Editorial

Healthcare program forced on Americans

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

With a Supreme Court decision on Obamacare looming large in the background, this current administration is running full speed ahead to implement as much of the controversial law as possible, despite a host of political and legal objections.

Just last week, the Obama administration - with no fanfare - quietly funneled $300 million to the Internal Revenue Service to hire new agents to help implement the new law. This transfer of funds comes on the heels of an earlier transfer of $200 million to the IRS.

But recently, our own Rep. Jo Ann Emerson gained approval on a 246-182 House vote to prevent just such action. Her bill was later dropped to avoid a government shutdown. But the intent of Congress was crystal clear on the measure.

Despite the opposition, the Obama administration is churning full speed ahead to implement a law that may well be found unconstitutional. By providing the funding now, the Obama administration will have much of the apparatus in place to shove the law forward, regardless of the inconvenience of a Supreme Court ruling.

The IRS last year asked Congress for funding to hire 537 new employees to administer just part of the Obamacare legislation.

It was Emerson's committee that said no to the request by a lopsided, party-line vote. But this administration found this vote a mere annoyance to their overall plan. So they diverted money now, despite the vote.

It's hard to put into words the power grab on healthcare and a host of other issues favored by the Obama administration.

We vote to send representatives to Congress to have our voices heard in the federal government. And then, when our representatives work diligently to be our voices, the Obama administration says our voices are unimportant and they pound forward with their over-reaching plans.

When the Obamacare law was enacted, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was allocated $1 billion to implement enforcement provisions in the new law. But seeing a train wreck on the horizon, this administration plans to spend every penny of that billion dollars before this year's presidential elections - a full year before the controversial law takes full effect.

This administration sees the hurdles ahead both legally and politically. And thus, they are in a full speed mode to spend all allocated funds as early as possible before something hits the fan.

Then the Obama army can whine that good taxpayer dollars have already been spent and what a shame it would be to unwind the law and waste those precious resources.

Here's hoping this administration has to explain to the American public why they spent our taxes on an unpopular healthcare plan without Congressional approval - much less the approval of the American public.

As each day passes, I find myself in awe of the arrogance and back-room wheeling and dealing of an administration clearly out of control and hellbent on dictating instead of leading.

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