Rick Santorum Wins Another Southern Republican Primary in Louisiana

Rick Santorum
Pix by Bill Smith

Today, Rick Santorum won another Southern Republican Primary with his win of the closed Republican Primary in Louisiana. In a closed primary, only registered Republicans were allowed to vote with independents and unregistered Republicans not allowed to vote.

Santorum among Republicans gained more votes than his two closest rivals added together. In addition the votes for fellow Southerners Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Perry didn't even add up to the votes garnered by Mitt Romney. It appears that Louisiana preferred the Yankees this time to help them with their economy which has suffered to President Obama's embargo of drilling permits and his administrations EPA policies.

Santorum who was in Wisconsin campaigning said, “The People in Louisiana came through in a big way." He also added, “We’re still fighting. … I’m not running as the conservative candidate for president. I am the conservative candidate.”

Louisiana (46 Delegates): With 100% reporting, Rick Santorum 49%; Mitt Romney 26.5%; Newt Gingrich 16%; Ron Paul 6% and Rick Perry 1%. Santorum received 8 delegates and Mitt Romney received 6 Delegates. The remaining 32 Delegates are unassigned and will be determined via State Republican caucuses on April 28th. it is not yet clear how those delegates, will be divided among the candidates although they are to allocated proportionately under Louisiana GOP rules.  Santorum won every Louisiana Parish except for Orleans which was won by Romney.  Based on this, Santorum should garner a majority of the delegates.

 The next primaries will be on April 3rd with Washington, D.C.,  Wisconsin, and Maryland.  Then on April 24, 5 states including New York and Pennsylvania will hold their primaries.

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Tags: Louisiana, primary, March 24, 2012, 2012 election, Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Sen. John Boozman Receives The 2012 Distinguished Community Health Champion Award

Sen. John Boozman (R-AR)

WASHINGTON D.C. – The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) recognized Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.) with its highest award – the “2012 Distinguished Community Health Champion Award” for his unwavering support of America’s Health Centers and as a valued leader in efforts to make health centers the solution to improving access to primary and preventive health care in underserved communities.

“I am grateful for the service and role Community Health Centers play in providing access to quality health care to our communities. These facilities offer a common sense, cost-effective solution to the challenges of our health care system,” Boozman said. “I am honored to receive this award and I will continue to be a champion for these centers.”

Community Health Centers serve the primary health care needs of more than 20 million patients in more than 8,000 locations across the United States including 75 health center sites in Arkansas.

Boozman led efforts in the Senate encouraging members to support current levels of federal grant support and all existing operations at health centers.

"We are thrilled that the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), its 8,000 health center locations, and their 20+ million patients, honored Arkansas Senator John Boozman with the distinguished "Champion" Award. Senator Boozman is a strong supporter of Community Health Centers and has demonstrated his support in a variety of ways, including his co-sponsorship of the bi-partisan Stabenow-Boozman 'Dear Colleague' letter in support of funding for Community Health Centers. Arkansas is proud to have a true leader and advocate for the Community Health Center movement in Senator Boozman," says Sip Mouden, CEO of Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. (CHCA), which represents 12 Community Health Centers with 75 locations in Arkansas.

Dr. Susan Ward-Jones, CEO of East Arkansas Family Health Centers and Chair of the CHCA Board of Directors, and Kathy Grisham, Executive Director of Community Clinic, introduced the Senator and Ms. Mouden, who serves as Region VI Representative to the NACHC Board of Directors, presented the award to Senator Boozman during a reception held at the Newseum in Washington, DC on Thursday, March 22, 2012.

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Tags: Arkansas, Senator, John Boozman, National Association of Community Health Centers, NACHC, 2012 Distinguished Community Health Champion Award, Washington, D.C. To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Obama To Ignore 2nd Anniversary of Obamacare

Since the POTUS is not Telepromptering
his signature Obamacare, we will replay his
ShamWow Obamcare message from over 2 yrs ago
Toon By Gary Varvel at Townhall on 6/26/09

Today in Washington, D.C. - March 23, 2012:
The Senate and House are not in session today; they will reconvene on Monday.  Last night, Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) filed cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 2204, Democrats’ latest bill to raise taxes on American energy producers.

Yesterday, the Senate passed (73-26) the bipartisan JOBS Act, as amended. The bill now goes back to that House for its approval. Prior to passage, the Senate voted 64-35 to adopt and amendment from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) concerning crowdfunding.  ALso, the Senate voted 93-6 to invoke cloture on the motion the House amendment to S. 2038, the STOCK Act, prohibiting insider trading in Congress. They then   concured by unanimous consent, sending the bill to the president for his signature.

The Senate also voted to confirmed David Nuffer,  District of Utah,  Ronnie Abrams, District Judge for the Southern District of New York and Rudolph ContrerasUnited States District Judge for the District of Columbia.

Yesterday, the House passed (223-181) H.R. 5, the Protecting Access to Healthcare (PATH) Act, which would repeal a government board tasked with finding Medicare savings, and institute medical tort reform across the country. Several Democrats said they would have supported IPAB repeal because they feared the board could recommend Medicare cuts without having to gauge the opinion of Congress. However they objected to the tort reform language that imposed a nationwide limit of $250,000 in punitive damages in medical lawsuits. IT will now be interesting how or even if the Senate considers this bill.

Today marks two years since the Democrat-controlled Congress jammed through their unpopular health care bill and President Obama signed it into law with a big ceremony. But today, The Wall Street Journal writes, “There’s just one thing missing: Mr. Obama. He isn’t making any public appearances to talk about the law, showing up only in packaged videos like this documentary-style campaign video, which recounts the story of the law’s passage. . . . With the law still unpopular with many Americans, the White House has concluded that it is virtually impossible to change negative public opinions, particularly if Mr. Obama is front and center, a senior administration official said . . . . ‘Barack Obama is not a good spokesman. He actually polarizes the debate,’ said one person close to the White House who supports the health law.”

With the president refusing to speak on the 2nd anniversary of his massive, flawed law, bloggers, the press and of course Republicans are speaking out. In an op-ed for National Review Onlinetoday, GOP Senate Leader McConnellwrites, “On the two-year anniversary of Obamacare, Republicans in Congress are more committed than ever to repealing this unconstitutional law and replacing it with commonsense reforms that put health care back in the hands of individuals and doctors, instead of bureaucrats in Washington. . . . [R]ather than solving the most pressing problems in the old system, Obamacare has made many of these problems far worse. Costs and premiums are rising, Medicare has been weakened, states now struggle to keep pace with even costlier federal mandates, and the economy is being sapped as new mandates dissuade employers from creating new jobs. For these reasons and others, those of us who fought against Obamacare’s passage look forward to making our case before the Supreme Court next week.”

It’s been well established that President Obama’s health care law will increase costs, is resulting in increased health premiums, is “a death sentence” for jobs in many states, has broken every significant promise Democrats and the president made as they initially tried to sell it, and is a huge expansion of government power. Indeed, as identified in an prior ARRA News Service article, beyond the law’s unprecedented and unconstitutional mandate to purchase insurance, it features $390 billion in more government, according to the CBO, over 12,000 pages of new regulations and waivers, more than 1,700 new powers and authorities for the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and 159 new boards, bureaucracies, and programs.

As previously noted in other articles, a recent USA Today/Gallup poll showed that 72 percent of Americans, including most Democrats, believe that Obamacare’s core, a government mandate to buy health insurance, violates the Constitution.
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And Politico writes today, “President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies thought their political assumptions were airtight during the yearlong battle to overhaul the health care system. Voters would reward them, they thought, even if Democrats muscled a bill through without Republican support. It was just a matter of getting out of Washington and selling the law. Obama would lead the charge, and rank-and-file Democrats would proudly campaign on the achievement. None of it worked out that way. At the two-year mark Friday, nearly everything that Democrats believed about the politics of health care has turned out to be false. And the ramifications for those miscalculations have been huge. They have haunted Obama’s presidency, soured business as usual at the Capitol and upended the conventional wisdom peddled by political strategists, who have rarely been so wrong about something so big.”

As Leader McConnell writes, “Time and again, the president and his allies have arrogantly presumed that a public that has largely opposed Obamacare from the start would either come to like it or forget about it over time. Their hopes never materialized. . . . . Months after then-speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s now-famous claim that Congress would have to pass Obamacare in order for Americans to find out what was in it . . . . Obamacare has turned out to be even worse than many of us predicted, and the unintended consequences and hidden surprises keep coming. Two years after its passage, Americans have made their views on Obamacare perfectly clear. They don’t like it, they believe it’s unconstitutional, and they want it repealed.”

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Tags: Washington, D.C., 2nd Anniversary, Obamacare, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Health Law (ObamaCare): A Windfall For Government Power

Obamacare Spends Hundreds Of Billions Of Dollars Expanding Government Power Despite Dem Insistence That It Wouldn’t
SEN. MAX BAUCUS (D-MT): “This bill does not increase government.” (Sen. Baucus, Congressional Record, S.12750 12/9/09) Were Baucus and the others lying,being  deceptive, or just plain stupid! Montana and Our Country Deserve Better! Right Now we are facing the following:

Progressive Democrat Legacy: $390 Billion In More Government“The legislation will increase the federal budgetary commitment to health care (the sum of net federal outlays for health programs and tax preferences for health care) by $390 billion over the next 10 years.” (“The Effects Of Health Reform On The Federal Budget,” CBO, 4/12/10)

Progressive Democrat Legacy: 12,000+ Pages Of New Regulations And Waivers“Literally thousands of regulations and waivers are pouring out of the Department of Health and Human Services; in fact, to date, 12,307 pages of additional regulations to restrict personal freedom and micromanage the private market.” (Sen. Roberts, Congressional Record, S.1771, 3/19/12)

Progressive Democrat Legacy: 1,700 New HHS Powers And Authorities“…the Secretary of Health and Human Services alone is given more than 1,700 new powers and authorities under the law…” (Sen. Coburn, New CRS Report On How To Repeal The New Health Care Law, 11/30/11)

Progressive Democrat Legacy: 159 New Boards, Bureaucracies, and Programs Created
Warning: if subject to heart or stress problems, you may wish to not read the following!1. Grant program for consumer assistance offices (Section 1002, page 37)
2. Grant program for states to monitor premium increases (S. 1003, p. 42)
3. Committee to review administrative simplification standards (S. 1104, p. 71)
4. Demonstration program for state wellness programs (S. 1201, p. 93)
5. Grant program to establish state Exchanges (S. 1311(a), p. 130)
6. State American Health Benefit Exchanges (S. 1311(b), p. 131)
7. Exchange grants to establish consumer navigator programs (S. 1311(i), p. 150)
8. Grant program for state cooperatives (S. 1322, p. 169)
9. Advisory board for state cooperatives (S. 1322(b)(3), p. 173
10. Private purchasing council for state cooperatives (S. 1322(d), p. 177)
11. State basic health plan programs (S. 1331, p. 201)
12. State-based reinsurance program (S. 1341, p. 226)
13. Program of risk corridors for individual and small group markets (S. 1342, p. 233)
14. Program to determine eligibility for Exchange participation (S. 1411, p. 267)
15. Program for advance determination of tax credit eligibility (S. 1412, p. 288)
16. Grant program to implement health IT enrollment standards (S. 1561, p. 370)
17. Federal Coordinated Health Care Office for dual eligible beneficiaries (S. 2602, p. 512)
18. Medicaid quality measurement program (S. 2701, p. 518)
19. Medicaid health home program for people with chronic conditions, and grants for planning same (S. 2703, p. 524)
20. Medicaid demonstration project to evaluate bundled payments (S. 2704, p. 532)
21. Medicaid demonstration project for global payment system (S. 2705, p. 536)
22. Medicaid demonstration project for accountable care organizations (S. 2706, p. 538)
23. Medicaid demonstration project for emergency psychiatric care (S. 2707, p. 540)
24. Grant program for delivery of services to individuals with postpartum depression (S. 2952(b), p. 591)
25. State allotments for grants to promote personal responsibility education programs (S. 2953, p. 596)
26. Medicare value-based purchasing program (S. 3001(a), p. 613)
27. Medicare value-based purchasing demonstration program for critical access hospitals (S. 3001(b), p. 637)
28. Medicare value-based purchasing program for skilled nursing facilities (S. 3006(a), p. 666)
29. Medicare value-based purchasing program for home health agencies (S. 3006(b), p. 668)
30. Interagency Working Group on Health Care Quality (S. 3012, p. 688)
31. Grant program to develop health care quality measures (S. 3013, p. 693)
32. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (S. 3021, p. 712)
33. Medicare shared savings program (S. 3022, p. 728)
34. Medicare pilot program on payment bundling (S. 3023, p. 739)
35. Independence at home medical practice demonstration program (S. 3024, p. 752)
36. Program for use of patient safety organizations to reduce hospital readmission rates (S. 3025(b), p. 775)
37. Community-based care transitions program (S. 3026, p. 776)
38. Demonstration project for payment of complex diagnostic laboratory tests (S. 3113, p. 800)
39. Medicare hospice concurrent care demonstration project (S. 3140, p. 850)
40. Independent Payment Advisory Board (S. 3403, p. 982)
41. Consumer Advisory Council for Independent Payment Advisory Board (S. 3403, p. 1027)
42. Grant program for technical assistance to providers implementing health quality practices (S. 3501, p. 1043)
43. Grant program to establish interdisciplinary health teams (S. 3502, p. 1048)
44. Grant program to implement medication therapy management (S. 3503, p. 1055)
45. Grant program to support emergency care pilot programs (S. 3504, p. 1061)
46. Grant program to promote universal access to trauma services (S. 3505(b), p. 1081)
47. Grant program to develop and promote shared decision-making aids (S. 3506, p. 1088
48. Grant program to support implementation of shared decision-making (S. 3506, p. 1091)
49. Grant program to integrate quality improvement in clinical education (S. 3508, p. 1095)
50. Health and Human Services Coordinating Committee on Women’s Health (S. 3509(a), p. 1098)
51. Centers for Disease Control Office of Women’s Health (S. 3509(b), p. 1102)
52. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Women’s Health (S. 3509(e), p. 1105
53. Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Women’s Health (S. 3509(f), p. 1106)
54. Food and Drug Administration Office of Women’s Health (S. 3509(g), p. 1109)
55. National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council (S. 4001, p. 1114)
56. Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health (S. 4001(f), p. 1117)
57. Prevention and Public Health Fund (S. 4002, p. 1121)
58. Community Preventive Services Task Force (S. 4003(b), p. 1126)
59. Grant program to support school-based health centers (S. 4101, p. 1135)
60. Grant program to promote research-based dental caries disease management (S. 4102, p. 1147)
61. Grant program for States to prevent chronic disease in Medicaid beneficiaries (S. 4108, p. 1174)
62. Community transformation grants (S. 4201, p. 1182)
63. Grant program to provide public health interventions (S. 4202, p. 1188)
64. Demonstration program of grants to improve child immunization rates (S. 4204(b), p. 1200)
65. Pilot program for risk-factor assessments provided through community health centers (S. 4206, p. 1215
66. Grant program to increase epidemiology and laboratory capacity (S. 4304, p. 1233)
67. Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (S. 4305, p. 1238
68. National Health Care Workforce Commission (S. 5101, p. 1256)
69. Grant program to plan health care workforce development activities (S. 5102(c), p. 1275)
70. Grant program to implement health care workforce development activities (S. 5102(d), p. 1279)
71. Pediatric specialty loan repayment program (S. 5203, p. 1295)
72. Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program (S. 5204, p. 1300)
73. Allied Health Loan Forgiveness Program (S. 5205, p. 1305)
74. Grant program for mid-career training for health professionals (S. 5206, p. 1307)
75. Grant program to fund nurse-managed health clinics (S. 5208, p. 1310)
76. Grant program to support primary care training programs (S. 5301, p. 1315)
77. Grant program to fund training for direct care workers (S. 5302, p. 1322)
78. Grant program to develop dental training programs (S. 5303, p. 1325)
79. Demonstration program to increase access to dental health care in underserved communities (S. 5304, p. 1331)
80. Grant program to promote geriatric education centers (S. 5305, p. 1334)
81. Grant program to promote health professionals entering geriatrics (S. 5305, p. 1339)
82. Grant program to promote training in mental and behavioral health (S. 5306, p. 1344)
83. Grant program to promote nurse retention programs (S. 5309, p. 1354)
84. Student loan forgiveness for nursing school faculty (S. 5311(b), p. 1360)
85. Grant program to promote positive health behaviors and outcomes (S. 5313, p. 1364)
86. Public Health Sciences Track for medical students (S. 5315, p. 1372)
87. Primary Care Extension Program to educate providers (S. 5405, p. 1404)
88. Grant program for demonstration projects to address health workforce shortage needs (S. 5507, p. 1442)
89. Grant program for demonstration projects to develop training programs for home health aides (S. 5507, p. 1447)
90. Grant program to establish primary care residency programs (S. 5508(a), p. 1458)
91. Program of payments to teaching health centers that sponsor medical residency training (S. 5508(c), p. 1462)
92. Graduate nurse education demonstration program (S. 5509, p. 1472)
93. Grant program to establish demonstration projects for community-based mental health settings (S. 5604, p. 1486)
94. Commission on Key National Indicators (S. 5605, p. 1489)
95. Quality assurance and performance improvement program for skilled nursing facilities (S. 6102, p. 1554)
96. Special focus facility program for skilled nursing facilities (S. 6103(a)(3), p. 1561)
97. Special focus facility program for nursing facilities (S. 6103(b)(3), p. 1568)
98. National independent monitor pilot program for skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities (S. 6112, p. 1589)
99. Demonstration projects for nursing facilities involved in the culture change movement (S. 6114, p. 1597)
100. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (S. 6301, p. 1619)
101. Standing methodology committee for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (S. 6301, p. 1629)
102. Board of Governors for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (S. 6301, p. 1638)
103. Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Trust Fund (S. 6301(e), p. 1656)
104. Elder Justice Coordinating Council (S. 6703, p. 1773)
105. Advisory Board on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation (S. 6703, p. 1776)
106. Grant program to create elder abuse forensic centers (S. 6703, p. 1783)
107. Grant program to promote continuing education for long-term care staffers (S. 6703, p. 1787)
108. Grant program to improve management practices and training (S. 6703, p. 1788)
109. Grant program to subsidize costs of electronic health records (S. 6703, p. 1791)
110. Grant program to promote adult protective services (S. 6703, p. 1796)
111. Grant program to conduct elder abuse detection and prevention (S. 6703, p. 1798)
112. Grant program to support long-term care ombudsmen (S. 6703, p. 1800)
113. National Training Institute for long-term care surveyors (S. 6703, p. 1806)
114. Grant program to fund State surveys of long-term care residences (S. 6703, p. 1809)
115. CLASS Independence Fund (S. 8002, p. 1926)
116. CLASS Independence Fund Board of Trustees (S. 8002, p. 1927)
117. CLASS Independence Advisory Council (S. 8002, p. 1931)
118. Personal Care Attendants Workforce Advisory Panel (S. 8002(c), p. 1938)
119. Multi-state health plans offered by Office of Personnel Management (S. 10104(p), p. 2086)
120. Advisory board for multi-state health plans (S. 10104(p), p. 2094)
121. Pregnancy Assistance Fund (S. 10212, p. 2164)
122. Value-based purchasing program for ambulatory surgical centers (S. 10301, p. 2176)
123. Demonstration project for payment adjustments to home health services (S. 10315, p. 2200)
124. Pilot program for care of individuals in environmental emergency declaration areas (S. 10323, p. 2223)
125. Grant program to screen at-risk individuals for environmental health conditions (S. 10323(b), p. 2231)
126. Pilot programs to implement value-based purchasing (S. 10326, p. 2242)
127. Grant program to support community-based collaborative care networks (S. 10333, p. 2265)
128. Centers for Disease Control Office of Minority Health (S. 10334, p. 2272)
129. Health Resources and Services Administration Office of Minority Health (S. 10334, p. 2272)
130. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Office of Minority Health (S. 10334, p. 2272)
131. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Office of Minority Health (S. 10334, p. 2272)
132. Food and Drug Administration Office of Minority Health (S. 10334, p. 2272)
133. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (S. 10334, p. 2272)
134. Grant program to promote small business wellness programs (S. 10408, p. 2285)
135. Cures Acceleration Network (S. 10409, p. 2289)
136. Cures Acceleration Network Review Board (S. 10409, p. 2291)
137. Grant program for Cures Acceleration Network (S. 10409, p. 2297)
138. Grant program to promote centers of excellence for depression (S. 10410, p. 2304)
139. Advisory committee for young women’s breast health awareness education campaign (S. 10413, p. 2322)
140. Grant program to provide assistance to provide information to young women with breast cancer (S. 10413, p. 2326)
141. Interagency Access to Health Care in Alaska Task Force (S. 10501, p. 2329)
142. Grant program to train nurse practitioners as primary care providers (S. 10501(e), p. 2332)
143. Grant program for community-based diabetes prevention (S. 10501(g), p. 2337)
144. Grant program for providers who treat a high percentage of medically underserved populations (S. 10501(k), p. 2343)
145. Grant program to recruit students to practice in underserved communities (S. 10501(l), p. 2344)
146. Community Health Center Fund (S. 10503, p. 2355)
147. Demonstration project to provide access to health care for the uninsured at reduced fees (S. 10504, p. 2357)
148. Demonstration program to explore alternatives to tort litigation (S. 10607, p. 2369)
149. Indian Health demonstration program for chronic shortages of health professionals (S. 1790, S. 112, p. 24)*
150. Office of Indian Men’s Health (S. 1790, S. 136, p. 71)*
151. Indian Country modular component facilities demonstration program (S. 1790, S. 146, p. 108)*
152. Indian mobile health stations demonstration program (S. 1790, S. 147, p. 111)*
153. Office of Direct Service Tribes (S. 1790, S. 172, p. 151)*
154. Indian Health Service mental health technician training program (S. 1790, S. 181, p. 173)*
155. Indian Health Service program for treatment of child sexual abuse victims (S. 1790, S. 181, p. 192)*
156. Indian Health Service program for treatment of domestic violence and sexual abuse (S. 1790, S. 181, p. 194)*
157. Indian youth telemental health demonstration project (S. 1790, S. 181, p. 204)*
158. Indian youth life skills demonstration project (S. 1790, S. 181, p. 220)*
159. Indian Health Service Director of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment (S. 1790, S. 199B, p. 258)*
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*S. 10221, page 2173 of H.R. 3590 deems that S. 1790 shall be deemed as passed with certain amendments. (“159 Ways The Senate Bill Is A Government Takeover Of Health Care,” Republican Policy Committee, 2/25/10)

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Tags: Health Law, ObamaCare, Windfall For Government Power, Big Government. Max Baucus, s Senate, US House, 159 New Boards, Bureaucracies, Programs, massive spending, massive control, Democrat legacy To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Obamacare Fact Check: Two Years Later

NRSC Video: Two years of Obamacare. Senate Democrats promised it would lower costs, lower premiums, cover everyone, and protect Medicare. Instead? Broken Promises. Twice the cost, higher premiums, 23 million people left out, and $500 billion cut from Medicare.

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Tags: Obamacare, broken promises, Two Years, Anniversary, Health Care Reform, Harry Reid, Ben Nelson, Claire McCaskill, Medicare, Cost, CBO, Spending To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Help Keep GrandPa Out of Jail - Repeal ObamaCare

Source: NRCC Video

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Tags: Keep GrandPa Out of Jail, ObamaCare, repeal Obamacare, video, NRCC, ad, code red To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Pipeline Lies

A.F. "Tony" Branco:

Timeline Articles:
January 19, 2012: Newspapers, Dems, Labor Unions Blast Obama for Nixing Keystone Pipeline
March 8, 2012: President Obama Blocks Bipartisan Keystone XL Jobs
March 22, 2012: Gallup: "Solid Majority Of Americans" Want Keystone XL Pipeline
And, President Obama flies to Cushing, OK and takes credit for doing nothing!
"If Obama were a private company making similar claims as he is making today, he would be fined by the FTC for false advertising. But like any other con man, he knows he only has to fool some of the people for a short while longer." ~ Bill Wilson, Americans for Limited Government

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Tags: Barack Obama, Keystone XL pipeline, oil production, taking credit, political cartoon, Tony Branco To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Pelosi & Obama Celebrate Anniversary of Obamacare

Obama: Let Them Eat Health Care!
Toon By William Warren

Merging two great sources below that address the second anniversary of ObamaCare.  We have a cartoon by William Warren and a great narrative by  "The Lonely Conservative." 

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By The Lonely Conservative: Today Nancy Pelosi celebrated the second anniversary of ObamaCare, which she rammed through the House against the wishes of a majority of Americans. She adamantly defended the bill as constitutional, even going so far as to claim that it will allow us to pursue our own happiness. The woman is nuts.

Alongside Reps. Steny Hoyer of Maryland and James Clyburn of South Carolina at a ceremony on Capitol Hill, Pelosi said, “After 100 years of trying, finally we passed health care for all Americans as a right for all — not just a privilege for a few. It honored the vows of our founders: Of life, a healthier life; liberty; the freedom to pursue our own happinesses [sic].”
…
“We knew what we were doing when we passed this bill. It is ironclad constitutionally. What happens in the courts is another matter but we believe that we’re in pretty good shape going into the court,” Pelosi responded.

A recent Rasmussen poll shows that 56 percent of Americans “somewhat favor” the repeal of the health care law while 46 percent “strongly favor” it [repeal], which represents an eight-month high.

Who does she think she’s fooling? The Founders are rolling in their graves. They would have been horrified at such an expansion of government. They warned against it.
And how are we supposed to pursue my own happiness when our families’ insurance premiums have  gone up by an average of almost $3000 per year? The only people this law leaves to pursue their own happiness are those looking for free birth control, the rest of us get to pay for it.

Here’s video from the press conference, if you can stand it. I wouldn’t watch it if you’ve just eaten. If that’s the case, read the rest of the story at The Daily Caller.

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Tags: anniversary, celebrates, constitution, Nancy Pelosi, Obamacare, video To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

The 1st District Ozark Tea Party Opposed Proposed Millionaire Tax

The Ozark Tea Party is the largest Tea Party in the first congressional district of Arkansas and one of the largest groups in Arkansas. They have an active group of conservatives and have hosted rallies with over 2,500 people in attendance. Congressman Rick Crawford and numerous national and state dignitaries and radio celebrities have traveled to Baxter County, Arkansas to participate in Ozark TEA Party events.  They released the following press release today.

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Ozark TEA Party Press Release:

From: The Ozark Tea Party,
Contact: Richard Caster or Larry McQuatters
(870)-404-6664 – Richard
(870)-321-7705 - Larry

Richard Caster Addresses
1st Ozark Tea Party, April 2009

(Baxter County, AR) The Ozark Tea Party, founded in 2009, bases itself in traditional conservative principles. Simply put, we believe in freedom. We believe that to achieve our nation’s potential we must unleash the American entrepreneur by limiting government power and spending. In 2010 we fought for and elected political leaders who we believed shared these same basic principles. Unfortunately, self proclaimed conservative Congressman Rick Crawford proved us wrong with his proposal of the Shared Responsibility in Preserving America’s Future Act.

The Ozark Tea Party strongly opposes Congressman Crawford’s plan to increase taxes on America’s job creators. The Wall Street Journal reminds us that “the top 1% of earners in America pay about 40% of the nation’s federal income taxes.” This leaves us with one question for Congressman Crawford, how much should they pay?

Our country is in the greatest economic turmoil since the great depression. Our economy is struggling and our people need jobs. Instead of punishing job creators, we must lower taxes and regulations on them. We are here to remind Congressman Crawford the same thing that Ronald Reagan told the American people so long ago, government isn’t the answer to our problems, government is the problem!

The Ozark Tea Party strongly urges Congressman Rick Crawford to withdraw his support for this progressive and job killing tax increase. Rather, he should work to shrink the size of our unsustainable federal government bureaucracy.

We applaud Congressman Crawford’s efforts to put a balanced budget amendment in the United States Constitution. However, this new plan goes against our principles of supporting American capitalism, lower taxes and smaller government.

We will continue to fight the liberal idea of larger government, less freedom and more bureaucracy no matter what party name it hides behind.

Prior Related Articles:

Congressman Rick Crawford Responds to ARRA News Service
Rep. Crawford Calls for 5% Tax on Millionaires and Sen. Schumer Hits GOP On More Wedge Issues
Republican Rick Crawford To Propose Millionaire's Tax

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Tags: Arkansas, Baxter County, Millionaires Tax, Ozark TEA Party, Richard Caster, Larry McQuatters, proposed bill, Congressman Rick Crawford, taxes, TEA Party To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Gallup: "Solid Majority Of Americans" Want Keystone XL Pipeline

Update 3:10 PM: The Senate passed (96-3) the House passed (417-2) scaled down version of S.2038, the STOCK Act (Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge). The bill also included measures to assure that the senior administration officials are covered by the insider trading ban. The bill now goes to the president and he said he would sign the bill.

In addition, the House passed (223-181) H.R. 5, the Protecting Access to Healthcare (PATH) Act, which would repeal a government board tasked with finding Medicare savings, and institute medical tort reform across the country. Several Democrats said they would have supported IPAB repeal because they feared the board could recommend Medicare cuts without having to gauge the opinion of Congress. However they objected to the tort reform language that imposed a nationwide limit of $250,000 in punitive damages in medical lawsuits. IT will now be interesting how or even if the Senate considers this bill.
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"The latest installment of the Obama theatre of the absurd plays out today in Cushing, Oklahoma, where Obama, who personally stopped the building of the pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to Texas, is now attempting to take credit for the private company, TransCanada, decision to build the southernmost portion of the Keystone XL. . . . If Obama were a private company making similar claims as he is making today, he would be fined by the FTC for false advertising. But like any other con man, he knows he only has to fool some of the people for a short while longer." ~ Bill Wilson, Americans for Limited Government

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Today in Washington, D.C. - March 22, 2012:
Yesterday, the Senate voted 76-22 to invoke cloture on the JOBS Act. Today, the Senate  resumed consideration of H.R. 3606, the bipartisan House-passed JOBS Act.

At 12:30 PM, the Senate will begin a series of 7 roll call votes. The first two votes will be on amendments to the JOBS Act offered by Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR). Following those votes, the Senate will vote on final passage of H.R. 3606.

Then, the Senate will vote on cloture on the House amendment to S. 2038, the STOCK Act, prohibiting insider trading in Congress. Following that, the Senate will vote on 3 district court nominees.

The House is still addressing H.R. 5 - Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2011. Final vote on the bill may occur today.

Today, President Obama will speak at a pipe yard in Cushing, Oklahoma, where the southern portion of the Keystone XL pipeline will begin. The Washington Post describes his efforts as “a concerted effort to turn political weakness into strength on two critical election-year issues that have become big vulnerabilities for President Obama: rising gas prices and the controversial health-care law.” Unfortunately, it’s just more talk, as Obama’s energy policies continue to make things worse. Americans For Prosperity and numerous other organizations will also be attendance or at least near the event to protest President's Obama real actions of blocking the Keystone pipeline and other American oil industry jobs and access to American oil.  Wonder how much fuel and tax dollars Mr. Obama wasted on this another campaign event (stunt).

Bloomberg News writes, “President Barack Obama’s promise to expedite review of the southern leg of TransCanada Corp’s Keystone XL pipeline won’t speed up the timeline for the project, which already is slated to start construction as soon as June. TransCanada is awaiting permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the last it needs to begin construction on the phase of the pipeline that will carry crude from the oil storage hub at Cushing, Oklahoma, to Gulf Coast refineries, Terry Cunha, a spokesman for the Calgary-based company, said in an e-mail message yesterday. ‘We expect to receive the permits in time to begin construction in 2012 and be operational in 2013,’ he said.”

The Bloomberg story explains, “Obama in January denied a permit for the Keystone XL to bring oil-sands crude from Canada to the Texas coast, citing environmental concerns. TransCanada announced plans Feb. 27 to proceed with just the Cushing-to-Gulf segment of the pipeline. The project is expected to ease a supply bottleneck in Oklahoma by eventually bringing as much as 830,000 barrels of oil a day to Texas refineries. Since the Cushing phase doesn’t cross an international border, it doesn’t require permission from the U.S. Department of State and president, as the full project did. Nonetheless, the Obama administration immediately endorsed TransCanada’s Cushing plan and released a statement in February saying the White House will ‘take every step possible to expedite the necessary federal permits.’ Obama’s new designation of the pipeline as an infrastructure priority was dismissed by Republicans as political window dressing on a project that’s already well under way to deflect criticism Obama has received for refusing to approve the northern segment of TransCanada’s line.”

Indeed, Bloomberg notes, “Michael Brune, executive director of the San Francisco- based Sierra Club, the largest grassroots environmental group in the country, said the president’s decision to issue an executive order to speed up permitting for the southern portion of the Keystone pipeline ‘may have been a political calculation for the administration.’”

The White House is undoubtedly feeling pressure in the wake of the president’s rejection of the full Keystone XL pipeline, especially now given a new Gallup poll out today. Gallup finds, “A solid majority of Americans think the U.S. government should approve of building the Keystone XL pipeline . . . .” Fifty-seven percent of those polled say the government should approve the pipeline. Eighty-one percent of Republicans, 51% if independents, and even a plurality of Democrats agree that the pipeline should be approved.

Gallup goes on to note, “The pipeline would travel through the Midwest and the South, and Americans in those two regions are the most likely to approve of the project. Nearly 7 in 10 Midwesterners want the government to approve the building of the pipeline and 61% of those in the South do as well. There has been discussion in Washington and in the media about the potential new jobs the pipeline project would create, which may partly explain the higher support seen in those regions.” Further, Gallup writes, “Americans who say they are very closely following news about the Keystone XL pipeline overwhelmingly think the government should approve the building of it, 78% to 22%.”

So today, the president is going to attempt to take credit for a part of the pipeline that never required his approval and wasn’t really controversial in the first place. And yet he refused the permit for TransCanada to build the full pipeline, which would create tens of thousands of jobs, allow the United States to get more oil from our friends and allies in Canada, and get more oil from American oil fields in North Dakota to refineries. President Obama even personally lobbied Senate Democrats to reject a bill to authorize the full pipeline earlier this month.

A “solid majority” of Americans support the full Keystone XL pipeline, as do labor unions, various Democrats, and even the president’s own jobs council. As Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said, “Most Americans strongly support building this pipeline and the jobs that would come with it.  And it’s incomprehensible to me that the President of the United States is lobbying against it. . . . [F]rankly, it’s hard to even comprehend how out of touch he is on this issue.”

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Tags: US Senate, Jobs Act, STOCK Act, insider trading bill, US House, President Obama, Keystone, Gallup poll, America favors keystone To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom

The Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom is being held Friday, March 23 at noon, local time, outside federal buildings, Congressional offices and historic sites across the country. The theme for the Rally is “Stand Up for Religious Freedom—Stop the HHS Mandate!”

Thousands of Americans of all faiths will be participating in these peaceful rallies, organized by the Pro-Life Action League and Citizens for a Pro-Life Society to oppose the new mandate from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that requires all employers provide free contraceptives, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs through their health plans, even in violation of their consciences.

Religious leaders and other public figures will speak out against the HHS Mandate at each Rally site. Holding signs reading “Stand Up for Religious Freedom” and “Stop the HHS Mandate,” participants will offer hymns and prayers for our nation and pass out literature to the public about why the HHS Mandate is unconstitutional and un-American.

The Nationwide Rally for Religious Freedom will be a peaceful, family-friendly, non-partisan, ecumenical event. For more information, please see the Rally Guidelines and Protocols, below.

Cities in the following 44 states and the District of Columbia will be participating: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia,  Washington, Wisconsin.

Where are the people of Arkansas, Delaware, Montana, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming?

List of Cities and Towns By State Participating in the Rally
All rallies start at noon local time, Friday March 23, unless otherwise noted. Signs will be provided. It is not necessary to RSVP.

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Tags: Nationwide Rally, Stand Up, Religious Freedom, pro-life, States, To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

If I Were The Devil: Paul Harvey's Warning To America

ARRA News Service reader "Navyman" Norm Beznoska Jr. provided the following contribution and comment:  "Forty Seven years ago in 1965, radio commentator Paul Harvey gave the following recorded speech, which was re-broadcast in 1993. His prophetic words describe our country today; EXACTLY how Satan would want it. Listen closely to his words and please pass on to everyone you know.  God help us all if WE don't humble ourselves, get down our knees and beg for God's "forgiveness and MERCY".......before it's too late!"


[YouTube Video Source] Also, H/T Barbra Curtis on Mommy Life for the comment: "Eerie. This is a 1993 broadcast of a piece he wrote in the 60's."

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Tags: Paul Harvey, 1965, If I Were The Devil, video, America, warning to America, Satan To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

H-1B Visas Take American Jobs

by Phyllis Schlafly, Eagle Forum: When President Obama was participating in a live video chat, Jennifer Wedel asked him, "Why does the government continue to issue and extend H-1B visas when there are tons of Americans just like my husband with no job?" Her husband is a semiconductor engineer laid off three years ago and still unable to find an engineering job.

We all would like the answer to that question.

The U.S. Census Bureau reports that, counting only U.S.-born individuals, there are 101,000 with an engineering degree who are unemployed, another 244,000 who are not working or not looking for work and therefore not counted in unemployment statistics, and an additional 1.47 million who have an engineering degree but are not working as an engineer.

Obama's answer to Mrs. Wedel sounded like he had been well briefed by the big corporation lobbyists. He even expressed bewilderment that any U.S. high-tech engineer could be out of work because industry executives tell him there is an unfilled "huge demand" for engineers.

Obama said, "H-1Bs should be reserved only for those companies who say they cannot find somebody in that particular field." Yes, indeed, they should. But in fact they are not.

Created in 1990, the H-1B program was designed for employers to import foreign H-1B workers to fill various high-tech jobs only when Americans could not be found, and the law was supposed to make it illegal for an employer to replace an American with an H-1B worker. However, the big corporation lobbyists succeeded in fuzzying up the law so there is now no effective rule to prevent employers from firing American jobholders and replacing them with H-1B aliens.

Big companies prefer H-1B workers because they can pay them significantly less than Americans, never have to give them a raise or promotion, and have the unilateral power to deport them. H-1B workers don't dare to complain about working conditions or unpaid long hours, and can't quit to take a better job.

Most H-1B workers are imported for entry-level jobs and trained by experienced U.S. workers who are then laid off. This process has introduced a new expression and acronym into the English language: DYOG: "Dig Your Own Grave."

One Senator understands this problem: Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA). In a letter to the President last month, he pointed out how Obama's response to Jennifer Wedel shows he is only regurgitating the corporation lobbyists' sales talk with their phony mantra that "there are better and brighter people abroad."

Grassley said "thousands of qualified Americans remain out of work while companies are incentivized to import foreign workers." Grassley criticized the Obama administration for proposing new rules to "attract and retain highly skilled immigrants" to replace Americans, to expand eligibility for foreign students to remain in the U.S., to eliminate protections for U.S. workers, to allow employers to pay lower wages to alien workers, and to give work authorizations to spouses of H-1B workers, thereby increasing competition for Americans looking for all kinds of jobs.

Obama has made expanding H-1Bs a feature of his reelection campaign, trying to broaden the program that already allows the importation of 65,000 H-1B visa aliens annually. Some people are even pushing the ridiculous notion of stapling a green card to college diplomas, so that foreigners would automatically be allowed to stay and work in our country.

Will that include the 57,000 Chinese undergraduates now in U.S. universities, most of whom were admitted on the basis of fake transcripts and recommendation letters, and are awarded college degrees for which they did not qualify? That's another racket that should be cleaned up.

Dickinson State University in North Dakota awarded degrees to 584 foreign students who did not earn them. On the day of an all-campus student meeting concerning this matter, Education Dean Douglas LaPlante was found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot.

Media coverage of Obama's colloquy with Mrs. Wedel focused on inviting her to send her husband's resume, but the real news should have been jobs. Is Obama ignorant of the unemployment reality facing U.S. engineers, or is he disingenuously reciting the self-serving lies of his high-tech donors?

A good example of how the H-1B visa system works was described in a lawsuit filed against Molina Healthcare Inc., which handles Medicaid and Medicare paperwork for the government, and Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., which recruits H-1B workers in India. On January 14, 2010, one day after the Department of Labor approved Molina's application for 40 H-1B workers, Molina fired approximately 40 competent U.S. programmers, managers and analysts and hired 40 H-1B replacements imported by Cognizant from India.

That is how H-1B visas work in the real world to take jobs away from Americans.

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Tags: IH-1B, Visa, visas, lost jobs, American jobs, foreign labor, Phyllis Schlafly, Eagle Forum, university fraud, educational fraud, immigration To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

National Ad: Gas Prices

Crossroads GPS: Tell Obama his energy policies aren't working for us!

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Tags: Obama, Barack Obama, Energy, Gas, Gas Prices, Keystone XL, Jobs, Unemployment, EPA, Regulations, Crossroads GPS, advertisement To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!

Code Red: Broken ObamaCare Promises

The Democrats’ Health Law Has Failed To Deliver On Promise After Promise

PROMISE #1: ‘If You Like Your Plan, You'll Be Able To Keep It’PRESIDENT OBAMA: “If you like your current plan, you will be able to keep it. Let me repeat that: if you like your plan, you'll be able to keep it.” (President Obama, Remarks At The White House, Washington, D.C., 7/21/09)

‘The Law Could Leave More Than Half Of Employers Without A Grandfathered Plan’THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: “The law could leave more than half of employers without a grandfathered plan in 2013, the draft estimated. Its worst-case assumption is that 80% of small-employers will lose grandfathered rights by 2013. New plans would have to comply with all the bill's requirements; grandfathered plans could avoid elements such as limits on cost sharing.” (“Draft Health Rules Set Hurdles,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/12/10)

Obama Administration: “Under this assumption, the Departments’ mid-range estimate is that 66 percent of small employer plans and 45 percent of large employer plans will relinquish their grandfather status by the end of 2013. The low-end estimates are for 49 percent and 34 percent of small and large employer plans, respectively, to have relinquished grandfather status, and the high-end estimates are 80 percent and 64 percent, respectively.” (Federal Register, Vol.75, No.116, P.15-16, 6/17/10)

PROMISE #2: ‘I Will Protect Medicare’PRESIDENT OBAMA: “So don't pay attention to those scary stories about how your benefits will be cut … that will not happen on my watch. I will protect Medicare.” (President Obama, Remarks To Joint Session Of Congress, 9/9/09)

$529 Billion Cut From Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Medicare Advantage, And Much More…SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “Some of our critics on the other side of the aisle have said, ‘you know, they're [Democrats] going to cut hundreds of billions of dollars out of Medicare.’ and the simple answer is, yes.” (Sen. Durbin, Floor Remarks, 3/4/10)

More Than $150 Billion In Cuts To Hospitals, Nursing Homes, And Hospice“Ensuring Medicare Sustainability… -156.6 [Billion Dollars].” “TITLE III—Improving The Quality And Efficiency Of Health Care; Subtitle E—Ensuring Medicare Sustainability; 3401 Revision of Certain Market Basket Updates and Incorporation of services Productivity Improvements into Market Basket Updates that do not Already Incorporate Such Improvements (effect of productivity adjustment for home health included in estimate for section 3131)… 2010-2019… -156.6 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Nancy Pelosi, P.14, 3/18/10)

More Than $200 Billion In Cuts To Medicare Advantage
“Medicare Advantage Payments… -131.9 [Billion Dollars].” “TITLE III—Improving The Quality And Efficiency Of Health Care; Subtitle C—Provisions Relating to Part C; Medicare Advantage Payments… 2010-2019… -131.9 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Pelosi, P.13, 3/18/10)

“Medicare Advantage Interactions… -70.4 [Billion Dollars].” “Interactions; Medicare Advantage Interactions… 2010-2019… -70.4 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Pelosi, P.18, 3/18/10)

CBO: Medicare cuts could “reduce access to care or diminish the quality of care.” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, P. 1, 17, 11/18/09)

PROMISE # 3 ‘This Law Will Lower Premiums’PRESIDENT OBAMA: “Families will save on their premiums.” (President Obama, Remarks After Meeting With Senate Democrats, 12/15/09)

OBAMA: “Your employer, it's estimated, would see premiums fall by as much as 3,000 percent … which means they could give you a raise.” (“Will Health Care Bill Lower Premiums?” The Associated Press, 3/17/10)

OBAMA: “This law will lower premiums.” (President Obama, Remarks To ‘Families USA,’ 1/28/11)

SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): “Bringing down costs of health insurance and making it more affordable is job one for this health care reform.” (Sen. Dick Durbin, Floor Remarks, 12/18/09)

CBO: The Law Will Increase Premiums On Families By $2,100 Per YearCBO: “Average premiums per policy in the nongroup market in 2016 would be roughly $5,800 for single policies and $15,200 for family policies under the proposal, compared with roughly $5,500 for single policies and $13,100 for family policies under current law. The weighted average of the differences in those amounts equals the change of 10 percent to 13 percent in the average premium per person…” (Emphasis In Original; CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Bayh, P. 6, 11/30/09)

WALL STREET JOURNAL: “The health-insurance premiums paid by employers rose sharply this year, with the average annual cost of family coverage passing the $15,000 mark for the first time, according to a major survey.” (“Employer Health Premiums Rise Sharply,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/27/11)

“The average annual family premium for 2011 was $15,073, up from $13,770 last year.” (“Employer Health Premiums Rise Sharply,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/27/11)

“…increase was tied to provisions of the federal health care overhaul…” (“Employer Health Premiums Rise Sharply,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/27/11)

PROMISE #4: ‘Slow The Growth Of Health Care Costs’PRESIDENT OBAMA: “And it will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government.” (President Obama, Remarks To Joint Session Of Congress, 9/9/09)

CMS: ‘Expenditures Under The Health Reform Act Would Increase By A Total Of $311 Billion’CMS ACTUARY RICHARD FOSTER: “[W]e estimate that overall national health expenditures under the health reform act would increase by a total of $311 billion (0.9 percent) during calendar years 2010-2019...” (CMS Actuary Richard Foster, Memo, P.4, 4/22/10)

FOSTER: “The NHE share of GDP is projected to be 21.0 percent in 2019, compared to 20.8 percent under prior law.” (CMS Actuary Richard Foster, Memo, P.16, 4/22/10)

CBO: “The legislation will increase the federal budgetary commitment to health care (the sum of net federal outlays for health programs and tax preferences for health care) by $390 billion over the next 10 years.” (“The Effects Of Health Reform On The Federal Budget,” CBO, 4/12/10)

PROMISE #5: ‘Federal Conscience Laws Will Remain In Place’PRESIDENT OBAMA: “And one more misunderstanding I want to clear up -- under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place.” (President Obama, Remarks To A Joint Session Of Congress, 9/9/09)

HHS Regulations ‘Would Force Practically All Employers, Including Many Religious Institutions, To Pay For Abortion Inducing Drugs’ARCHBISHOP DOLAN: “…on January 20, the Department of Health and Human Services announced a decision to issue final regulations that would force practically all employers, including many religious institutions, to pay for abortion inducing drugs, sterilizations, and contraception. The regulations would provide no protections for our great institutions—such as Catholic charities, hospitals, and universities—or for the individual faithful in the marketplace. The regulations struck at the heart of our fundamental right to religious liberty, which affects our ability to serve those outside our faith community.” (Archbishop Dolan, Letter To U.S. Bishops, 2/23/12)

PROMISE #6: ‘My Plan Won’t Raise Your Taxes One Penny’SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): “And if you're a family making less than $250,000 a year, my plan won't raise your taxes one penny -- not your income taxes, not your payroll taxes, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.” (Barack Obama, Remarks, Orlando, FL, 8/3/08)

TAX HIKES: Billions In Taxes On Small Businesses, Private Health Insurance Plans, Medical Device Manufacturers, And OthersSEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D-LA): “Yes, we’ve had to raise some taxes and fees to pay for this bill.” (CSPAN’s Washington Journal, 12/22/09)

$50 BILLION IN TAXES ON EMPLOYERS
“Penalty Payments By Employers… 2010-2019… -52 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Rep. Nancy Pelosi, P.8, 3/18/10)

$30 BILLION IN TAXES ON PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS
Tax On Private Health Insurance Plans: “32.0 [Billion Dollars].” JCT: “I. Revenue Provisions 1. 40% excise tax on health coverage in excess of $10,200/$27,500 (subject to adjustment for unexpected increase in medical costs prior to effective date) and increased thresholds of $1,650/$3,450 for over age 55 retirees or certain high-risk professions, both indexed for inflation by CPI-U plus 1%; adjustment based on age and gender profile of employees; vision and dental excluded from excise tax; levied at insurer level; employer aggregates and issues information return for insurers indicating amount subject to the excise tax; nondeductible… 2010-2019… 32.0 [Billion Dollars].” (“Estimated Revenue Effects Of The Amendment In The Nature Of A Substitute To H.R. 4872, The “Reconciliation Act Of 2010,” In Combination With The Revenue Effects Of H.R. 3590, The "Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act ('PPACA')," As Passed By The Senate,” Joint Committee On Taxation, P.1, 3/18/10)

“The fee on health insurance providers… Taxes may be borne by: consumers in the form of higher prices; owners of firms in the form of lower profits; employees of firms in the form of lower wages; or other suppliers to firms in the form of lower payments. … we estimate that eliminating this fee could decrease the average family premium in 2016 by $350 to $400.” (Thomas Barthold, Chief Of Staff Joint Committee On Taxation, Letter To Sen. Kyl, P.2, 5, 6/3/11)

$20 BILLION IN TAXES ON MEDICAL DEVICE MANUFACTURERS
“Excise Tax On Manufacturers And Importers Of Certain Medical Devices… 20.0 [Billion Dollars].” JCT: “Impose 2.9% excise tax on manufacturers and importers of certain medical devices… 2010-2019… 20.0 [Billion Dollars].” (“Estimated Revenue Effects Of The Amendment In The Nature Of A Substitute To H.R. 4872, The “Reconciliation Act Of 2010,” In Combination With The Revenue Effects Of H.R. 3590, The "Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act ('PPACA')," As Passed By The Senate,” Joint Committee On Taxation, P.2, 3/18/10)

PROMISE #7: Mandate Not ‘The Solution’SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): “Here's the concern. If you haven't made it affordable, how are you going to enforce a mandate. I mean, if a mandate was the solution, we can try that to solve homelessness by mandating everybody to buy a house.” (CNN’s “American Morning,” 2/5/08)

CBO: “Federal mandates that apply to individuals as members of society are extremely rare. One example is the requirement that draft-age men register with the Selective Service System. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is not aware of any others imposed by current federal law.” (“Budgetary Treatment Of An Individual Mandate To Buy Insurance,” Congressional Budget Office, P.13, 8/94)

“Penalty Payments By Employers And Uninsured Individuals… 2010-2019… 36 [Billion Dollars].” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, P.6, 11/18/09)

INDIVIDUALS: “A person without insurance could be required to pay a financial penalty, starting at $95 in 2014 and rising to $750 in 2016, with a maximum of $2,250 for a family.” (“Senate Health Plan Seeks To Add Coverage To 31 Million,” The New York Times, 11/19/09)

COMPANIES: “Firms with more than 50 workers that did not offer coverage would have to pay a penalty of $750 for each full-time worker if any of their workers obtained subsidized coverage through the insurance exchanges; that dollar amount would be indexed.” (CBO Director Doug Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Harry Reid, P.7, 11/18/09)

PROMISE #8: ‘Broadcasting Those Negotiations On C-SPAN’SEN. BARACK OBAMA (D-IL): "That's what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors, but bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are, because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process." (Sen. Obama, Presidential Debate, 1/31/08)

‘C-SPAN Cameras Won’t See The Real Action’“After months of buildup, the historic debate on health care reform opens on the senate floor Monday — but the C-SPAN cameras won’t see the real action.” (“Dems Seek Deal As Sen. Debate Begins,” Politico, 11/30/09)

“But now, as a senate vote on health-care legislation nears, those negotiations are occurring in a setting that is anything but revolutionary in Washington: three senators are working on the bill behind closed doors.” (“Small Group Now Leads Closed Negotiations On Health-Care Bill,” The Washington Post, 10/18/09)

“…there are controversial special provisions of the Senate health reform bill ... First up, the ‘Louisiana Purchase.’ … Landrieu said in a speech on the Senate floor Feb. 4th that critics should ‘shut their mouth.’” (“White House Cuts Special Help For Nebraska, But Other Deals Remain In Reform Bill,” ABC News, 2/22/10)

“[Nelson’s] involvement with the Affordable Care Act--including the ‘Cornhusker Kickback,’ or the perception that he tried to sell his vote for favorable language in the bill--left a bad taste in voters' mouths.” (“Nebraska Yet Another Blow To Senate Democrats' Hopes,” U.S. News & World Report, 12/28/11)

“… a backroom deal for Florida that was nicknamed ‘Gator Aid.’” (“Florida Poll: Healthcare Law Hurts Obama, Democrats,” The Miami Herald, 3/28/10)

“…calling the carve-out the ‘Bismarck Bank Job.’” (“Conrad Drops Support For North Dakota Provision To Avoid Controversy,” The Hill, 3/18/10)

“Critics are mocking it as ‘the Rocky Top vote swap.’” (“Health Bill Vote In Sight, Dems Seeking Gains Include Provision For TN Hospitals,” Knoxville News, 3/20/10)

PROMISE #9: ‘Will Not Sign It If It Adds One Dime To The Deficit’PRESIDENT OBAMA: “I will not sign it if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future, period.” (President Obama, Remarks To Joint Session Of Congress, 9/9/09)

‘New Reform Law Will Raise The Deficit By More Than $500 Billion During The First Ten Years’DAVID BRODER, The Washington Post: “Every expert I have talked to says that the public has it right. These bills, as they stand, are budget-busters.” (David Broder, Op-Ed, “A Budget-Buster In The Making,” The Washington Post, 11/22/09)

DOUG HOLTZ-EAKIN & MICHAEL RAMLET: “A more comprehensive and realistic projection suggests that the new reform law will raise the deficit by more than $500 billion during the first ten years and by nearly $1.5 trillion in the following decade.” (“Health Care Reform Is Likely To Widen Federal Budget Deficits, Not Reduce Them,” Health Affairs, 6/10)

PROMISE #10: Medical Liability Reform: ‘This Is Going To Be A Priority For Me’PRESIDENT OBAMA: “I want to work with the AMA so we can scale back the excessive defensive medicine that reinforces our current system, and shift to a system where we are providing better care, simply -- rather than simply more treatment. So this is going to be a priority for me.” (President Obama, Remarks To The AMA, Chicago, IL, 6/15/09)

‘Tort Reform Is Not In The Bill Is Because The People Who Wrote It Did Not Want To Take On The Trial Lawyers’
“It is the sense of the Senate that— health care reform presents an opportunity to address issues related to medical malpractice and medical liability insurance.” (S .Amdt 2786 To H.R. 3590, “Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act,” P. 1858)

HOWARD DEAN, Former DNC Chairman: “The reason that tort reform is not in the bill is because the people who wrote it did not want to take on the trial lawyers in addition to everyone else they were taking on. And that is the plain and simple truth.” (Howard Dean, VA Town Hall Event, Minute 2, 8/26/09)

PROMISE #11: ‘Those Who Voted For Health Care Will Find It An Asset’SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “By November, those who voted for health care will find it an asset, those who voted against it will find it a liability…” (“Schumer Predicts Health Care Popularity,” Roll Call, 3/28/10)

‘Healthcare Reform Law Cost Democratic Incumbents 5.8 Percentage Points Of Support’“Democrats grossly underestimated the political damage of pushing through health care reform and that the issue is a primary reason democrats are set up for big losses come November.” (“Just How Damaging Was The Health Care Debate For Dems?” Time’s “Swampland” Blog, 9/1/10)

“Democrats in the lead-up to the elections took a number of tough votes — notably on the Wall Street bailout, the stimulus and cap-and-trade — but none was as unpopular as their support for the healthcare reform law.” (“Study: Votes In Favor Of Healthcare Reform Cost Dems 5.8 Points In 2010 Vote,” The Hill, 3/8/12)

“Voting for President Obama's healthcare reform law cost Democratic incumbents 5.8 percentage points of support at the polls in 2010, according to a new study in the journal American Politics Research.” (“Study: Votes In Favor Of Healthcare Reform Cost Dems 5.8 Points In 2010 Vote,” The Hill, 3/8/12)

AMERICAN POLITICS RESEARCH STUDY: “Our results suggest that the apparent effect of health care reform is not the result of extrapolation. The vote share of Democrats who supported health care reform was 5.8 points lower than that of the most comparable Democrats who opposed the bill.” (American Politics Research Study, Pg. 18, 3/6/12)

“Party officials in Washington can’t identify a single house member who’s running an ad boasting of a ‘yes’ vote.” (“Democrats Run Away From Health Care,” Politico, 9/5/10)

THIS MONTH: “The poll found that 35 percent of Americans support the health care law overhaul, while 47 percent oppose it… Opposition remains strongest among seniors, many of whom object that Medicare cuts were used to help finance coverage for younger uninsured people.” (“AP-Gfk Poll: Obama’s Health Overhaul Still Unpopular, But Fewer Expect Own Care To Worsen,” The Associated Press, 3/9/12)

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Tags: Code Red, Obama care, failed promises, Barack Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, democrats, Federal Health Care To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!