South Florida Democrats support walk out on Holder contempt vote

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus were joined by many fellow Democrats Thursday in walking out on a House Republican-led vote to hold U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress over the Fast and Furious controversy.

Among those supporting the walk out from South Florida: Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston; Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar; and Frederica Wilson, D-Miami. Here are their statements:

Wasserman Schultz: "Today I opposed the latest act of overt political theater staged by House Republican lawmakers who have made it clear that they would rather cast votes aimed at damaging the president instead of helping the American people. I joined my colleagues in walking off the House Floor to strongly oppose Republican lawmakers’ outrageous attempt to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. This is just the latest effort to distract and delay from the task at hand - creating jobs and strengthening the middle class.
 
"The Republican leadership has acknowledged that there is no evidence to suggest the Attorney General authorized, condoned, or knew about gun walking or engaged in a cover-up and as such, today’s vote was both unwarranted and unprecedented.
 
"Despite Democratic efforts to hold a real investigation, Chairman Darrell Issa has refused 10 separate Democratic requests for a hearing with Ken Melson, the former director of the agency in charge, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). He has also refused to grant a single Democratic witness request during the entire 16-month investigation. This flawed investigation is yet another example of political theater and prevents concrete action to create jobs and build an economy built to last."

Hastings: “It is contemptuous that Republicans decided to cast a stain on this institution by finding the United States Attorney General in contempt of Congress.  No Cabinet official in the history of this country has ever been held in contempt.  I warned yesterday that if we did this, history will judge us harshly.  And it will.

“Brian Terry, a U.S. law enforcement agent, was killed. That is a terrible tragedy for his family and our country. I am eternally grateful to those law enforcement officials who put their lives on the line to protect the nation. However, this vote today was not about what happened to Agent Terry.  It was political, plain and simple. 

“We need to address the doubling of student loan interest rates in this country, and yet, Republicans have made it their priority to pass a measure that does nothing to help struggling Americans. Our nation’s transportation infrastructure is in serious need of repair, and yet, we have not passed a long-term surface transportation reauthorization bill.   Americans need jobs to pay their bills, provide for their families, and keep their homes.  And yet, House Republicans believe that our time is better spent playing politics with this contempt vote, rather than actually creating jobs for the millions of Americans who are out of work. 

“Today’s vote was nothing more than a partisan political circus and House Republicans should be ashamed of themselves."

Marco Rubio threatens long arm of the IRS in wake of health care decision

Following today's U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., threatened a downturn in the economy and a world where the IRS would "chase you around" for payment if you don't buy health insurance.

"Guess who you have to prove to that you have insurance? Your neighborhood, friendly IRS. Millions of Americans now have an IRS problem, because they don't have health insurance," Rubio said on the Senate floor Thursday.

He cited examples of people who would be fined $1,100 if they didn't buy a $1,600 insurance policy.

"My friends, this is a middle class tax increase," Rubio said of the mandate that the court upheld Thursday. "And millions of Americans now have an IRS problem. You will now have to for the first time in American history prove that you have health insurance or you will have to deal with the IRS.

Here's a helpful chart explaining how the mandate works and who would be penalized if they don't buy health insurance.

Rubio also acknowledged that the greater problem is the affordability and availability of health insurance, particularly for people who don't have access to it through their workplace. He said he wished more Americans could get health insurance the way Congress does. "You get to choose. Most Americans don't have that choice."

PolitiFact looks back at health care claims by Allen West, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and more

Florida politicians have used the health care law to make claims that range from declaring it the "biggest tax increase ever" to containing a slush fund to spay pets as part of an anti-obesity effort.

As the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to rule on the 2010 Affordable Care Act on June 28, 2012, PolitFact Florida reviewed some of our most interesting claims by Florida politicians and groups about the law. Florida, with its large senior population and crucial role in the presidential election, has played a significant role in the health care law debate. (To peruse all of PolitiFact Florida’s health care claims click here.)

Read PolitiFact's article with links to previous claims.

 

 

Atwater's staff snagged in errant CNN and Fox News report

Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater’s press shop got snagged in an embarrassing retraction Thursday after an errant CNN and Fox News report that the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act had been overturned. 

As Atwater was meeting with Gov. Rick Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi in a quarterly clemency meeting, his communications office pressed the button at 10:10 a.m. on the wrong press release that had been prepared in advance.

“Today’s landmark ruling by the Supreme Court upholds two distinctly American principles outlined in our Constitution—individual freedom and limited government,’’ Atwater was quoted as saying.

Four minutes later, they sent out a new one: “Please regard previous healthcare statement.”

Alexis Lambert, spokeswoman for Atwater, said the CFO didn’t know any of it was happening.

“We reacted to the initial report from CNN and Fox News and then recalled it within a minute,’’ Lambert said.

Scott reacts to SCOTUS ruling: 'judicially mandated tax'

Gov. Rick Scott issued the following statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Court ruling today on the Affordable Care Act:

 “Today’s decision by the Supreme Court of the United States is simply disappointing. 

"The tax question was repeatedly refuted by members of Congress who helped pass this health care takeover.  The Justices have declared that the central provision of ObamaCare is a judicially mandated tax.  A new tax pure and simple.  This is just another burden the federal government has put on American families and small businesses. 

 “With the national economy struggling to recover, now is not the time to implement a massive social program that injects nothing but uncertainty and doubt into our economic system.  By doing so, they have put up yet another major roadblock to efforts to get people back to work and forced the government into the important relationship between patients and their doctors.

 “I stand with Justice Kennedy that the entire act should have been held invalid.”

Incoming House Speaker Will Weatherford (R-Wesley Chapel) predicted the ruling will leave people with less insurance, not more, but gave no indication what role Florida is likely to go on Medicaid reform. Here is his statement:

Rubio predicts backlash as 'millions of Americans now have an IRS problem'

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio told CNN on Thursday that the SCOTUS ruling on health care reform is  "a loss for America." He conceded that the Supreme Court's role wasn't to determine if it was a good idea, rather if it was constitutional.

But because it's constitutional, he said, "millions of Americans may now have an IRS problem because of this ruling."

He also suggested that becuase there will be differences between the states, "if you don’t like the policies of a state you could easily go to another state."

He suggested "this has turned the IRS into an enforcement mechanism for Obamacare."

Rubio also told CNN that because this is now considered a tax, it is a broken promise by President Obama, who said he wasn't going to raise taxes on the middle class.  

"This law is the culmination of a series of broken promises,'' he said. "Just wait until Americans start realizing they have to prove to the IRS that they have health insurance or they are going to get hit with an IRS fine…you’re going to see those numbers move really quick."

"A tax penaltiy enforced by the IRS…is not good for our economy,'' he said. "We desparately do need to confront the health insurance problem in America. This is just the wrong way to do it."

Congressional Black Caucus, including Frederica Wilson, to walk out on 'Fast and Furious' contempt vote

Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., will lead fellow members of the Congressional Black Caucus in walking out on a House of Representatives vote this afternoon on whether to hold Attorney General Eric Holder, the nation’s highest-ranking law enforcement officer, in contempt of Congress.

If the effort succeeds, which is is expected to do, it will make Holder the first attorney general in U.S. history to be held in contempt.

The issue has devolved into a high-stakes constitutional showdown between the legislative and executive branches of government. The House is demanding more internal Justice Department documents about its handling of Operation Fast and Furious -– a failed gun-tracking effort. The White House has asserted executive privilege to shield the documents, leading to the move to cite Holder in contempt.

Republicans said that they had no choice but to pursue contempt because they’re being blocked by Holder’s Justice Department from seeking the truth about Fast and Furious, an operation in which federal officials allowed guns to illegally "walk" into Mexico from the United States with the aim of tracking drug cartels. Some of the weapons were used in violent crimes; two were found at the scene where a U.S. border agent was killed.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on Wednesday called the contempt effort "political theater." He said that the administration has negotiated in good faith with House Republicans who "have made the strategic choice to try to score political points...rather than focusing on jobs and the economy."

Congressional Democrats also called the contempt vote part of a partisan election-year witch hunt and an effort to politically cripple an attorney general whose agency is investigating things that many Republicans don't like, including possible voter suppression. 

FMA continues to seek repeal of hc reform because of concern for Medicare

The head of the Florida Medical Association expressed concern Thursday that the Supreme Court's ruling on the Affordable Care Act will "weaken Medicare" coverage and the organization will continue to work to repeal those portions of the law.

““The Florida Medical Association believes that health care system in our country should be focused on the needs of individual patients,'' said Miguel A. Machado, FMA president. "The FMA will continue to advocate for policies that increase patient access and choice, enhance the patient-physician relationship, address health care fraud, and eliminate costly regulations. 

"The Florida Medical Association remains concerned that the surviving Act weakens the Medicare program, fails to substantively address medical liability reform, and dramatically increases the regulatory burden on physicians and patients. These issues hinder access to quality health care and the FMA looks forward to working with elected officials to repeal those provisions that are harmful to our patients.”

Bondi shocked, Scott mute on SCOTUS ruling to uphold law they challenged

 Gov. Rick Scott, who launched his political career on the defeat of the Affordable Care Act, refrained from offering a first impression to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling during a brief break in the clemency hearing this morning.

"I need to review it first,'' he said.

When reporters suggested he was a good poker player, the governor responded: "You know, I played poker once and I lost...I have to read it to understand what they actually said."

Attorney General Pam Bondi, whose office joined with other states to lead the legal challenge and who sat in the front row during oral arguments said she was "surprised, shocked.

"The court did say however, that they cannot do this under the commerce clause. You cannot force a person to purchase a product simply by being alive under the commerce clause.

Reaction rolling in on health care decision

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.: "What’s important to remember is that what the Court rules on is whether something is constitutional or not, not whether it’s a good idea. And while the Court has said that the law is constitutional, it remains a bad idea for our economy, and I hope that in the fall we will have a majority here that will not just repeal this law, but replace it with real solutions that will insure more people and cost a lot less money."

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.: "A lot of us feel the health-care law wasn’t perfect.  ut it was needed.  Our system was broken and we had to do something.  Insurance companies were refusing to cover people or dropping those who got sick. So, we passed legislation to prevent insurers from running roughshod over people. And today, the Supreme Court upheld most of these reforms. Now, I think it’s time we finish the job of fixing our economy and creating more jobs."

U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fort Myers: "Bill Nelson cast the deciding vote on the largest tax ever placed on the American people and he will be held accountable in November by all Floridians. ObamaCare not only kills jobs, burdens families and runs up our already-massive debt, it oversteps its bounds by stripping Americans of their freedoms and mandating compliance with a government edict by calling the law a tax."

U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston: "As a breast cancer survivor and one of 129 million Americans with a pre-existing condition, I am overjoyed that the Supreme Court upheld the right of every American to have access to quality, affordable health care insurance. Because of the Affordable Care Act, South Floridians like Lainie Schultz, a young woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer two weeks before her 25th birthday, will not be denied the health care coverage she needs because of pre-existing conditions. Thanks to the tax credit in the Affordable Care Act, small businesses like the GBS group in Pembroke Pines are, for the first time, able to offer health care coverage to their employees. The Affordable Care Act has already made it possible for American families and small businesses to have more control over their health care by reducing costs, increasing choice, and instituting common sense rules."

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami: “While I strongly disagree with the court’s judgment, today’s decision exemplifies why we are a system of checks and balances.  Our work is not finished, however. The court’s ruling underscores the critical role Congress must play by repealing ObamaCare.  America’s healthcare system should empower individuals and families instead of Washington bureaucrats. This ruling imposes a new huge tax on America’s already struggling families and this is unacceptable to those of us who believe that our money should stay in our pockets and not sent to Washington. I have already voted 30 times in Congress to defund, fully repeal or do away with parts of ObamaCare and I will vote that way again."

U.S. Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami: "It is in the best interest of our nation’s economy to repeal the job-killing health care law and replace it with common sense reforms that address what is wrong with the health insurance system in America. We must pass legislation that lower costs and protect American jobs, not threaten them. We must move toward a system that welcomes patient choice and flexibility, instead of more government involvement, by ensuring Americans the ability to make medical decisions without bureaucratic interference."

U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar: "The Supreme Court’s ruling today is a real victory for the American people.  This decision upholds the principle that all Americans should have access to affordable, quality health care. Millions of Americans have already benefited from this important piece of legislation. I have always advocated for access to universal health care with a public option.  With the Affordable Care Act, we have taken a huge step towards putting patients and their doctors, rather than big insurance companies, in charge of an individual’s health care decisions.  While I am pleased that this important legislation was upheld by the Supreme Court, there is still work to be done.  I hope that my Republican colleagues will now do their part and end their partisan attacks by putting the interests of Americans’ health care needs first."

U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Miami: "The Affordable Care Act is already paying dividends for millions of Americans, with more improvements to the system going into effect in the next few years. In passing health reform, President Obama and a Democratic Congress made history for our country and progress for the American people. Because of the ACA, affordable health care is now a right for all, not a privilege for the few. Today, the Supreme Court affirmed our progress and protected that right, securing a future of health and economic security for working people and their families, students and seniors."

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami: “Today’s Supreme Court decision is a huge tax increase on the American people. The President’s healthcare bill, which was written behind closed doors, dramatically increases taxes, fees, and the cost of healthcare for all Americans. Obamacare was supposed to lower the price of healthcare. Instead, it has done the exact opposite – the price of healthcare has skyrocketed. With the individual mandate, President Obama is slamming the American people with a burdensome new tax. It has also been a major factor in the sluggish growth of our economy and anemic job creation. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to repeal Obamacare in order to protect Americans’ access to the care they need, from the doctors they choose, at a price they can afford."