PELOSI: Buy a $15,000 Policy or Go to Jail
JCT Confirms Failure to Comply with Democrats’ Mandate Can Lead to 5 Years in Jail
Friday, November 06, 2009


Today, Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee Dave Camp (R-MI) released a letter from the non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) confirming that the failure to comply with the individual mandate to buy health insurance contained in the Pelosi health care bill (H.R. 3962, as amended) could land people in jail. The JCT letter makes clear that Americans who do not maintain “acceptable health insurance coverage” and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.

In response to the JCT letter, Camp said: “This is the ultimate example of the Democrats’ command-and-control style of governing – buy what we tell you or go to jail. It is outrageous and it should be stopped immediately.”

Key excerpts from the JCT letter appear below:

“H.R. 3962 provides that an individual (or a husband and wife in the case of a joint return) who does not, at any time during the taxable year, maintain acceptable health insurance coverage for himself or herself and each of his or her qualifying children is subject to an additional tax.” [page 1]

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“If the government determines that the taxpayer’s unpaid tax liability results from willful behavior, the following penalties could apply…” [page 2]

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“Criminal penalties

Prosecution is authorized under the Code for a variety of offenses. Depending on the level of the noncompliance, the following penalties could apply to an individual:

• Section 7203 – misdemeanor willful failure to pay is punishable by a fine of up to $25,000 and/or imprisonment of up to one year.

• Section 7201 – felony willful evasion is punishable by a fine of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment of up to five years.” [page 3]

When confronted with this same issue during its consideration of a similar individual mandate tax, the Senate Finance Committee worked on a bipartisan basis to include language in its bill that shielded Americans from civil and criminal penalties. The Pelosi bill, however, contains no similar language protecting American citizens from civil and criminal tax penalties that could include a $250,000 fine and five years in jail.

“The Senate Finance Committee had the good sense to eliminate the extreme penalty of incarceration. Speaker Pelosi’s decision to leave in the jail time provision is a threat to every family who cannot afford the $15,000 premium her plan creates. Fortunately, Republicans have an alternative that will lower health insurance costs without raising taxes or cutting Medicare,” said Camp.

According to the Congressional Budget Office the lowest cost family non-group plan under the Speaker’s bill would cost $15,000 in 2016.

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http://republicans.waysandmeans.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=153583

Wow....Republicans are really sounding desparate.

Change is coming my friend.

I am paying $180. Mo. for Blue Cross. So thats $2160. a year. I was uninsured for a long time. Young people are not going to be able to do it.

Sooo... let me get this straight, someone cannot afford insurance, they are going to fine them, they can't pay the fine because they can't pay for insurance so they are looking at jail time.

wow what a concept.

can't get blood from turnip so throw them in jail? Way ta go elected morons.

The speaker of the house is fighting for the American people.

yeah, well...i don't want her fighting for me.

i have insurance, but it's pretty bare-bones. i can't afford otherwise. if i have to choose between feeding my family and having insurance...i'm putting food on my table.

go ahead, throw me in jail. maybe she can support my kiddos then.

This CRAP you are reading in the OP are the last gasps of a failed Republican Party.

They know that when this passes, they are doomed!

They are fighting tooth and nail to oppose anything that looks like reform.

That's the irony of it. Sure, auto insurance is a requirement, but you can opt-out of it by not buying a car. With no loophole to opt out, how can everyone afford it without giving it away?

What they are shoving down our throats is crap. Nothing but bull****. Call it what you may but punishing those that just cannot afford it is not a well thought out plan. Maybe that's what we need maybe then people will see how bad this is.

you know, it's funny. From the middle, I see the exact opposite. I see a democratic party drunk with power and bickering over every little ounce of what they want, while the republicans have something to unify themselves against.

The democrats currently have the power to pass anything they want, but they have not. That should be telling you something.

I wonder if, the folks sent to jail will be charged with a misdemeanor or felony.
If it's a felony conviction, they lose the right to vote or own a firearm.

Right! and they insist on dragging a couple of "Republicans" along so that they can make the claim that it's a "bipartisan" effort.. all for the sole purpose of giving themselves cover in the next election cycle...

Last Gasps from the failed Republican Party!

We'll see how this all works out. Everyone is going to look back and say DANG, those people had courage and foresight! Thank you!

But then they will have health insurance paid by the taxpayers. YAY! So really, it's a win, win situation!

If it will be a felony charge, once you get out and if you have to wrk to live, noone will hire an excon.

So, your short-lived jail-house health care could put you on the streets.

I'm kind of excited to see the first round-up of uninsured folks.

But if you're in jail you get free medical care right?! Might be worth going to jail!

Jail is just a temporary stop to prison. If not having insurance is a a felony and you are sent to prison, three strikes and you are in for life.

Wow the more I read how people think in the US the more I am happy here in my Igloo with my free (not perfect) medical care .

Wow, what a concept, and they think it's ok to go to jail for not paying for insurance? wow that speaks volumes!! Hate to burst some of your bubbles because it won't be just conservatives they put in jail, it will be all sorts that won't be able to pay therefore putting innocent people in jail. That's when you are going to see where this system is the worst thought out plan the libs have ever come up with.

Although I cannot see too many going to jail before some Americans wake up. Putting thousands in jail for not being able to afford insurance won't go over well with the majority of Americans.

It's the "bend over" America policy