John Boehner took the floor to rail against the HCR bill, and, for a man who was preaching to his party to "act like grown ups" he near threw a temper tantrum.
"Did you read this bill! No!!"
At the time, I thought -- gosh, he seems kinda faking passion, or mad or something. Angry, like he hasn't before, like he just found out something which he didn't previously know. Like everybody in the room was laughing at him, and he couldn't muster an argument back.
And then I read the section on how revenue is being raised to pay for HCR. In it, I find the biggest legislative middle finger -- aimed right at John Boehner -- I think has ever occurred in the history of democracy.
All -- that is but one -- of the revenue sources are medical, or medical related, or income related. All -- that is, but one -- are phased in over a few years, or start about 4 years, or 6 years from now. That one exception starts immediately.
And before I list those, let's stop here and look closely at this picture of John Boehner:
He's kind of famously orange. You wonder how the casting director for Jersey Shore missed him.
So, according to the New York Times these are the sources of income to support the bill. Let's see if you can pick out the one exception which (1)starts immediately, (2) wasn't changed in the Reconciliation bill, and (e) isn't income or medical income related. For simplicity, I give the Senate Bill results, followed by the Reconciliation changes, according to the Times run-down.
TAX ON HIGH-COST HEALTH PLANS: Starting in 2014, would impose a 40 percent excise tax on high-cost employer-sponsored group health plans with premiums over $8,500 for individual coverage and $23,000 for family. The thresholds would rise each year by the inflation rate plus one percentage point. The bill would provide a special dispensation to police officers, firefighters, miners and construction workers, who have high premiums because they work in high-risk occupations. Changes in Reconciliation: Would delay the application of the tax until 2018 and would increase the thresholds to $10,200 for individual coverage and $27,500 for family. Beginning in 2020, the thresholds would be rise by the inflation rate.
MEDICARE PAYROLL TAX: Starting in 2013, would increase tax rate — from 1.45 percent to 2.35 percent – for individuals earning more than $200,000 a year and families earning more than $250,000. Changes in Reconciliation:Would impose an additional 3.8 percent tax on capital gains, dividends, interest and other "unearned income.
FEES FROM HEALTH CARE SECTOR: Would impose annual fees, allocated by market share, on health care companies. Starting in 2010, drug makers would pay $2.3 billion a year. Manufacturers of medical devices would pay $2 billion in 2011 and $3 billion after 2017. For insurance companies, the fee would start at $2 billion in 2011 and gradually increase to $10 billion a year in 2017. Nonprofit insurance companies could be exempt if they spent a large share of their premiums on medical care rather than administrative costs. Changes in Reconciliation: Would delay the implementation of all fees by one to three years. Drug makers would pay $2.5 billion in 2011, $3 billion from 2012 to 2016, $3.5 billion in 2017, $4.2 billion in 2018, and $2.8 billion in 2019 and thereafter. For insurance companies, the fee would start at $8 billion in 2014 and rise to $14.3 billion in 2018, after which point the fee would rise yearly by the rate of premium growth. Medical device manufacturers would pay 2.9 percent excise tax on devices sold (excluding eyeglasses, contact lenses, and hearing aids).
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS: Starting in 2011, would place a $2,500 annual limit on what people can set aside from their paychecks before paying taxes to use for health care expenses. Changes in Reconciliation:Would delay the provision until 2013.)
MEDICARE SAVINGS: Squeeze roughly $500 billion out of the projected growth in Medicare over 10 years, including $116 billion in cuts to federal subsidies for privately offered Medicare Advantage plans. Changes in Reconciliation: Would imposes an additional $16 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage plans, which now cost the government more on average than traditional Medicare, for a total of $132 billion in reductions.
TANNING TAX: Would impose a 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services starting in 2010.Changes in Reconciliation: none.
That's right -- the one revenue stream in the HCR bill which takes effect immediately , and the one revenue stream which isn't going to be changed in reconciliation, and the one revenue stream which has nothing to do with either income nor medical costs is a tax on indoor tanning salon services!
Tell me that's not the most fantastic legislative middle finger you have ever seen.