Press Releases

Congressman Larry Bucshon (IN-08) issued the following comment after the U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold Obamacare.

Congressman Bucshon (IN-08) states:

“I am disappointed but respectful of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold this near government takeover of our health care system that negatively impacts one sixth of our nation’s economy.  Further, the Supreme Court confirming the Obama administration's argument that the individual mandate is a tax violates the promise President Obama made to the American people.  Obamacare is a massive tax increase on the middle class both directly and indirectly through higher taxes on employers.

“Obamacare is bad for all Hoosiers and will continue to be a major impediment to job creation and getting people back to work.  Along with a sluggish economy, these are the major issues affecting our country.  I will continue to work to repeal this law in its entirety and implement market-based solutions that focus on lowering cost while maintaining access to the highest quality of care.”

Background:

On September 20, 2009, on ABC's "This Week," George Stephanopoulos has a pretty testy exchange with Obama over whether the individual mandate is a tax increase. The president insists it is not.

Obama:  "For us to say that you've got to take a responsibility to get health insurance is absolutely not a tax increase. What it's saying is, is that we're not going to have other people carrying your burdens for you anymore than the fact that right now everybody in America, just about, has to get auto insurance. Nobody considers that a tax increase. ... George, you -- you can't just make up that language and decide that that's called a tax increase."

Stephanopoulos: "I don't think I'm making it up. Merriam Webster's Dictionary: Tax -- 'a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes.'"

Obama: "George, the fact that you looked up Merriam's Dictionary, the definition of tax increase, indicates to me that you're stretching a little bit right now.  Otherwise, you wouldn't have gone to the
dictionary to check on the definition"

Stephanopoulos: "But you reject that it's a tax increase?"

Obama: "I absolutely reject that notion."

According to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce survey, 73 Percent of small business owners say Obamacare “Is an Obstacle to Hiring More Employees.”

Twenty four new or higher taxes (which can be found here) are included in Obamacare, including a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices set to take effect in 2013.  There are over 300 medical device companies in Indiana, supporting over 20,000 Hoosier jobs directly and 28,000 secondary jobs.

Due to the expansion of Medicaid, in order to provide coverage for uninsured Americans, Obamacare could impose new unfunded mandates on states of at least $118 billion.

Congressman Bucshon has voted 30 times to defund, dismantle, or repeal Obamacare, including 3 times for full repeal.  Only one vote, the 1099 provision repeal, was signed into law.

Congressman Bucshon introduced his own bill (H.R. 3218) to amend section 1343 of Obamacare to “to ensure the privacy of individually identifiable health information in connection with risk adjustment.”

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