Extraordinary Expansion of Government-Run Health Care Headed to the President Soon!
By Rep. Scott Garrett Posted in Congress — Comments (5) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
For the second time this year, Congress was forced to consider an extraordinary expansion of government-run health care when the new Democrat majority brought its SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) reauthorization legislation, Part II, to the floor. Once again, this legislation demonstrates that Democrats are more than willing to play politics with our children’s healthcare. I simply won’t support a bill that hurts our children and buries taxpaying families in extraordinary debt. Read on.
The SCHIP bill just considered opens the door to government-run healthcare benefits for illegal immigrants. While current law would require proof of citizenship to get access to SCHIP benefits, this bill would substantially weaken these requirements. Illegal immigrants don’t need any more incentives to spill over our borders; but a free ride with the best healthcare system in the world is certainly a big incentive to cross with or without obeying the law. And, again, the American taxpayers foot the bill.
And, they’re not only paying for illegal immigrants, under the provisions of this bill, the American taxpayers will also be footing the bill for hidden pork barrel spending. For instance, in their backroom negotiations, the Democrats slipped in a $1.2 billion earmark for the State of Michigan, as well as earmarks for a couple of counties in California and a hospital in Tennessee. New Jersey taxpayers are already overburdened; they shouldn’t be forced to pay more for this political treasure trove.
To pay for the expansion, the majority relies on the very regressive cigarette tax to offset its spending spree. But, quite frankly, this tax misses the mark entirely. According to a study by the think tank, the Heritage Foundation, “To produce the revenues that Congress needs to fund SCHIP expansion through such a tax would require 22.4 million new smokers by 2017.” So, apparently if children want government run healthcare, they need to start smoking…and start smoking a lot.
Furthermore, several studies have determined that high excise taxes lead to a thriving illegal market for cigarettes. This black market drains billions from our nation’s small businesses and helps finance and even encourage additional crime and violence in our cities. That’s why a strong coalition of small business groups, and law enforcement groups, including the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) and the National Association of Police Organizations; oppose an increase of cigarette taxes.
There’s a reasonable alternative on the table, one that I am cosponsoring, in fact. A straight 18-month reauthorization of SCHIP that maintains care for 6.6 million low-income children without expanding the program into such absurdities as providing government-run health coverage to 70,000 families that are considered so rich that they have to pay the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT).
But, the majority wouldn’t even allow a full debate or consideration of this reasonable alternative. Instead, we were faced with a straight up-or-down vote on a $110 billion expansion program that does what Democrats do best: tax and spend.
The bill Speaker Pelosi forced on the floor this week is headed for a train wreck. SCHIP will soon expire and the millions of children who get heath coverage through it will be left uncovered if we don’t pass an extension. But, instead of working with Republicans, who created SCHIP in the first place, the Democrat leadership has brought forward a bill that the President has vowed to veto. Democrats have reverted to their old habits: tax and spend and then use vulnerable children as pawns to get what they want. This is politics at its worst, and simply not good policy.
The House passed the bill 265 to 159 on Tuesday, and the Senate followed suit yesterday with a vote of 67 to 29, clearing the measure for the President and an expected veto. Stay tuned.
Your point about needing new smokers to pay for this legislation needs to repeated loudly and often. That is a debating point that will resonate with the public. Let's hope the president includes it in his veto message.
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Develop alternatives to existing policies and keep them alive and available until the politically impossible becomes the politically inevitable. Milton Friedman
Stand tall and voice your reason for not supporting this bill. I think the voting public knows what is going on with this bill and would like their Representatives to be strong. This will show that the House is not as politically corrupt as the Senate.
Plus, we are a long way from an election. In media cycles are really only 2 weeks at the most.
Political suicide no way.
cigarettes in their mouths and stored behind their ears? Put placards on their chest that says," I smoke for the children!!"
Democrats--Tobacco companies' best friends
will imported cigars get taxed?
Oh good grief--the Clintonoids attacked the tobacco companies, now the Democrats want us to smoke their products so that the middle class children can get the subsidized medical coverage?
- Republicans, who created SCHIP in the first place
See what thanks you get? Don't do that anymore.
Drink Good Coffee. You can sleep when you're dead.
This is vitally important not only policy Wise but politically. I watched the panel on Special Report on FNS and they nailed. It maybe good policy to oppose this bill but the Reps will get destroyed politically because you will be painted as anti children. What can we all do to counter the political storm ahead?
"The nine most dangerous words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'"
Ronald Reagan
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