The Real "Massive Tax Increase"

STRATEGY

• GOP attempts to repeal Obamacare represent an opportunity to define the law -- it's constitutional and making our health care more secure -- and to educate the public about what's in it, including tax credits for 18 million Americans to afford health insurance.
• With the broader tax cuts debate heating up, we can go on offense by highlighting how voting to repeal Obamacare, and thereby take away those tax credits, means voting for a massive tax increase on the middle class.

CORE MESSAGE

Repealing Obamacare means raising taxes on the middle class.

Connect: Let's cut through the smoke and mirrors.

Define: Obamacare makes our health care more secure -- one way is by giving tax credits worth about $4,000 each to 18 million American families so they can afford coverage.

Distill: Voting to repeal Obamacare is voting for a massive tax increase on the middle class.

Expose: They'd raise taxes on millions of Americans while defending the free riding few who can afford health insurance but refuse to get it, driving up costs for all of us.

Look forward: It's time to move forward with implementing Obamacare, so we can make health care more secure for everyone and the middle class can get the tax credits they're counting on.  

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ATTACKS AND RESPONSES

FALSE ATTACK: "Obamacare is a massive tax hike!"

GO ON OFFENSE

• Repealing Obamacare would be the actual massive tax increase on the middle class.
• Let's remember the Republican politicians attacking the health law are trying to give the wealthiest Americans another $300,000 tax break each, while actually raising taxes on millions of middle-class families.
• Are they prepared to attack Romneycare as a tax on the people of Massachusetts, too?

REFRAME

• The "individual mandate" is really just a free rider fee for people who can afford health care but refuse to get it and gamble on their invincibility instead. When they end up in the ER and need expensive care, we all have to eat the extra cost.
• Having health insurance is and will continue to be a choice. But for those who can afford insurance and refuse to buy it, the Court said it's constitutional to charge them a fee to prevent them from free-riding at the expense of responsible taxpayers.

• That's why their "tax" smear is more of the same: Republicans protecting the few who don't need the help -- at the expense of everyone.

DEBUNK

• The "individual mandate" doesn't impact anyone who already has health insurance. And for those who can't afford it, there's help.
• Just like in Massachusetts under Romneycare, only a tiny percentage of free riders -- just 1 percent of Americans -- will pay a small fee, while millions of families and small business owners that take responsibility for their care will get tax credits.
• So the health care law does not raise costs to taxpayers -- it lowers them.

For additional Attacks & Responses, please click here.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW 

• Most Americans say it's time for opponents of the health care law to give up their efforts to block the law and move on to other national problems.
• Once the health law takes full effect, about 18 million individuals and families will get tax credits for health insurance averaging about $4,000 apiece.
• Here's the list of votes since January 2011 by Republicans in the House of Representatives to take away or block the health law's tax credits:
  • HR 2, Repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) - 2011, House Vote #14
  • King Amendment to HR 1 (no funds to implement ACA) - 2011, House Vote #98
  • King Amendment to HR 1 (no funds for salaries of anyone implementing ACA) - 2011, House Vote #99
  • Final Passage of HR 1, Continuing Resolution for FY 2011 (defunds ACA) - 2011, House Vote #147
  • HConRes 35, Amending HR 1473 to Prohibit Any Funding to Implement ACA - 2011, House Vote #270
  • FY 2012 Republican Study Committee Budget (repeals ACA) - 2011, House Vote #275
  • HConRes 34, FY 2012 House GOP Budget (repeals ACA) - 2011, House Vote #277
  • FY 2013 Republican Study Committee Budget (repeals ACA) - 2012, House Vote #149
  • HConRes 112, FY 2013 House GOP Budget (repeals ACA) - 2012, House Vote #151
  • HR 6079, Repeal of Affordable Care Act (repeals ACA) - 2012, House Vote #460

 
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