Government
Flashback Video: ‘Absolutely Reject That’ — Obama, HHS Sec., & Budget Director All Say Mandate Not A Tax
- Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:33am by
Benny Johnson
- Print »
- Email »
In the Blaze’s short research we have uncovered three high profile, on-the-record declarations from the Administration strongly repudiating the notion of the Individual Mandate as a tax.
1. The White House Budget Director, Jeffrey Zients: “No.”
2. Health & Human Services Secretary Sebelius: “[The IndividualMandate] is not per-say a tax.”
3. The President: “I absolutely reject that notion [mandate is a tax].”
Please watch the now extraordinarily controversial comments:





















Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (119)
TaxedPete
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:18pmJust so you know where I am coming from, I am a libertarian, catholic, conservative, wall street exec and I am against the health care mandate and most everything Obama and the Democrats have done in Congress.
I applaud John Roberts and here is why:
The problem with the individual mandate is that our government tried to justify it under the Commerce Clause, which would have opened the flood gates on government control of our lives.
Roberts said that it wasn’t constitutional under the Commerce Clause but is constitutional because the mandate is a TAX. The Supreme Court has no business ruling on tax policy.
Obama and his cohorts have stated numerous times that it is not a tax, but now the Supreme Court has shined a harsh light on that lie.
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:41pmI agree. All that is gleaming is not gold for the democrats.
Report Post »I support God's Israel!
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:59pmThey are ALL LIARS.
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:59pmTAXEDPETE…you didn’t go into enough detail about this.
Report Post »Roberts in his brief said that the “wisdom” of this now tax isn’t being commented on but simply that it must be seen as a tax and not under the regulation of commerce. Now…here’s where the underhandedness of Obama comes in. Obama stated clearly that it’s not a tax but his lawyers in their arguments before the SCOTUS said it was a tax. This gave Roberts his leeway to play ball with the administration. Now Obama has no choice, he must call it a tax because the SCOTUS is saying it’s a tax. Roberts essentially based his decision on semantics. But I can see the electorate saying to themselves that the only to get rid of this unpopulare law now it to get rid of Obama..and Obama will for the next 5 months have to keep telling us it‘s tax when he said it wasn’t a tax and have to explain why he’s raising taxes during a strained economy on everyone without insurance. He can’t use the “under $250K” excuse anymore. He has effectively raised taxes on everyone and now he must be on the defensive. This decision as unpalatable as it is, is a blessing in disguise. It will galvanise resistance to Obama. The Tea Parties will rise up again after waiting on the SCOTUS decision. Obama is toast in November and watch the senate go GOP also.
michael48
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 1:07pmwill be intresting to see if chairman ocommie and sebilous will issue waivers to unions on a TAX…um..um..um…
Report Post »Freebird
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 1:13pmDoes this mean we just entered the express lane heading toward Obamanation or the toll lane?
Report Post »midnightgolfer
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 1:19pmSCOTUS should most definitely have rejected the constitutionality of any bill that raises revenue, (i.e. tax,) that doesn’t originate in the House of Representatives. The Obamacare that was passed, or Obamatax as it should now be called, originated in the Senate, in direct contradiction of Art. 1, Sec. 7 of the U.S. Constitution.
Report Post »lembrandt
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 1:45pmThe problem with that, Pete, is *now* the government can control *anything* or *any* behavior – all they have to do is call it a tax.
Too fat? They can can tax you thin. Don’t drive the liberal approved car? They can tax you into a Volt. Want to drink soda pop? They can tax you into drinking water….ANYTHING they want, Pete – so glad you feel happy enough to applaud the Justice that just sold the entire country, our history and the Constitution down the river.
Applause? Indeed.
Report Post »GoodvsEvil
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 1:58pmHow can you applaud Roberts????
Report Post »He brought to light that the mandate was in fact a tax……..but then he said it was OK for the government to tax us if we didnt buy a product (insurance). I am a nurse ,and health care as you know it today is gone…..look at europe and their socialized medicine,..it doesnt work….you will be given a number and it may be 6 months before you get to see a doctor….you my be dead by then,….this weeds out the sick, young and the old. This is the progressives plan.
You will not get to keep your health care coverage now because it will be more cost effective for your employers to dump that coverage and go with purchasing the governments form of healthcare for their employees. The poor are going to be doublely affected but by then it will be too late,….as someone on here said….You cant take piss water out of the lemonade..or something like that.
Copo
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:37pmThe Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes,
Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for
the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States;
but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout
the United States;
1.8.1
SHALL BE UNIFORM THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES
Report Post »You cannot have any exemptions, besides the fact that this IS NOT a tax, it is a penalty. The law STATES that those who do not purchase healthcare will have a penalty, it doesn’t state that its raising taxes and making a new deduction. The supreme court cannot rule on tax rates but it CAN put down an unconstitutional tax (although chooses not to and has done so ever since the Fed was created).
rodneywolfe
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 5:27pmAmen. Roberts may have done us a HUGE favor here.
Report Post »1947
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 7:00pmThe first man to say was right and we as Americans need to learn how to say with easy ness “OBAMA or BERRY the LIAR”
Report Post »beebacksoon
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 7:02pmThere is NOTHING that comes out of this man’s mouth that is the truth. NOTHING! Not even his “autobiography” was real. I am soooooo sick of him and can’t stand to look, much less hear his voice one more minute!
Report Post »mwhaley
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:42pmNow this is deemed a tax, no health care waivers for Obama’s friends SEIU, GE, UAW. You pay through the nose just like the rest of us.
Report Post »apojoe69
Posted on June 29, 2012 at 8:34amObama didn’t do this to us. Congress makes all the rules and they cannot implement these rules without the tax code. The income tax code and the IRS that runs it, is their all powerful tool to hurt and manipulate us and we sit by and let them keep on beating us to death with it.
Report Post »momrules
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:17pmLucifer, the father of lies……lies,………. Muslims are encouraged to lie to the infidel……….Obama lies.
Connect the dots.
Report Post »MIBUGNU2
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:49pmMOOOOOOOORE TAXES………. on the Middle Class.. JUST REMEMBER, OBAMA TOOK
$500,000,000,000.00 out of MediCare to pay for this “Monstrosity”..People have forgotten
about this, so when they say MediCare is out of MONEY, We can thank Bama and POOLOSI….
Politicians are DISGUSTING….Ask anyone if they know Congress took this out of MediCare, and
about 80% won’t know… They will all thank O’Blamer for HC… They continue to rip us off and
RAID the kitty……ALL POLITICIANS SUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and REPUBLICANS
don’t have the BALLS to do ANYTHING….snivel and whine and a bunch
of TALK !!!!
Mornin’ COMRADES
Report Post »MIBUGNU2
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 1:32pmRep. Wilson was right all along when He called BO a LIAR..
Report Post »during the State of The Union speech…Liar,Liar,Liar,Liar !!!
POTUS is a Constitutional Lawyer and or a Professor of
Constitutional LAW at Harvard..So he MUST have known
all along this was a TAX.. Contempt toward the American
People……Pure and Simple..
Eric Von Zipper
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:16pmMy friends… The President of the United States is a filthy liar…
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:44pmYes, this is true, but he may have had his days in the sun and on the golf course at our expense. This man will likely be re-elected if they continue to deceive the ethnics, but he will end up impeached. There is enough against him to prove he should not even be in the White House. Holder needs to be fired and someone put in place who is no a politician butt kisser.
Report Post »blackyb
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:48pmKeep in mind this man is not likely really our President. He is in our office and it is questionable, for there exists much evidence to the contrary.
Report Post »Zombee
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:16pmBarack Obama and the Democrats now own the LARGEST MIDDLE-CLASS TAX INCREASE IN HISTORY!
Don’t forget these words. They OWN it now.
Romney needs to hang this big tax increase around the necks of both Obama and the Democrat socialists in the Congress / Senate from now until election day.
Report Post »GilbertAcct
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:41pmYou who are outraged at this new “tax” that Obama has stuck us with, while crying for the election of the only other person in America who imposed this exact same tax on American citizens… you ought to step back and look at reality. Romney was all about raising revenue and growing government in MA as governor. What makes you think he will be different as President?
Anyone who actually wants change in America will support neither Barack or Romney. Don’t vote, write someone else in, protest, boycott, register under a different party, etc. The democrats and republicans are of the same insestual breed.
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 1:01pmZOMBEE…Bingo! Obama and the dems now have to defend raising taxes on everyone without insurance. They can’t call it anything else. It’s not “per se” anymore, Roberts said its’ a tax..IT’S A TAX!. Romney just got handed a baseball bat with which to bludgeon Obama for the next five months.
Report Post »Steelheadisadouche
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:53pmLiars do lie. All the lefties are happy, to be lied to time after time after time. Why?
“The high court’s ruling leaves in place 21 tax increases in the health-care law costing more than $675 billion over the next 10 years, according to the House Ways and Means Committee. Of those, 12 tax hikes would affect families earning less than $250,000 per year, the panel said, including a “Cadillac tax” on high-cost insurance plans, a tax on insurance providers, and an excise tax on medical device manufacturers.”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/28/republicans-ruling-focuses-election-obamas-health-/
Report Post »bobbie22
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:13pmWe did this once as novices, We now have the experience. We are stronger then before…
“REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER”
Report Post »jvlag3
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:12pmTo all you Obama supporters … in his latest campaign ad he said he wasn’t going to raise taxes on the Middle Class…guess what he just did with Obama Care….
Report Post »GilbertAcct
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:45pmTo all you Romney supporters… Romney claims to have never ever in his life raised taxes. Well, if you are using this argument against Obama, then you need to apply it to what Romney did in MA, lest you become a hypocrite.
Romney is great at raising revenue and growing whatever entity he is in charge of… Bain, Massachusetts state gov’t… He will do the same as President. He will grow the government. He will find all sorts of sneaky ways to raise taxes, just like he did in MA.
Again, I would keep quiet on the tax issue… because the very person you want for President is the one who originated this tax on American citizens.
Report Post »Inlightofthings
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:27pmGILBERT..
No one is in the mood for your drivel. Informed protectors of the Constitution, in particular the 10th amendment know that this goes beyond your uninformed comment about taxes….
Report Post »GilbertAcct
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:56pmInlight… You miss my point. I’m not arguing whether Romney as governor had the right to implement Romneycare in his state… I’m arguing that if Obama is a liar for claiming never to have raised taxes on the middle class, then implementing the tax of Obamacare… then Romney is a liar for claiming never to have raised taxes in MA, while imposing the tax of Romneycare. The 10th amendment has nothing to do with my argument. It’s best to understand what someone is saying before making demeaning comments from your self-constructed high horse.
I’m a strong proponent of the 10th amendment, and I try to learn as much as I can about the original intent of the constitution. If you’d like me to list all of the big government acts that Romney committed as governor of MA, I’d love to. I haven’t read the MA state constitution, so I can’t argue the constitutionality of those acts… but I can argue the economic and financial aspects.
Report Post »F_This
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:07pmWhen the government over steps their bounds of the Constitution, the people have the right to overthrow said government. What are we waiting for? It’s past time! Either we sit back and watch our free country fall, or we take it back.
Report Post »steveh931
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:32pmNovember 2012
Report Post »I support God's Israel!
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 1:00pmNovember 2012.
Report Post »progressiveslayer
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:55pmSo what gave you the notion that we’re a free country? Just look at the ten planks of the communist manifesto and compare it to modern day America and see just how free you really are.
We now have a government that can regulate all human activity and tax us for whatever they wish.
Private property rights? That‘s a joke and try and do something on ’your‘ property and see how many agencies of government you have to get permission from to use ’your’ property.
Public unions are as un american as you can get,no energy policy and many unconstitutional wars since WW II. All welfare programs are unconstitutional yet they still exist,what I‘m saying is our republic died a century ago and the vast majority of Americans don’t realize it.
Report Post »Freebird
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:06pm“They gonna ruin us all by and by,I’m tellin all you beware,I don’t think they really care,I think they just sit up there and just get high.”
Report Post »DCSKIHOG
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:03pmIt’s a big **** sandwich with lots of tax and we are all going to have to take a big bite!
By the way…Obamacare has never been about healthcare. It’s sole purpose was and is to give government ultimate control over the individual by telling us what we must or must not buy, what we must or must not do, and having final decision making power over whether we live or die based on our “value” to the state.
Report Post »apojoe69
Posted on June 29, 2012 at 8:48amEveryone keeps yelling about Congress and Obama and healthcare while the real monster in the room is the IRS and the TAX CODE! Eliminate the TAX CODE and the ultimate, all consuming power over us is ELIMINATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »Excomunicatedmarine
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:01pmCan we throw Obama into the Boston harbor?
Report Post »theblazerunner
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:09pmbefore or after we hang the pos sob?
Report Post »tzion
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:18pmWouldn’t that make us the Obama party?
Report Post »Landon410
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:59amwe need a repub in office to mandage and rule like obama did.
Report Post »we dont need congress, we dont need votes, who cares what the public wants, just mandate new law.
take oath, then stand at inauguration and repeal obamacare, dont even wait to get to your office do it there on the stage!
mandate all illegals are most wanted people and deport their butts back to the hell hole they came from,
mandate that fence it completed on boarder, mandate gay marriage illegal, mandate a fair or flat tax, mandate gun laws that effect criminals and not legal gun owners, etc etc etc etc
Landon410
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:01pmtyping not the strong suit today, sorry…
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:54amYou can’t really blame the Supreme Court. Blame the Democrats who SHOVED this TAX through. This was ruled on as a TAX on the middle class, NOT as a mandate to buy insurance. That’s the problem. No one read the bill and it was sold as NOT A TAX when, if READ, it is a TAX with thousands of IRS agents enforcing that TAX! Time to REPEAL this tax the only way possible… new legislation! ROMNEY 2012 and let’s take back DC.
Report Post »johnjamison
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:01pmThe alw was passed by a liberal vote un the house,then passed by a liberal vote in the senate,then signed by a liberal president,and now protected by a liberal supreme court…How is that representive of our supposed seperate branches,check and balance government. IT’S NOT
Report Post »kobra09
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:53amThis is exactly what happened with social security and we fell for it again. Before the law passes “It’s absolutely not a tax!!!” After…”of course it’s a tax, it wouldn’t be legal otherwise”
Report Post »johnjamison
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:59amThe law was passed on the promise of no new taxes…..so the supreme court calling it a tax mean the laws the supreme court approved is not the same law that went through congress.
Report Post »kobra09
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:07pmWhich is exactly how they got social security passed. They told people it was an insurance plan managed by the government. But when it went to the supreme court (Flemming V. Nestor), nope its a tax, not an insurance plan. They got obamacare passed the same way.
Report Post »buc99
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:51amHere is a list of “Mandates” that were just held up by the Supreme Court:
http://www.atr.org/tax-hikes-obamacare-scotus-rule-a6996
Nothing but a clean sweep of liberals (Democrats and Republicans) in November will save this country…. I’m not holding out hope!!!!!
Report Post »pap pap
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:51amNow Obummer is responsible for one of the largest if not the largest tax increases in history. We need to put this to good use before November.
Report Post »MIBUGNU2
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:44pmDoesn’t Matter..The majority of Obama voters DON”T pay TAXES..
Report Post »He will be re-elected because of these voters and Cuz’ he BLACK.
Sad but true !!
pwatkins
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:49amRomney …for Repeal….2012. If it walks like a liar and talks like a liar …it is a Liar= Obama…..not a tax my azzzzzzzz.
Report Post »GilbertAcct
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:47pmRemember when Romney claimed over and over that he has never raised taxes? Please call Romney a liar or I will deem you a hypocrite.
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:39pmGilbertAcct
Report Post »Ron Paul is not the candidate, he’s not going to be POTUS. Not now, not ever. Deal with the reality that we have only two choices. I don’t like the choices any better than you do, but I do know that one choice is worse than the other. You do too.
MIBUGNU2
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 3:04pm@!GilbertAcct
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:47pm
Remember when Romney claimed over and over that he has never raised taxes? Please call Romney a liar or I will deem you a hypocrite.
Romney only misspoke….O’Blamer Lies to us, day after day, after day,after day,after day……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… !!!!!!!!
Report Post »GilbertAcct
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 3:36pmGonzo… Unlike many Paul supporters I do not live in a fantasy land where I still think he will become the nominee. I was past that point long ago. I’m also not going to write in his name.
I agree… I have two choices. Support the two parties who are almost identical, or reject them. I choose to reject them. You choose to support them. I want to rid us of terminal disease… you want to choose a slightly less annoying terminal disease.
MIBUG… This is what amazes me about typical Republicans and Democrats… They are completely unable to step back and call a spade a spade. Bush starts an illegal war, it’s fine… Obama starts an illegal war, it’s impeachable. Obama lies about taxing, it’s heresy… Romney lies about taxing, it’s “misspeaking.” Same thing with the Democrats. Unbelievable.
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 5:42pmGILBERTACCT…so what you’re saying is “let the country burn” for your ideological purity? Seriously?
Report Post »GilbertAcct
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 7:40pmAveng… I don’t believe Romney will save the country from burning. Is that hard to understand? For some reason you expect everyone to operate on the same premise that you do… namely that Romney is going to save the country from Obama. I see little to no difference between him and Obama. I have no reason to believe that anything will change by voting for a mirror image of Bush/Obama/Clinton/etc. Bush is as much to blame for our current crisis as Obama is… yet you expect me to believe that Romney, who shows his worship for Bush by hiring all his old cronies, is going to make the world a better place? Get real. You are caught in the narrow mindedness of the two party system and are unable to see that the two parties are playing for the same team.
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:48amNow the court placed it under the tax law and struck it down under the commerce clause…based on this the courts can’t rule on this till the tax is collected…gamers.
Just a way for the supremos to kick the can down the road while we the taxpayers incur the costs.
Report Post »Gregb
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:46amShould be easy for congress to stop the tax!
Report Post »They could try now, or Romney can do it when he gets into office.
obama has had a “read my lips” moment…by raising taxes on the middle class. This is the tax that should be a mandate against his re-election!
The obama care mandate is a TAX that will be a mandate for Romney!!!!
YourVoiceMatters
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:46amVote out the band of LIARS! and
Report Post »vow to make sure we never see this happen again!
I will NEVER EVER VOTE FOR ANY DEMbot
Nope not happening!
and i will be very sure the repub i vote for is NOT a progressive!
Waiting now for the dow to tank!
this cannot be good for the economy!
encinom
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:45amFour of the Five Justices in the Majority also say the law is proper under the Congress’ Commerce Clause powers. The reason it was upheld under Congress’ Taxation powers is because of Roberts and how he wrote the majority opinion.
Report Post »dblaess
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:05pmIt is a tax, always was a tax, always was protrayed as not a tax to get it passed. The good news now is that some administration in the future can tax you if you don’t pay to join a gym (for health), join a vegtable club (for your health), or buy a gun (for the general welfare. I hope you got what you want and want what you get. Good to see you finally post so someone can reply, rather than your ususal reply and run method. George is this you yet again?
Report Post »I.Heart.America
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 3:05pmFrom now on it shall be referred to as ObamaTax
Report Post »RedDirtTexas
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:45amSo he is a liar! Scream it from the rooftops! Let’s get these bums out of office!
Report Post »MIBUGNU2
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:37pmMornin’ COMRADES !!! We continue to lose our FREEDOM..
The GOVERNMENT is growing like a cancer out of control..
Washington Politicians are out of CONTROL…………………..
Report Post »Freebird
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:44amMeans about as much as Nixon going on TV and famously saying,”I am NOT a crook.”
He got what the hell he wanted,and now it’s up to the rest of us to try and pay for it.
Report Post »WesG
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:43amVery valuable lesson here. When you are in power lie cheat and steal to get the laws you want passed done. When the repubs get power its time to destroy the democrats no more compromise.
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:37amWe all know obama is a liar. Nothing new here.
Report Post »GilbertAcct
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 12:49pmAs is Romney… Your thoughts?
Report Post »Steelheadisadouche
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 2:54pmRomeny doesn’t have the support of the socialists, communists, and dolts. Your thoughts?
Report Post »GilbertAcct
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 5:42pmAgreed. But he does have the support (funding) of the more relevant crowd… Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, etc. These happen to be the same as Obama’s supporters.
Steelhead… any words about Romney being a liar?
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:35amBAM, there go…just what I said under a different piece.
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on June 28, 2012 at 11:40amClick Edit button: “BAM there you go” lol
Report Post »