Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Bart Stupak (D-MI) have issued a letter to fifty of the nations largest health insurance providers asking for all manner of financial data. Allegedly, this information request was made in a fit of picque, something Waxman is famous for in addition to his nasal foliage, because the health insurance companies have been actively lobbying against a bill designed to put them out of business.
Says the Washington Post:
They requested detailed information on the compensation packages of the companies’ highest-paid employees, as well as information on the companies’ boards, conferences and events they sponsored, the profitability of the individual health-care products they sell and revenues earned through government programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
Anyone who is surprised that Henry Waxman would do this simply hasn’t been paying attention for a couple of decades. And yes, I should be expressing shock and outrage over this totalitarian use of a very nebulous power to intimidate American companies. But in this particular case I’m going to make an exception.
In the 2008 election cycle health insurance companies donated $1.425M to Barack Hussein Obama, they donated $575,746 to Hillary Clinton. They gave $427,228 to John McCain. All told, health insurance companies gave 73% of all their contributions to Democrats. As far as I’m concerned I will fight against the nationalization of the health care industry on principle but I’ll not lift a finger to shield health insurance companies from the people they paid good money to elect.
Pass the popcorn.
KnightsofMalta
Dan Spencer
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Caleb Howe
And where exactly
10ksnooker (Diary) Wednesday, August 19th at 3:26PM EST (link)Is it specified in the U.S. Constitution that the Federal Government gets this authority?
Sounds like the perfect timing for the Supreme Court to rein in the commerce clause and it’s abuses.
right
streiff (Diary) Wednesday, August 19th at 3:31PM EST (link)that’s really going to happen
“What keeps me here is the reek of beer, the ladies and the craic”
Good
Rod_Patrick (Diary) Wednesday, August 19th at 9:03PM EST (link)First case for Sotomayor to vote in favor of the liberal agenda. Payback time.
Plus, who said that Waxman ever believed in the Constitution?
The Rat Waxman should stick to more important issues
Common_Cents (Diary) Wednesday, August 19th at 3:33PM EST (link)like steroids in baseball.
Obama=Golfer in Chief, Leading from,
behind, the Back Nine.Leaders don’t create movements. Movements create leaders. Get involved. Your future depends on it.
Govt “invests” YOUR tax money for POLITICAL return rather than economic return.
Common Cents: Why Must You Insult
Ausonius (Diary) Wednesday, August 19th at 3:38PM EST (link)all the rats by including Waxman?
“Cockroach” ? I am willing to listen to arguments that calling him a cockroach would not also be insulting to the Blattaria!
Ausonius: 310-395 A.D. Teacher, Poet, Consul, General, Farmer.
Personal Tutor to the future St. Paulinus of Nola and to young Gratian, heir to the throne during the turbulent final years of the Western Roman Empire. When his former student Gratian was assassinated, Ausonius threw up his hands and retired to his farm in Gaul. Rome was captured by barbarians 14 years after his death.
Cato@rock.com
I thought all he cared about was tobacco
bk (Diary) Wednesday, August 19th at 3:39PM EST (link)Not as in “getting people to quit smoking” but rather as in “trying to extract the maximum amount of dough from the tobacco companies”.
I'm not surprised at all that Waxman & Co. would do this, but under
janis (Diary) Wednesday, August 19th at 4:02PM EST (link)what reason or law do they give to explain this action? Friendly curiosity? What happens if the companies in question don’t give Waxman what he wants?
Wow, it’s turning out that every single identity group who supported these frauds is getting beat up behind school and having their lunch money stolen as well. Next up? Lawyers, academics, and illegals are about all I can think of who haven’t gotten the Obama Admin, treatment. Yet.
That was my response as well
Bill S (Diary) Wednesday, August 19th at 4:24PM EST (link)Streiff certainly makes a good and valid point about the insurers, but I’m more concerned about the governmental intrusion into private industry. We’ve already seen this with financial institutions (non-TARP companies are the issue there), and now the Congressional meddling in the affairs of other industries has begun. How long will it be before every business is subjected to “oversight” of how much execs are paid? In this case with Waxman, it is clearly a retaliatory move against the insurers for crossing him and his cronies. But when does it simply become policy?
“It’s such a fine line between stupid, and clever.” – David St. Hubbins
bs, they are over-reaching as they usually do.
janis (Diary) Wednesday, August 19th at 5:11PM EST (link)Comes a point that the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back gets played and then look out. If we commoners can stand up and speak out, then the business community is going to balk at some point. It just takes one of them standing up and saying, “Oh, yeah?” and then others will join in.
This is going to get nasty. Odd how often we are saying that these days.
I think the Insurance Companies should tell Waxman to stick it where the sun don't shine.
bobojake (Diary) Wednesday, August 19th at 4:03PM EST (link)The Insurance companies have honored the contracts I had with them.
Health Insurance- 2 new knees, a fused back, numerous stitches snce 1944
Car Insurance- Always paid their obligations and followed up getting my deductible back from an uninsured motorist,
House Insurance- Honor all losses under contract
WHAT IN THE HELL HAS WAXMAN AND OBAMA DONE FOR ME OR THE OTHER VOTERS/CITIZENS/TAXPAYERS???????
NOTHING BUT STEAL TAXPAYERS MONEY AND GIVE IT TO UNIONS AND GOVERNMENT DOLES.
At the very least, shouldn't they force him to issue a subpoena?
bk (Diary) Thursday, August 20th at 6:09AM EST (link)This is crap.
Reaping what they sowed.
athelas (Diary) Wednesday, August 19th at 5:15PM EST (link)Of course corporate donations are usually made to get a “foot in the door” to have a hand in crafting legislation, no matter who is in power. That said, sometimes you just have to sit back and enjoy the schadenfreude.
http://ssmag.wordpress.com
French revolution and we all know how well that went
blacknblue (Diary) Wednesday, August 19th at 5:55PM EST (link)These people are exactly like the aristocrats before the French revolution and we all know how well that went.
“Congress Approves Half a Billion for More Private Planes for Travel Junkets
Well, it seems that its members are spending more and more time overseas…. 3,000 days at last count…and the cost has been $13 million, which, by the way, is a four-fold increase from just 10 years ago, and a 10-fold increase since 1995.
Since 1995, the cost of flying Congressman to Timbuktu (or wherever) has increased 10-fold and now, in these dire economic times, the House has approved a measure to buy half a billion dollars more in private planes so Congressman (and their wives) can spend more than the current 3,000 days flying hither and yon. The Defense Department is on record as saying that more planes are not needed, but Congess has other priorities, apparently,”
Today I talked to a Senator on a talk show, darn can’t remember his name but I think he was from Maryland. Anyhow he made a statement about how US Healthcare CEO was paid $24 million, He made a quick mention of $1 million base and the remainder in stock options.
I asked him if he knew the difference between payroll compensation and a piece of paper called an option? I told him I am tired of playing the crap of class warfare. That he purposely left the people thinking that $24 million of premium money (cash) went toward the guys pay. Plus if they are options they may not be in the money or at this time be exercised.
He stuttered and coughed and said something to the effect of CEO pay being out of control.
If I were the insurance companies I would ask under what law or power do they have to request the info. The problem would be that the Obama sheeple would start spouting how bad those insurance companies are for not want to open their books to the dictator. I no longer call him President because he doesn’t deserve it. He is a dictator …. is he close to a Mussolini.
When you add bene’s onto the Senators $174,000 salary their retirement funding, their health care for life funding, their travel, etc., what would it cost. The difference is it is taxpayer money. Money that is involuntarily taken from us, the taxpayer.
Give me the names...
carlsbadd Wednesday, August 19th at 9:53PM EST (link)What a bunch of BS,
Waxman to insurance companies: Can I have your financial information so I can slam you in public? thanks a bunch..
Why did the government rush in to give billions to AIG and citigroup who also run big insurance portfolios just to turn them into the enemy?
Mind continues to spin and the idiocy
Congressman Waxman
izoneguy (Diary) Thursday, August 20th at 2:01AM EST (link)it would be a real shame if you happened to shove a few golf balls up your nostrils…
The point cannot be made often enough: Modern liberalism, as embodied in the Obama presidency, is the defender of the status quo. And the status quo is a road to economic ruin. Political forces cannot redistribute the wealth that the economic system does not produce.