The Senate reconvened and began a period of general business awaiting action from the House. If the House passes the conference report on the highway bill, H.R. 4348, the Senate is expected to take it up later today. The conference report includes language reforming the national flood insurance program and extending student loan rates without raising taxes (despite President Obama’s repeated unwillingness to discuss the issue).
The House reconvened and in addition to conference report issues on H.R. 4348, the Highway Bill, they will continue debate and is expected they will vote on HR 5972 - Fiscal 2013 Dept of Transportation-HUD spending - Appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013
Yesterday the passed the following bills by voice vote:
HR 1447 — Aviation Security Advisory Committee
HR 3173 — Transportation Worker Identification Credential
HR 5843 — Grant funds for training conducted in conjunction with a national
HR 5889 — Nuclear terrorism and maritime hijacking.
The also voted and passed the following two Homeland Security bills:
HR 4005 (411-9) — Port security gaps - direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to conduct a study and report to Congress on gaps in port security in the United States and a plan to address them.
HR 4251 (402-21 ) — Port security programs - authorize, enhance, and reform certain port security programs through increased efficiency and risk-based coordination within the Department of Homeland Security.
With the Supreme Court ruling yesterday that the Obamacare mandate that individuals must purchase insurance is a tax, Democrats have gone out of their way to avoid admitting that the mandate is a tax.
Yahoo News writes, “The White House argued on Friday that the individual mandate at the heart of Obamacare is a penalty, not a tax, contradicting the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling a day earlier upholding the historic health care law. . . . ‘You can call it what you want,’ [White House Press Secretary Jay] Carney said, underlining Congressional Budget Office estimates that it will affect only 1 percent of Americans. ‘It is not a broad-based tax.’”
On NBC today, Matt Lauer asked Obama advisor David Axelrod, “Back in 2009 the president adamantly denied that health care reform ways going to be a tax on the American people. Does he now agree this legislation, this law is a tax?” Axelrod ducked, saying, “Whatever you call it, Matt, whether a mandate or tax, what it is is a penalty . . . .” According to Politico, “A top surrogate for President Obama insisted Friday that the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act was not a tax — despite the fact that the Supreme Court narrowly preserved the law on those grounds. ‘Don't believe the hype that the other side is selling,’ Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick told reporters on a conference call. ‘This is a penalty,’ Patrick said.”
Meanwhile, Roll Call writes, “Already, Democratic leaders were stumbling Thursday when asked about the ruling that the mandate was a tax — an argument that was quickly becoming a GOP talking point,” noting that “Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), who heads the Democrats’ communication and policy arm, also sidestepped the question.” And The Daily Caller reports, “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wouldn’t say if he agrees with the Supreme Court ruling that the individual mandate in the health care law is constitutional as a tax.”
The Washington Free Beacon points out, “Obama did not mention the word tax in post-decision remarks calling on the country to ‘move forward.’ The White House website still hosts a blog post that claims to ‘set the record straight’ on Obamacare. ‘The health insurance reform bill being considered in the Senate does not raise taxes on families making less than $250,000,’ wrote Deputy Director of the National Economic Council Jason Furman.”
The ARRA News Service declared aka ObamaCare is now aka StealthCare
Tags: White House, Democrats, government healthcare, mandate tax, US Senate, US House, Highway bill, Homeland Security bills, Fiscal 2013, DOT-HUD spending To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
0 comments:
Post a Comment