutdowns are the best thing that can happen to Republicans because it is the Democrats who want the government to shut down.
“If they want to look at the device tax, let’s do it in the context of a separate piece of legislation,” he said. But Obamacare has been law for more than three and a half years, and the tax is still there. No matter how “stupid” it is, the Senate Majority leader is determined to protect it”
So the Republicans will cave on it then when it is brought up again, Reid won’t take it to the floor.
Nope, nothing to see here.
Agreed.
Harry Reid considers hypocrisy to be a mark of great honor and a resume enhancement.
Because he is a study in hypocrisy. Supposedly a Temple Mormon, The Commissioner has dealt with various levels of the criminal underworld, but has never disavowed those associations. He is an apostate, and speaks with deceit against other Mormons, but he does tithe regularly, well above the guidelines set by the LDS. This, as it was for the Pharisees, is supposed to buy him a place in Paradise, in atonement for his other lapses. And those lapses are many and loom large.
Harry is coming up for re-election in 2016. He has clear intentions of staying on far beyond his years of competency (which ended in probably 1983, when he was elected to the House of Representatives). He has been a small fish in a very large pond, but has the instincts and capabilities of a piranha, slashing and darting in with blinding and malicious intent.
Who will stand with Harry in that day when the call the roll up yonder, and vouch for him then?
Apparently Harry is not concerned with the prospect.
Correction-it is a bad law that needs to be revoked.
At least Reid understands you ask for 100% of what you want before negotiation starts. Wish our guys understood that instead of announcing they’re caving into the other side in advance.
Simply raise tax on all “non-medical” devices, services, & any other good or object at the same rate...
Then it would be OK to Rats.
Can you give any evidence that any of those scandals, as bad as they are, will have as big effect on us, our children, our grandchildren? The future of America.?
They aren’t even close.
2014 is almost 1,000 years away, in political terms. I point to Chritie of NJ, and Marco of FL as some small evidence.
This is the time to stand and fight.
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