Bill Watch! IRS Enforcers For Obamacare & Regulating the Regulators
Two Bill Watch! Wednesday candidates this week, as two meaningful bills will be reaching The House that are worth monitoring.H.R. 2009: Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act of 2013
Summary: To prohibit the Secretary of the Treasury from enforcing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.
Yes, we can all agree that this bill's title is horrible. The name alone will probably kill any chance it has of passing... Anyway, as many of you already know, the IRS is the primary enforcing party behind the ill-conceived Obamacare rollout. H.R. 2009, introduced by Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), would seek to prohibit the IRS from taking any part in the enforcement of the Obamacare mandate - effectively handicapping the Affordable Care Act, as the IRS is responsible for not only issuing the health rebates (tax credits) but also in assessing the liens against wages should a citizen elect not to partake in Obamacare. The restriction on IRS involvement would also protect Americans private health information from reaching the some 40,000 new IRS agents elected to oversee enforcement.The bill should pass the House, but most likely will be vetoed by Obama once it reaches the Senate, or simply fail to pass there.H.R. 367: Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2013 (The REINS Act)
Summary: To amend chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, to provide that major rules of the executive branch shall have no force or effect unless a joint resolution of approval is enacted into law.
OK, here is a real summary, since that one wasn't exactly clear. What this bill does is change chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, from the current language, which allows federal agencies with regulatory powers to enact new rules 60 days after submitting them to Congress. As of right now, congress can issue a "joint resolution of disapproval," killing the new rule, however knowing how Congress operates, this rarely happens or rarely happens within 60 days of the rule being submitted. Typically, there isn't agreement, thus no joint resolution is issued, or the rule isn't reviewed properly and thus passes unopposed. The old laws also allowed the President to issue an executive order (that also could meet with a joint resolution of disapproval...but again, this never happens) and that executive order could and would continue in perpetuity.The new changes tackle these two issues in the following ways:1. All new regulatory rules must be submitted to Congress and "Major Rules (defined below)" can not be enacted unless Congress approves of them within 70 days of their introduction. If they aren't approved within 70 days, the rule is considered rejected rather than auto-approved. This is a huge difference-maker.2. Executive orders from Obama or any other future president will be submitted to Congress (and tragically will still quickly go into effect without a joint resolution opposing) but are capped at 90 days duration. So at least broader regulatory oversteps by acting presidents will be reigned in (thus the nickname for the bill).Definition of Major Rule - must have the following impact:
‘(A) an annual effect on the economy of $100,000,000 or more; ‘(B) a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, Federal, State, or local government agencies, or geographic regions; or ‘(C) significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or on the ability of United States-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises in domestic and export markets
As I said above, the IRS bill has little chance of passing, but the second I have high hopes for. It has a massive list of sponsors and co-sponsors and it will definitely meet with some debate in Congress, most likely falling straight along party lines due to the emphasis on more free market principles that would take away powers from the EPA, etc. We just have to hope the Democrats will trade some of their love of government regulation for the chance to take back more of the rightful and Constitutionally mandated power of Congress to work as a balance to the Executive branch.Bill info from PopVoxReceive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus audio content – including “Conspiracy Corner”, “Degenerate Gamblers” and the “League of Liberty Podcast” by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride and supporting us on Patreon!
