Healthcare

ABSENT

Title: To amend the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to assure comprehensive, affordable health insurance coverage for all Americans through an American Health Benefits Program.

Background (What circumstances necessitate Congressional action? /what happened to the Bill in Congress? Did it pass, or die in committee?):

H.R.2399

The healthcare debate has been going on for a long time but has increased in the last two years. There have only been minimal references to the bill by the Speaker, Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the House Ways and Means. The bill did die down due to the lack of support from others in the House.

Goal of Action:

Goals of this bill are to create a health care system that ensures insurance and care for all Americans. It would create yet another bureaucracy in our government by establishing independent Health Benefits Administration. In addition to establishing another government bureaucracy, to make sure that the bill would be carried out correctly another bureaucracy the Health Benefits Commission.

Specifics/Means of Goal:

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) impose a premium on individuals enrolled in a qualified health plan under SSA title XXII, which shall be reduced by the amount of government contribution; (2) allow a tax credit to covered individuals equal to the sum of the aggregate amount of premiums paid (other than government contributions) with respect to the individual's coverage, and the applicable premium subsidy; (3) impose on every employer an excise tax equal to the applicable percentage of the wages paid employees; (4) allow a tax credit against such excise tax for periods during which an employee is covered by qualified employer-provided coverage; and (5) impose a tax on hospital revenues.

Type of Power (Is Congress acting according to an expressed or implied power? If it is implied, what expressed power grants it? - Check the Constitution to figure this out!):

This bill would be an expressed power because it is not stated in the U.S. Constitution that every citizen in America must be covered by insurance and have healthcare provided by taxpayers.

Analysis (Do you think Congress should do this according to its Constitutional powers?)

I do not think Congress should do this according to its Constitutional powers because is creating a socialist environment. It is not fiscally responsible to have every single American fully covered by insurance and have accessibility to healthcare. The idea of the bill sounds great and is a very broad viewpoint of how our healthcare system should be. The bill is specific about the people who are covered but not about those American’s that are paying for other’s healthcare benefits. By working and earning my money, I certainly do not want to be taxed higher than I already am because I have to help other’s healthcare. The taxpayer does not get any type of compensation for their taxation, thus I disagree with this Bill and Congress should not use their constitutional powers.