In his continuing attempts to distance himself from his liberal voting record in advance of a difficult reelection bid, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) has repeatedly claimed he opposes ObamaCare’s IRS 1099 paperwork mandate – despite his partisan votes to ram ObamaCare into law, and just weeks ago to prevent its repeal.
But as Politico reports, Senate Democrats are trying “to have it both ways” on the job-killing mandate, crafting a backroom amendment that will allow vulnerable Democrats like Nelson to vote for repeal as an act of political posturing, but with no chance of the repeal actually taking effect:
Trying to thwart a Republican repeal of the health reform law’s 1099 tax reporting requirements, Senate Democrats are working on an amendment that could kill the proposal down the road…[the] amendment gives fellow Democrats cover to vote on the Johanns amendment while most likely not allowing it to go into effect.
Notably, Nelson could have voted to spare Florida job creators from ObamaCare’s IRS paperwork mandate by simply listening to his constituents and voting against ObamaCare’s passage, or by voting to repeal ObamaCare earlier this year. But instead, Nelson voted to ram the overhaul into law on a straight party line, and voted just weeks ago to save the costly, unpopular law – which cuts Medicare by $500 billion, raises taxes by $570 billion, and which the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) recently estimated will increase federal deficits by $260 billion through 2019.
“As Senator Nelson touts his vote in Florida, he’ll do so knowing full well that his liberal party bosses in Washington have simply given him political cover while they try to keep ObamaCare’s job-killing mandate in place,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond. “As usual, Bill Nelson plays political games and Florida’s families and job creators pay the price.”
Background Information
Bill Nelson Has Claimed To Support Repeal Of The 1099 Provisions:
Bill Nelson Signed A Letter Saying He Fully Supports Repealing The 1099 Reporting Requirement. “Sens. Robert Menendez, Jeff Bingaman, John Kerry, Bill Nelson and John Rockefeller said they wouldn’t support the bill because of how it would be funded. In a letter to Reid, they wrote: ‘We fully support repealing the 1099 reporting requirement but strongly believe we must do so in a manner that does not increase taxes on middle-class families and drive up the ranks of the uninsured.’” (Jennifer Haberkorn, “Can There Be Life After The Mandate?” Politico, 3/14/11)
