Daily Archives: 27 March 2010
Obamacare by the numbers
Americans for Tax Reform today released the following “By the Numbers” breakdown of ObamaCare:
The number of new tax increases in the healthcare bill: 19
The number of tax increases that unquestionably violate President Obama’s “firm pledge” not to raise “any form” of taxes on families making less than $250,000: 7
The tax increase over the first decade if the healthcare bill becomes law: $497 billion
The top federal tax rate on wages and self-employment earnings under this bill: 43.4%
The annual tax hike for every man, woman, and child in America: $165
The top federal tax rate on early distributions from HSAs under this bill: 59.6%
The most parents of special-needs kids can save tax-free for tuition in FSAs (currently, the amount is unlimited): $2500 
(Read more from atr.org)
IRS to enforce new Healthcare Legislation
16,500 more IRS agents needed to enforce Obamacare
J.P. Freire
Washington Examiner
March 21, 2010
New tax mandates and penalties included in Obamacare will cause the greatest expansion of the Internal Revenue Service since World War II, according to a release from Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas.
A new analysis by the Joint Economic Committee and the House Ways & Means Committee minority staff estimates up to 16,500 new IRS personnel will be needed to collect, examine and audit new tax information mandated on families and small businesses in the ‘reconciliation’ bill being taken up by the U.S. House of Representatives this weekend. …
Scores of new federal mandates and fifteen different tax increases totaling $400 billion are imposed under the Democratic House bill. In addition to more complicated tax returns, families and small businesses will be forced to reveal further tax information to the IRS, provide proof of ‘government approved’ health care and submit detailed sales information to comply with new excise taxes.
Americans for Tax Reform has a good breakdown of the bill by the numbers. (Read more from prisonplanet.com)
Congressional Staff Exempt from Health Care Reform Mandates
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi promised that we would find out what is in the health care reform bill after it passed. And, true to her promise, certain provisions are now coming
to light, including one that exempts certain Congressional staff.
According to the Hotline, Congressional staff who work for committees or leadership offices are specifically exempt from the mandates imposed by health care reform to enroll in government provided health care reform plans.
“The loophole for leadership staffers could impact thousands of Hill employees. There are 16 active leadership offices in the House and 26 in the Senate, according to the government transparency website LegiStorm. Some are small, with just a few employees. Others are much larger; Speaker Nancy Pelosi paid 54 employees a total of $1.1M in the last quarter of ’09, while House Min. Leader John Boehner paid his 26 staffers a total of $721K in the same quarter.
“Leaving out committee staffers means aides at the 24 standing House committees and the 20 Senate panels will each be exempted as well, if CRS’s interpretation of the measure stands.” (Read more from associatedcontent.com)