FreedomWorks update on health care

Earlier this week, the Finance Committee filed their version of ObamaCare. Clocking in at 1,502 pages, the bill contains cuts to Medicare and Medicare Advantage, fines on those who do not purchase their own insurance, taxes on many private insurance plans, taxes on medical devices and drugs, and new taxes on employers. This is a far cry from the campaign promise President Obama made when he said he would not raise taxes on those earning less than $250,000.

And that’s just the beginning. Visit our Virtual War-Room to Take Action!

ObamaCare supporters in the House and Senate are working on their strategies to include a public option and other heavy-handed, big government regulations into their final bills. In the end, it all adds up to the same thing…government-run health care.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid is attempting to hide the enormous costs of ObamaCare by breaking-out some of the more expensive measures like the Medicare Doctor Fix into separate legislation. The Congressional Budget Office has already estimated the bare-bones version of the bill will cost $800 billion, but the real cost is actually much higher when you add up all the things they are trying to move separately. Reid has also indicated he will circumvent the U.S. Constitution, which requires bills like this to begin in the House, by stripping the text of another unrelated bill already passed by the House and inserting the health care overhaul as an amendment.

As Obama and his cronies on the Left inch closer to bringing ObamaCare to a vote, Congress needs to hear from you now more than ever.

We’ve updated and improved our virtual war-room where you can call your Congressmen, Senators, as well as specific targets we feel will be critical to the final outcome. They all need to know that far from giving up and accepting their watered-down policies – we’ve only just begun.

Representatives and Senators need to hear from you not only on the phone, and via email and traditional mail – but in their own backyards. A district office visit doesn’t take long, and is a very important step that shows you are serious about preserving our freedoms. Many folks are having trouble getting through to their Congressmen on the phone – some offices are no longer answering, other lines are jammed. If they won’t listen when we call, then you need to show up on their doorsteps!

Take action and look at all the ways you can have an impact on this issue in our virtual war room.

Sincerely,

Dick Armey
Chairman
FreedomWorks.org

RCC looking for construction loan

News and Record:

College officials raised the possibility of a loan to help pay for the $16.9 million project during a meeting with county commissioners last week. Robert Keys, president of RCC, said state law does not allow community colleges to incur debt for capital projects, so the county would have to apply for the loan on the college’s behalf.

Update from Patients First

Dear Patients First supporter,

The mainstream media is at it again, trying to influence the health care debate by declaring that Americans want a government takeover of health care. Yesterday, Washington Post-ABC News released a poll showing a sudden surge of support for the "public option." In reality, most of the American people reject the false-choice between a heavy-handed command and control system of government-forced insurance,and its slightly-more-attractive, erroneously-named twin, a "public option."

Fundamentally, the poll is a mirage designed to create the illusion of a groundswell of support for government-forced health care when no such support exists. Famed pollster Frank Luntz criticized the poll, noting that a majority of Americans and their elected leaders are opposed to a public option: "If 57% of Americans truly support it, why can’t 60% of the Democratic-controlled Senate agree to keep it in their bill? Make no mistake: if this poll were accurate, the public option would probably already be law. Instead, Congressional Democrats have run away from the public option because they know that the American people have rejected it – and will reject them at the polls for supporting it."

Washington has a credibility problem. Claims that a so-called public option will spur competition among the insurance market are as believable as President Obama’s claim that health care legislation will "not add one dime to the deficit." Thus, it’s not surprising to see Leader Reid move negotiations behind closed doors and out of view from the American public.

It’s clear that Leader Reid and his cabal have something to hide. But what are they afraid that we’ll learn?

Patients First, which is a project of Americans for Prosperity®, is fighting to defend Americans’ right to freedom in health care decisions. Yet the drive for government control over your health care is a fast-moving car right now and the American people are being left on the side of the road. Facing rationed care, higher taxes and politicians getting between you and your doctor, the stakes are too high to do nothing. Please help us stop the Washington takeover of health care by calling your Representative and Senator today. The time is now.

Sincerely,

Patients First Team

P.S. Join Patients First in calling Congress to tell them, "Hands Off My Health Care!"

Share Your Thoughts with the FCC and Tell Them Not to Regulate the Internet

From Taxpayers for Common Sense:

Dear Friends,

Over the last few weeks, there has been a growing concern among many Americans about the possibility of the government regulating the last bastion of the free market- the Internet.

You have the opportunity to let the government know where you stand on this issue. The FCC is allowing comments on its blog until Thursday, October 22nd. Join the hundreds of other voices in the comment section by visiting www.openinternet.gov and clicking the link "Join the Discussion."

There are a number of reasons to oppose a government takeover of the Internet. For those looking for a few suggestions, you may include some of the following: a takeover would disrupt a free-market that already provides the widest range of services, devices, lowest prices, and highest levels of usage in the world. Customers are already experiencing competition between wireless and broadband companies. As everyone should know, competition is the engine of innovation. There has been more innovation in this market than any other since the development of the World Wide Web.

The "net neutrality" rules, as currently written, would strangle Network companies’ ability to provide customers with affordable broadband services. Private management of Networks is essential for customers to be able to enjoy many of the benefits they experience today.

The Obama administration’s stated goal of access to high- speed Internet service for every American is jeopardized by the suggested FCC rules. These rules will halt private investment and eliminate the opportunity for job growth in this field.

The FCC shouldn’t burden any industry with unfair regulations. The goal of the FCC should be to maintain a level playing field for all competitors involved. Any new rule should apply equally to all players in the field.

For more information on Net Neutrality, please visit www.atr.org.

Onward,
Grover Norquist

Daily Press Clips

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 4:39 PM

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News News & Observer: NCCU summit showcases Burr Greensboro News & Record: N.C. GOP leader has questions about inmate releases Winston-Salem Journal: Democrats holding health care events across NC Winston-Salem Journal: State Highway Patrol leader acknowledges past affair Asheville Citizen-Times: Weaverville annexation adds 612 people News & Observer: Goal: Keep soon-to-be-released felons in prison News & Observer: This just in: Edwards is unpopular, poll finds Greensboro News & Record: Loan to finance civic center sought Greensboro News & Record: Future of furniture is shifting News & Observer: Causes, charity occupy Dole Greensboro News & Record: Ballot challenge may go to N.C. Supreme Court WXII: Victims, Families Outraged By Inmates’ Release Asheville Citizen-Times: DOT makes changes to possible I-26 connector plan News & Observer: Truckers urged to plug in Editorials Winston-Salem Journal: Virtual high school Carolina Journal: A Bad Deal for North Carolina National Review Online: Maximum Utility Greensboro News & Record: Water rises around Easley News & Observer: Water hazard Charlotte Observer: When ‘going green’ meant opening taps Asheville Citizen-Times: Dalton’s JOBS push makes a lot of sense Blogs News 14: Berger: N.C. Tax System Discourages Job Creation Under the Dome: Berger rolls a barrow full of opinions Off the Record: Libertarians lose a challenge to state’s strict ballot-access law Under the Dome: Closed prison has no new use yet Videos WBTV: GOP wants Perdue records probed News 14: Growth will mean more representatives for suburbs

True Tax Reform Needed in North Carolina

Raleigh – New research from the Tax Foundation shows that North Carolina is out of step with other states when it comes to both income taxes and sales taxes. One report indicates that North Carolina ranks fourth among the 50 states as having the highest percentage of state tax revenue being generated by individual income taxes. (“Where Do State and Local Governments Get Their Tax Revenue?,” Tax Foundation, 10/9/09) Another report shows that North Carolina has the eighth highest combined state and local sales tax rate in the nation. (“Updated State and Local Option Sales Tax,” Tax Foundation, 10/16/09) Previously, the Tax Foundation ranked North Carolina 39 among the 50 states for being business-friendly in our tax climate. (“2010 State Business Tax Climate Index,” Tax Foundation, 9/22/09)

Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) said, “Most states that rely heavily on individual income taxes to generate revenue will maintain lower sales tax rates to draw businesses looking to spend money in the state. Most states that have higher sales tax rates rely less on individual income taxes to generate revenue to draw those looking for new jobs where they can keep more of their income. Under Democratic leadership in North Carolina, we are doing neither. We are driving away both businesses and workers. Our tax system discourages job creation.”

Senator Berger also expressed his desire for true tax reform in North Carolina saying, “When we create or recreate a tax system for our state, we display our priorities and values. True tax reform prioritizes people over government and values business over bureaucracy. North Carolina needs fundamental change in our tax system. I hope that upcoming discussions of tax reform will focus on creating a thriving environment for businesses and families in our state and not on how best to prop up government spending.”

Daily Press Clips

Monday, October 19, 2009 2:07 PM

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News News & Observer: In drought, Easley’s club got water Winston-Salem Journal: The battle over video poker News & Observer: Four stolen SBI weapons still missing News & Observer: Lewis enters U.S. Senate race Rocky Mount Telegram: Suburban growth brings new people, politics to NC Winston-Salem Journal: Taxpayer may get a fat bill Charlotte Observer: Challenger has more funds than Kissell News & Observer: Heagarty chosen for seat in House Winston-Salem Journal: 10.8% jobless rate holds News & Observer: Stimulus dollars put road contractors to work News & Observer: Inmates’ release stirs up outrage Asheville Citizen-Times: UNC hiring waivers panned News & Observer: Wake, Mecklenburg stand to gain in House Editorials News & Observer: Log on and learn News & Observer: Out and about Winston-Salem Journal: Recognize the Lumbee Blogs My NC Senate: Governor’s Erratic Behavior Continues Off the Record: White House won’t muzzle the Fox My NC Senate: Another Month, No New Jobs The People’s Business: Will Breazeale announces candidacy Under the Dome: Edwards approval falls off cliff Under the Dome: Retirement commission in the works Videos News 14: Political Connections: Justice Bob Orr on tax incentives WTVD: Group shocked about inmate decision WTVD: High attendence at state fair News 14: Political Connections: Perdue talks incentive packages WLOS: Upbeat Job Market WWAY: UNCW works efficiently to make campus more green

Notes from Taxpayers for Common Sense

This week the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released the must-read Long-Term Fiscal Outlook Fall 2009, and it’s a tear-jerker for budget wonks. Not surprisingly, the GAO finds the budget situation pretty dire. In one scenario, 92 cents of every dollar of federal revenue will be spent on entitlement programs, like Social Security and Medicare, by 2019. This raises the stakes for Congress and the administration to pass a health care reform bill that doesn’t blow an even bigger hole in the budget.

Also this week, the Senate Finance Committee passed its widely anticipated health care reform bill. This was on the heels of a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score of the proposal which found the $829 billion bill will reduce the budget deficit by $81 billion over the next ten years. But as the saying goes, figures lie and liars figure – the bill has gimmicks that could undercut predicted savings. As evidenced by the GAO report, taxpayers cannot afford that.

Some of the biggest uncertainties surround things on which Congress already has a bad track record: payments to Medicare providers and cost containment mechanisms. For years, Congress has delayed mandated cuts to providers when the program grows at a rate faster than the economy as a whole (basically every year). If the postponed readjustments were allowed to occur now, payments to providers would have to be cut more than 20 percent in 2010 and 5.5 percent from 2011-2014. The annual delays work for lawmakers because the budget assumes the cuts or “savings” in future years, making the outlook appear rosier, or at least a little less bleak. But in an annual rite, Congress acts to ensure that payments to doctors aren’t cut, which adds to the deficit. Now, Congress is considering a permanent fix to the tune of $245 billion – that would not be offset and is considered outside the scope of health care reform.

This annual budget kabuki dance is a sham, so we’re not sad that Congress is finally dealing with reality. By the same token, a permanent fix should be part of any health care reform. Yet the Senate Finance bill and the House budget pretend that this quarter of a trillion dollar cost doesn’t even exist. It’s like saying the calories don’t count if you eat standing up.

There are other potentially worrisome fiscal provisions in the Finance bill. The bill establishes a Medicare Commission that steps in if spending per beneficiary exceeds inflation. The commission will recommend changes to cut the growth of spending unless Congress specifically acts to stop it. Hmmm, Congress stepping in to prevent unpopular cuts – sounds familiar.

There are revenue raising provisions – such as an excise tax on high-premium insurance plans – and other savings such as setting Medicare Advantage payment rates on average bid by market, but it remains to be seen if these survive in the final product. Trying to address concerns that the savings won’t materialize, the bill contains a “failsafe” mechanism that mandates subsidy cuts if the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) finds that the legislation will increase the deficit in the following year. But as CBO points out, while over a ten year period the bill is supposed to reap savings, deficits are predicted between 2015 and 2018. And we’ve already seen how Congress treats mandated cuts – it ignores them.

Considering that Medicare is a major driver of the fiscal hole detailed in the GAO report, there is little room for error or feel-good gimmicks that allow lawmakers to claim fiscal responsibility while defying reality. Just about everybody in Washington thinks there should be health care reform. We think whatever takes shape, it has to be done responsibly and honestly. Otherwise we are consigning our budgets to intensive care for decades.

Update from Sen. Burr

Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions held a hearing to determine how health care reform could impact women across North Carolina and the nation. As I have stated before, I agree that we need health care reform so that Americans, regardless of whether they are male or female, can access affordable coverage. That is why I joined my colleague Senator Tom Coburn earlier this year to introduce a reform bill called the Patients’ Choice Act.

Rather than creating a new government-run plan, our bill aims to rein in costs by emphasizing prevention and wellness, rather than only treating people when they are sick. Our bill also addresses affordability by ending the “cherry picking” that allows insurance companies to deny coverage for pre-existing conditions. Better yet, our bill doesn’t increase the deficit or increase taxes.

The health care reform bill the Senate Finance Committee passed this week fails to address malpractice reform and any discussion about affordable health care for women must include medical malpractice reform. The Congressional Budget Office released an analysis just last week that shows that medical liability reform could save taxpayers roughly $54 billion over the next 10 years. Equally as important, comprehensive medical liability reform would reduce total national health care spending by about 0.5 percent – or about $11 billion in 2009 alone.

For example, if we care about making sure women have access to OB/GYNs, we cannot ignore the fact that high malpractice insurance is driving doctors out of this specialty and, even worse, closing practices. This issue seems to be the 800 pound gorilla in the room when it comes to access to affordable health care for women. Additionally, we need to make the insurance marketplace more competitive by allowing individuals to purchase insurance across state lines. This would ensure that women would be able to pick a coverage option that fits their specific needs, even if those needs aren’t met by plans offered in their home states. We cannot effectively reform health care without addressing medical malpractice reform.

No one disagrees that reform is necessary, but I will continue to oppose legislation that has been rushed through for the sake of passing something at the expense of quality reform, and I will push for reform that actually reduces cost in addition to expanding health care coverage. We need to get this right so that our children and grandchildren do not have to spend their lifetimes correcting our mistakes and paying off the debt we left them.

Also this week, the Senate passed legislation I cosponsored which authorizes advanced appropriations for VA medical care. The bill, which is now on its way to the President, funds the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in two-year cycles through advance appropriations. This gives VHA the ability to plan its budget one-year ahead of the regular federal funding process. Currently, the budget for VHA is subject to delay, which hinders the ability to plan and provide quality care to our veterans. In a time of war and an aging veteran population, we have an obligation to ensure that veterans can get the health care they need when they need it.

I am also excited to announced that yesterday, the Department of Interior awarded $487,000 to the Cape Lookout Lighthouse for repairs that will allow the National Park Service to re-open the lighthouse to the public in 2010. Standing 163 feet tall, the lighthouse was first lit on November 1, 1859, making this year its 150th anniversary. Thought it has been closed to the public since the spring of 2008, the lighthouse is an important part of our state’s heritage and to this day warns ships of the location of the Cape Lookout Shoals. These much needed repairs will allow the lighthouse to re-open so that future generations of Americans will be able to enjoy this national treasure and fully appreciate its historical significance to our state.

On Monday, October 19, 2009, Erskine Bowles, President of the University of North Carolina system, and I will host the 2009 Statewide Economic Development Summit. The event is geared toward local officials, small businesses, and corporations in order to better understand the tools and resources our State’s vast array of public and private colleges and universities offer North Carolina businesses and industry. The summit will be held at North Carolina Central University’s School of Education and is free and open to the public. To register for the summit or for more information please visit http://burr.senate.gov/register or call my office at (202) 224-3154.

For timely updates from Washington, please visit my blog.

Sincerely,

U.S. Senator Richard Burr

Perdue reduces prison sentences for rapists and murders

Raleigh – Governor Beverly Perdue yesterday expressed outrage that a court ruling was forcing the state to release prisoners convicted of rape and murder in the 1970s. (“Gov. Perdue Appalled at Ruling that Cuts Short Life Sentences,” Press Release, 10/15/09) Just two months ago Perdue signed Senate Bills 488 and 489 that cut the sentences of criminals convicted of rape and murder in the future.

Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) made the following statement:

““Governor Perdue’s erratic behavior continues. In August, over Republican objections, Perdue signed two bills reducing the prison sentences for criminals convicted of rape and murder. Now she complains about convicted murderers being released from prison. This is just another example of Perdue’s hypocrisy: First she kowtows to liberals by cutting prison sentences for future rapists and murders, now she tries to play to North Carolina citizens concerned about crime by taking a tough stand against the release of rapists and murders convicted in the 1970s. When she could do something about crime, she didn’t. The state would be better served if its Governor stopped playing politics by trying to be all things to all people.”