Obama endorses House health bill loaded with pledge-breaking tax hikes
The following was released today by Americans for Tax Reform:
By formally endorsing the House healthcare bill today, President Barack Obama effectively announced that the central promise of his 2008 campaign was a lie.
During the campaign, Obama made a "firm pledge" not to raise "any form" of taxes on families making less than $250,000 per year:
"I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes" (September 12, 2008, Dover, NH) [Transcript] [Video clip]
"No one making less than $250,000 under Barack Obama's plan will see one single penny of their tax raised," Joe Biden said, "whether it's their capital gains tax, their income tax, investment tax, any tax." (Joe Biden, Oct. 3, 2008, Vice Presidential Debate, St. Louis, MO) [Transcript] [Video Clip]
Further, on April 15, 2009, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs was asked if the President's tax pledge applies "to the health care bill" to which Gibbs replied: "The statement didn't come with caveats." (White House Briefing) [Transcript]
Further, on August 3, 2009, Gibbs is once again asked about the President's tax pledge, to which Gibbs replied: "I am reiterating the President's clear commitment in the clearest terms possible, that he's not raising taxes on those who make less than $250,000 a year." (White House Briefing) [Transcript]
Yet today, Obama formally endorsed H.R. 3962, which is loaded with tax hikes on families making less than $250,000 per year. Here's how:
Health Insurance Mandate Taxes on Working Families