WHERE'S JOE WILSON WHEN YOU NEED HIM?:

Health bill says 'tax' when President Obama said 'not' (CHRIS FRATES & MIKE ALLEN, 9/21/09, Politico)

In the most contentious exchange of President Barack Obama’s marathon of five Sunday shows, he said it is “not true” that a requirement for individuals to get health insurance under a key reform plan now being debated amounts to a tax increase.

But he could look it up — in the bill.

Page 29, sentence one of the bill introduced by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont) says: “The consequence for not maintaining insurance would be an excise tax.”

Health Bill's Proposed Excise Tax Rallies Republicans (JANET ADAMY, 9/21/09, WSJ)

The issue is emerging as a rallying point for Republicans, who are calling for Democrats to scrap the current health overhaul proposals and start over. Mr. Obama has pledged not to increase taxes on families earning below $250,000 a year.

"If it looks like a tax and is enforced like a tax, it's a tax," said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah).

The White House on Monday reiterated that it doesn't view the fee as a tax.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 22, 2009 6:26 AM