TIME CRITICAL – We’re In the Fight Of Our Lives

3Nov/090

TIME CRITICAL – We’re In the Fight Of Our Lives

The US House plans to vote on their massive takeover of our healthcare as early as this Friday. Everything we have done up until this point has just been the prelude. We have got to mobilize everyone we know to contact Congress on a daily basis. We are now in the fight of our lives, literally.

I will be contacting my own Representatives today and each day via phone and email for the rest of the week. However, Braley and Harre have made it clear where they stand, and it's not in support of their constituents. We will be focusing the remainder of the week on the Blue Dog Democrats who were elected in conservative districts and are fearful of re-election. They may be our only hope. Our work is cut out for us. Don't give up now. . .or we might as well kiss our beloved America good bye.

Contact your representative today and tell him we reject HR 3962 because:

1) We CANNOT afford this:

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the legislation will cost $1.05 trillion over the next ten years and $150-$200 billion annually. This massive expansion in government spending will increase the already bloated size of the federal government by about 5%.

With the federal deficit reaching $1.4 trillion in 2009—an all time high—and unemployment reaching 9.8% in September—a 26 year high—now is not the time to spend money that we simply do not have.

2) Our taxes will go up:

The federal government expects to generate revenue from tax increases that include but are not limited to:

A tax increase of 2.5% of adjusted gross income earned by individuals who do not purchase government-mandated insurance. This tax increase could affect individuals earning as little as $9,350 a year.

The repeal of tax incentives offered to those who purchase medical care with Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).

A 2.5% excise tax on medical device manufacturers that will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices.

A new tax on insurance policies—expected to raise $2 billion—which will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums.

Vast expansions to the Medicaid program which will undoubtedly add to state and local taxes paid by individuals.

A 5.4% tax increase on the income of most small business owners which will equate into job losses.

An 8% “tax on jobs” for businesses that do not purchase government-mandated insurance.

A 2.5% excise tax on the purchase of private insurance plans.

Tax increases on healthcare, health insurance and jobs do not make health care more affordable.

3) Our insurance premiums will go up:

The new, $2 billion tax on insurance policies will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums.

According to estimates by CBO, changes to the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit will raise premiums paid by seniors enrolled in Medicare Part B by $25 billion.

Seniors enrolled in Part D will see premiums rise by 20%.

And those who purchase private insurance or are on Medicare won’t be the only ones affected by higher premiums. According to the CBO, the government-run public option “would typically have premiums that are somewhat higher than the average premiums for the private plans in the exchanges.”

4) Congress will use the force of government to make you buy a product:

The House bill includes an individual mandate which will make every American purchase health insurance. Non-compliance with this mandate could result in a tax increase of up to 2.5 percent of adjusted gross income. Forget to pay this tax and you could be fined an additional $25,000 and even face up to a year behind bars.

5) Mandating health insurance is unconstitutional:

Supporters of the House bill argue that Congress is granted constitutional authority to mandate health insurance under the Commerce Clause. Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power, “to regulate Commerce… among the several States.” However, the Supreme Court has held that in order for something to be considered commerce it must at the very least be an economic activity. A mandate on health insurance forces Americans to purchase a product simply because they are alive. Merely existing is not an economic activity. Giving Congress the ability to force citizens to buy a certain product eliminates every restraint put in place by our nation’s founders and imposes upon the liberties that our government was established to defend.

6) The House reform bill hurts consumers and employees:

The House bill aims to fund reform by placing higher tax burdens upon the insurance industry, the pharmaceutical industry, medical device manufactures and employers. Instead of footing the bill for these higher tax burdens, however, companies will pass taxes on to consumers in the form of higher prices and on to employees in the form of lower wages. Consumers and employees will suffer as a result of these “corporate” tax increases. If passed, the bill will ensure that prices go up which is the exact opposite of what we were told reform would do.

7) The House proposal hurts seniors:

A great deal of the spending included in the House reform bill is offset by hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicare. Such cuts will raise senior’s premiums and weaken their control over their own personal health care destiny. According to CBO estimates, changes in Medicare Part D will raise Medicare Part B premiums by $25 billion and Medicare Part D premiums by 20%. The bill also proposes over $150 billion in cuts from the popular Medicare Advantage plan which one out of every five senior citizens uses to get more benefits than traditional Medicare offers.

8.) Passing the “Doc Fix” as a separate bill is dishonest and will NOT preserve the bill’s “deficit neutral” status:

This deception explains why the House bill is estimated to reduce the deficit. If the “doc-fix” were included in the House bill, however, it would add at least $200 billion to the deficit in the first 10 years, and most likely much more beyond that. Splitting higher reimbursements into a separate piece of legislation is an underhanded attempt by Congress to deceive Americans about the true cost of their health care overhaul.

9) Sadly, Congress has missed an opportunity to incorporate reforms that make healthcare more accessible and affordable for American families:

HR3962 DOES NOT:

Allow families and businesses to purchase health insurance across state lines

Provide the same opportunities to individuals as are provided to corporations and unions

Provide equal tax treatment for all Americans

Provide adequate tort reform

Any Congressman who votes to pass this legislation is looking out for his own special interests and agenda. We are educated and we are watching. You work for us and the 2010 election is just a year away. VOTE NO.

Iowa Congressmen include:

Rep Bruce Braley (D-1st) - (202)225-2911
https://forms.house.gov/braley/webforms/issue_subscribe.html

Illinois Congressmen include:

Rep Phil Hare (D-17th) - (202) 225-5905
http://hare.house.gov/?sectionid=74&sectiontree=44,50,74

Please use the Share the Wealth feature at the bottom of this post to let everyone know about this post and the message we are trying to get out there. Once you've done that you need to call your friends and family and ask them help you to contact the Congressman in their districts and states because we need to overload the Congressional server and phone lines.

For more information:

http://www.freedomworks.org/publications/top-10-reasons-to-oppose-nancy-pelosi%E2%80%99s-takeover-o

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703399204574505423751140690.html