Lies...Big Lies...and Randy Neugebauer

[TexasTowelie]

By Dr. Brian Carr
President, Behavioral Health Associates, Lubbock, Texas, 1991-Present
Chairman, City of Lubbock Board of Health, 2013
Submitted on November 6, 2013 - 7:27pm

Mark Twain once remarked that there were three kinds of lies…Lies…Da#$ Lies…and Statistics!

With a small tweak (or might it be a twerk) one can witness the intentional distortion offered by our Congressman. Randy Neugebauer continues to oppose Obamacare and reasonable government at every turn. When not engaged in belittling a Park Ranger he is huddled with Ted Cruz preparing for the next governmental shutdown. Hiding behind his official news releases he will never step up on a platform to debate the truth. It would only hurt him.

His latest falsehood designed to scare people? In his email newsletter “Randy’s Roundup” he makes the following statement:

“Did you know that through the new Obamacare exchanges, you might unknowingly subsidize abortions? Plans on the exchanges do not disclose whether they cover abortion, and if you select a plan that does, you will pay at least $1 into a fund to pay for all enrollees’ abortions on demand. That’s unacceptable.”

No matter that his contention is NOT TRUE! Facts have no bearing for a man on a mission and collateral damage involving the suffering and misery of children and families right here in West Texas are of little concern.

As reported from Right Wing Watch if there is one thing that the TEApublicans in Congress are very good at it is playing fast and loose with the facts and Representative Tim Huelskamp (R, KS) proved on Friday when he appeared on right wing radio host Steve Deace’s show.

Huelskamp claimed that the American people will support them and not the President if they shut the government down over funding for Obamacare because 90% are opposed to the fact that “every single person under Obamacare” will be required to pay a surcharge of $1 every month on their insurance premiums to fund abortion. He goes on to say that most of that money is going to go directly to Planned Parenthood.

As reported on Mediamatters.org some have taken the misrepresentation of the law to suggest that Obamacare will provide abortions for $1.

The reality is that the reason that there is a separate surcharge is to ensure that no federal money is spent in any way on abortion. Federal law bans the use of any federal funds for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or where the life of the woman is in danger. In crafting the ACA bill this ban was maintained. Any plan offered on the exchanges must charge enrollees an additional fee for abortion and keep those funds separate to ensure that no federal money is used.

Any exchange must offer at least one plan that does not provide any coverage for abortion. Before a person can sign up for a plan they must be advised if that plan provides abortion coverage so they can stop their enrollment before any commitment is made.

Of course Randy is not the only one in the deceitfulness of the Extreme Right. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) recently kicked a bees' nest of Catholics and anti-abortion activists when he asserted that Obamacare contains an "abortion surcharge and a secrecy clause" that forces "pro-life Americans ... to pay for other people's abortions."
[link:http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2012/mar/21/blog-posting/does-barack-obamas-health-care-bill-include-1-abor/|
Politifact.org] labels this claim by our Congressman and others on the lunatic right as “Ridiculous”. Their review goes on to state:

“The provision in question only affects people who purchase insurance plans that cover abortion and who do so on the exchanges -- a much narrower group than the claim suggests. And people who make such purchases will be paying their private dollars into abortion coverage accounts voluntarily. Despite some puzzling wording, ultimately the law allows for full disclosure of its abortion rules at the most obvious time, when someone is signing up for coverage. On balance, we rate this claim False.”

When called out about his dishonesty you can expect to receive a standardized (and meaningless) form email back thanking you for your concern and Randy will take your comments under advisement after he uncovers himself from the American flag and lets go of Cruz’s hand. NOT!

At least our Congressman is predictable. You don’t have to wonder where he stands…squarely in the open palm of special interests and corporations that have well-greased his bank account. In January one can expect him to again work to shut down the government. Just as you can be assured that he has no problem in cutting off food for children while ignoring our farmers.

What a hypocrite we have in Congress.

TAGS:

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http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/dr-brian-carr/2013-11-06/liesbig-liesand-randy-neugebauer

Cross-posted in Texas Group.

[Laelth]

1. k&r for the truth. n/t

-Laelth