President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that his administration had expanded Obamacare.
Congress didn’t legislate the expansion. The Internal Revenue Service did.
The IRS scrapped an Obama administration regulation that faithfully implemented the Obamacare statute, officially called the Affordable Care Act, which became law in 2010 on a party-line vote.
At issue is whether dependents of a worker with an offer of employer-sponsored coverage can shun that coverage and claim premium tax subsidies for Obamacare policies instead.
The statute and the Obama administration regulation were clear on this point. Such dependents qualify for tax-subsidized policies only if the cost of self-only employer-sponsored coverage exceeds 9.5% of the worker’s household income. If not, neither the worker nor her dependents could receive Obamacare premium subsidies.
Many complained about this provision, which they called the “family glitch.” They said that dependents should be eligible for subsidies if premiums for employer-sponsored family coverage —rather than self-only coverage—were too costly. The Obama administration rejected this approach and followed the law as Congress wrote it.
In the intervening 12 years, lawmakers have introduced bills to base eligibility for subsidies on the cost of family coverage. Congress adopted none of them.
Biden’s IRS did what Congress had left undone. It effectively amended the tax code, creating eligibility for premium subsidies based on the cost of employer-sponsored family coverage.
According to an analysis by the Urban Institute, the principal effect of this policy will not be to reduce the number of Americans who are uninsured. Although a family coverage affordability test would make 4.8 million dependents eligible for federal subsidies, the analysis found that the policy will reduce the number of uninsured by only 190,000. The vast majority of dependents who benefit from this change currently have health insurance.
The new rule likely will encourage some employers to reduce or eliminate their contributions to dependent coverage. Employers, on average, pay 72% of premiums for dependents. With companies struggling to cover rising health insurance costs, some may let taxpayers foot the bill for covering their employees’ family members.
The Treasury Department doesn’t think that will happen. Still, officials there estimate that this unlawful regulation will cost the federal government $38 billion over the next 10 years.
That’s a mere pittance compared with the Biden administration’s $400 billion student loan forgiveness fiat, but it comes on top of the net $4.8 trillion increase in federal debt resulting from legislation and regulations during the Biden administration’s first 21 months in office.
The Biden administration has accompanied this pattern of fiscal recklessness with breaches of its statutory and constitutional limits.
Sometimes, as with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s vaccine mandate and the transportation mask mandate imposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the courts rein them in. Undeterred by these reminders of the limits on its power, the administration frequently has ignored the law (as with student loans) or, in this case, rewritten it.
More troubling still is the politicization of federal agencies. The Justice Department has taken actions that appear politically motivated against pro-life activists and parents who oppose the teaching of critical race theory in their children’s schools.
Now the IRS has reversed a longstanding regulation that the Obama administration promulgated and contravened a law widely regarded as President Barack Obama’s signal domestic policy achievement.
Once agencies charged with enforcing federal laws and collecting taxes begin to pursue political agendas, there is no turning back. The next administration can be expected to use the Justice Department and IRS—newly fortified with 87,000 additional employees—for its own political ends.
The Biden administration may not have thought through these implications. Administration officials instead exude the arrogance of people who, having gained power, behave as if they always will wield it.
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Their contempt for hearing criticism of their new Obamacare regulation is a case in point. Once an agency has completed drafting a rule, officials send it to the Office of Management and Budget for final review. Members of the public may request a meeting with OMB to present comments.
I was part of a group that requested a meeting, along with colleagues from the Paragon Policy Institute, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Galen Institute. Officials from OMB, the IRS, and the Treasury Department were to attend.
But when we logged onto the Zoom call, no one from the administration showed. OMB blamed a “Zoom failure” and offered several rescheduling options.
The meeting never happened.
OMB first delayed rescheduling the meeting, blaming Hurricane Ian. (Only two participants, Paragon’s Brian Blase and I, live in Florida, and the storm didn’t affect our participation.)
OMB then approved the regulation and canceled the meeting. And we were not the only critics of the rule who had our meeting abruptly canceled.
I don’t for a moment imagine these meetings would have changed any minds. Canceling it merely spared Biden administration officials the discomfort of hearing that the rule was unlawful and reflected the politicization of the IRS.
Power breeds arrogance, and this administration has plenty of both.
Article cross-posted from Daily Signal.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
