Tag: Expansion

We have apparently inoculated ourselves.  In the complaint Halbig v. Sebelius it is shown that an application of the law as-it-is-written means Michigan taxpayers are NOT eligible for subsidies, and NOT subject to the tax (penalties) assessment for failure to obtain insurance. Netright daily reports:

"Under the specific language of the law, tax subsidies (and tax penalties) on individuals and employers only apply in states that created these exchanges. It's right there in black-and-white -- as the availability of subsidies was expressly confined to qualified plans enrolled "through an Exchange established by the State."

Obamacare makes no mention of these subsidies being provided in federal exchanges.

The plaintiff argument on this point is clearly stated starting at about page 10 of the document.

A big THANK YOU to those who stood firm in their resolve against the state run exchange will be repeated as this case moves further along and the act is found even more unworkable as the miserable failure spawned by overreaching NEO-Democrat (read fascist/socialist) operatives in power.  It was theirs.  Let it remain owned by those who have no understanding of the constitution.

Recall that NOT a single (not even the squishy ones) Republican voted for this garbage.

Too much money to be thrown away apparently, so procedural changes will allow early law enactment, and potentially "save" the state $100 million on the Medicaid expansion legislators approved earlier this fall. A couple weeks shaved off the end of this session rolls the start date for the new medical WELFARE recipients to line up at the trough.

"The Michigan Senate plans to adjourn several weeks earlier than usual, which would allow the newly expanded Medicaid population to begin enrolling by mid-March, rather than early April.

While that's not a lot of time, it does add up, because Gov. Rick Snyder's administration has said the delay is costing the state about $7 million a day. Once the expansion takes effect, the federal government begins picking up the tab for other services the state is now paying for, and the state previously had budgeted for the expansion to begin Jan. 1."

"Bait and switch," a term he uses to describe the promises and ultimate product, is no stranger to any government program designed to help so many.  He writes:

"In 2012, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that the United States leads the world in health care research and disease treatment.

For the 85% of Americans that have health insurance, the access they have to cutting edge, life saving technologies is among the very best in the world.

But not every American has insurance, with upwards of 49 million being uninsured, according to the 2010 Census.

The question for policy makers in Lansing and in Washington should be what to do to help the 15% gain access to the quality care that the rest of us have.

Unfortunately, Washington and Lansing's answer has been to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

In 2010, Congress passed, and President Obama signed, the widely unpopular and flawed Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). Among the provisions of this act is enticing Michigan to put an additional 300,000 citizens on Medicaid with the promise that the federal government would pay for taxpayers' additional costs.

When the expansion was first voted on in the House, I supported it. This wasn't really Obamacare, we were told. This was Michigan getting its fair share back from Washington.

It initially seemed like a good deal for Michigan taxpayers, who receive back only $0.80 for every tax dollar they send to Washington.

But there was more to the bill.

This picture courtesy of Joan Fabiano of Grassroots in Michigan

Perhaps speaking to 38 would have been easier. However next week, there will be a reconciliation between the Senate amended version and the house version of HB4714.  Of course you realize that failure to stand at such an important juncture, in opposition to Obamacare, would not be well received in the conservative community?

I have no doubt that after Bobby Schostak and Team Snyder snubbed you with their attempt to run Dave Camp, that you know where your base of support has been.

(Top, right to left): Sen. Randy Richardville, R-Monroe; Sen. Tory Rocca, R-Sterling Heights; Sen. Jim Marleau, R-Lake Orion; Sen. Mike Kowall, R-White Lake (Bottom, right to left): Sen. Roger Kahn, R-Saginaw; Sen. Geoff Hansen, R-Hart; Sen. Howard Walker, R-Traverse City; Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba

Today is expected to be a day where a vote could take place on HB4714. Today is the day where Republican senators around the state can throw sand in the eyes of those who entrusted them with power in 2010.  The revolution which started in 2010 against the very thing for which they might vote.

The question to ask forever more is "how might someone actually call themselves Republican, or think they wear ANY badge of integrity by voting to grow government and expand dependency on it?" In 1996 Republicans in the US congress showed the executive branch the way by reducing dependency through 'workfare' and inserting SOME personal responsibility.

And because of promises of power, seating arrangements, considerations, contributions, etc, this great state will see a follow up to the destruction brought by a wimpy current congress, and a POTUS who has the destruction of the US as a goal.

Also like many, he is trying to identify where the weak sisters in the Republican caucus might be. He writes:

This week the Senate comes back to Lansing. Number one on the agenda is expansion of Medicaid. Governor Snyder and Lt. Governor Brian Calley are putting on a full-court press. 

Reliable sources tell me there are 17 rock-solid NO votes in the GOP caucus. Let's do a little math here. There are 38 members in the Senate, 12 are Democrats. We can readily assume all twelve will vote for Medicaid expansion because it helps accomplish what their president wants and it represents an enormous expansion of government.

Twenty votes are required to pass a bill...UNLESS there is a 19-19 tie, in which case the Lt. Governor who presides over the Senate, gets to break the tie. We know what Brian Calley will do in the case of a tie. 

So, if 17 Senators are a no, and 12 Senators are a yes, the governor needs to convince seven members of the 9 remaining Republicans to vote with the Democrats. It sounds like he may already have six of those seven in the bag. Where will he find the seventh vote?

It might be Dave Robertson. Read more here.

Until we get a solid "NO" pledge from any State Senator, its best to assume they are possible sellouts. And as Jack said "We know what Brian Calley will do in the case of a tie. "  Call Robertson.