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Affordable Health Care for America Act Archive

Thursday

28

June 2012

0

COMMENTS

The World Has Not Ended

Written by , Posted in The Courts, Criminal Justice & Tort

I know many liberty advocates are greatly disappointed in today’s Supreme Court ruling, where Chief Justice John Roberts joined the four liberal justices in upholding the individual mandate through the taxing power. But the world has not ended today. The truth of the matter is that not much has changed for our longterm fiscal outlook. It’s still decidedly negative, and would have been no matter what today’s decision held. Because of this, there’s still going to have be another political bite at the health care apple.

First, the way the case was decided shouldn’t be overlooked. The limit that was placed, such that it is, on the reach of the Commerce Clause is not insignificant. With a five member majority believing that Congress has reached the bounds on how far they can stretch the clause, they may begin to chip away at some past Commerce Clause decisions. We can certainly hope so, anyway.

But from a policy perspective, health care remains a mess just as it would have been had the law been struck down. It’s a worse mess now, for sure, but all the central problems with health care are the same regardless of either decision the court could have made: the third party payer problem, the excessive coverage mandates by the state (and now federal) governments, the limitations on interstate insurance purchases. Eventually, these problems will have to be addressed. Obamacare will inevitably fail to reduce the explosive growth in the cost of health care because it does not address these fundamental causes, and that will force the hand of politicians. That is assuming that Obamacare even survives before the mandate takes effect in 2014, which based upon today’s reactions may very well not happen.

Sunday

8

November 2009

0

COMMENTS

It’s Bipartisan!

Written by , Posted in Health Care, Welfare & Entitlements, Legislation

Two-hundred and nineteen Democrats and a single Republican voted to pass the health care monstrosity PelosiCare.  The Republican was Anh “Joseph” Cao, recently elected to fill William “Frozen Money” Jefferson’s seat.  He’s one of the most liberal Republicans in the House in a very blue district. So there isn’t much point getting worked up over his vote, beyond the amusement of listening to the spinners claim use it to claim bipartisanship.

The real bipartisan vote was the opposition, where 39 Democrats defected to oppose the bill.  But let’s not kid ourselves, many (like Dennis Kucinich) did it because they think it didn’t offer enough socialism.

Sunday

1

November 2009

2

COMMENTS

The Latest Health Care Monstrosity

Written by , Posted in Health Care, Welfare & Entitlements, Legislation

Weighing in at 1990 pages, the latest health care legislation (H.R. 3962) is a  familiar collection of big government policies. Misleadingly touted by Democrats and media as costing $894 billion, the bill is actually “a $725 billion tax increase and a $1.5 trillion spending program,” according to Jim Capretta.  CBO once again warns that its analysis is colored by rosy and politically unlikely assumptions, rendering it highly unlikely that the deficit reductions they find will actually materialize.

The bill contains a plethora of tax increases, which is reflected by its language.  Words like “taxes,” “fee,” and “penalty” are sprinkled liberally throughout.  Americans for Tax Reform counts 13 new taxes or increases, including an employer mandate and excise taxes on medical devices.

The only thing this massive tome of big government statism doesn’t have is any actual policy to help bring down costs or make health care more responsive to consumers.