Washington, DC - Tomorrow Congressional leaders will go to Blair House in Washington DC to meet with President Obama and learn how he wants to repackage and recycle the single payer option and tax increases that doomed his health care reform initiative.  Kerri (Houston) Toloczko, Senior Vice President for Policy at the Institute for Liberty and director of its Center for Healthcare Security and Access, released the following statement in advance of the health care summit:

"Thwarting the will of the majority of Americans, President Obama is moving forward with healthcare "reforms" that provide a baseline for government to further control our healthcare choices."

"This isn't even healthcare reform, its just one big fat tax increase for every man, woman and child in America."

"It imposes a hike in the Medicare payroll tax from 2.9 to 3.8% on working Americans and creates a 40% tax on what the White House considers "Cadillac plans" - ensuring people who now enjoy such plans will be dropped and dumped into less expensive plans - with less coverage - the opposite of the President's stated healthcare reform goals."

"Obama also plans to tax medical innovators and medical device companies that provide us with products that make us better or keep us alive.  Those taxes only have two places to go:  a decrease in medical innovation or a pass-through to consumers."

"Perhaps the most egregious plank in this sinking healthcare ship is that President Obama believes he has the Constitutional authority to levy fees and jail time on Americans who can not fulfill his mandate to purchase health insurance for themselves or their employees.  He also has claimed the authority to dictate to private companies - in this case insurance companies - how much they can pay their CEOs."

"This is not simply a plan to empty the pockets of American healthcare consumers," Toloczko concluded, "it is a dangerous and unprecedented great leap forward by the executive branch to force its ideological will on our citizens and businesses of all sizes.  It does not bode well for economic and individual freedoms in America."

The Institute For Liberty takes a comprehensive approach to the issues impacting Americans, especially families, small businesses and entrepreneurs.  IFL dives deeply into the operations of federal agencies, deals with new mandates being created by Congress, and attempts at all levels of government (including state and local governments) to chip away at individual rights.  IFL aggressively defends of the rights of individuals to pursue the American dream.
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