Supreme Court Upholds Bob Casey’s Massive Tax Increase & Medicare Cuts On Pennsylvania Seniors

Decision Sets The Stakes For November’s Election

Two years after U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) provided the deciding vote to ram ObamaCare through Congress, the Supreme Court today has affirmed Casey’s decision to put President Obama’s agenda ahead of Pennsylvania seniors and small businesses.  In doing so, the Court has made clear what is at stake in November’s election.

“The Supreme Court’s decision makes clear in this election – the only way to stop the massive tax increases, government spending, and cuts to Medicare contained in ObamaCare is to replace liberal Bob Casey in Washington,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Lance Trover said today.  

BACKGROUND….

Casey Proudly Voted for ObamaCare

Casey Voted To Pass The Senate Version Of The $2.5 Trillion Obama-Reid Health Care Bill. (H.R. 3590, CQ Vote #396: Passed 60-39: R 0-39; D 58-0; I 2-0, 12/24/09, Casey Voted Yea)

• Casey Provided The 60^th Vote To Invoke Cloture On The Senate Health Care Bill. (H.R. 3590, CQ Vote #395: Passed 60-39: R 0-39; D 58-0; I 2-0, 12/23/09, Casey Voted Yea) 

Casey Voted To Kill An Amendment That Would Have Removed The Individual Mandate From The Health Care Bill. “Baucus, D-Mont., motion to table (kill) the Ensign, R-Nev. amendment no. 3710 that would repeal provisions of the 2010 health care overhaul law that provide for IRS penalties for certain taxpayers that do not obtain basic health insurance coverage.” (H.R. 4872, CQ Vote #101: Motion agreed to by a vote of 58-40: R 0-40; D 56-0; I 2-0, 3/25/10, Casey Voted Yea)

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND… 

The Cost Of ObamaCare To Pennsylvania Alone

Cost To State

The Heritage Foundation Estimates From 2014 To 2020 ObamaCare Will Cost Pennsylvania An Additional $543.5 Million. (Edmund Haislmaier and Brian Blasé, “Obamacare: Impact On States,” The Heritage Foundation, 7/1/10)

“Bigger Increases” In Medicaid Spending “On The Horizon” As ObamaCare Takes Effect. “Medicaid enrollment in Pennsylvania is expected to grow by 2 percent over the coming budget year, according to the Department of Public Welfare, which manages Medicaid. But bigger increases are on the horizon, if and when the federal health care overhaul takes full effect, allowing more people to enroll in Medicaid come 2014.” (Bill Toland, “States’ Medicaid Costs Still Climbing,” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11/9/11)

In 2010, Healthcare Spending In Pennsylvania Accounted For $57.5 Billion, Or 10.1 Percent Of The State’s GDP. (“Gross Domestic Product By State (GDP By State) Interactive Maps,” Bureau Of Economic Analysis, Accessed 5/20/12)

Insurance Premiums Are Increasing

Highmark Insurance Announced That Their Premiums Would Soon Increase, Some By As Much As 10 Percent. “Highmark has filed a half dozen notices of premium increases for numerous insurance products used by tens of thousands of customers,according to announcements posted in the Pennsylvania Bulletin today. Most of the premium hikes approach 10 percent.” (Rich Lord, “Highmark Proposes Premium Hikes On A Number Of Policies,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 5/12/12)

Pennsylvanians Are Losing Their Insurance Policies

Pennsylvania One Of 34 States To Lose A Child Only Insurance Policy Since ObamaCare Was Signed Into Law. (US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Minority Oversight and Investigations Staff Phone and Email Preliminary Survey, Politico, 1/27/11)

Taxes/Effect On Businesses & Jobs

Pennsylvania-Based Alcoa To Take $80 Million Charge Due To ObamaCare. “Alcoa said it expects to take an $80 million charge to cover costs associated with new health care legislation, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.” (“Alcoa Sees $80 Million Charge From ObamaCare,” The Street.com, 4/5/10)

U.S. Steel Expects To Take A $27 Million Charge Because Of ObamaCare. “United States Steel Corp. said Wednesday it expects to record a $27 million charge in the first quarter as a result of tax adjustments in the health care reform law. … US Steel said that based on the Medicare Part D subsidies expected to be received this year, the related annual cash tax increase would be less than $10 million.” (“US Steel To Record $27M Charge For Health Care Law,” The Associated Press, 4/7/10)

Pittsburgh, PA-Based Allegheny Technologies Took A $5.3 Million Charge Because Of ObamaCare. “Allegheny Technologies Incorporated reported net income for the first quarter 2010 of $18.2 million, or $0.18 per share. Results included a non-recurring tax charge of $5.3 million related to the recently-enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Excluding this non-recurring tax charge, net income was $23.5 million, or $0.24 per share, on sales of $899.4 million.” (Allegheny Technologies Inc., “Allegheny Technologies Announces First Quarter 2010 Results,” Press Release, 4/28/10)

Owner Of Six Tanning Salons In Pennsylvania Said He Can’t Offset ObamaCare’s Tanning Tax And Worried About His Business. “Miller is the owner of Sun Your Buns, a group of six Erie-area tanning salons. … Miller, meanwhile, is worried about what it might mean to his business, which employs about 35 people who oversaw about a quarter-million tanning sessions in 2009. Miller said he can’t afford to offset the 10 percent tax, but he is hoping to ease some of his customers’ pain by giving them extra tanning time for their money.” (Jim Martin, “Erie Tanning Salon Owners Worry About Impact Of Tanning Tax,” GoErie.com, 5/16/10)

• Miller: “We are certainly not hiring any new employees… If the tax kept some people away from our salons it could affect the employment of some people. Let’s say 25 percent of the people quit coming in, you don’t need as many employees.” (Jim Martin, “Erie Tanning Salon Owners Worry About Impact Of Tanning Tax,” GoErie.com, 5/16/10)
• Miller: “I Also Think This Thing Was Just Ramrodded To The Extent That People Didn’t Know What They Were Voting For.” (Jim Martin, “Erie Tanning Salon Owners Worry About Impact Of Tanning Tax,” GoErie.com, 5/16/10)

Another Pennsylvania Tanning Salon Owner Said The Tax Will “Obviously… Affect Business And It’s Not Going To Be For The Better.” “Kim Glancy, owner of A Total Tan on East 38th Street, expects her business will survive, but she certainly doesn’t expect it will improve. ‘I am not happy about it,’ she said. ‘Obviously this is going to affect business and it’s not going to be for the better.’“ (Jim Martin, “Erie Tanning Salon Owners Worry About Impact Of Tanning Tax,” GoErie.com, 5/16/10)

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