Two years after liberal U.S. Congressman Martin Heinrich voted for President Barack Obama’s massive healthcare bill, the Supreme Court ruled the individual mandate is a tax.
Democrats including White House Chief Staff Jacob Lew and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi were quick to praise the ruling, yet they’re claiming the individual mandate is not a tax.
CHRIS WALLACE: “But according to the Supreme Court, this is going to raise taxes for those families.”
WHITE HOUSE COS JACOB LEW: “No, that’s not what the Supreme Court said. What the Supreme Court said was this was constitutional, they said it didn’t matter what Congress called it. There’s a penalty for the one percent who choose not to buy insurance.”
CHRIS WALLACE: “No, wait a minute sir. Mr. Lew, they called it a tax.”
“New Mexicans deserve a simple answer to a simple question – does Martin Heinrich believe ObamaCare is an unconstitutional mandate or does he agree that it’s a massive tax on the middle class,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Jahan Wilcox. “The fact is Heinrich supported ObamaCare – which taxes every New Mexican who does not comply with this law – instead of focusing on pro-growth, pro-jobs legislation.”
BACKGROUND …
MARTIN HEINRICH SUPPORTED OBAMACARE & THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE
Congressman Heinrich Voted In Favor Of The Democrats’ House-Passed Government-Run Health Care Reform Bill. Heinrich Voted For The Health Care Reform Law. (H.R. 3590, CQ Vote #165: Motion agreed to, thus clearing the bill for the president, by a vote of 219-212: R 0-178; D 219-34, 3/21/10, Heinrich Voted Yea)
WHICH THE SUPREME COURT HAS DECLARED AS A TAX ON MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE: At least 75% of individual mandate penalties fall on those making less than $250,000. (“Estimated Distribution Of Individual Mandate Penalties Under The Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act,” Congressional Budget Office & Joint Committee On Taxation, 11/20/09)
· SUPREME COURT: “…the shared responsibility payment may for constitutional purposes be considered a tax… read as imposing a tax on those who go without insurance.” (Supreme Court Of The United States Syllabus, National Federation Of Independent Business Et Al. V. Sebelius, Secretary Of Health And Human Services, Et Al., 6/28/12)
