Conservative Wanderer

“A troubled and afflicted mankind looks to us, pleading for us to keep our rendezvous with destiny; that we will uphold the principles of self-reliance, self-discipline, morality, and, above all, responsible liberty for every individual that we will become that shining city on a hill.” — Ronald Wilson Reagan

Tag Archives: bill

Obama’s Secret National Energy Tax

In a blatant unconstitutional attempt to bypass the legislative process, the Obama administration is seeking to impose a national energy tax via the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [Article - 1. The Hill Newspaper: Energy Independence calls for broad array of sources | 2. The EPA's Backdoor National Energy Tax].

Statist leftists like President Obama, members of his administration, and many in U.S. Congress do not hold the U.S. Constitution in high regard.  They do not hold average, hard-working Americans in high regard.  They do not hold free-market capitalism in high regard.  It is evident they are now trying to absolutely destroy the American economy, no matter what.

Obama and his administration hold to the belief that humankind, more specifically those in humankind who happen to be American, have caused global warming and are destroying the planet.  Anthropogenic global warming has already been proven to be based on questionable science.  The so-called “scientists” who have promoted anthropogenic global warming have been exposed as liars and frauds.

Anthropogenic global warming is a HOAX!!!  Obama and his administration are basing their policies on a HOAX [Article - Editorial: The Great Global Warming Hoax?]!!!  Who’s going to suffer from their reckless, destructive, economically-eviscerating policies?  Every American…with the exclusion of the very leftist elitists who are imposing their draconian desires upon those whom they view with utter contempt and hatred.  Nobody dare get between them and their twisted, warped vision of what their Shangri-la world should be like.

Topped by all of the out-of-control spending Obama and the spend-o-crats have already tallied up, coupled with the looming government-controlled health care legislation—another potential economy-killer, Obama’s so-called “climate change” legislation-by-proxy will most definitely transform the country, but not in the way he envisioned it to be (or did he?).  It will transform the United States of America into the world’s largest third-world country [Article - 1. Deming: Cap and trade bill will wreck U.S. economy | 2. U.S. Chamber Official Warns That Cap And Trade Bill Will Destroy Jobs | 3. Cap-and-Trade bill does nothing for oil dependence].

It’s becoming more and more evident that Obama and other statist politicians in the United States are unconcerned about the plight of the American people and those who have fallen victim to financial hardship.  They care not one iota about those who are unemployed.  They couldn’t care less about the condition of the average American citizen.  Why are they intent on driving our country into a cauldron of turmoil, suffering, and despair for years to come?  Why do they feel it fitting and proper to impose rules and regulations that do nothing to build up and enrich the American way of life?  Why do they insist on ignoring the will of the American people by passing legislation that will do nothing for our country’s economy?  Why are they scheming and conspiring behind closed doors to do our country harm by trying to stealthily slip their authoritarian edicts behind the backs of the American people, brazenly subverting the provisions set out in the U.S. Constitution?  Those questions and more must be asked of our country’s politicians.  The American people need to stand up and put a stop to abuses of power by any means, short of armed uprising.  I am afraid; however, that if our country’s leaders will not listen to loud dissenting voices and continue to ignore the citizenry, there will be no other choice but to forcibly remove those obstinately self-righteous leaders.  Pray that day never come.

Still No CBO Cost Estimate For ObamaCare

Two days after the Blair House summit and still no official CBO cost estimate [Article - CBO: Obama's Health Care Plan Too Sketchy to Score; UPDATE: Obama Punts on Public Option: "That's Up To Leader Reid"].

To be sure, the estimate will reveal the bloated cost of the 2700-page ObamaCare bill [Article - Obama Admits CBO Cost Estimates of ObamaCare Are Incomplete].

We should reform our health care system, but at what cost?  At the cost of another one trillion dollars added to the burgeoning national debt?  If ObamaCare passes, Americans will be paying for something that will not officially start until 2014 and will do nothing to reduce our budget deficit.

With all of the spending that Obama and tax-and-spend politicians have already added to our debt, how can we sustain the cost of ObamaCare?  How much money will honest, hard-working Americans have in their pockets after paying for all of the spending Obama has racked up?  One way or another, we will be paying for it in the form of  higher taxes.

After the GOP clearly built a stronger case against ObamaCare at the health care summit (when state-run media calls it a “draw”, you know the Republicans got the upper hand), they need to form their own health care summit and create another one of their own comprehensive health care bill (previous bills were thrown out by congressional Democrats) [Article - ObamaCare' alienates most Americans].

U.S. House Passes Health Care Reform Bill, Ignores Will Of American People

In a brazen act of defiance against over 50 percent of the American people, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her fellow leftist statists in the U.S. House of Representatives passed the monstrosity known as H.R. 3962 – Affordable Health Care for America Act [Article - House passes health care reform bill; Vote garners only one Republican].

The snag in the works was getting so-called “moderate” “Blue Dog” Democrats to vote for the “deficit neutral” bill. How did Pelosi get so-called “Blue Dog” Democrats to vote for passage of the bill? There was certainly some arm-twisting that was done by leftist Democrats and President Obama himself; however, by simply inserting a stipulation known as the “Stupak Amendment“, which limits, but does not eliminate coverage and funding for abortions, that’s all it took for so-called “moderate” Democrats to submit an “up” vote.

Never mind the insertion of items that don’t have anything to do with health care reform and that raise taxes on people whom President Obama promised would not be taxed. Never mind that over 50 percent of Americans do not want a public “option” or in other words, government-run health care [Rasmussen Report - Health Care Reform].

Self-serving, hyper-ambitious politicians on all levels of government do not care about the will of the American people. They do not genuinely care about the health and well-being of the American people. They have proven time and again that they are nothing but a group of haughty, arrogant, elitist power and money grabbers with an aristocratic sense of predestinate entitlement.

The next election cycle is only a year away. A lot can happen in a year and those who want to retain their positions of power will do their best (or worst) to pull the wool over their constituents’ eyes in an effort to get re-elected. They know that the memories of the people they claim to represent are short. They are banking on that knowledge because it is a successful time-tested strategy.

So-called health care reform is only one link in a longer chain of enslavement that leftist bosses are forging for America. They are only a couple of links away from completing that chain. After the chain is complete, it will be almost impossible to break it.

What will you do? Will you vote for or against the chain? The 2010 elections should give us an indication.

Climate Change: Senator Barbara Boxer, Senate EPWC Approve Bill

Despite a GOP boycott, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), chairwoman of the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee and other Democrats on the committee approved a climate change bill that would require cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent over the next decade from 2005 levels [Article - Senate Panel Approves Climate Change Bill Despite GOP Boycott].

In typical overreaching fashion, leftist politicians are attempting to force unpopular economy-killing legislation through. However, there is a silver lining: The bill has passed committee, but it now goes to the Senate floor, where it is expected to die an ignominious death.

This goes along with a previously submitted ACW post, touching on how leftist politicians tirelessly and tenaciously try to further their destructive interests [Reference - German Chancellor Merkel And The Climate Change “Wall”].

To be sure, the battle to force through legislation based on junk science will continue. Without unwavering, steadfast opposition to leftist environmental lunacy, it is a guarantee that climate change legislation will be passed and the suffering of the American people will last for decades.

German Chancellor Merkel And The Climate Change “Wall”

Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of  the pulling down of the wall separating East and West Berlin in Germany. For the first time, a German head of state spoke before U.S. Congress. German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed members of U.S. Congress and one of the subjects Merkel spoke about was the need for a global deal on climate change [Article - Merkel meets with Obama, then talks to Congress]. Perhaps a symbolic appeal by Merkel to tear down the climate change “wall” [Article - The European Experience with Cap and Trade]?

With support for cap and trade legislation on the decline, President Obama vows that the United States will play a prominent role in decreasing global greenhouse gas emissions. Obama’s answer to the climate change question is cap and trade legislation.

The Waxman-Markey bill or rather, Taxman-Malarkey bill (H.R. 2998 – American Clean Energy And Security Act Of 2009) is currently in limbo, since health care reform legislation has taken center stage. Beltway politicians have certainly been working behind the scenes on slipping cap and trade legislation through, with very little public scrutiny…so they hope.

If the United States agrees to comply with some sort of global climate change contract in Copenhagen, Denmark, this will surely embolden leftist environut anti-capitalists in America to get climate change-related cap and trade legislation enacted.

If such a bill goes through, it will destroy the American economy, no ands, ifs or buts about it. We think unemployment is bad now, wait and see how high it will be if cap and trade becomes law. In addition, we and future generations of Americans will pay dearly for the taxes, fees and other costs climate change legislation will incur [Article - Leading Climate Scientist: Cap and Trade Could Ruin US Economy | Reference - Treasury Department – Climate Change Bill Could Cost American Families $1,761 A Year]. Continue reading →

H.R. 3962 – Affordable Health Care for America Act

Here is a copy of all 1990 pages of H.R. 3962 – Affordable Health Care for America Act for your reading pleasure, providing you want to read the whole thing, which I’m sure would be more than most members of the U.S. House of Representatives have done:

H.R. 3962 – Affordable Health Care for America Act

What I gather from all of the talk about the legislation, it is basically the H.R. 3200 – America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 on steroids, including more convoluted and vague legal speak in an effort to mask the establishment of a government-run health care system.

Again, cost estimates on the legislation are incomplete and contrary to what House Speaker Pelosi thinks, each present (and future) American citizen could be facing a bill that is worth over 1 trillion dollars (that’s $1,000,000,000,000.00), instead of the less than 900 billion dollars Speaker Pelosi would like us to believe the cost to be. This will hardly give a majority of Americans the “choice” on whether or not to pay for something they don’t want in the first place [Article - CBO: House Bill Costs $1.055 Trillion].

Going Nuclear: Health Care (Insurance) Reform Legislation

With conservative and moderate Republicans and Democrats being opposed to a public “option” being included in any health care (insurance) reform legislation, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has threatened to use reconciliation or the “nuclear” option to ram health care (insurance) reform legislation down America’s collective throat [Article - Reid Threatens 'Nuclear Option' to Pass Health Care Reform as Panel Starts Work].

What’s more, a draft of the U.S. Senate’s health care (insurance) reform legislation will not be available for the public to read and research. So much for transparency [Press Release - 1. Bunning Introduces Transparency Resolution | 2. Bunning: Democrats Are Intent On Keeping Americans In The Dark].

There has been talk of passage of a watered-down bill that would leave the way open for any public “option” amendments or other amendments that would receive stiff opposition if they were inserted in committee [Article - 1. Boehner Decries “Phantom Amendments” Added to Senate Health Care Bill After Committee Vote | 2. The Vapor Bill – Congress’ Secret Plan to Pass Obamacare - Update | 3. New plan might allow Dems to slip public option through Senate].

Go ahead all of you power-hungry, self-serving, leftist politicians—force through legislation that the American people don’t want [Article - Reconciliation 101: A "Nuclear" Abuse of Power]. I’m sure most if not all of you know that you are going to be committing political suicide. You claim to care about the wants and needs of the American people. If you continue to defy the will of the people, with elections coming up, the people will show just how much they care about you.

Governmental Abuse Of Power – CMS Issues Gag Order To Medicare Advantage Provider Humana

Max Baucus (D-MT) is enraged at Medicare Advantage provider Humana for exposing language in America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009 that outlines cuts to the Medicare Advantage program. The cuts would affect health care for a large number of American senior citizens [Article - Baucus Bludgeons Humana]. Senator Baucus complained to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CMS issued a gag order to Humana. This has also prompted an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services of Humana for unethical activities [Article - HHS investigates Humana Medicare mailer warning seniors on health overhaul].

This is a blatant attempt to suppress dissenting views and is an egregious abuse of power by Senator Baucus. There are going to be cuts to Medicare Advantage, but Senator Baucus doesn’t want seniors to know about it. Instead of waiting until health care reform legislation is signed into law, after which it would be too late to object to the contents of such legislation, Humana felt obligated to inform its customers on what potentially would arise, if the provisions in Senator Baucus’ bill were to be implemented. In other words, Humana was providing a beneficial service to its customers. What Senator Baucus is doing is disingenuous and presents a great disservice to American seniors. If the good senator is worried about his precious bill being scrutinized and altered beyond recognition, he need not worry because it will be for naught. There are already over 500 amendments on the ready to be inserted into Senator Baucus’ bill.

The CMS-issued gag order is now being called into question and rightly so [Press Release - 1. Camp Demands Answers from CMS on Its ‘Gag Order’ on Those Providing Accurate Information About President’s Planned Medicare Cuts |2. McConnell: End Federal Gag Order on Medicare Cuts].

So far no word from President Obama on whether he will order HHS to cease and desist with their investigation. In view of the other cease and desist orders Obama has given and then taken back, the investigation might as well proceed as scheduled.

ObamaCare Plans Still Lead To Government-Run Health Care

As they stand, here are the health care plans that either made it to the U.S. House or U.S. Senate floor or are undergoing alterations in committee:

America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009

Affordable Health Choices Act (Kennedy Bill)

H.R. 3200 – America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009

Quite a few people have read and researched the legislation. They have provided their analyses and have provided information from their analyses in Internet-friendly form. Take your pick from the plethora of links provided below: Continue reading →

Ignored: H.R. 3400 – Empowering Patients First Act

Yet again more from the so-called party of “No” and the party with no fresh ideas. Another conservative health care reform bill, submitted to the U.S. House floor back in July, that was referred to committee, but has since then made it to the committee scrap heap along with H.R. 3218 – Improving Health Care for All Americans Act:

H.R. 3400 – Empowering Patients First Act or Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2009

Conveniently, House leftists and the MIA (Media In Absentia) didn’t give another conservative bill (268 pages total) one ounce of consideration or air time [Bill Tracking - H.R. 3400: Empowering Patients First Act]. More of the same old worn-out conservative/Republican ideas? Oh that’s right, no public or government “option” in its contents. A bill that actually empowers the people, giving a patient the freedom of choice and taking personal responsibility for his or her own health care. Also contained in the legislation are provisions for tort reform, coverage for every American citizen, no coverage for illegal aliens, less of a tax burden to the American taxpayer and more cost control regulations governing the health insurance industry [Press Release - Putting Patients First!].

Compared to the monstrosity known as the  over 1,100-page government-run health care bill (H.R. 3200 – America’s Affordable Health Choices Act), which includes the creation of at least 54 government agencies, government-educated, trained and paid physicians; tax increases to pay for such expansion, including all of the procedures to be covered and paid for, no tort reform (besides, you can’t sue the government), coverage for illegals, vaguely-defined government “exchanges”, equally vague descriptions of the various boards and panels a patient must refer and/or report to, mandates on patients for government-approved health care coverage, mandatory employer coverage, encouraging “competition” among the various health insurance companies, which is really no competition at all when they won’t be able to compete with government coverage, penalties for non-compliance or “opting out” of the public “option” and since government-run health care as it is described in H.R. 3200 will increase in cost over a short period of time, health care rationing will occur, I don’t know why leftists in the U.S. House of Representatives would want to make legislation any simpler.