[StBernard] MyHeritage.org: Obamacare slowed, not stopped

[Westley Annis]

Obamacare slowed, not stopped


Speaking on national television Wednesday night to bolster support for
government-run health care, President Obama again called on Congress to pass
health care legislation before lawmakers leave town in August. This press
conference was part of the administration's multi-faceted strategy to
counter declining public support for this sort of "reform."

It seems that some lawmakers now recognize the need to think long and hard
before effectively nationalizing a large part of the economy. Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=8fOajE5QJB_ALMF9kwQ6wA..>  threw a
wrench in the President's plans yesterday when he announced that the Senate
will not be voting on health care before the August recess. 

The complex plan-House Republicans released a graphic demonstrating just
what a bureaucratic nightmare it would be
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=u0RZ2jdVlawUsJrgLUyOsw..> -is
estimated to cost upwards of $1 trillion and require onerous new taxes. But
the plan is far from dead.

In a live chat on Politico.com, Heritage Foundation health care expert Ed
Haislmaier explored the flaws in Congress' approach to health care reform
and offered conservative alternatives
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=4032kFjPBMxEIuj5dtLTpw..> .

He pointed out that Heritage has been heavily engaged in health care reform.
For six years, he explained, Heritage experts "have been working with over
18 different states on consumer-centered reforms. We helped Massachusetts
with their design and we provided extensive help to Utah which just passed
reforms that they are on schedule to take effect beginning in January."

One of the key flaws in the proposal now moving through Congress is that it
adds more than 100 pages of new health insurance regulation-regulation which
could drive tens of millions of Americans from their private health
insurance and into a government-run program. Yet President Obama continues
to claim that "if you have health insurance, and you like it, and you have a
doctor that you like, then you can keep it," and he professes ignorance of
the provisions that would gut private insurance (listen to the audio
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=yzhtYULYmilCNAla_OWrZg..> ).

"This is truly a disturbing admission" that the President doesn't know
what's in the health care bill, Heritage's Conn Carroll writes in the
Morning Bell e-mail
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=IM5l087hgA0YWg72sLwY1Q..> . His
analysis was featured on the Drudge Report
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=rODogTt5WcEEaIDT4qynig..>  on
Tuesday, which drove so many visitors that our website briefly failed.

A brand-new analysis from The Heritage Foundation -- conducted by the Lewin
Group -- shows that 83.4 million people would lose their private insurance
under the Left's health care proposal
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=gj5YLki0ObGvGz-YYw3Uuw..> . Millions
of workers would see their current private, employer-sponsored health plan
go away and would be shifted to the public plan, and private insurance
premiums could rise by $460 per insured person.

Such a result "flies in the face of the current promises that if you like
your health insurance coverage, you will keep it," says Heritage Vice
President Stuart Butler
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=oafxgUcZ3rCcJL4m6IwDAg..> . "If the
public plan is implemented as detailed in this House bill, people with
private insurance will be moved on a public plan, regardless of what they
want, because their employers will make that decision because of the
financial incentives in the bill."

Heritage's Randy Pate also notes that "the abortion issue could again play a
pivotal role in the direction of health care reform
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=I1Y6bCWPZ3qvIR_SxgqPyA..> ." Many
moderates are concerned that the legislation grants broad powers to a new
bureaucracy that would define health care benefits-benefits which could
include taxpayer-funded abortions.

Check out Heritage's other health reform research at FixHealthCarePolicy.com
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=KDiUwvKZpWuWgNhuD0dWwA..> . 


Strengthening Heritage's Congressional outreach


Located at 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE in Washington
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=M34RraiSXQ-OchzsRBhHPQ..> , The
Heritage Foundation's main headquarters stands just 250 yards from the
Senate offices on Capitol Hill. Our close proximity has been critical to
building dynamic relationships with Senators and their respective staffs. 

But these offices are about a mile from the House of Representatives office
buildings. And while we have maintained strong relations with the House, the
distance has at times proved a barrier for busy lawmakers.

 Heritage's House
Annex<http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3506/3752308027_43245fc010_m.jpg> But
it's critical that we educate these lawmakers on conservative principles and
how best to defend and translate them into public policy.

That is why Heritage has decided to expand our outreach efforts by moving
into an additional space at 227 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=l2uAyecSGvP45ZZB0iZubQ..> . This
building, an old storefront that Heritage is renovating into offices, is
just steps from the House office buildings.

Scheduled to open in 2010, the three-story structure will be a critical
outpost for Heritage on the House side of Capitol Hill. It will offer
much-needed space for our staff to meet with Congressmen, hold briefings on
critical policy issues with Capitol Hill staffers, and conduct long-term
educational programs. 

Like all Heritage projects, this building would not be possible without the
generous support of our members. Several naming opportunities exist for this
new building. If you are interested in such an opportunity, please contact
us at Heritage Membership Office
<mailto:membership at heritage.org?subject=Naming%20Opportunity%20at%20227%20Pe
nnsylvania%20Avenue>  or (800) 546-2843. 

-- Amanda Reinecker



> Other Heritage work of note



*	Congress has nixed funding for the F-22, America's best fighter
aircraft. This "significantly undercut[s] our strength,"
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=iI34m5qJyr1o03n6Rru_lQ..>
Heritage's Conn Carroll writes. And since the cuts don't particularly save
money -- "the F-22 amounts to a third of one percent of the overall 2010
defense budget" -- the change appears to have been "purely symbolic," to
score political points. Lawmakers should remember not to play politics with
national security.

*	"Every year, thousands of upstanding, responsible Americans run
afoul of some incomprehensible federal law or regulation and end up serving
time in federal prison," writes Heritage senior legal policy analyst Brian
Walsh on FoxNews.com
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=_tx7bC2XxPCPae2oglIXEA..> . But many
of these criminals never realized they were committing a crime, nor did they
have any intention of doing so. Check out Heritage's Overcriminalized.com
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=g3sAvkJDojfWBrthKxTZQQ..>  to learn
more about the unprecedented increase in federal criminal laws.

*	The Iraqi government has imposed "politically motivated constraints"
on U.S. troops in an attempt to demonstrate its independence from
Washington, writes Heritage Middle Eastern affairs expert Jim Phillips.
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=oTwmZC5HvxhRxZaVwYjHHA..>  "This new
Iraqi policy is unacceptable," argues Phillips, as it poses great danger to
both our troops and Iraqi civilians. Phillips urges President Obama to "do
everything he can to leave behind a stable Iraqi democracy that is an ally
against terrorism."

*	Join Heritage at the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit
2009 in Washington, DC, from September 18-20. The event will feature
prominent conservatives including former Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR), Govs.
Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) and Rick Perry (R-TX), Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and Mike
Pence (R-IN), former Attorney general Edwin Meese, a special tribute to
conservative leader Phyllis Schlafly, and much more. See the full program
and register at valuesvotersummit.org
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=7ZA5AlD-ZsjsAnVlvAFo6Q..> . 

*	President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev reached an
arms reduction agreement earlier this month in Moscow. However, economic
conditions in Russia would have forced the country to cut certain outdated
weapons anyway, argues Heritage President Ed Feulner.
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=EbAIaUjLnlFbbqqddQzQjA..>  "Let's
hope some senators question the wisdom of giving up valuable American
weapons to get rid of crumbling Russian ones."



> In other news



*	General Motors
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=zmeobEly80v_q9xvEJ5Hcw..> , which
emerged from a politically-controlled bankruptcy process earlier this month,
reported a 22 percent drop in global sales for the first six months of the
year.

*	To avoid the appearance of wasteful spending
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=1L3pQxB8HCVqjnVtlQXUQg..>  during
the recession, many federal agencies are foregoing holding lavish
conferences at resorts. Perhaps the agencies will also consider substantial
cost savings, not just window dressing.

*	Secretary of State Hillary Clinton alarmed many Israelis
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=5Ap_TC0wDOuHIqFRkcdHPw..>  when she
appeared to be resigned to a nuclear-armed Iran. 

*	Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez has hardened his rhetoric against
the ouster of his Honduran ally, President Manuel Zelaya
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=EPL_lWJisLSiHVGND8j6jw..> , who was
pushed out for violating his country's constitution. Chavez says the U.S.
was complicit in Zelaya's removal.

*	Pakistan is objecting to increased U.S. military involvement
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=iCNIFCUTDsEy_hVVv0H8Sg..>  in
neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistani officials have voiced concern that the
escalation will drive more Islamist fighters across the border.

*	The Washington Post reports on the mystery of falling urban crime
rates <http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=-feCSCHqE2pk1aMCR_a_nA..> .
While correlation certainly isn't causation, it's worth noting that Glock
has seen a surge in pistol sales
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=u5tYupzgFioajk5g4eXfDQ..> .



> Coming up at Heritage



To attend these or any other events at Heritage please RSVP at Heritage's
website <http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=Jyrr-NW1bMuqBaL4gJjOxw..> .
Or you can view these events live online. All times are Eastern.

*	On Monday, July 27 at 5:30 p.m., Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) will discuss
his new book, Saving Freedom: We Can Stop America's Slide into Socialism.
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=nOZmOs3jhC2Mm24Vl9m5Pg..>  

Nathaniel Ward
<http://members.myheritage.org/site/R?i=TSUuwAn9IIoloGup7lcedg..>  is the
Editor of MyHeritage.org-a website for members and supporters of The
Heritage Foundation. Amanda Reinecker contributed to this report.