Don't Believe

Don't Believe by Bill Wilson

If the Republican Study Committee (RSC) analysis of the socialist healthcare repeal is true, it needs to go back to the drawing board because it isn't as advertised.

The so-called "repeal" is not a repeal at all, but rather a tinkering with the current system that should be abandoned. It is no more a repeal than the original bill was the "Affordable Care Act," which was neither affordable nor care giving.

The RSC in a memo to Republican members of the House of Representatives says it delays repeal of the healthcare taxes by a year and "does not appear to repeal the Economic Substance Doctrine," meaning socialist healthcare-tax payer funded healthcare-will remain the foundation. This bill does nothing.

Moreover it is a lie to say that the current plan doesn't penalize people from a tax perspective. The "Cadillac Tax," which is a 40% tax on individuals or families whose companies provide actual good plans to their workers, is initially eliminated, then reinstated in 2025.

The plan also defunds Planned Parenthood, but only for a year. Why should Planned Parenthood get any taxpayer funding of any sort, ever?

There are small tax credits based on age, scaling from $2,000 for individuals under 30 up to $4,000 for those over 60. But they are capped at $14,000 for a family and are phased out for individuals earning $75,000 or couples earning $150,000. This gives politicians the ability to say there are tax advantages, but they disappear quickly.

The RSC reports, "The bill does attempt to provide guardrails to prevent the tax credits from allowing federal funds from going to abortion services by defining coverage that is eligible for qualifying for the credit as a plan that "does not provide coverage for abortions (other than any abortion necessary to the life of the mother or any abortion with respect to a pregnancy that is the result of an act of rape or incest)".

It is unclear if the language can survive Senate Byrd-rule scrutiny. This is also true of numerous other sections in the Ways and Means title." In other words, the bill has language that says it stops funding abortion, but not even the RSC believes this language is more than window-dressing.

Overall, the RSC says, "This is a Republican welfare entitlement:

1) Writing checks to individuals to purchase insurance is, in principle, Obamacare

2) It does allow more choices for individuals, and is more patient-centered, but is fundamentally grounded on the idea that the federal government should fund insurance purchases."

I am reminded of the verse in Jeremiah 8:11, "For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace."

This is no more than a Republican shell game, trying to convince you that they are doing what they said they would do, but, in reality, are doing nothing but perpetuating socialism.

Call your Congressman!

Pray that the President holds them accountable!