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JONES, FOXX COMMENT ON VOTES TO REMOVE IRS POWER TO ENFORCE OBAMACARE
by EDITOR

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act (H.R. 2009) and the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (H.R. 367). According to a press release from Congresswoman Virginia Foxx’ office, these are two of ten pieces of legislation passed by the House of Representatives last week to hold Washington accountable and stop government abuse.

A press release from Congressman Walter Jones’ office says H.R. 2009 would prevent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from implementing any portion of President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law. The release goes on to say that, in light of the fact that IRS officials have recently admitted to unfairly targeting certain conservative groups during the 2012 election cycle, the Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act of 2013 rightly points out that allowing the IRS authority to enforce provisions of Obamacare such as the individual mandate poses a threat of further abuse of power by the agency.

About the Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act, Congresswoman Foxx stated: “If asked to list the persons or entities that should play no part in personal health care decisions, the American people would likely put the IRS at or near the top. And yet the very entity responsible for providing Obamacare its enforcement teeth is the Internal Revenue Service. Yes, the same agency responsible for audits and implicated in political intimidation tactics is responsible, under Obamacare, for micromanaging, regulating and issuing punishments if it disapproves of your health care choices. Today a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives voted to take this power away from the IRS. The Keep the IRS Off Your Health Care Act specifically bars the IRS from implementing or enforcing any part of Obamacare. Obamacare is a bad law for patients, doctors, jobs and the economy. It shouldn’t rest its hopes for implementation on a further empowered IRS.”

Congressman Jones chimed in, saying “An organization with a history of discriminatory practices cannot be trusted to appropriately enforce a comprehensive law that will affect each and every individual and business in America,” said Congressman Jones. “I strongly oppose this unprecedented government takeover of our healthcare system under any circumstances, and it is absolutely unacceptable to subject the American people to the possibility of further discrimination based on ideological preferences.”

H.R. 2009 garnered support from members of both parties and passed the House of Representatives with a vote of 232 to 185. It will now go to the Senate for further consideration.

Regarding the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, Congresswoman Foxx said: “Today, nearly 12 million Americans are out of work and economic growth is stagnant. The Obama economic agenda – from Obamacare to Stimulus and restrictions on American energy – is not working. When American workers and small businesses look to Washington for help, they aren’t asking for more micromanagement or a continuation of the President’s failed policies. They are asking for a leaner more responsive government that works for them. Reforming our laws, taxes, and regulations to encourage growth and strengthen America’s standing in the global economy are things both parties should agree on, and things House Republicans are happy to help the President pursue. The passage of the REINS Act today will add an additional layer of oversight to the most costly of federal government regulations. Unelected bureaucrats shouldn’t be able to unilaterally impose onerous rules that bleed jobs and money from the U.S. economy. Congress and the American people should approve of any high impact rules first.”