House Passes Military 2014 Appropriations Bill | AP: Obamacare May Turn Out To Be Unaffordable For Many

DOD 2014 House Appropriation Bill Is Passed 

Today in Washington, DC - June 14, 2013
The Senate Was not in session today. It will reconvene on Monday at 2 PM. At 5 PM, the Senate will vote on two district judge nominees and then resume consideration of S. 744, the immigration reform bill.

The House finished and passed (315-108) H.R. 1960 — "To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2014 for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes."

Yesterday, the ARRA News Service identified various Amendments which were voted on in regard to H.R. 1960. In addition there were numerous amendments were passed by block voice vote with the number only identified with other numbers. The same is true for today. The only way you will know what they include is to do detailed research on each Amendment. Below are a few of the additional votes today:
Approved Amendments:
Walz (D–MN): Amendment No. 53 – Requires the Government Accountability office to submit a report to Congress regarding the Department of Defense's use of Personality/Adjustment disorders as a basis to separate members from the Armed Forces. – ADOPTED BY VOICE
Turner (R–OH): Amendment No. 21 – Requires the President of the United States to convey to Congress the details of any proposed deals with the Russian Federation concerning the missile defense or nuclear arms of the United States. – ADOPTED 239 – 182
Walorski (R-IN): Amendment No. 19 - Prohibits the Secretary of Defense from using any funds authorized to the department for the transfer or release of Guantanamo detainees to Yemen. – ADOPTED 236 – 188
Blumenauer (D–OR), Kinzinger (R–IL), Gabbard (D–HI), and Stivers (R–OH): Amendment No. 123 – Strengthens and reform the Iraq and Afghanistan Special Immigration Visa programs, and expressing the sense of the House that these programs are of significant importance to the US mission, and should be extended and reformed before their expiration. – ADOPTED 420 – 3
DeLauro (D–CT), Granger (R–TX), Moran (D–VA), Kingston (R–GA), Ellison (D–MN), Wolf (R–VA), and Connolly (D–VA): Amendment No. 137 – Prohibits the Defense Department from continuing to purchase equipment from the Russian arms dealer Rosoboronexport unless the Secretary of Defense certifies that the firm is cooperating with a Defense Contract Audit Agency audit, not delivering S–300 missile defense batteries to Syria, and that no new contracts have been signed by the firm with Syria since January 1, 2013. Provides a national security waiver with a requirement that the Secretary justify the waiver in a report to Congress 30 days prior to the purchase of any equipment from Rosoboronexport. – ADOPTED 423 – 0

Disapproved Amendments:
Holt (D–NJ): Amendment No. 22 – Strikes all of subtitle C (Missile Defense Programs) of Title II except section 237 (Iron Dome program). – REJECTED 61 – 362
McCollum (D–MN): Amendment No. 25 – Prohibits any funds authorized in the bill from being used to sponsor Army National Guard professional wrestling sports sponsorships or motor sports sponsorships. The amendment does not prohibit recruiters from making direct, personal contact with secondary school students and other prospective recruits. – REJECTED 134 – 289
Nolan (D–MN): Amendment No. 32 – Reduces total funds authorized in this Act by $60 Billion. – REJECTED 71 – 353
Cooper (D–TN): Amendment No. 33 – Reinstates the New START funding. – REJECTED 195 – 229
Gibson (R–NY), Garamendi (D–CA): Amendment No. 36 – Strikes section 1251, Sense of Congress on the Conflict in Syria. – REJECTED 123 – 301
Coffman (R–CO), Griffith (R–VA), Polis (D–CO), Blumenauer (D–OR): Amendment No.37 – Directs the President of the United States to end the permanent basing of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment (2CR) in Vilseck, Germany and return the Brigade Combat Team currently stationed in Europe to the United States, without permanent replacement, leaving one Brigade Combat Team and one Combat Aviation Brigade––nothing in this amendment should be construed as directing the removal of Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, nor certain quick–reaction forces. – REJECTED 110 – 313
Smith (D-WA), Moran (D-VA), Nadler (D-NY): Amendment No. 20 - Mandates closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba by December 1, 2014 and strikes all prohibitions on transfers of detainees to the U.S. and overseas. – REJECTED 174 – 249
Polis (D-CO): Amendment No. 14 - Allows those certified by recognized nontheistic organizations to be appointed as officers in the chaplain core in order to fully serve nontheistic or nonreligious service members. – REJECTED 150 – 274
Polis (D–CO): Amendment No. 23 – Limits funding for advanced procurement of inefficient ground–based interceptor rocket motor sets, and the costly refurbishment of Missile Field 1 at Fort Greely, Alaska, until the Secretary of Defense makes certain certifications to Congress, including that the Commander of the United States Northern Command has full confidence in the homeland missile defense system. – REJECTED 146 – 278
Van Hollen (D–MD) , Moran (D–VA), Mulvaney (R–SC), Woodall (R–GA): Amendment No. 39 – Cuts OCO funding by $5.04 billion from the Ryan Budget level down to the President's Budget Request. – REJECTED 191 – 232

After passage of  FY 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 1960), Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) praised the bipartisan House passage of the bill.  He said, "This bipartisan bill underscores our commitment to supporting our men and women in uniform and making sure they have the resources and tools they need to keep America safe.  I am pleased the bill maintains the bipartisan prohibition against transferring terrorist detainees from the Guantanamo Bay prison to the United States.  I am also pleased that the bill takes significant steps to address the rampant number of sexual assault cases in the military.  As I’ve said, the rising number of sexual assault cases in the military is a national disgrace and Chairman McKeon and Rep. Turner deserve credit for their work on this issue, and the entire bill.  We owe our service men and women, and their families, a debt of gratitude for the courage and sacrifices they have made on behalf of the American people.”

Also, today, Republican Study Committee Chairman Steve Scalise (R-LA) addressed the DOL May Jobs Report. He said, "May’s jobs report is yet another example of the failed Obama economy.  The American people want to see the President focused on supporting legislation that will help create jobs and promote a healthy economy.  The numerous recent scandals, like the IRS, AP and Benghazi, clearly show that President Obama has lost the trust of the American people and control of his Administration.

"President Obama should put an end to the political thuggery that we have exposed, and start working with Republicans to enact legislation to create jobs and get the economy back on track.  With over 11 million Americans out of work, it is long past time for this Administration to realize that big government, higher taxes, and more federal spending are not the answers to revitalizing our economy.  The out-of-control Obama administration continues to abuse power and violate the rights of hard working American families."
Again - another day brings yet another news story showing that the sales pitches Democrats used on Obamacare are turning to simply not be accurate.

The AP reported yesterday, “It’s called the Affordable Care Act, but President Barack Obama’s health care law may turn out to be unaffordable for many low-wage workers, including employees at big chain restaurants, retail stores and hotels. That might seem strange since the law requires medium-sized and large employers to offer ‘affordable’ coverage or face fines. . . . The law is complicated, but essentially companies with 50 or more full-time workers are required to offer coverage that meets certain basic standards and costs no more than 9.5 percent of an employee’s income. Failure to do so means fines for the employer. (Full-time work is defined as 30 or more hours a week, on average.) But do the math from the worker’s side: For an employee making $21,000 a year, 9.5 percent of their income could mean premiums as high as $1,995 and the insurance would still be considered affordable. Even a premium of $1,000 — close to the current average for employee-only coverage — could be unaffordable for someone stretching earnings in the low $20,000’s. With such a small income, ‘there is just not any left over for health insurance,’ said Shannon Demaree, head of actuarial services for the Lockton Benefit Group. ‘What the government is requiring employers to do isn’t really something their low-paid employees want.’ . . . Another thing to keep in mind: premiums wouldn’t be the only expense for employees. For a basic plan, they could also face an annual deductible amounting to $3,000 or so, before insurance starts paying. ‘If you make $20,000, are you really going to buy that?’ asked Tracy Watts, health care reform leader at Mercer, a major benefits consulting firm.”

And, the AP points out, “Many are expected to remain uninsured, possibly risking fines. That’s due to another provision: the law says workers with an offer of ‘affordable’ workplace coverage aren’t entitled to new tax credits for private insurance, which could be a better deal for those on the lower rungs of the middle class.”

As Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell put it yesterday, explaining the impact of Obamacare, “[I]f you’re lucky enough to find a job, your hours get cut.  Maybe your job gets cut altogether. You get a letter in the mail that says, ‘Sorry, your premium’s going up by double-digits.’ Can’t pay the higher premium? Too bad. If you don’t, Uncle Sam slaps you with a penalty tax (and for all the talk of ‘subsidies,’ studies indicate that those payments from taxpayers might not even make up for the higher costs).”

Meanwhile, in California, “For many businesses Obamacare is downright intimidating. The requirement to provide coverage to full-time employees or potentially face thousands of dollars in fines is what’s really worrying some large companies,” KQED’s California Report writes. “Some health care advocates are concerned there will be even more employees . . . applying for [the government health insurance program for low-income Californians] once Obamacare kicks in next year. They fear companies will limit hours for workers just to avoid having to pay for their health insurance.” (A California Democrat’s proposed solution for this? More mandates and fines for employers, of course.)

Little wonder, then, that a new survey of employers finds them particularly concerned with the costs Obamacare imposes on them. As The Wall Street Journal wrote yesterday, “Companies have grown more pessimistic about their ability to avoid higher health-care costs as a result of the Affordable Care Act as the time draws near when all individuals will be required to have health insurance, according to a survey released on Wednesday by benefits consultant Mercer. Just 9% of companies feel the ACA will add less than 1% to their costs next year, compared to 25% that felt in 2011 they would see little or no impact come 2014, Mercer said. Beth Umland, director of research for health and benefits in Mercer’s health and benefits business, said 20% felt so sanguine last year. Further, 19% now expect costs to jump by 5% or more, compared with 15% in 2011.”

Leader McConnell summed up the situation yesterday, saying, “I’m sure the Washington Democrats who drafted Obamacare thought they were striking some blow for quote-unquote ‘fairness’ with these job-crushing ideas. Well, now the youth in our country are finding out what Democrats’ so-called ‘fairness’ means for them: smaller paychecks, or no paychecks at all.”

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