Tag Archives: Individual Mandate

Nov 26 2017

The Red County Caucus Issues Statement on Senator Collins

 

We of The Red County Caucus would like to remind Senator Susan Collins that the Constitution of the United States was written to protect the Natural Born Rights of the Individual. These Rights, inherent, unalienable, and God-given, have been, in times past and present, under repeated assault from activism from all corners of our society in an effort to undermine the Founding Ideal of this Free Republic: that the government of free men should defend and protect the free will of the individual. What is common sense was once common place but now a rarity to be sure.

Congress is now engaged in a pitted debate over the nuance, impact, and economics of tax reform. The Red County Caucus is not prepared at this point to issue a statement on a tax reform plan as Congress is still far from formulating one. However, we will comment on the recent duplicitous behavior of Maine’s Senior Senator, Susan Collins.

Senator Collins has threatened to sabotage the tax reform process unless the repeal of the individual mandate of Obamacare is removed. This is strikingly hypocritical of the good Senator, who was heard on many occasions on the campaign trial, decrying to enthusiastic Maine voters the disastrous impact the individual mandate and ObamaCare has had on Maine household budgets, all the while chanting “Repeal and Replace”. Now returned to Congress’ marbled halls, Collins’ mantra seems to have changed to “Defend and Deny” at all cost.

Can there be a more glaring violation of the Constitution than the Individual Mandate? To mandate, that is to force by law, an individual to purchase a product the individual may or may not want, to fund an ideal of socialized medicine that the individual may or may not want, and to do so under threat of penal action by the government, the maker of the product, is the very epitome of the kind of governmental abuse and overreach our Constitution was written to protect against. Yet, Senator Collins remains dogged in her determination to undermine, once again, Congress and the President’s attempt to fix a failing and outdated tax system in a fixated effort to defend a healthcare system she promised voters she would work to “repeal and replace”.

We ask Susan Collins once again: Who is she representing? Is it the bureaucracies and Washington power brokers who wish to force the individual, through a government mandate, to comply to their wishes? Or the individuals here in Maine who have and still protest this Individual Mandate with its destructive impacts on the households of the State she represents. Senator Collins must choose against the interests of Washington and for the individual rights of her constituents in Maine.

Sep 21 2017

THE RED COUNTY CAUCUS URGES SUPPORT OF GRAHAM-CASSIDY

THE RED COUNTY CAUCUS URGES SUPPORT OF GRAHAM-CASSIDY

In 2008, a small rural county in Maine gained national notoriety as being the only county in all of New England to vote against Barack Obama and stay red. This singular moment in political history earned Piscataquis County the title of “The Red County”. Considered by some as the most conservative county east of the Mississippi, Piscataquis holds the well deserved reputation of being a bastion of conservatism for the east.

Soon after 2008, local politicians and conservative personalities from Piscataquis County joined forces to form The Red County Caucus (RCC). The idea was to impact the Maine political arena by an endorsement from a noted conservative group. With Piscataquis’ established reputation, it was obvious this was the time. The RCC immediately impacted the political landscape of Maine by endorsing Paul LePage for Governor.

Maine, as well as the Nation, are facing crucial decisions in our future. These decisions will determine whether we become a State and a Nation of people that forfeit our freedoms or take them back from government overreach. The Red County Caucus once again will be at the forefront of political influence in our State.

The Red County Caucus is ready to speak to the challenges of a new election. The Red County Caucus will be weighing in on the crucial issues of our day starting here with healthcare. Along with statements on several issues, The RCC will give an endorsement for the Governor of the State of Maine.

Graham-Cassidy

The best government is the government that governs least and local governance is the best governance. The Free Market is the best purveyor of healthcare. Unfortunately, our government has violated these proven truths and now we are caught in the tentacles of their misdeeds, Obamacare (ACA).

When it comes down to it, all healthcare is local. Our Federal government, through the passage of Obamacare, has eliminated local control from our healthcare system and established rules that are mandated to every person and business. This is the suppression of our individual freedom.

The ability to make choices about what health insurance options we want, or if we want health insurance at all, has been taken out of the citizen’s hand. This has gone too far. We must take action.

Massive increases in premiums and deductible costs are hurting regular citizens and businesses. All around us we hear of neighbors, friends, and businesses crushed by Obamacare, yet Washington stubbornly continues to tout the ACA as the answer to protect our citizens. The time has come to make significant changes to Obamacare, since Washington is unable to repeal and replace the entire bill as promised.

The Graham-Cassidy bill is not perfect but makes significant improvements to the existing law. This bill will return much of the control to the states rather than the federal government, eliminate employer and individual mandates, eliminate some taxes, and retain protection for patients with preexisting conditions. Graham-Cassidy will begin the fight to get the federal government out of the health insurance business and curtail significantly the hardships imposed by Obamacare on millions of our fellow citizens.

The Red County Caucus strongly urges Senator Susan Collins to heed the disastrous impact the ACA has had on her constituents here in Maine and support Graham-Cassidy. We urge Maine citizens to contact Senator Collins and remind her that “We The People” want these changes. Her vote to support individual liberty in Maine is needed now.

Feb 10 2015

News Flash from Washington

As per my posting last night, the office of Congressman Poliquin has sent out a presser announcing that he is co-sponsoring H.R. 143, the Patient Freedom Act, this morning.  Here is a copy of the email I received this morning.

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Bruce Poliquin agreed to become a cosponsor of H.R. 143, the Patient Freedom Act. This bill will repeal ObamaCare’s individual mandate. Congressman Poliquin released the following statement:

“I’m proud to help repeal ObamaCare’s penalizing individual mandate. Our hard-working families should not be fined for opting not to purchase a health insurance plan that does not fit their budget or health care needs.

“I will closely monitor this bill as it makes its way to the House floor. As with previous bills which I have already supported or cosponsored, such as the repeal of the ObamaCare 30-hour work week rule and the medical device tax, I will continue to fight to eliminate the parts of ObamaCare that are limiting choices for our families and killing jobs in our Second Congressional District and throughout America.

“In the meantime, I will continue to push for the best solution to remove big government from our health insurance industry and encourage the free-market to provide our families with the health care choices they want at costs they can afford. We must fix the mess that ObamaCare has created for our families and small businesses.”

 

Feb 9 2015

Poliquin to Co-Sponsor Bill on Individual Mandate

Tomorrow morning when bills are gaveled in at the House of Representatives, Representative Bruce Poliquin of Congressional District Two in the State of Maine will co-sponsor a bill to repeal the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act.  The bill, H.R. 143, The Patient Freedom Act, targets the Individual Mandate, which requires citizens to purchase health insurance, to be repealed after 2013. The bill will be posted on the Congressman’s website tomorrow morning but TMCV has obtained this link to the summary.

This is just the latest of several bills that Poliquin has co-sponsored or supported to go after the many egregious violations of the Constitution found in the Affordable Care Act. Poliquin has publicly stated that he wishes to repeal ObamaCare in its entirety and replace it with a free-market solution.  As he and his colleagues work to craft a plan to repeal and put healthcare back into the private sector, Poliquin has been going after parts of the government healthcare.

H.R 30, the Save American Workers Act, was a bill to restore the definition of a full time worker to a 40 hr week.  This passed easily with Poliquin’s support.  Poliquin will co-sponsor H.R. 160, Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2015, and it will repeal the medical device tax.   Sources in Poliquin’s office say that more are on the way and Poliquin is looking forward to reviewing plans from Republicans on a free-market healthcare solution.  So be aware of updates.