Rep. Peter Roskam on Obamacare

Last week, Congressman Peter Roskam was a guest blogger for The Heritage Foundation…

If at first you don’t succeed, change the message. That’s the lesson learned when it comes to the new trillion dollar health law passed this spring.

One of the central advocacy groups who pushed for the Obamacare recently held a confidential ”messaging” conference call with the progressive movement where they revealed the results of extensive polling on the new law. Remember when the left was confident their controversial health care vote would soon be cheered by the public? The thinking was that Jane and John Doe simply needed more time to understand the two and half thousand page bill, because the year-long health care debate wasn’t enough time for them to get a grasp on it.

The left might not want to hold their breath while waiting for the public to applaud their bill. That’s because the people know this bill better than progressives do. In fact, just yesterday the Kaiser Health Tracking Poll reported that favorability of the bill dropped to 43% in August. The professional left has now realized this and thus the reason for the advocacy group’s hush-hush “messaging” call.

It’s important to note what the left was told on the call not to say when speaking to Americans: “Don’t say the law will reduce costs and deficits.”

Read that again.

We were repeatedly promised that one of the best parts of this bill was that it would lower the national debt in the long term. It doesn’t take a health policy expert or an economist to understand why this can’t be. A simple logic test will do: how can we put 16 million more people on Medicaid and yet save money?

Answer: we can’t. Americans old and young knew it all along, while the left hoped they would forget thanks to a marketing blitz after the bill passed that was on par with the ‘85 Bears defense. Look for progressives to audible away from this deeply unpopular piece of legislation this fall and talk about something – anything – but their landmark health care bill.

The problems with the fundamental structure of the new health care law are obvious. First, the primary vehicle for increased coverage is Medicaid expansion. Sixteen million individuals, 650,000 in Illinois, will be forced onto Medicaid, the joint federal-state partnership to cover low-income individuals. These individuals will have trouble finding access to physicians and services and will be forced to seek care in prohibitively expensive emergency departments, increasing the cost of care to the federal government, states and privately-insured individuals. This coverage expansion will not guarantee access to quality health care services.

Next, the federal government will provide $200 billion in annual subsidies for individuals to purchase insurance. The funding comes from cuts to Medicare that will create problems in access to hospitals similar to those recently observed by physicians, according to Medicare’s own actuaries. Additional funding will come from taxing individuals’ health insurance for the first time in history, but not until 2018. Instead of reforming the system, bending the health care cost curve and making health care more affordable to individuals, families and small-businesses, the left shifted costs onto the federal government and away from care for seniors. This approach is short-sighted and will continue to strain the budgets of individuals and families, and – to a greater extent – state and federal governments.

What’s needed is not a new message, but rather an incremental approach focused on lowering health care costs. We should expand health savings accounts, the fastest growing insurance coverage option for Americans, which have proven successful in both the public and private sectors. Forcing insurance companies to compete across state lines will help lower costs as well, and my AARP-endorsed bill to reduce fraud, waste and abuse in Medicare is a no-brainer.

PS: I also keep a daily record on Twitter (#218hcr) and my website, Roskam.house.gov, about the many reasons we need to repeal this flawed healthcare bill and replace it with commonsense reforms that lower costs first and foremost, thereby making insurance more affordable for people to purchase.

Rep. Peter Roskam (R) represents the Sixth District of Illinois.

How To Keep An Economy Down

Starting January 1, 2011, new tax rates will kick in across the board, raising taxes on American families and small businesses by a staggering $3.8 trillion, from those in the lowest tax bracket and continuing all the way up the economic ladder.

If you haven’t been paying attention to the tax cut debate yet, you need to take a few minutes to find out how Democrat Leaders in Congress are set to deliver a one-two punch to the American public in the form of higher taxes on families and small businesses.  At this time of economic uncertainty and sluggish growth, an across-the-board tax increase on families and individuals promises to keep the economy on its knees.

Starting January 1, 2011, new tax rates will kick in across the board, raising taxes on American families and small businesses by a staggering $3.8 trillion, from those in the lowest tax bracket and continuing all the way up the economic ladder.  The Tax Foundation, a non-partisan, independent research organization estimates that an average family of the Sixth Congressional District will see their income taxes increase $1,972.  At a time when many Americans are struggling to make ends meet, this misguided policy will take more money out of the pockets of individuals in order to fuel more of the wasteful government spending that is on track to triple our national debt.

Under current law, the lowest tax bracket, at 10%, will be eliminated.  That rate will rise to 15%, costing almost 100 million families who can ill-afford it an extra $500 in taxes next year.  Similar increases will affect each of the other marginal tax rates, all the way up to a top effective personal income tax rate of 41.6%.  Just as troubling for many families will be the reinstatement of the marriage penalty and cuts to the child tax credit.

According to the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), Congress’s official scorekeeper, reinstating the marriage penalty will cost 35 million married couples an average of $595 in higher federal taxes in 2011.  The same study finds that cutting the child tax credit in half, which is scheduled to take place automatically on the first day of 2011, will cost 31 million families over $1,000 in higher taxes next year.  Raising taxes on parents and married couples is no way to jump start our flagging economy.  Giving the federal government more rope with which to hang itself will only lead to the further wasting of your hard-earned dollars.

As I engage with residents throughout the Sixth Congressional District, I hear from families and individuals making tough economic choices to cope with the realities of a slow economy.  Unfortunately, the current Congressional leadership is spending money at a ferocious pace and looking around ravenously for new sources of revenue.  In fact, despite forecasts for above-average tax revenues for the next decade, the President’s own Office of Management and Budget (OMB) still reports a soaring deficits in the next 10 years.  How do higher tax revenues square with record budget deficits?  Uncontrolled spending.  Put simply, even with $670 billion in tax increases the last 18 months, spending under this Congress continues to explode at an unsustainable rate.

Congressional Democrats’ gaze has already settled on businesses large and small, and now they think it’s time for you and your family to pony up in order to continue the spending frenzy.  What Washington can’t seem to understand is that the surest way to stimulate economic growth and job creation is to keep in place the much needed tax relief of the last decade.  Letting families and individuals decide how to spend their own hard-earned income fuels economic activity and consumer confidence.

Eighteen months of stimulus spending and $670 billion in tax increases later, the economic agenda put forth by Democrat Leaders in Congress has not worked.  It’s time to put our nation’s economic health front and center and advance a common-sense agenda of continued tax relief, reining in out-of-control spending, and eliminating the burdensome government regulations that block business growth and job creation with red tape.  Keeping taxes lower for all Americans incentivizes the work and investment that will help grow our economy and create new jobs.  It is past time to give families and small businesses the tools to flourish and get back on the road to prosperity.

Proof These Bastards KNOW They’re Doing the Wrong Thing

If you haven’t seen it yet, The Hill published its list of the 50 wealthiest members of Congress today:

Wealthiest lawmakers increased their riches as economy sputtered in ‘09

As always, it’s a fun, short read.

But the fun ends very quickly when you get to the critical line:

“But lawmakers reduced their liabilities by even more, cutting debts by $120 million last year.”

That’s literally one of the most amazing statements I’ve ever seen when contrasted with what they’re doing with the public purse.

And it needs little in the way of further comment other than to say of course they’re paring back their debts, as is everyone else in America– and rightly so in this economic environment.

The next time you get the ear of some legislator who says we have to borrow and spend our way out of this recession, ask him– no, push him– on what exactly he’s doing in his own finances. Ask what he’d recommend to his children.

Then ask why he’s saddling everyone else’s kids with precisely the opposite burden.

Pitchforks…

(14th District) Hultgren Says Repeal Obamacare

The Daily Herald reports on Republican Randy Hultgren’s ideas on Obamacare as he races to the finish line to become the congressman from the 14th District.

Hultgren told attendees of a luncheon in St. Charles last week that changes created in the new law do nothing to address the cost of health care. He said he would’ve voted against both the major Democratic versions of the law and will work to undo “Obamacare.”

“I think Republicans blew it on this,” Hultgren said of the new law. “But I think Democrats blew it even more. We need to get rid of what we’ve got. Let’s repeal it.”

Hultgren said he’s particularly disappointed in what’s become known as the “1099 provision” of the new health care law. The provision requires companies to submit a report to the IRS for every business-to-business transaction made that exceeds $600. Critics view the provision as a nightmare of paperwork and accounting for as many as 30 million small businesses.

“This is going to kill small businesses,” Hultgren said.

Check out the rest of the article to see what his opponent, Bill Foster, said about Obamacare.

A Tour of Illinois’ Criminal Governors

With the recent result of the latest trial and conviction of former Illinois Governor Democrat Rod Blagojevich, it is interesting to take a little tour of all the Illinois Governors that were indicted at one time or another. Some of them even served time.

It appears that the number of indicted Illinois Democrats beats the Republicans by one with four Democrats indicted to the Republican’s three. On the other hand, the ones jailed is top heavy with Democrats with two Democrats jailed to only one Republican jailed. And one more Democrat will be serving time once Blagojevich’s trials are all done and over making it three to one.

As you read this list, folks, remember that THIS is the state where President Barack Obama learned his politics.

Here is the list…

Joel A. Matteson (1853 – 1857)
Party: Democrat
Charge: Embezzling
Verdict: Not convicted

Len Small (1921 – 1929)
Party: Republican
Charge: Embezzling $2 million when he was State Treasurer
Verdict: Acquitted (but jury tampering is suspected as 4 of the jurors ended up with new state jobs)

William Stratton (1953 – 1961)
Party: Republican
Charge: Cheating on Taxes by using political contributions for personal expenses
Verdict: Acquitted

Otto Kerner (1961 – 1968)
Party: Democrat
Charge: Bribery, perjury, bag man for racetrack industry
Verdict: Convicted, sentenced to 3 years, served 7 months

Dan Walker (1973 – 1977)
Party: Democrat
Charge: Bank fraud and perjury
Verdict: Guilty, sentenced to 7 years, served 17 months

George Ryan (1999 – 2003)
Party: Republican
Charge: Conspiracy, racketeering
Verdict: Guilty, sentenced to 6 1/2 years. Still serving.

Rod Blagojevich (2004 – 2009)
Party: Democrat
Charge: Extortion, lying to the feds, selling a U.S. Senate seat
Verdict: Guilty so far on one count of lying to the feds, re-trial being scheduled.

Liberty.com… you can’t afford to not be plugged in!

From the new website Liberty.com…

Announcing a new effort: Liberty.com

On April 15th, 2009, History was made in a way that money could not buy and special agenda elitists couldn’t plan. The progressive movement and liberal agenda were taken by storm when millions of Americans began to make it clear that we’ve had enough.

Our message is simple. We elect men and women to protect our rights as Americans, and instead of getting the protection we demand, we’re being taken advantage of and abused at every turn.

In 2009 when we first launched TaxDayTeaParty.com (February 28, 2009), we had no idea that millions of Americans would cross our website seeking ways to be involved in our political process. This is very, very good news for our movement.

The bad news is we aren’t the only group thinking of taking political action. A very well organized, well funded effort is underway to undermine liberty in America. This effort is lead by men and women who believe in the collective, socialist form of governing. A form of government that drives freedom from our shores and guarantees certain doom for America as we know it.

We must ACT now to stop this effort. We must unify in a way unlike never before, and we need to do it before November 2nd, 2010.

Thanks to a collaborative effort of several movement rooted activists and coalitions, we’re very pleased to announce the launch of Liberty.com.

Liberty.com is being developed to serve as a one-stop-shop for movement activists. We’ll host a full scale online newsroom, activist center, GOTV integrated social profiles and networking, political marketing campaigns and much, much more.

You’ve been saying someone needs to step up in a big way to tackle the radicals working against our liberty, and we’re here to answer that call.

To date, in Nevada for example, we’ve spent $300,000 in TV ads against Senator Harry Reid. Our ads played a significant role in bringing the race back to a tie, giving conservative Sharron Angle a much better position to work from.

In Nevada we’ve also launched a door-to-door GOTV campaign that has resulted in thousands of doors being knocked for voter ID efforts.

This is the first of many steps for us. We cannot go forth without you, and we’re going to need all hands on deck.

This is a call to action unlike never before. This email is being sent to more than 90,000 activists across the nation, and we need everyone reading this to act right now.

Please go through the following list and take each step (each step possible):

1. If you’re on Facebook, become a follow us here, then click here to send out a tweet about us.
3. Go to Liberty.com and subscribe for direct updates
4. Tell everyone you know to visit Liberty.com on a regular basis
5. Contribute to our nationwide campaign to push back against the radical agenda of the leftists in Washington
6. Get ready to start your online GOTV social profile when our full site goes live

Liberty.com goes live in its full form on September 1st, 2010. Watch our intro video:

Together we can save America. Divided we can fall. It’s our choice to make.

I stand for Liberty, and I hope you’ll stand with me in this fight for freedom!

For Liberty,
-Eric Odom
Liberty.com

P.S. Liberty.com is where it is thanks to patriots like you and contributions from good people across every state in the union. Please help fund our fight in this movement. Please contribute $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 or any amount you deem appropriate.

Cost of Government Day Finally Arrives

Every year, the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation and the Center for Fiscal Accountability calculate Cost of Government Day. This is the day on which the average American has earned enough gross income to pay off his or her share of the spending and regulatory burdens imposed by government on the federal, state, and local levels.

In 2010, Cost of Government Day falls on August 19. That means working people must toil 231 days out of the year just to meet all costs imposed by government. In other words, the cost of government consumes 63.41 percent of national income.

“Two years ago Americans worked until July 16 to pay for the cost of government: all federal, state and local government spending and regulatory costs.  That government was too expensive and wasteful.  Two years later, we work until August 19 for the same bloated government.  We have lost an additional full month of our income to pay the cost of government in just the last two years,” said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

Key findings of the report include:

1. Cost of Government Day (COGD) falls 8 days later in 2010 than last year’s revised date of August 11.
2. Workers will have to labor 104 days just to pay for federal spending, which consumes 28.6 percent of national income.
3. Taxpayers will have to work 52 days just to pay for state and local government expenditures.
4. The average American worker must labor 74 days to cover the costs of government regulations. A breakdown of the COGD components can be found here.
5. The report also includes a state breakdown. The earliest Cost of Government Day occurs in Alaska, on July 28. Connecticut has the latest COGD, on September 17.
6. One of the contributing factors to increased spending is the growth in government payrolls. The federal workforce totaled 4.4 million employees this year, while the addition of state and local workers brings the total government workforce to 24.315 million employees.
7. The report also tracks taxpayer migration, showing taxes are a driving component behind interstate movement. In 2008, the ten states with no income tax gained over 80,000 new residents who brought with them over $900 million in net adjusted income. In contrast, the states with the highest tax burden lost 129,445 residents and $10.2 billion in wealth.

Ill. Dem. Senate Candidate Being Funded by Terror Connected Financier?

Daniel Halper asks a whopper of a question, one that could cause quite a lot of trouble for Democrat Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias of Illinois. Halper reveals that one of Giannoulias’ donors is a man connected with a foundation with link to terror organizations.

Sahloul is the former president of the Mosque Foundation, a Bridgeview mosque that has numerous links to terrorist organizations. The Mosque Foundation contributed roughly $400,000 to four Islamic charities that were later shut down by the federal government for links to terrorism. According to the Chicago Tribune, the organizations receiving funds were: the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, the Benevolence International Foundation, the Islamic American Relief Agency, and Global Relief Foundation.

Apparently the Mosque Foundation’s Imam led an effort to raise $50,000 to help with the legal costs incurred by Sami Al-Arian, a University of South Florida professor who was convicted of raising money for terrorism in Palestine.

So what about this? Is Alexi Giannoulias taking money from a group with certain connections to terrorism?

Is this what Illinois wants as their representative in the Senate?

White House: Michelle Obama Took $75,000 Per Day Lavish Vacation on Taxpayer Dime Because One of Her Friend’s Father Died or Something

That $375,000 of taxpayer money that Michell blew in Spain last week? It went to a good cause – a father of one of her 40 friends that went with her had just died. From the Chicago Sun-Times via drudge: Inside story of Michelle’s trip. Do not that writer Lynn Sweet is an Obamunist, but perhaps in trying to cover up the lavishness of the vacation with taxpayer money she might have done better not including this:

A White House source told me that Blanchard’s father passed away and Mrs. Obama was not able to make the funeral at the beginning of July. Blanchard had promised her daughter she would take her to Spain for her birthday. She asked Mrs. Obama and Sasha to come with. (Malia is at overnight camp.)

“She felt it was important as a dear friend to do this,” I was told.

How did they end up at the five star Villa Padierna, part of the Ritz-Carlton chain? Because of security concerns, there were just some places they could not go. Agents were able to secure Villa Padierna and the nearby beach area.

But for the rest of us, there is shared sacrifice. Here’s Obamunist Lynn Sweet on Fox News defending Obama:

Some other discussions on the trip:

Also Read:  Material Girl Michelle Obama is a Modern-day Marie Antoinette on a Glitzy Spanish Vacation

We’re So Proud. Illinois May Have Two Former Governors in Prison at the Same Time

ILLINOIS politics were relatively quiet this past week, as our summer temperatures hovered in the 90’s and humidity was high.  In the Governor’s race, the last poll had Republican Bill Brady leading current Governor, Democrat Pat Quinn, by 7 points.

Quinn isn’t making any new friends as he continues to try to spin Illinois’ horrible financial condition with double-talk.  Quinn’s not a bad guy; he’s simply ineffectual, and everyone knows it including his own Party.

President Obama came to Chicago to try to help his old basket-ball playing buddy, Alexi Giannoulias, as he struggles to win Obama’s former U.S. Senate seat.  The Giannoulias family bank went bust, with talk of mobster loans.  The GOP opponent, current Congressman Mark Kirk, has been plagued with his own problems of military resume enhancement, for which he has apologized.  Kirk also recently indicated he would have voted for now Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan.  He once had a small lead in this race, but now it’s a statistical tie and the conservative Republicans may skip over his name when they go to the polls on November 2.  This race, and the race for Governor will be nail-biters to the end as Illinois Republicans have victory in sight once again, after a decade of Democrat control.

Illinois may also hold the distinction of having two former Governors in prison at the same time. Illinois was bright red for decades but things started turning blue when then retired Governor George Ryan (R) was found guilty in 2003 on corruption charges and sentenced to 6 and a half years in a federal prison, (Ryan didn’t enter prison until 2007).  In 2002, Illinois voted for a Democrat.  We got Rod Blagojevich, and then re-elected him in 2006 for a second term even as his troubles were circling around him.

Going into the seventh day of deliberations Monday, the Blagojevich verdict is expected this week.