South Florida Tea Party joins fight against health care reform

The South Florida Tea Party chapter is joining a statewide effort July 2 to prevent Florida legislators from backing a federal bill that would dramatically raise beverage taxes to support a government takeover of the nation’s health care system.

Tea Party chapters across the state are calling for Florida residents to visit congressional and senatorial district offices July 2 to urge legislators not to sponsor the Affordable Health Choices Act.

Proposed by the Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee, the bill seeks to, among other actions: expand Medicaid to 150 percent of the federal poverty level; tax citizens who cannot show they are covered by government-defined “qualified” health insurance; and establish numerous government-appointed committees to certify and inform citizens about insurance plans.

The legislation eliminates individual freedoms in making medical decisions, decreases the quality of care and goes against the founding beliefs of the nation’s health care system, primarily that:

• Americans should be in control of their medical decisions, not the government and third-party payers who will ration care for politics and profit.
• Government should reserve public funding of health care for poor and provide tax breaks to all for private health care.
• Patients should decide how much to pay for routine annual medical care and reserve health insurance for rare catastrophic events.

The bill is being rushed through Congress, as the Obama administration hopes to have it approved by the House of Representatives in August and signed by the president in October.

The South Florida Tea Party urges citizens to stop by their nearest legislative office July 2 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to voice concerns opposing the Affordable Health Choices Act. Because officials will be on break that day for the July 4 recess, the offices are open for visitors to submit comments for legislators to review when they return from the break. Residents who cannot visit an office July 2 are encouraged to submit comments via phone.

The South Florida Tea Party will hold rallies at several offices and is recruiting volunteers to help organize the events. If you would like to volunteer, please e-mail info@southfloridateaparty.org.

Check www.southfloridateaparty.org for further updates.

Legislative offices in Martin, Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties:

Sen. Bill Nelson

500 Australian Ave., Suite 125

West Palm Beach, Fla. 33401

Phone: (561) 514-0189

Fax: (561) 514-4078

Sen. Mel Martinez

7711 N. Military Trail, Suite 1014

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 33410

Phone: (561) 842-8300

Fax: (561) 842-8949

Rep. Bill Posey

335 S.E. Ocean Blvd.

Stuart, Fla. 34994

Phone: (772) 288-4668

Rep. Thomas J. Rooney

111 N.W. 183rd St., Suite 315

Miami, Fla. 33169

Phone: (305) 690-5905

Fax: (305) 690-5951

Rep. Kendrick B. Meek

10100 Pines Blvd., Third Floor, Building B

Pembroke Pines, Fla. 33026

Phone: (954) 450-6767

Fax: (954) 450-6768

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

4960 S.W. 72nd Ave., Suite 208

Miami, Fla. 33144

Phone: (305) 668-2285

Fax: (305) 668-5970

2500 N. Military Trail, Suite 490

Boca Raton, Fla. 33431

Phone: (561) 988-6302

Fax: (561) 988-6423

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz

10100 Pines Blvd.

Pembroke Pines, Fla. 33026

Phone: (954) 437-3936

Fax: (954) 437-4776

Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart

8525 N.W. 53rd Terrace, Suite 102

Miami, Fla. 33166-4520

Rep. Alcee L. Hastings

U.S. Federal Building, Suite 127

299 E. Broward Blvd.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 33301

Phone: (866) 713-7303

Fax: (954) 735-9444

Rep. Suzanne M. Kosmas

12851 S.W. 42nd St., Suite 131

Miami, Fla. 33175

Phone: (305) 225-6866

Fax: (305) 225-7432

About the Affordable Health Choices Act:

Proposed by the Senate Health, Education and Labor Committee, the Affordable Health Choices Act injects an unprecedented level of government control over the nation’s health care. The bill seeks to, among other actions:

• Expand Medicaid to 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
• Require health insurers to accept every employer and individual in the state for coverage.
• Require health insurance providers to report to the government how premiums are spent.
• Ban annual or lifetime limits on coverage.
• Establish committee boards, called Affordable Health Benefit Gateways, in each state to certify and inform residents about insurance plans.
• Establish a Medical Advisory Council to determine the “amount, duration, and scope” of the items and services that must be included as “essential health care benefits” in a plan that qualifies for subsidies.
• Amend the Internal Revenue Code to apply a tax penalty for individuals who cannot show they are covered by qualifying health insurance.
• Extend dependent coverage so citizens may be covered on their parents’ insurance until they are 26 years old.

The bill would be funded by large tax increases on beverages. The Senate HELP Committee proposed an across-the-board tax on alcohol at $16 per proof gallon as well as an unspecified federal tax increase on drinks sweetened by sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.

The legislation is being rushed through Congress, as the Obama administration hopes to have it approved by the House of Representatives in August and signed by the president in October.

The 651-page legislation can be viewed at http://help.senate.gov/BAI09A84_xml.pdf.