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DETAILED ANALYSIS: DEMOCRATS’ GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER GIVES UNCHECKED POWER TO NEW “HEALTH CARE CZAR”

September 1, 2009 | House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) | Permalink

One of the most potentially frightening – and little understood – concerns about House Democrats’ government takeover of health care is the unprecedented power given to a new federal bureaucrat, the “Health Choices Commissioner.” As the name implies, rather than giving more choices to the American people, the Democrats’ bill lets a government employee make choices that should be made by families and doctors. House Republican Leader John Boehner made the following comment:

“The American people want two things from health care reform: lower costs and more choices. Yet Democrats have done exactly the opposite, coming up with a bill that actually raises costs – increasing the deficit by $240 billion – and letting a new federal bureaucrat make health care decisions that should be left to patients and their doctors. President Obama should make it clear he doesn’t support this ill-conceived legislation, and work with Republicans to craft a bipartisan bill that accomplishes the American peoples’ goals.”

The House Democrats’ bill gives unchecked power to a new “Health Choices Commissioner” who will be so powerful that his or her title is referenced 182 times in the House Democrats bill. This bureaucrat would have the power to:

Pages 84-87; Section 203 – Decide which treatments patients could receive and at what cost.
Page 42; Section 142(a)(1) – Decide which private plans would be allowed to participate in the Exchange.
Page 40; Section 134 – Regulate all insurance plans, both in and out of the Exchange.
Page 80; Section 202(e) – Determine which employers would be allowed to participate in the Exchange.
Page 82; Section 202(f) – Determine how many and which Americans will be allowed to choose health coverage through the Exchange.
Page 90; Section 204(b) – Decide which physicians and hospitals participate in the government-run plan and in private plan provider networks.
Page 111-115; Section 208 – Determine which states are allowed to operate their own Exchange and to terminate a previously-approved State Exchange at any time.
Page 87; Section 203(d) – Override state laws regarding covered health benefits.
Page 42; Section 142(a)(2) – Determine how trillions of taxpayer and employer dollars would be spent within the Exchange.
Page 42; Section 142(a)(3) – Determine who qualifies for premium assistance.
Page 97-99; Section 205 – Automatically enroll Americans into the Exchange if they don’t have coverage, including potentially forcing these individuals into the government-run plan.
Democrats should stop ignoring the will of the American people. They need to scrap this government takeover and work on common sense reforms to lower health care costs and increase access. Let’s hope after a long, hot summer back in their Congressional Districts, Democrats will be willing to do just that.

REPUBLICAN LEADER PRESS OFFICE
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH)
H-204, THE CAPITOL
(202) 225-4000 | GOPLEADER.GOV

200 DAYS, 200 CLAIMS

A Special RNC Research Report On

President Obama’s Failed Economic Experiment

View This Research Briefing At GOP.com

To read the full report, visit

Here

RNC Chairman Michael Steele: “It is appropriate on the 200th day of the stimulus to look back at exactly what the stimulus has accomplished. The answer is very little. What it has done, however, is give the American people a $787 billion bill they cannot afford. In this report, you will find 200 claims that President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, senior Administration officials and Congressional Democrats have made about the stimulus. None of these claims match reality.” (RNC Research, 200 Days, 200 Claims, 8/31/09)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, often referred to as the “stimulus.” As members of Congress debated the bill and in the time following its inception, there were countless promises made to the American people regarding exactly what the bill would deliver. The mantra of “jobs, jobs, jobs” was used repeatedly to sell the stimulus. While it’s impossible to calculate the number of jobs “created or saved” by the stimulus, we do know that since the stimulus was passed over 2.2 million jobs have been lost nationwide.

As we approach September 4, 2009, the 200th day since the stimulus package was signed into law, the Research Department of the Republican National Committee (RNC) has identified and reviewed 200 of the claims made by the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats who supported this massive economic experiment. The RNC’s research focuses on promises made to the American people on job creation, waste, prevention, targeted spending, transparency, and how the stimulus would bring about an economic recovery. The resulting report, “200 Days, 200 Claims,” holds Democrats accountable for their claims that the stimulus was an absolute necessity to “jolt” the economy. They used this and other claims to quickly force through one of the largest spending bills in American history. Now Americans will see how valid those claims are 200 days later.

Among the misleading claims debunked in this report are these oft-repeated and echoed talking points:

The stimulus would create 3.5 million jobs and starting do so immediately; Instead, over 2.2 million Americans have lost their jobs since the stimulus bill was signed into law.

The money would be spent carefully, effectively, and transparently; Instead, we have seen the money squandered on such projects as the $18 million overhaul of the Administration’s stimulus-promoting website and the GAO has said there is no effective system in place to monitor the spending.

And, lastly, the stimulus is working as promised and according to plan; Instead, the unemployment rate has far exceeded even the Administration’s projection if we did not pass their stimulus bill.

Not surprisingly, the American people are not buying these and other Democrat claims. No wonder a recent USA Today/Gallup poll found that nearly 6 in 10 Americans believe the stimulus is having no impact on the economy and won’t help in the years to come. As the reality behind these 200 claims demonstrate, Americans are too smart to be misled.

A Product Of The RNC Research Department

DETAILED ANALYSIS: HOUSE DEMOCRATS’ GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE PLAN LOADED UP WITH SPECIAL-INTEREST GIVEAWAYS

HOUSE DEMOCRATS’ COSTLY HEALTH SCHEME A BOON TO UNIONS, TRIAL LAWYERS, AND EVEN ACORN

August 31, 2009 | House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) | Permalink

If a government takeover of health care at the expense of America’s seniors, middle class and small businesses wasn’t enough, Democrats also decided to load up their costly bill with special-interest giveaways to help their labor union, trial lawyer, and ACORN friends. It’s no wonder the American people increasingly oppose the proposal put together by President Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and House Democratic leaders. House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) responded today:

“Chock full of liberal special-interest giveaways, it’s no wonder public support for the Democrats’ government takeover of health care is plummeting. American seniors, families and small businesses should not be sacrificed at the expense of trial lawyers, unions, and even ACORN. It’s time to scrap the current bill and start working together on a common-sense plan to lower costs and increase access to quality health care.”

Written in a backroom, it’s easy to understand why the House Democrats’ bill provides numerous giveaways to special-interest groups and their allies. Here are just a few examples:

Page 95; Section 205 – The bill directs the “Health Choices Commissioner” to conduct outreach activities, including through the use of outside organizations such as ACORN and others, to reach out and enroll exchange-eligible individuals and employers.
Page 31-32; Section 123(a)(5) – The bill requires that the Health Benefits Advisory Committee include labor unions. This advisory committee would be charged with recommending covered benefits for essential, enhanced, and premium plans. Although the reference to ‘labor’ does not necessarily require a union representative or a unionized employee on the committee, the choice of that word as opposed to ‘employees’ suggests that organized labor would likely be assured a position on the advisory committee.
Page 53; Section 154 – The bill ensures that the new federal health care program will set a floor (but not a ceiling) for health care negotiations for unionized employers. The legislation cannot be construed to excuse them from good-faith bargaining over health care benefits. Furthermore, it will not permit unionized employers to unilaterally drop health coverage of its employees in favor of shunting them into the government-run plan or simply paying the penalty associated with not offering health care benefits to workers.
Pages 533-551; Section 1412 – The bill requires the Comptroller General of the U.S. to conduct a study examining: “(A) the extent to which corporations that own or operate large numbers of nursing facilities … are undercapitalizing such facilities; (B) the effects of such undercapitalization on quality of care, including staffing and food costs, at such facilities; (C) options to address such undercapitalization, such as requirements relating to surety bonds, liability insurance, or minimum capitalization.” This provision primarily benefits trial lawyers who sue nursing homes.
Pages 551-569; Section 1413 – The bill requires HHS to include certain kinds of information about nursing home facilities and skilled nursing facilities on its website, including staffing, turnover, and tenure data for each facility. It also requires the HHS Secretary to consult with labor unions representing workers at the facility in reviewing the information. By giving labor unions a voice in deciding what information will appear on the website, the bill creates an opportunity for the unions to drive their staffing or other agendas.
Pages 1007-1017; Sec. 2531 – The bill establishes labor union grants for the training of nurses through a partnership grant program that would award grants for collaborative programs between staff nurse organizations, health care providers, and accredited schools of nursing. Except for nursing schools, entities must work with labor unions in order to meet the eligibility requirements for receiving grant funds. Not only do these grants have to go to joint union-run programs (unless they go directly to nursing schools), but the bill further restricts eligibility for the grants to health care employers, which pay prevailing wages and subsidize the costs of their employees’ participating in these training programs. To the extent the grant program is effective, nursing shortages will become worse in non-unionized hospitals than in unionized hospitals. These training programs will also provide unions with access to future nurses before they even complete their training, which could make it easier for the unions to organize those nurses in the future—either because of gratitude for the union’s involvement in providing their training, or else simply due to their early access to the employees.
The American people shouldn’t be sacrificed to line the pockets of liberal, special-interest groups; they don’t want a government takeover of their health care; and they want common sense reforms to lower health care costs and increase access for those who don’t currently have health care coverage. Shouldn’t Democrats work with Republicans on common sense solutions to deliver on the reforms the American people expect and deserve?

REPUBLICAN LEADER PRESS OFFICE
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH)
H-204, THE CAPITOL
(202) 225-4000 | GOPLEADER.GOV

DESPITE THE PRESIDENT’S PROMISE, HOUSE DEMOCRATS’ BILL WOULD FORCE MILLIONS OUT OF THEIR CURRENT HEALTH CARE COVERAGE August 24, 2009 | House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) | Permalink

A detailed analysis of the Democrats’ government-run plan makes clear it breaks a number of President Obama’s promises. Here are just a few examples:

• Pages 116-128; Sections 221-225 – The House Democrats’ bill establishes a new government-run health plan that, according to nonpartisan actuaries at the Lewin Group, would cause as many as 114 million Americans to lose their existing coverage. Moving these Americans from their current plan into a government-run plan violates the President’s oft-stated promise that “if you like your current coverage, you can keep it.” Both the Associated Press and ABC News have already debunked this pledge, noting that White House officials have acknowledged the President’s rhetoric shouldn’t be taken “literally.”

• Pages 331-333; Section 1161 – President Obama has said repeatedly that nobody is talking about cutting Medicare when it comes to health care reform. But the fact is that nearly 11 million seniors who choose Medicare Advantage plans, will lose that coverage as a result of the $160 billion in cuts in the House Democrats’ bill. Moreover, an independent analysis of the House Democrats’ bill shows the legislation makes a total of $361.9 billion in Medicare cuts. That means fewer choices and lower health care quality for our nation’s seniors.

• Pages 167-179; Section 401 – President Obama repeatedly promised not to raise taxes on those who make less than $200,000 (singles) or $250,000 (married couples). The tax on Americans without government-approved health insurance in the House Democrats’ bill directly violates that promise.

• Pages 167-179; Section 401 – At least four of the President’s specific tax pledges would be broken by the House Democrats’ government takeover of health care. Specifically, the President pledged that (1) “no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase,” and that families making more than $250,000 will (2) “pay either the same or lower tax rates than they paid in the 1990s,” (3) be subject to a “new [higher] top capital gains rate of 20 percent” and (4) have a dividends tax rate “set at 20 percent.” Yet, the Democrats’ bill imposes an individual mandate that would raise taxes on some American families earning less than $250,000, imposes a national small business tax (in conjunction with the President’s expiration of lower marginal rates) that will take the top federal tax rate well above where it was in the 1990s, and applies the national small business tax to capital gains and dividends sending those tax rates to 25.4 percent and 45 percent respectively.

• Pages 823-835; Section 1802 – The House Democrats’ bill would establish a new tax on every health insurance policy to fund a government board. This new tax will increase the cost of health insurance for every American not on Medicare or Medicaid, regardless of income.

Democrats appear poised to go it alone and pass a government takeover of health care that breaks many of the promises made by the President. Americans don’t want a government takeover of their health care; they want common sense reforms to lower health care costs and increase access for those who don’t currently have health care coverage. Shouldn’t Democrats work with Republicans on common sense solutions to deliver on the reforms the American people expect and deserve?

The A/P came out with a story yesterday saying the the payments to social security recipients will be frozen for at least the next two years. They explained that the social security fund is being depleted much faster than had been estimated due to falling revenues. Where is the AARP on this?

The problem here is that we are being told by Obama that we need to create a government run health care system that has a cost of at least $1.5 Trillion. We don’t have the money to give seniors a cost of living increase in their social security checks but we have the money for health care, how can this be? His health care plan involves almost $500 billion in cuts to medicare to help fund it. Now if I am an AARP member right now I would sure what to know what they are doing for me. Either way you look at this the senior citizens get whacked the hardest. The social security fund is now estimated to be broke by 2037, and by 2017 it will be taking in less money than it is spending. That is called “insolvent” in the real world.

The Obama administration slipped out the news last Friday as Obama was leaving on vacation, that the new revised deficit numbers are now, get this $9 Trillion over the next 10 years. Now add in at least $1.5 trillion for his health care plans and what you have is an annual deficit of over $1 trillion. Even the most liberal economists say that this number is completely unsustainable. The simple fact is like it or not, we do not have the money for the government run health care plan Obama wants. we don’t even have money to give cost of living raises to social security recipients.

What I am driving at here is that we are broke as country, we can not pay for the plans already in place, let alone another social entitlement program run by the federal government. We need to honor our commitments already made, the rest will have to wait. Obama’s numbers are dropping because people have lost confidence in his decision making. They can not understand why Obama appears determined to full fill his campaign promises to his liberal base, over his obligation to look out for the well being of the country. If you are an AARP member call them and ask about the social security cuts. If you are or not, call congress and the White House and express yourself to them.

 If your a liberal, especially if your a liberal, please take the time and explain to me where we will get all this money other than printing it. Don’t come back with cut defense, because if we took away the entire budget, it still won’t plug the holes. Give me real fact based answers, not your wishes and desires. Not just what you want, but how we are going to pay for it. One other thing, if you don’t like what I’m saying, don’t blame the host, he just provided the space. If you want to find out more or just to comment on other issues, visit www.standbyliberty.com. And as I said, if your a liberal, give me the answer to the real $1.5 trillion question and then call the White House and give it to them.

I have read and listened to much of the banter on the health care issue, and I say go for it!

The Democrats have control of the House and a super-majority in the Senate, so what is stopping them? Why all the debate? Why all the showmanship.  And, why are we discussing the little details of a number of different bills, none of which has passed more than a few committees?  Nothing is finalized with the House bill, and even when a House bill is voted upon, it will face significant changes when it gets to the Senate. No one really knows what the final bill that gets to the President’s desk will look like.

What I have gleaned so far is that this preponderance of a new law is very complex, and hopes to manage and control one of the most complex endeavors of mankind.  Frankly it appears to be beyond the comprehension of most of our elected officials.  I don’t expect any Republicans to vote for a health care reform bill this complex.  That leaves it completely up to the Democrats for passage, and they have the complete control to do it.

Many political careers are at stake if President Obama pushes for passage on this bill prior to the 2010 mid-term elections.  Democrats in the House will not have a Presidential election with a popular candidate whose coat-tails they can ride  in the 2010 mid-terms.  Further, they could easily lose their majority in the House if they pass a health care bill that recently appears to be becoming unpopular among  moderate and independent voters.  The far-left voting block can only carry them so far.

After a bill is passed and signed into law, the administration has to put in place the bureaucratic infrastructure that will now manage 1/6th of our entire national economy.  Let’s remember, these are the people that trust Robert Gibbs with White House public relations.  It will be a chaotic first year or two.  Congress doesn’t even know what it doesn’t know about health care, and there will come amendment after amendment of, “fine tuning”, to this legislation between its passage and the 2012 Presidential elections, each of which will be tremendous ammunition for Republican attacks on both Congress and the White House.

I wonder whether a government take-over of such a large part of our economy can  even pass Constitutional muster.  It certainly has no resemblance to anything the Founding Fathers had in mind; not that that has ever stopped the left from stepping on individual rights in the past, but it seems people should still have a say in something as personal as their medical care.   Apart from that, there will be groups and individuals coming out of the woodwork filing claims about how the new law has impacted them, who pays for what, public or private, state or federal, new plan or medicare/medicaid.  It will be nuts.

The point is that conservatives and Republicans will be well positioned to put the blame for all the problems created by a new health care plan squarely on the Democrats.  And, that will bode well for them in 2010 and 2012.

So House Dems, I say GO FOR IT!  The mid-terms will take place almost immediately after all the folks that voted for you in 2008 are denied their free flu shots.