Health Care Reform

Floor Speech

Health Care Reform

(Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, under the new health care reform law, we find the Internal Revenue Service has been appointed as the health insurance police.

The Ways and Means Committee reports the following: IRS agents will have to verify that you have acceptable health care coverage, which has yet to be defined. That used to be your decision. Now, it's a decision to be made by an appointed Federal official. If they don't find your coverage acceptable or if you don't have coverage, the IRS can fine you up to $2,250, or 2 percent of your income.

One of the rubs is that the fine is much cheaper than buying health care coverage; and when you get sick, you can still buy coverage that will apply.

Now, if you can't pay the fine the IRS assesses, they have the power to confiscate your tax refund.

This new police force will require about $1 billion a year and more than 16,000 new Federal employees. But, of course, the new law did not include money to pay for this vast expansion of power for the IRS. It's just one more example of the Democrats' deficit spending.

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