Congressional hearings over the last two weeks have been filled with stories of misconduct due to incompetence and inexperience among certain IRS employees. Both Republicans and Democrats have leveled the accusations, and Internal Revenue officials testifying before Congress have admitted as much. At the same time, all parties have stressed that the vast majority of IRS employees are hard working, competent, and honest civil servants.
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development just announced the sentencing of two former IRS employees “for unemployment insurance fraud.” Seven other former IRS employees have already been convicted and sentenced as a result of the investigation:
INDIANAPOLIS – Over the past week two former United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees have been sentenced for unemployment insurance fraud. Carmen Brown, also known as Carmen Smith, 41, of Indianapolis, and Terri Wardell, 48, of Fishers, both pled guilty to unemployment insurance fraud. The two filed for and received unemployment insurance benefits while working full-time for the IRS. Smith illegally received nearly $14,000 in benefits. Wardell fraudulently collected over $18,000...
“It does not matter who you are or who you work for, we work diligently to make sure those who take funds they are not eligible for, are held accountable”, said Scott B. Sanders, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. “These funds are for Hoosiers truly in need and we take our job safeguarding these funds very seriously.”
The IRS detected the original signs of fraud and reported the information to the DWD who then pursued the investigation resulting in these convictions.
From the federal overhaul of American medicine that brought us the Cornhusker Kickback, the Louisiana Purchase, and Gator Aid, we can now add the Sebelius Shakedown. In what it calls an “unusual fundraising push,” the Washington Postwrites, “Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has gone, hat in hand, to health industry officials, asking them to make large financial donations to help with the effort to implement President Obama’s landmark health-care law.” According to the New York Times, Sebelius has suggested “seven-figure donations.”
Democratic senator Chuck Schumer conceded that Obamacare is "part" of the reason health care costs are increasing:
"Our insurance department is empowered to protect families and we're going to watch them like a hawk to make sure they do," said Schumer. "Because if they don't, these rates could go through the roof."
A reporter asked Schumer, "Is it because of Obamacare?"
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius admitted that Obamacare might cause "some men and younger customers [to] see their rates increase," in regard to health care insurance costs.
Much of Obamacare wasn’t passed as fixed law but rather as an open-ended invitation for the secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make law, our constitutional separation of powers notwithstanding. That’s how the requirement came about that essentially all health plans must hereafter give privileged status to birth control pills, sterilization, and the abortion drug ella.
The Wall Street Journalreports, “Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio said he was considering introducing legislation requiring insurance companies to let consumers cover adult children on their plans up to the age of 31, charging an additional premium if necessary.” Contrary to what you might suppose, Stivers doesn’t caucus with the Democrats — which begs the question: When Republican congressmen are floating ideas like this, who needs Julia?
The Washington Post reports on a new study by Bloomberg Government, which shows that the repeal of Obamacare would cost health insurance companies more than $1 trillion — yes, that’s trillion — over the remainder of this decade alone. Why? Because Obamacare would transfer colossal sums of money from American taxpayers, through the federal government, to private insurers — and repeal would keep that transfer from occurring.
It's hard to get more than 70 percent of Americans to agree on anything, but 71 percent of Missourians voted yesterday for a referendum opposing the centerpiece of President Obama's signature legislative initiative.
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