Sen. Johanns Wants Repeal Of Health Care Paper-Work Provision By August Break

By Alexa Gitler- Talk Radio News Service

Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) told reporters Wednesday that he hopes to bring an amendment to the floor that would repeal a provision in the health care reform law requiring businesses to file a 1099 tax form if they spend more than $600 per year through an individual vendor.

“It could be for something as trivial as paying the phone bill,” he said. “Can you imagine how many 1099s Verizon will have to deal with?”

Johanns noted that he hopes the amendment will pass prior to the August recess.

With the new provision in effect, it is expected to impact over 40 million businesses all over the country including approximately 26 million sole proprietorships.

“In addition to the filing requirements and charges that businesses will pay, they will also have to pay for a tracking fee,” said Johanns.

Johanns explained that the health care bill went through congress so quickly and had so many components that little things like this provision were missed.

“I can’t imagine that a Senator could go back home in August and tell their constituents that he or she voted against this amendment when it is so critical for small businesses all over the country,” Johanns said.

Added Johanns, “This is the priority of Republican Senate leadership to try and get this passed.”
 

Obama Urges Physicians To Speak Out For Health Reform

By Meagan Wiseley - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Today, President Barack Obama invited 150 physicians from each U.S. state to the White House in an attempt to showcase the medical community’s support for his health care reform proposals. Obama said the physicians have experienced first-hand the problems with the U.S. health care system.

“These men and women here would not be supporting health insurance reform if they really believed that it would lead to government bureaucrats making decisions that are best left to doctors,” said Obama. “They wouldn't be here today if they believed that reform in any way would damage the very critical and sacred doctor-patient relationship.”

One doctor in attendance is an official from the American Medical Association, Obama said. The AMA is "the nation’s largest organization representing physicians from every state and nearly every medical specialty... [and is] committed to achieving health system reform," according to its website.

Obama said that nurses and physicians know the system best and urged them to “speak out strongly” on why heath care reform is needed. With their help, the President said he is confident that some form of health reform will pass through Congress this year.

Boehner Accuses White House Of Lying About Stimulus

By Celia Canon- Talk Radio News Service

During a press conference Wednesday, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio.) said President Obama and Vice President Biden have been telling lies about why the Stimulus package hasn't reversed the nation's spiraling unemployment rate.

“I found it interesting in the last couple of days, the Vice President and the President mentioned the fact they didn't realize how difficult an economic circumstance we were in. Now this is the biggest fabrication I’ve seen since I’ve been in Congress. I’ve sat through those meetings at the White House with the President, the Vice President, trust me there’s not one person that sat in those rooms that didn't know how serious our economic crisis was,” Boehner said.

Reps. John Boehner (R-Ohio.), Mike Pence (R-Ind.) and Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-Wa) cautioned that the recent legislation put forth by the Democrats will do nothing but increase taxes which, in the long term, will hinder consumer spending.

“Republicans know and the American people know that what we need is fiscal discipline in Washington D.C and we need to give the American people a tax relief, working families, small businesses and family
farms need more of their hard earned money to put this economy back on its feet,” said Pence.

As for health care, McMorris-Rodgers explained that “We cannot forget that doctors are the experts, we must guard that relationship between the doctor and his patient; it is one of the most valued relationships
that we have,” adding that “We can reform health care, and we can give options to the uninsured without the federal government setting up shop as a big health insurance company or the health care gate keeper.”