Update on Hearing
Unbeknownst to most members of Congress, at the last minute $105 billion of spending in the ObamaCare bill was not only authorized, it was also appropriated, and made mandatory — like Social Security and Medicare — and not subject to the annual appropriations review by Congress. This discovery has only recently come to light. See Sean Hannity and Michele Bachmann here.
I will be testifying this morning before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on this issue. The hearing begins at 10:30 Eastern and you can watch it live at http://energycommerce.house.gov/.
If you miss it, don’t worry, we’ll post excerpts here later in the day and also on www.ncpathinktank.org.
Good luck today.
I assume it was no accident that the appropriations for the oddly-named Affordable Care Act were put on autopilot so future Members of Congress would have less ability to adjust funding priorities.
John –
Don’t wear baggy pants. They make you take your belt off when you enter the Capitol. But I’m sure you know that.
Give ‘em hell.
-Blake Woodard
Good deal. Looking forward to it John.
-Phil
Best wishes, John, that your words will hit the target and make a difference.
Lucky you – tell all the public trough-suckers hello for me.
Good luck, John. I’ll be cheering for you.
Best,
D.
Thanks. Keep up the vigilance. This is unbelievable.
-Andrew Ard
John,
We are praying for you. Please help us defund this monster.
-Lynn Kirchgatter
I hope we can move beyond the political pontification.
Good luck today, John. We’re all cheering for you.
Amber
John,
Don’t forget to mention that Judge Vinson placed a stay on his order which means implementation of PPACA can move forward. Hence the funding.
Also, mention that calling the funding that was approved by a majority of congress “Unbeknownst to most members of Congress” is a best grandstanding and probably a deliberate lie.
@ artk
At about 2,700 pages, the PPACA undoubtedly has provisions that some Members of Congress either do not know about; or do not fully understand. If it was widely know that a $105 billion slush fund existed, I think it would have made the news much earlier than 11 months after the bill was signed.
artk, you are 100% wrong, and here’s proof:
Video of Sen. Max Baucus, the Finance Committee Chairman who took a lead role in crafting ObamaCare, says he did not read it. So tell me artk, what’s in a book that you’ve never read? Actually, I forgive your ignorance, because you haven’t read it!
Again, but by The Atlantic.
Well Tom, I almost thought you came up with something current as opposed to some meaningless sound byte.
I’ll type this slowly so you’ll understand. Bills are written by staff in an almost impossible to understand form known as legislative language. The staff working to each side either have written or have reported or both the details of legislation for the members of congress. I’ll bet my bicycle seat that when you bought your house you didn’t read each and every word of the agreements you had to sign, you relied on the advice of your lawyer. I sign very complex agreements on a regular basis, I rely on the advice of my lawyer. Your senators and representatives are no different, that’s why they have staff. The idea that Bachmann and Hannity just now discovered something that slipped by the 100s of staff on both sides for over a year is laughable.
artk, your point is well taken.
However, we have proof they didn’t read the bill, though the two of us disagree as to the implications of this fact. Fair enough. Our differences could be resolved if there was evidence that Congressman, any Congressman, was informed of the fact John Goodman mentions above.
If it comes to light, you win the argument soundly. If it doesn’t, then I stand in awe of your dogmatic faith in our legislature.
Tom,
Sorry but ARTK wins this one.
FTA:
For one thing, the report to which Bachmann referred was an update of a report originally issued last October.
For another, the money was clearly spelled out both in the bill and in the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate of its cost. “Michele Bachmann obviously didn’t read the bill, because there was absolutely nothing hidden in that legislation,” said Illinois Democrat and Chief Deputy Whip Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who serves on the House health subcommittee.
In fact, said Schakowsky, $40 billion of the $105 billion now at issue is for the Children’s Health Insurance Program. That’s hardly something that flew under the radar.
“There was a robust debate about whether or not that should be included, etc.,” she said. “So this idea of somehow, now at the last minute, there was a secret addition to some kind of funding — I saw her hold up a sign on television, $105 billion — is absolute nonsense.”
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/03/09/134398471/was-105-billion-really-hidden-in-the-health-law?ps=sh_sthdl
Erik, Juge Vinson’s ruling was a loss for the government. He gave the Obama administration seven days to appeal. If they fail, they are enjoined from moving forward to implement Obama Care. This expedites the appeal process, which the administration wanted to delay.
Actually, Judge Vinson’s ruling only applies to the federal district where he’s judge. It only expedites the filing of the appeal, once the appeals court has it that can act as quickly or slowly as they wish.
John,
I cannot think of anybody better qualified than you to testify about the PPACA.
Regards,
Kenneth A. Fisher M.D.