I recently noted that President Obama’s climate change edict for our national security strategists shows that he does not take warfare against American opponents seriously.
However, the President takes citizen opposition very seriously. For example, he is unleashing one of his most potent tools against Americans opting out of purchasing Obamacare.
Over 20 million Americans opted to pay a penalty rather that purchase health insurance. So, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has just sent them a formal letter suggesting they make a different choice.
…Getting a letter from the IRS can be a threatening and nerve-racking experience; it seldom is seen as a suggestion and more of a threat. But at President Obama’s direction, the IRS is “reaching out” to people who paid the tax penalty for not buying mandatory health insurance or who claimed an exemption in hopes of “attracting” more people to sign up for ObamaCare insurance. The government is particularly interested in compliance from healthy young people.Congress is not happy. “We strongly object to any action by the Administration to improperly use sensitive taxpayer information to identify and harass individuals who have rejected the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) by choosing to pay a tax rather than be forced into a health care plan they don’t need and don’t want,” House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Majority Whip Steve Scalise, and Ways & Means Chairman Kevin Brady said in a letter today to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen.They warned the IRS about the use of “protected taxpayer information” and sent Koskinen a list of sharp questions demanding more details about how the IRS plans to “reach out directly to individuals” and how the Department of Health and Human Services will be involved in encouraging “their compliance with the individual mandate.”
Perhaps the IRS might be more inclined to be less bold in these matters if its regulators face actual penalties. However, we are at Day 1234 of the scandal involving that agency targeting Tea Party groups for denial of nonprofit status and Congress has delayed bringing an impeachment vote against Koskinen.
The last-minute deal struck Wednesday night may merely postpone the unprecedented step of formally accusing John A. Koskinen, 77, the head of the I.R.S., of “high crimes and misdemeanors.” Never before has an executive branch official below the cabinet rank been impeached, and not even a cabinet member has faced such proceedings in 140 years.
Lois Lerner, the IRS bureaucrat who gleefully targeted citizen activist groups, is currently enjoying a full pension and a $129,000 bonus.
For these reasons, a diverse group of organizations have banded together to form the First Amendment Alliance, a nonpartisan groups focused on protecting the free-speech rights of nonprofits.
…[T]he First Amendment Alliance (1AA) has swelled in size, now totaling over 50 groups that represent every segment of the political spectrum and civil society. The 1AA’s mission is to prevent the IRS from implementing Regulation 134417-13, otherwise known as the IRS muzzle rule…….The muzzle rule — initially introduced by the IRS in 2013 — aims to redefine the meaning of “electioneering” to include constitutionally protected speech, such as news reporting and issue advocacy. As TRI has previously noted, the agency’s proposed definition of electioneering is so broad that any discussion of politicians, their voting records, or even the mere mention of a political candidate’s name, is enough to have an organization stripped of its tax-exempt status.
The “muzzle rule” is slated to be effective on Oct. 1 of this year.
The SoCal Tax Revolt Coalition, of which I remain an active member, is one of the 50 groups that has joined. The organization’s President, Dawn Wildman, explained the motivation behind this new organization.
“Between the election, terrorism, and other issues, the IRS and other bureaucracies have become even more entrenched and powerful”. Our freedom of speech goes to the very essence of our liberty and guaranteed rights in this country. The IRS continues to abuse its power against those perceived to be enemies of this administration”.
Just imagine how different the news would be if the Obama Administration targeted our real opponents so vigorously, cleverly, and passionately!
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