Taxes

(CNSNews.com) – A bipartisan bill meant to permanently prohibit taxpayer-funded abortions in every federal program has been introduced in the House, with over 150 original cosponsors, including 16 Democrats.

“For decades, a patchwork of short-term policies have prevented abortion funding in many programs authorized by Congress, but it is time for a single, government-wide permanent protection against taxpayer funding for elective abortion,” Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), the Republican co-chairman of the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, said in a statement released last week.

Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.), a cosponsor of the bill, said the health-care reform legislation that passed Congress this year showed that the current system of preventing taxpayer funded abortions is “dangerously fragile”...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Although the Obama administration promised it will limit federal taxpayer funding of abortions in the new high risk health insurance programs created under the ObamaCare law President Barack Obama signed into law, officials have said the limits are temporarily and apply only to the new program.

As LifeNews.com reported today, the Obama administration appears to have bowed to pressure from pro-life groups that discovered it had authorized abortion funding in three states under the new high risk health insurance programs.

White House Office of Health Reform Director Nancy-Ann DeParle offered further explanation of the new regulation on the official White House blog....

Democrats continue to face issues ranging from President Obama's declining popularity to Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's public trail, but now the ongoing investigation into New York Representative Charles Rangel's ethics violations has the party embattled even more.

For the past two years, the House Ethics Committee has investigated Rangel for tax fraud and other allegations since the New York representative relinquished the coveted chairmanship of the House Ways and Means Committee after being pressured by Democrats to resign.

"To my family, friends and constituents who have been there for me throughout, I can only say without dispute that I won't let you down," the 20-term congressman stated in Harlem. "Thank God the report is complete, and...we will do like anything else when we discuss the findings"...

Washington (CNSNews.com) – Business advocates are hoping Congress scraps a tax provision in the health care overhaul law that they say is overly burdensome to smaller companies.

So far, Senate and House Republicans have pushed for repeal of this specific provision of the health care bill. Even Democrats asked that the Internal Revenue Service move cautiously in enforcement of the provision.

Currently, businesses and other entities are required to report on Form 1099 any service-related transactions over $600 involving an unincorporated business, such as a solo proprietor, partnership and LLC...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Officials in the Obama administration are scrambling to respond to evidence showing the new health care law President Barack Obama signed will fund elective abortions in Pennsylvania and New Mexico -- and possibly in more states. The Obama administration promises that won't happen.

The National Right to Life Committee uncovered information showing a new Pennsylvania high risk health insurance plan will cover elective abortions.

Further evidence the pro-life group obtained showed a similar high risk health insurance pool in New Mexico will also fund elective abortions using federal taxpayer funds...

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- Thirty years ago today, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in Harris v. McRae, resolving a four-year legal battle to ensure that Congress may prohibit taxpayer dollars from funding abortions. Now, pro-life advocates are concerned Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan would scrap the decision.

Harris v. McRae has prevented taxpayer-funded abortion under Medicaid for three decades, and established a legislative standard set by the Hyde Amendment. This narrow 5-4 decision has had a major impact on an issue upon which seven out of ten voters agree - public funds should not be used for abortion.

But with a debate over taxpayer funding of abortions taking center stage in the congressional battle over health care, abortion advocates showed their hand -- they want the Hyde amendment removed...

(CNSNews.com) – Legislation to extend myriad tax breaks, unemployment benefits and other spending programs currently before the House would add $115 billion to the nation’s $13 trillion national debt in only two years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

That bill, the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (H.R. 4213), would ultimately add $84 billion to the debt by 2020, a recent CBO report said. That bit of accounting magic is achieved because House Democrats delayed tax increases until after 2011 and double-counted an increase in the excise tax on oil, according to an analysis provided by the ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.)...

(CNSNews.com) – Everything must be on the table to reduce the massive federal deficit, said President Barack Obama on Tuesday. However, Obama did not address his campaign pledge to not raise taxes on households earning less than $250,000, and White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said the president “may not” break that pledge.

In a speech launching his National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform from the Rose Garden at the White House, Obama said no proposal should be ruled out, and he also criticized the news media.

“I’ve said that it’s important that we not restrict the review for recommendations that this commission comes up with in any way,” said the president. “Everything has to be on the table”...

Richmond, VA (LifeNews.com) -- The Virginia state legislature last night sided with pro-life Gov. Bob McDonnell by upholding his amendment to the state budget to cut taxpayer-funded abortions. The move makes it so the state will cut out funding for about 99 percent of all abortions it previously paid for before.

Last week, McDonnell amended the FY 2011-12 state budget to prohibit taxpayer funding of most elective abortions for low-income residents. That includes abortions in cases where the unborn child is merely disabled or has a condition such as Down syndrome.

The Family Foundation and pro-life groups had been working for the ban on taxpayer funding of abortion for decades and its director Victoria Cobb was elated...

Washington (CNSNews.com) – The White House several times this week refused to rule out support for a value added tax (VAT)--a tax that all American consumers would pay but not directly see because it would applied to items at every stage of production. Such a tax would affect purchasers of all income levels by making the goods they buy more expensive and increasing the cost of living in the United States across the board.

Obama himself--in an interview with CNBC on Wednesday – refused to rule out a VAT:

“I know that there's been a lot of talk around town lately about the value-added tax," Obama told CNBC’s John Harwood. “That is something that has worked for some countries, and something that would be novel for the United States, and before I start saying, 'This makes sense or that makes sense,' I want to get a better picture of what our options are.”

Obama's spokesman also was pressed on the issue Wednesday...