WHAT 2 WATCH 4: IS THE PRESIDENT A MAN OF HIS WORD?Obama Pledged No Tax Hikes On Middle Class, But Baucus' Bill Includes "Big, Big" Taxes
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View This Research Briefing At GOP.com
Today, Another Obama Government-Run Health Care Event: "President Barack Obama will hold a health care reform rally in College Park, Maryland, on Thursday, September 17. At the rally, Obama will argue that health care reform is critical to the American people and is something that can't wait." ("Obama To Hold Health Care Reform Rally September 17," RTT News, 9/14/09)
ON THE ROAD AGAIN, WILL OBAMA KEEP HIS TAX PLEDGE OR SUPPORT BAUCUS' BILL THAT INCLUDES "BIG, BIG" TAXES?
As Candidate, Obama Pledged No Tax Hikes On Middle-Class Americans. "I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks In Dover, NH, 9/12/08)
During Campaign, Obama Attacked McCain Over Taxing Health Care Benefits. "And once you're out on your own with this $5,000 credit, Senator McCain for the first time is going to be taxing the health care benefits that you have from your employer. And -- and this is your plan, John: for the first time in history, you will be taxing people's health care benefits." (Sen. Barack Obama, Third Presidential Debate, Hofstra University, 10/15/08)
As President, Obama Has Repeated This Pledge In Midst Of Government-Run Health Care Debate. "The middle class will realize greater security, not higher taxes." (President Barack Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress On Health Care, Washington, DC, 9/9/09)
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) Rips Sen. Max Baucus' (D-MT) Bill, Says Americans Will Be Hit With "Big, Big Tax." "He should understand that (his proposal) means that virtually every single coal miner is going to have a big, big tax put on them ... So that's not really a smart idea ... in fact, it's a very dangerous idea ..."(Teddy Davis, "Dem Senator Warns Of 'Big, Big Tax' On Middle Class In Baucus Bill," ABC News's "The Note" Blog, 9/16/09)
Baucus' Bill Includes Tax On Health Insurance Policies Over $8,000 Per Individual And $21,000 Per Family, Raising Premiums On Many Americans. "The thinking behind the tax is that it would raise hundreds of millions of dollars while at the same time curbing health-care spending by leading insurers or employers to stop offering the costliest plans to avoid the tax, or passing the tax on to employees in the form of higher premiums, which might lead employees to seek cheaper plans." (Chairman's Mark, "America's H ealthy Future Act Of 2009," Introduced 9/16/09; Alec MacGillis, "Ahead Of Obama's AFL-CIO Appearance, Labor Officials Express Concern Over Excise Tax," The Washington Post's "Daily Dose" Blog, 9/15/09)
Steep Taxes On Americans Who Can't Afford To Buy Insurance. "Mr. Obama and most Democrats support a proposal that would require most Americans to carry health insurance. Under Mr. Baucus's proposal, a family that went without coverage would be subject to a penalty of up to $3,800 a year."(Robert Pear and David Herszenhorn, "New Objections To Baucus Health Care Proposal," The New York Times, 9/14/09)
Large Tax On Small Businesses Who Can't Afford Health Insurance For Their Employees, Making It More Difficult For Employers To Hire Workers They Need. "[E]mployers who do not offer 'affordable' coverage to employees would have to help pay the cost of such benefits for their low-income workers ... The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal research and advocacy group, said this proposal 'could unintentionally discourage the hiring of lower-income people,' by adding a new 'health surcharge' to the cost of employing them." (Chairman's Mark, "America's Healthy Future Act Of 2009," Introduced 9/16/09; Jeff Zeleny and Robert Pear, "Obama Says Government Health Coverage Plan Would Not Hurt Private Insurers," The New York Times, 6/23/09)
And New Taxes On Medical Devices, Raising Costs For Health Care Services. "The medical-device industry is organizing companies that make everything from CT scans to contact lenses to fight a proposed $4 billion annual fee on device makers, arguing that companies across the board could get hit with the fees. And the industry is trying to rally companies that make even mundane items like condoms and Q-tips to fight the fee, as well. ... 'They're going to get walloped upside the head with a new tax during a struggling economy,' he [AdvaMed chief lobbyist Brett Loper] said. 'Hopefully, we can convince enough people that a medical products tax will only increase the costs.'" (Chris Frates and Carrie Budoff Brown, "Medical-Device Makers Launch Blitz," Politico, 9/14/09)
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