[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 78 (Wednesday, May 20, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H5806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE HEALTH BENEFITS TAX

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, some taxacrats in D.C. are thinking 
about taxing health care benefits on people who try to take care of 
themselves. They want to figure out how to get benefits to people who 
don't have them. Their solution: Make people who have benefits pay 
income tax on the value of their health plan.
  That tax money would come directly out of their pocket. But it will 
make health care insurance too expensive for a lot of folks, so they 
will cancel their insurance and then let the government take care of 
them on this new nationalized health care plan.
  When you wish to solve a problem, it's probably a better idea to come 
up with something that doesn't make the problem worse. It reminds me of 
the statement, ``If you think the problems government creates are bad, 
just wait until you see government solutions.''
  The notion to tax health care benefits punishes people who have 
planned their lives and their careers with the philosophy that they 
will be responsible for their own health care and not live off the 
government.
  However, to fund the new French health care system, the 
administration is proposing to tax people who take care of themselves, 
so there is money for people who can't or won't take care of 
themselves. There's something wrong with this picture.
  And that's just the way it is.

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