Research Briefing

Here’s Why Iowans Deserve An Apology From Obama For Breaking His Campaign Pledges On Government-Run Health Care

OBAMA RETURNS TO IOWA TO SELL GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE: “The president is set to travel to Iowa City on Thursday for his first event after passage of the landmark health care bill. The city is where Mr. Obama first offered his health care plan as a presidential candidate in May 2007.” (Jeff Zeleny, “Obama Heads To Iowa To Pitch Health Care,” The New York Times’s “Prescriptions” Blog, 3/22/10)

OBAMA ASSAILED UNACCEPTABLE RHETORIC, BUT SAID NOTHING WHEN HIS ALLIES USED IT …

THEN: Obama Said Interest Groups Went Overboard In Calling Reformers “Un-American.” “Proponents of health care reform were opposed by well-financed, well-connected interest groups who spared no expense in telling the American people that these efforts were ‘dangerous’ and ‘un-American,’ ‘revolutionary’ and even ‘deadly.’” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Cutting Costs And Covering America: A 21st Century Health Care System, University Of Iowa, 5/29/07)

NOW: It’s House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) & House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) Calling Americans “Un-American.” “Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American.” (Reps. Steny Hoyer And Nancy Pelosi, Op-Ed, “‘Un-American’ Attacks Can’t Derail Health Care Debate,” USA Today, 8/10/09)

PROMISED INSURANCE TO ALL, BUT HIS PLAN LEAVES MILLIONS UNINSURED …

THEN: Obama Said Those Without Health Insurance “Will Have It After This Plan Becomes Law.” “If you are one of the 45 million Americans who don’t have health insurance, you will have it after this plan becomes law.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Cutting Costs And Covering America: A 21st Century Health Care System, University Of Iowa, 5/29/07)

NOW: 23 Million Americans Will Still Be Uninsured In 2019. (Douglas W. Elmendorf, Letter to Nancy Pelosi, 3/20/10)

PROMISED TO LOWER COSTS, BUT WILL RAISE THEM …

THEN: Obama’s Plan “Guarantees Coverage For Every American” And Lowers Premiums By $2,500. “Today I want to lay out the details of that plan - a plan that not only guarantees coverage for every American, but also brings down the cost of health care and reduces every family’s premiums by as much as $2500.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Cutting Costs And Covering America: A 21st Century Health Care System, University Of Iowa, 5/29/07)

NOW: Obama Endorsed Senate Dems’ Bill Would Raise Premiums For Americans Purchasing Insurance Individually. “CBO and JCT estimate that the average premium per person covered (including dependents) for new nongroup policies would be about 10 percent to 13 percent higher in 2016 than the average premium for nongroup coverage in that same year under current law.” (Douglas W. Elmendorf, Letter To Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), 11/30/09)

ATTACKED “SPECIAL INTERESTS,” BUT CONSPIRED WITH THEM BEHIND CLOSED DOORS …

THEN: Obama Accused Drug Companies Of Greed. “Now, making this kind of money costs money, which is why the drug and insurance industries have also spent more than $1 billion on lobbying and campaign contributions over the last ten years to block the kind of reform we need.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Cutting Costs And Covering America: A 21st Century Health Care System, University Of Iowa, 5/29/07)

NOW: But He Cut A Deal With PhRMA To Boost Their Profits. “Earlier this year, the administration struck a deal with PhRMA and the Senate Finance Committee limiting the industry’s hit to $80 billion over ten years. The deal has never been officially confirmed, but the Huffington Post reported at the time that the White House agreed to oppose re-importation … Along with its pledge of support, PhRMA offered to spend $150 million on ads backing reform.” (Ryan Grim, “Pharma Deal Shuts Down Senate Health Care Debate,” The Huffington Post, 12/11/10)

THEN: Obama Advocated Buying Prescription Drug Reimportation, Saying It Would Save Money. “They’ll sell the same exact drugs here in America for double the price of what they charge in Europe and Canada… Under my plan… we will tell the drug companies that their days of forcing affordable prescription drugs out of the market are over.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks On Cutting Costs And Covering America: A 21st Century Health Care System, University Of Iowa, 5/29/07)

NOW: But He Cut A Deal With The Drug Industry To Oppose Drug Reimportation In Exchange For Their Support.“The White House, aided by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), is working hard to crush an amendment being pushed by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) to allow for the reimportation of pharmaceutical drugs from Canada, Senate sources tell the Huffington Post … The deal has never been officially confirmed, but the Huffington Post reported at the time that the White House agreed to oppose re-importation.” (Ryan Grimm, “Pharma Deal Shuts Down Senate Health Care Debate,” The Huffington Post, 12/11/09)

AND THE CAMPAIGN PROMISES DIDN’T STOP IN IOWA

THEN: Obama: “Under My Plan, No Family Making Less Than $250,000 A Year Will See Any Form Of Tax Increase.” (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks, Dover, NH, 9/12/08)

• NOW: Thomas Barthold, Chief Of Staff Of The Joint Committee On Taxation, Said People Earning Less Than $200,000 Per Year Could Be Taxed: “You asked about the proposal for the tax on individuals without acceptable health care coverage.  And, it’s a tax on the individual’s wages over an AGI threshold.  And, the AGI threshold says, I pointed out this morning, in 2009, would be $18,700 on a joint return, $9,350 on an individual return.  So, yes, one would have to say that there would be taxes on individuals with adjusted gross income less than $200,000 in that circumstance.” (Thomas Barthold, House Ways And Means Committee, Testimony, 7/16/09)

THEN: Obama Attacked An Individual Mandate For Health Care. Obama: “Senator Clinton believes the only way to achieve universal health care is to force everybody to purchase it...and my belief is the reason that people don’t have it is not because they don’t want it, but because they can’t afford it.” (Michael Luo, “Check Point,” The New York Times, 2/22/08)

• NOW: But The Obama-Signed Bill Includes An Individual Mandate With Harsh, Stiff Penalties That Will Send Them To Jail If They Don’t Pay Up. “Democracy for America, the successor to the Dean campaign, which is now run by his brother, is out today with an email attacking health care legislation on a vulnerable point: The individual mandate. ... ‘[T]hey say that even without a public option, the bill still “covers” 30 million more Americans. [The bill] requires every single American buy health insurance or break the law and face penalties and fines. So, the bill doesn’t actually “cover” 30 million more Americans - instead it makes them criminals if they don’t buy insurance from the same companies that got us into this mess.’” (Ben Smith, “Dean Group Attacks Mandate,” Politico’s “Live Pulse” Blog, 12/16/09)