Coalition Urges Delay of Obamacare Mandates

From the ATR website.

Today, members of the Obamacare Repeal Coalition sent the below letter to House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Leader Mitch McConnell:

With the clock ticking to open enrollment on Oct. 1, it is abundantly clear to members of the Repeal Coalition that the structure at the heart of PPACA is simply not ready. To help the American people avoid getting hit by what Sen. Max Baucus memorably referred to as "a huge train wreck coming down," we the undersigned urge you to insist on, at minimum as part of any final deal, a one-year delay of all 2014 provisions (including mandates, subsidies, and taxes) in the upcoming CR and in fiscal negotiations with the White House.

1. Mandates. The president has already delayed the mandate for the biggest corporations unilaterally, although his legal authority to do so is questionable. Congress should lift the legal cloud on that delay and extend the same relief to individuals and small businesses by delaying the individual mandate. It is wrong to force people to participate in a system that is simply not ready.

2. Subsidies. Without a complete, workable verification system to protect taxpayers it would be reckless to allow tens of billions of taxpayer dollars to flow in subsidies. And there is a real risk that navigators, in their zeal to enroll people, will accidentally or even intentionally induce people to accept subsidies for which they do not qualify, risking steep IRS fines and audits. The money should not flow when the law's verification provisions are not ready to be enforced.

3. Taxes. The American people should not be forced to pay higher taxes for a system that isn't ready. Kevin Counihan, chief executive of Connecticut's state exchange, has repeatedly said: "I wish we had one more year." With the train wreck coming, millions of Americans feel the same way. We therefore urge you to insist on a one-year delay and we will strongly support all efforts to include one on any long-term continuing resolution, extenders package, or other negotiated budget deal this fall.

Sincerely,

Grover Norquist — Americans for Tax Reform
Phil Kerpen — American Commitment
Heather Higgins — Independent Women's Voice
James Capretta — Ethics and Public Policy Center
Grace Marie Turner — Galen Institute
Jim Martin — 60 Plus Association
Avik Roy — National Review
Colin Hanna — Let Freedom Ring
Gregory T. Angelo — Log Cabin Republicans
Ken Hoagland — Restore America's Voice
Penny Nance — Concerned Women for America
David Wallace — Restore America's Mission
Andrew Langer — Institute for Liberty
Betsy McCaughey — author, Beating Obamacare
David Williams — Taxpayers Protection Alliance
Lanhee Chen — Hoover Institution
Peter Ferrara — National Center for Policy Analysis
Chuck Muth — Citizen Outreach
Brian Baker — Ending Spending

Grover Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform, a coalition of taxpayer groups, individuals, and businesses opposed to higher taxes at the federal, state, and local levels. The coalition organizes the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which asks all candidates for federal and state office to commit themselves in writing to oppose all tax increases. Read more reports from Grover Norquist — Click Here Now.