ATR President Grover Norquist today sent the following letter to Congressman Michele Bachmann:
On behalf of Americans for Tax Reform, I am pleased to endorse H.R. 4903, a bill which would repeal the Obamacare health bill signed into law by President Obama on Tuesday. Any Member who thinks that law taxes too much, spends too much, borrows too much, and regulates too much should co-sponsor your legislation.
The Obamacare law contains no fewer than nineteen new tax increases on the American people. The tax hikes range from taxes for not purchasing “qualifying health insurance,” to a new Medicare payroll tax rate, to a tax starting this July on tanning salon sessions. In total, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that this bill raises taxes by $473 billion over the next decade.
The goal of health reformers should be to repeal this bill, but not to replace it with the status quo ante. Rather, it should be replaced with a real health reform bill which will empower patients to take control of their healthcare. It should do so in a way that doesn’t hike taxes. There is no shortage of good ideas out there on how to reform healthcare the right way.