It has been an eventful and, at times, frustrating week in Congress. We saw a series of disappointing decisions handed down by the Supreme Court, but there was also good news – like the bipartisan House passage of legislation I supported to protect seniors from the worst provisions of Obamacare. I’m looking forward to visiting with many of you as I travel across the district in the days ahead, but first here’s a quick update on how I’m working on your behalf in Washington:Supreme Court Verdict in King v. Burwell I am profoundly disappointed in the Supreme Court’s decision upholding Obamacare in King v. Burwell. The wording of Obamacare makes clear that taxpayer-funded subsidies may only be administered on an insurance exchange “established by the state” but the Obama Administration has been doling out these subsidies in all 50 states, including places like Tennessee that did not set up a state-based exchange. With this misguided ruling, the Supreme Court has essentially bailed out Democrats in Congress from their own poorly crafted law.
As I told Fox 17 News last night (see HERE), the Supreme Court can issue a ruling, but it cannot change the truth. The truth is, Obamacare is a fundamentally broken law that is hurting too many Tennesseans and is failing to deliver on its most basic promises. In fact, the largest health insurer here in Tennessee is requesting a whopping 36 percent increase in premiums for next year. The Supreme Court’s decision makes clear that if Obamacare is to be stopped, it will require strong leadership from Congress. I have voted more than four dozen times to repeal Obamacare in part or in full, and we cannot stop now. I believe conservatives in Congress must redouble our efforts to erase this disastrous law and start over on patient-centered health reforms.Protecting You From Obamacare Security ThreatsThe Associated Press reported just last week that the Obama Administration is storing Obamacare applicants’ personal information in a “vast data warehouse” where it is being kept indefinitely. That’s pretty scary when you consider that this is the same Administration that failed to stop political targeting at the IRS and that oversaw the breach of 18 million federal employees’ records earlier this month. Earlier this week, I wrote in the Washington Examiner about legislation I introduced to protect your personal information from falling into the wrong hands on the Obamacare exchanges. I also had a chance to talk with one of the biggest names in conservative talk radio, Sean Hannity, about the Obama Administration’s hypocrisy on cyber security. You can listen to an excerpt of our interview HERE.More Bad News from the IRSThe hits keep coming at the IRS. A bombshell government watchdog report released last Wednesday found that the agency awarded $19 million in contracts to tax-delinquent corporations, despite such payments being banned under federal law. I spoke about the IRS’s latest scandal with The Washington Times and explained it this way: “When families in my district don’t pay their full tax bill by the filing deadline — even if it is the result of an honest mistake — they can expect a penalty. But apparently if you are a well-connected corporation that doesn’t pay up at tax time, the IRS rewards your delinquency with a government contract.”
If the IRS can afford to dole out millions in contracts to tax cheats, then we can afford to cut their bloated budget. Last year, I voted for legislation that cut $345 million in IRS funding – and we got it signed into law. Now, House Republicans are moving an appropriations bill through the committee process that would cut an additional $838 million from the agency’s budget. My colleagues and I on the Ways and Means Committee will continue to enforce aggressive oversight into the IRS’s affairs to ensure that hardworking Tennesseans who actually pay their taxes are not further defrauded by this agency’s incompetence.The Supreme Court’s Decision on MarriageToday, five Supreme Court justices silenced the voices of thousands of Tennesseans. I have always believed that marriage is a sacred promise between man, woman, and God. I respect that others may disagree and I believe that we should encourage a thoughtful, open dialogue about this issue in the individual states – not attempt to cut off debate by imposing a sweeping, fixed interpretation of marriage nationwide. Sadly, that is exactly what the court has done.
While the court’s decision was deeply misguided, we can be encouraged by its acknowledgment of religious freedom. As Justice Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion: “The First Amendment ensures that religious organizations and persons are given proper protection as they seek to teach the principles that are so fulfilling and so central to their lives and faiths.” Nothing in this ruling should be interpreted to force churches or faith-leaders to recognize a union that is fundamentally at odds with their beliefs. We will continue to follow enforcement of this ruling to make certain that this is the case.
