Freedom Line Blog

Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Fun Races for Conservatives
Political Wire – A Deal with Lieberman on Health Care?
WSJ – Obama and ‘Special Interests’
The Hill – Reid Claims Lieberman on Board for Health Care
Politico – Conservatives to Challenge GOP Candidates
RedState – America Unites Against Net Neutrality
National Review Online – Can Voters Save New Jersey?

Federal Debt: $11.908 trillion

HT: Reason.tv

1. $729.5 billion in new taxes and fees on small businesses and individuals.
2. $1.055 trillion in new federal spending over the next ten years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
3. 114 million people could lose their current health care coverage, according to the Lewin Group.
4. 43 new entitlement programs that the bill creates, expands or extends.
5. 3,425 uses of the word “shall” in the legislation.

If you haven’t already done so, please call your representative at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote “No” on Speaker Pelosi’s health care bill.  A vote is expected in the House this week.  Learn more about health care here and here.

Political Wire – McDonnell Waiting for Big Win in VA
Chris Cillizza – NY-23: Scozzafava Endorses Former Democratic Rival
WSJ Editorial – The Jobless Recovery
The Hill – Pelosi Preps for Health Care Plunge
Politico – Controlling Health Care Costs
Breitbart – Republicans Eye Off-Year Election Revenge
Washington Post – Net Neutrality Boosters Question FCC

Federal Debt: $11.904 trillion

For those of you who haven’t had a chance to read Speaker Pelosi’s 1,990 page monstrosity of a health care bill, CFIF has provided a few summaries here and here.

Today, a short one-page document was released covering the major provisions in the health care bill.  It is a brief overview organized by page and section.  You can read it here.

Politico – House Health Care Bill is 1,990 Pages
Washington Times – Obama Hinders Public’s Right to Know
The Weekly Standard – Obamaland: Squandering Hope, Channeling Nixon
National Review Online – The Insanity of the House Health Care Bill

Newsmax – Premiums to Skyrocket under ObamaCare
WSJ – U.S. Chamber Chief Battles Obama
The Hill – Document Reveals Dozens of Ethics Probes in Congress
PC World – Engineers Question Need for Net Neutrality Rules

Federal Debt: $11.916 trillion

“Exxon’s Profit Drops 68% as Prices Tumble,” according to the Wall Street Journal.

Is it time to move away from the windfall profits tax and start discussing bailouts?

The Ways and Means Committee just sent out a summary of all the “revenue enhancements” (err … tax hikes) in the new Pelosi health care bill.

However, these revenue enhancements add up to only ~$565.5 billion, which falls far short of the bill’s $800-$900 billion price tag.  The list of “spending cuts” has not yet been released.

Here are some highlights from the summary:

• A $5 billion tax hike achieved through narrowing the definition of a qualified medical deduction.   Currently, individuals with medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of adjusted gross income can deduct those expenses for tax purposes, but the House bill severely limits this medical deduction, forcing taxpayers to pay more in out-of-pocket medical expenses.

• A $13.3 billion tax increase achieved through limiting Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).  Under current law, individuals may contribute money to tax-free FSA’s, but the new bill limits this amount, thereby taxing income used for medical expenses.

• $460 billion tax hike on “high-earners.”

• $20 billion tax on the sale or lease of medical devices … because taxing artificial limbs and pacemakers is the “American Way.”

Click here for the Ways and Means summary.

1. Sec. 345. Income determinations. To determine income, the Health Choices Commissioner uses income data from the individual’s most recent tax return.
2. Sec. 501. Tax on individuals without acceptable health care coverage. Provides for a 2.5% additional tax on the modified adjusted gross income of an individual who does not obtain acceptable health coverage…
3. Sec. 511. This section also provides for an excise tax that applies to an offering employer if the employer fails to follow the rules governing an offer of coverage.
4. Sec. 512. Health care contributions of non-electing employers. Establishes a payroll tax of 8% of the wages that an employer pays to its employees for employers who choose not to offer coverage.
5. Sec.541. Disclosures to carryout health insurance exchange subsidies. Permits the Exchange to receive taxpayer return information from the Internal Revenue Service…
6. Sec. 551.  Surcharge on high income individuals. Establishes a 5.4 percent tax on modified adjusted gross income in excess of $1 million in the case of a joint return ($500,000 in the case of other returns).
7. Sec. 552. Excise tax on medical devices. Establishes a 2.5 percent excise tax on medical devices sold for use in the U.S.

Click here for the House health care bill.  Warning: it’s 1,990 pages.

Update: Here is a short 4-page propaganda summary from the House Ways and Means Committee.

After taking intense criticism for not being open and transparent, the House of Representatives just posted a new version of health care “reform” online.

If you have a slow Internet connection, then you better take a coffee break while downloading.  The bill is 1,990 pages or more than six football fields long when placed end-to-end.

Pelosi’s pledge on the legislation, “It will not add one dime to the deficit.”  How does she get there you ask? Of course by raising taxes in an effort to make the bill “deficit neutral.”

More analysis to come…

Associated Press – Stimulus Jobs Overstated by Thousands
Larry Kudlow – Economic Freedom Fighters Must Unite
Associated Press – Pelosi Seeks to Pass New Health Plan
Cleveland.com – OH-Gov. Race too Close to Call
NY Times – Economy Grew 3.5% in 3rd Quarter
Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Obama to Dismantle Non-bank Firms

RedState – South Carolina’s Missing Senator
Washington Times – Guns and the Virginia Election
Politico – Baucus Opposition Chills Climate Bill

Federal Debt: $11.931 trillion

“A mandate requiring all individuals to purchase health insurance would be an unprecedented form of federal action…  The government has never required people to buy any good or service as a condition of lawful residence in the United States.”

From a 1994 Congressional Budget Office report on the Clinton health care plan.

Despite recent bureaucratic attempts to regulate and control the Internet, there are at least some in Congress who realize that an open Internet cannot coexist with government regulation.

This week, Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced H.R. 3942, a bill to block the FCC’s net neutrality regulations.  As Blackburn lamented, “The Internet is the last truly open public marketplace.  Its openness is the key to its efficiency and success.  Not all public spaces need to be regulated spaces.”

At present, H.R. 3942 has no cosponsors, but that only means you should call your representative and urge them to sign on to support Internet freedom.

Read the text of the bill here.  Read more of CFIF on net neutrality here.

RedState – House Memo Shows 47 Democrats Opposed to ObamaCare
Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Democrats Struggle on Health Care Overhaul
National Review Online – Can ObamaCare be Stopped?
Washington Examiner – How Google, Amazon Profit from Net Neutrality
Political Wire – Corzine Leads by Five in New Jersey
WSJ Editorial – Lieberman Steps Up
Washington Post – Can Economy Motor Ahead?

Federal Debt: $11.927 trillion

According to intrade.com, the online prediction market, Harry Reid’s (D-NV) announcement of a modified public option put the chances of ObamaCare’s passage on the ropes.

Earlier this month, markets gave the public option a 30 percent chance of passing before December 31, 2009.  After Reid’s announcement of a “compromise” bill, the odds are now just 7.1 percent, according to intrade.

Let’s hope the market is right, as it usually is in all aspects of life.  Call your Senator at 202-224-3121 and tell them to oppose Senator Reid’s pathetic attempt at health care “reform.”

WSJ Editorial – Rolling up the TARP
Washington Post – Reid Says Health Bill Will Have Public Option
New York Times – Right Fights GOP in New York Race
National Review Online – The Democrats’ Coming Defeat?
Miami Herald – Google Chief Wary over Government Involvement
Chris Cillizza – NY-23 as 2010 Litmus Test?
LA Times – Newt Gingrich in 2012?

Federal Debt: $11.937 trillion

In the past two weeks, Senators Harry Reid and Max Baucus, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and other higher-ups in the administration have been behind closed doors crafting a government takeover of health care.

Senator Reid has been the chief architect of a plan to “meld” bills from the Health Education and Labor Committee and the Finance Committee.  Today, Reid emerged from his smoke-filled room with legislation that includes a so-called public option and a health care co-op.

This compromise between liberal Democrats and uber-liberal Democrats now heads to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), which will attempt to put a price tag on the rag-tag, budget-busting piece of … legislation. The White House hopes this version of ObamaCare will be enough to garner at least 60 votes in the Senate.

Call Congress at 202-224-3121 and tell them to vote “No” on Senator Reid’s health care “compromise.” Click here for more details on the legislation.  Click here for CFIF’s coverage of the health care debate.

For readers following the race in New York’s 23rd congressional district (upstate NY), the Club for Growth has released a new poll showing conservative candidate Doug Hoffman leading by four points.

Hoffman, with 31.3% in the poll, leads Democrat Bill Owens (27%) and Republican challenger Dede Scozzafava (19.7%).

This race in rural upstate New York has garnered national attention and endorsements from prominent conservatives.  Newt Gingrich has endorsed Scozzafava, while Sarah Palin and Dick Armey have endorsed Hoffman.

More info here and here.

Gallup Poll – Conservatives Maintain Edge as Top Ideological Group
Political Wire – Schumer Says Democrats Close to 60 Votes
WSJ – Chamber v. Obama
NY Times – Democrats Optimistic on Health Care
WSJ Editorial – The Spending Rolls On
National Review – NY-23: It’s About Integrity
RedState – You, Me, and New York 23

Federal Debt: $11.944 trillion