Tag Archives: Obamacare

Court says Obama appointments violate constitution

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama violated the Constitution when he bypassed the Senate last year to appoint three members of the National Labor Relations Board, a federal appeals court ruled Friday in a far-reaching decision that could severely limit a chief executive’s powers to make recess appointments.

The decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit marked a victory for Republicans and business groups critical of the labor board. If it stands, it could invalidate hundreds of board decisions over the past year, including some that make it easier for unions to organize.

When Obama filled the vacancies on Jan. 4, 2012, Congress was on an extended holiday break. But GOP lawmakers gaveled in for a few minutes every three days just to prevent Obama from making recess appointments. The White House argued that the pro forma sessions – some lasting less than a minute – were a sham.

Read more at AP News

How the AARP Made $2.8 Billion By Supporting Obamacare’s Cuts to Medicare

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(DISCLOSURE: I am an outside adviser to the Romney campaign on health-care issues. The opinions contained herein are mine alone, and do not necessarily correspond to those of the campaign.)

Avik Roy, FORBES—As you know if you’ve been reading this blog, Obamacare cuts $716 billion from Medicare in order to pay for its $1.9 trillion expansion of coverage to low-income Americans. It’s one of the reasons why seniors are more opposed to the new health law than any other age group. So why is it that the group that purports to speak for seniors, the American Association of Retired Persons, so strongly supports a law that most seniors oppose?

According to an explosive new report from Sen. Jim DeMint (R., S.C.), it’s because those very same Medicare cuts will give the AARP a windfall of $1 billion in insurance profits, and preserve another $1.8 billion that AARP already generates from its business interests.

Read more at Forbes.

Rationing Begins: States Limiting Drug Prescriptions for Medicaid Patients

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(CNSNews.com) – Sixteen states have set a limit on the number of prescription drugs they will cover for Medicaid patients, according to Kaiser Health News.

Seven of those states, according to Kaiser Health News, have enacted or tightened those limits in just the last two years.

Medicaid is a federal program that is carried out in partnership with state governments. It forms an important element of President Barack Obama’s health-care plan because under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act–AKA Obamcare–a larger number of people will be covered by Medicaid, as the income cap is raised for the program.

With both the expanded Medicaid program and the federal subsidy for health-care premiums that will be available to people earning up to 400 percent of the poverty level, a larger percentage of the population will be wholly or partially dependent on the government for their health care under Obamacare than are now.

Read more at CNS News

Grieving for Freedom

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By Van Irion

Whether you realize it or not, all freedom-loving people are grieving our lost freedom this Independence Day. Psychologists teach that the first reaction to devastating loss is denial. When we lose something that we love, our minds initially deny the event in order to survive the shock. After denial comes bargaining, anger, depression, and finally acceptance. Each stage of grief allows our minds to absorb the new reality and grieve the loss of something cherished.

Last week’s devastating Supreme Court rulings have caused various reactions. Many insist upon explaining Roberts’ ruling as political genius. Some search for a silver lining in the ruling. Others focus on the upcoming election. All of these reactions reflect the first two stages of grief. Most Americans are still in denial or are attempting to bargain-away the shocking loss of freedom inflicted by those that were supposed to defend our freedom.

Some of us have already moved on to anger. Please join us. Anger is a gift.

Unlike people, freedom can be restored. No matter how much freedom is taken away, it can always be taken back. But it will not be given. Those that enslave do not give back freedom willingly. We must fight them for it. So, anger is a useful emotion when grieving for freedom. Anger will motivate us to act.

Stop denying our loss of freedom by imagining genius in Justice Roberts’ treasonous act. Killing constitutional principals in the name of short-term political payback is not genius. It’s an insult to every man or woman that ever died defending freedom.

Stop claiming that Roberts’ ruling is a victory because it created a limit on the commerce clause. The commerce clause is no more limited than it was before the ruling. Prior to Obamacare no one would have imagined that the commerce clause could possibly justify regulation of lack-of-commerce. Last week’s ruling simply confirmed what we already knew. But it left the commerce clause exactly where it has been since Wickard v. Filburn. In fact, the ruling explicitly acknowledged that the rule from Wickard is still the accepted commerce clause rule. This is the rule that got us to where we are today. Why is anyone celebrating this? The answer is: DENIAL.
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