Go ahead, Henry Waxman: Launch another Obamacare witch hunt
Hey, remember back in March when the Democrats’ chief inquisitor on Capitol Hill, Henry Waxman, announced plans to haul up corporate executives who dared to speak the truth about the dire cost consequences of the federal Obamacare mandate?
Now, Waxman is targeting the heads of Deere, Caterpillar, Verizon and AT&T with “invitations” they can’t refuse to testify at an April 21 hearing on their public statements regarding Demcare-caused writedowns. Waxman’s fishing expedition letters sent out last week “asked” the company heads to produce copious documentation.
Business execs are damned if they do disclose how the costs of the new federal health care taxes will hit their bottom line and damned if they don’t. If they stay silent, they’ll be violating Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure requirements passed by Congress after the Enron scandal. If they talk, they’ll be paraded in front of the camera like those poor tobacco heads Waxman waxed more than 15 years ago.
Who’s next? On Monday, Prudential said it would take a $100 million charge in the first quarter thanks to Demcare. In Colorado, the Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. said the health care law will cost $2 million a year starting in 2014. AK Steel Corp., 3M and Valero Energy have all announced similar writedowns. At this rate, if Waxman insists on hauling up every last truth-teller in the marketplace, he’ll be holding an inquisition-a-thon a day.
And that would suit the Witch Hunter of Capitol Hill just fine. If he isn’t meddling, he isn’t working. And if he isn’t using his powers to bully, bulldoze or bankrupt his enemies, he is failing the gods of progressivism.
Waxman backed off, but as I warned, it was only a temporary reprieve.
The truth about Obamacare’s all-too-predictable, real-world consequences keeps coming out and it won’t be long before desperate Dems try to squelch the Obamacare revolt again.
Go ahead, Henry. Double-dog dare you.
Via the WSJ:
Health insurers say they plan to raise premiums for some Americans as a direct result of the health overhaul in coming weeks, complicating Democrats’ efforts to trumpet their signature achievement before the midterm elections.
Insurers say they plan to raise premiums on some Americans due to the health overhaul, complicating Democrats’ efforts to trumpet their signature achievement before elections. Janet Adamy and Evan Newmark discuss. Also, Justin Lahart discusses the two-track economy for American business, with global players getting boosts from fast-growing foreign markets, while companies focused on the U.S. market are hamstrung by recession-scarred consumers.
Aetna Inc., some BlueCross BlueShield plans and other smaller carriers have asked for premium increases of between 1% and 9% to pay for extra benefits required under the law, according to filings with state regulators.
These and other insurers say Congress’s landmark refashioning of U.S. health coverage, which passed in March after a brutal fight, is causing them to pass on more costs to consumers than Democrats predicted.
The rate increases largely apply to policies for individuals and small businesses and don’t include people covered by a big employer or Medicare.
About 9% of Americans buy coverage through the individual market, according to the Census Bureau, and roughly one-fifth of people who get coverage through their employer work at companies with 50 or fewer employees, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. People in both groups are likely to feel the effects of the proposed increases, even as they see new benefits under the law, such as the elimination of lifetime and certain annual coverage caps.
Many carriers also are seeking additional rate increases that they say they need to cover rising medical costs. As a result, some consumers could face total premium increases of more than 20%.
Flare your nostrils. Wave your gavel. Try to bully them into silence, Chairman Waxman. Dissent must be silenced!
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I thinbk now would be a good time to make all the pain of Obama-commie-Kare public.
GAAAA! I think I see an old Studebaker parked in there!
Ole Waxys nose bristles must be standing on end in that proboscis of his – and to think that state of California just let an insurance company raise rates with the states blessing no less.
Particularly amusing in this is that Waxman’s district is already under the scrutiny of the California insurance commissioner.
The rate increases, in Ca, have already been approved by this commissioner. As a part of the commissioners review, is the application of the highly touted limit on corporate profit margins.
A Waxman investigation will only prove that the increases are justified and that Obamacare is failing from the outset!
This a$$-clown takes up so much air, it’s a good thing he has the nose for it!
I’m surprised he can’t smell all the corruption emanating from his
fellow thieves conspiratorsassociates in the House. (Not really…a skunk can’t smell itself!) The stench has stuck to anyone who has participated in the defunding of America. I hope the memory of the odor remains, once Darrell Issa starts collecting any missed evidence.That whirring sound? Does it sound familiar? It should. That’s the sound of the newly replaced Clinton era shredders working overtime.
Obama care particularly hurts the self employed and small businesses. BC/BS of New Mexico recently raised their rates 21.3%. The PRC postured and spewed outrage for the masses but the increase was approved because the Blue cross division of Health Care Services Corporation has been losing money for several years due to New Mexico insurance laws. The people who cry about increases and demand government intervention are too stupid to understand the people they’re begging to save them are the very same people who caused the problem.
Can’t wait until this clown is just another back bencher who can’t get on the news because he doesn’t matter. For over a decade we didn’t have to listen to this bozo, but over the past 4 years, he has made up for lost time, and I for one will be real happy to not hear from him for another decade. And I can’t even imagine a news cast without Schumer, but I will sure enjoy it.
Next year Conservative Republicans, and any reformed Democrats, need to systematically dismantle this and all the other 19th century Marxian Socialist legislation that the Obamacistas have inflicted on America.
Outlaw confiscatory socialism and unregulated government now. A balanced 15% budget is manditory, at a minimum.
Nose-feratu. The blood-sucking liberal, sucking the life out of the economy.
Somewhat related, just heard on Rush that the last GE factory that produces incandescent light bulbs in Winchester, VA will close at the end of the month.
Incandescent bulbs banned as of 2014 – all because of the giant hoax of AGW perpetrated by the likes of this ba$tard.
Damn, I love this site.
JJSefton–do you live near Winchester? I used to live just down the road from the GE plant there. Will they not continue to make those useless curly bulbs?
I have news for you. We ALREADY received our letter from our insurance carrier, way back in April, that our insurance premiums would be increasing by $150/month due to the impending legislation. (yes that was how it was put).
Gird your wallets!
“Dirty” Harry Callahan: “Go ahead punk, make my day.”
Did anyone see the Twilight Zone Episode..”Eye of the Beholder”? Waxman is a dead ringer. I’m just sayin’….
Nope. I live in the heart of communist Manhattan, by NYU (and that’s as fas as I want to go in identifying myself).
Rush only said that the plant was closing. I think we have to make some sort of grass roots attack on the 2007 lightbulb efficiency legislation, which will in effect outlaw the incandescent bulb!
CFL’s are very expensive and, contrary to the propaganda, are efficient only when the bulb is turned on and remains turned on for long periods. Repeatedly flipping the switch (a.k.a. normal operation) will shorten the lifespan significantly.
They also contain poisonous mercury.
One other thing that I am pissed at Bush for, in not vetoing this horrible law.
And then there are the workers who, like a lot of us, are out of a job.
Not bad. But I still prefer
Nostril-damus.
I just explained to my youngest daughter about how you can opt out of obamacare and pay a fine, then, when you get sick, you can just opt in to the plan and be covered. She didn’t believe it. She doesn’t have time to keep up with this stuff, but she is highly intelligent and pretty conservative. She said, “That is the stupidist thing I ever heard! Isn’t insurance based on Shared Risk?” See, most people, when they know what is in the plan, oppose it!! IT.CAN’T.WORK! If only the sick people buy the insurance, the insurers will be broke inside a year. And that is just one small part of this mess that is being forced on the American People. REPEAL!
At the risk of violating protocol, I dispense with the formality of the triple-dare-you.
Triple-dog-dare ya, Waxie!
http://hindenblog1.blogspot.com/2010/09/burn-most-americans-want-term-limits.html
Henry Whackedman…ANOTHER irrefutable argument for TERM LIMITS.
I would be surprised if the CEOs of these companies honored a “call” to explain things to Waxman’s committee. It is very likely that he backed off because of the elections and because some of these CEOs haven’t been shy confronting Obama himself, particularly Caterpillar’s Jim Owens.
(BTW, Fearless Leader is giving his latest “me, me, me,…” speech right now.)
All of these petty dictator wanna bes need to get over themselves. They were never elected to control all aspects of our lives. They aren’t smart enough to even try. Silliness like this just makes the backlash even bigger. The torches and pitchforks are coming.
O’l Waxoff himself may soon become a guest of honor at one of those ‘hearings’ should the Republicans gain control of the House in November.
Whoville wants its’ mayor back.
I bet a few more people will be following the corporate campaign contributions this year.
Gee Piglet, why don’t you get another hobby? How about book burning?
Rogue–now don’t you start!
Honestly,when is this moron going to disappear for good?I would say he is the most worthless person on the planet,but lately he’s got a lot of competition for the title.
Chuck Wilkerson is the Republican candidate who is running against Henry Waxman in California’s 30th Congressional District.
Learn more about Chuck Wilkerson here:
http://www.chuckwilkerson4congress.com/
Vote Rep. Henry Waxman out of office!
Wacks-man is at it again, eh? Wonder if his congressional plan, the one the rest of us WON’T get, covers rhinoplasty? He’ll need it; the way he and his party keep lying about ObamaCare, they’ll make Pinocchio look like a pug!
Hey Oblahblah voters!
Feel like SUCKERS yet?
You’ve got to be kidding me! It’s likely both of these nitwits will get even more air time if the Republicans gain a majority as the unbiased media will always be seeking them out for their opinion on how evil Republicans are.
The last two or three years Republicans held ANY majority, the socialist Democrats and their enablers in the media acted as if they never lost the majority.
Poor devils-they are getting The Grinch in disguise!
Waxman’s district is basically Hollyweird, so give up any hope of a voter revolt. Really, any replacement would be worse. It could be Sean Penn or his ilk. Dont laugh, it could happen.
Sometimes the only rational move is marginalization. It’s nice to know a large change is coming in November. Then they can put Henry back into the corner where he belongs.
I can’t even look at Waxman he is so ugly! That aside he is another left wing loony!