On the recordJuly 10, 2012
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6079, the Repeal of Obamacare Act. Though the Supreme Court's decision is disappointing, it does not change the underlying truths of the President's health care law. The law has neither reduced costs nor improved choices available to Americans. It outsources Medicare decisions to an unelected rationing board, interferes with the doctor-patient relationship, and threatens consumers with fewer options and higher premiums. The health care law is paid for with more than $800 billion in new taxes and another $500 billion or more in Medicare cuts. All told, we are left with 21 tax increases, including the individual mandate, which, for the first time in our country, imposes a Federal tax for inaction. Imagine what a future Congress could tax you on for not doing: not eating fruits and vegetables, not buying an electric car, not exercising daily to their standards--just to name a few. The possibilities of Congress' taxing power are now seemingly endless and frightening. On top of that, the Internal Revenue Service is now the official enforcement cop for the health care law, a powerful role requiring the hiring of thousands of new IRS employees at an expense of hundreds of millions of dollars. The takeaway? Young or old, the health care law does little to ensure affordable coverage for all Americans. We will not feel the full brunt of its impact until 2014, but the law has already proven to be a nightmare.…
