Thread: More GOP Hypocrisy

In its zeal to make sure that no one anywhere ever gets an abortion, Republicans have decided that money you save via tax breaks, tax credits, or even Health Savings Accounts isn't your money after all. It's their money, and they want to make sure you spend it the way they want:

Under a GOP-backed bill expected to sail through the House of Representatives, the Internal Revenue Service would be forced to police how Americans have paid for their abortions. To ensure that taxpayers complied with the law, IRS agents would have to investigate whether certain terminated pregnancies were the result of rape or incest. And one tax expert says that the measure could even lead to questions on tax forms: Have you had an abortion? Did you keep your receipt?

In testimony to a House taxation subcommittee on Wednesday, Thomas Barthold, the chief of staff of the nonpartisan Joint Tax Committee, confirmed that one consequence of the Republicans' "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act" would be to turn IRS agents into abortion cops—that is, during an audit, they'd have to detemine, from evidence provided by the taxpayer, whether any tax benefit had been inappropriately used to pay for an abortion.

The proposed law, also known as H.R. 3, extends the reach of the Hyde Amendment—which bans federal funding for abortion except in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at stake—into many parts of the federal tax code. In some cases, the law would forbid using tax benefits—like credits or deductions—to pay for abortions or health insurance that covers abortion. If an American who used such a benefit were to be audited, Barthold said, the burden of proof would lie with the taxpayer to provide documentation, for example, that her abortion fell under the rape/incest/life-of-the-mother exception, or that the health insurance she had purchased did not cover abortions.

--snip--

...during Wednesday's hearing, Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) highlighted the IRS enforcement issue, which has until now flown under the radar. He asked:

Would a woman have to certify that the Health Savings Account funds she spent on birth control pills or for a doctor's visit weren't used to pay for an abortion? If a woman were audited, would IRS agents be at her house demanding court documents or affidavits proving that her pregnancy was the result of rape or incest?

Barthold replied that the taxpayer would have to prove that she had complied with all applicable abortion laws. Under standard audit procedure, a woman would have to provide evidence to corroborate facts about abortions, rapes, and cases of incest, says Marcus Owens, an accountant and former longtime IRS official. If a taxpayer received a deduction or tax credit for abortion costs related to a case of rape or incest, or because her life was endangered, then "on audit [she] would have to demonstrate or prove, ideally by contemporaneous written documentation, that it was incest, or rape, or [her] life was in danger," Owens says. "It would be fairly intrusive for the woman."

--snip--

"The Internal Revenue Service has no business interfering with a woman's right to a safe, legal, constitutionally-protected medical procedure," Thompson tells Mother Jones. "Private health care decisions belong to a woman, her family, and her doctor—not a government auditor."

Most IRS agents would likely agree, Owens says: "I don't think [IRS agents] enjoy prying around into those sorts of private matters." Another IRS veteran tells Mother Jones he doesn't believe his ex-colleagues would want to enforce such a law. "You can't ask people to go out and ask some woman about what the circumstances are surrounding her abortion. They just won't do it."

GOP Bill Would Force IRS to Conduct Abortion Audits | Mother Jones

Republicans preach a "smaller" government. A "less intrusive" government.

Conservatives complained that the Healthcare bill would require hiring, and requiring IRS agents to enforce the tax provisions of the law. And here they are, prepared to do the same thing for federally funded abortions.

Worse, actually. This is far more intrusive than making sure that everyone has health insurance. Congress is actually mandating that the IRS involve itself in the private decision between a woman and her doctor or hospital, to ensure that not a single dollar of federal taxpayer gets spent on abortion.

An audit of a woman with an HSA or employer provided (and tax credited) insurance plan would now have to prove in an audit that the abortion she had was only strictly paid for with private funds, or prove that it was carried out because of a rape, incest, or that their life was indeed physically threatened because of the pregnancy.

Bad enough they have to relive the experience in court, to put away a rapist or someone who committed incest against them. Now they'll have to do it all over with an IRS agent, so they can prove they are deserving of the funds needed for an abortion.

And of course, if they get it wrong, or somehow can't prove the claim, they could be prosecuted for tax fraud, and be fined, have property confiscated, or go to jail.

But it doesn't even stop there. This law would prohibit any State level program, such as Medicaid, that receives matching federal dollars from providing an abortion, even if they do not use any federal money to fund those abortions.

Smaller government? Less intrusive government? Too bad conservatives and Republicans don't practice what they preach. Fucking hypocrites, the lot of them.

Read The Bill: H.R. 3 - GovTrack.us

Testimony Of The Staff Of The Joint Committee On Taxation Before The Subcommittee On Select Revenue Measures Of The House Committee On Ways And Means Hearing On H.R. 3, The “No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act,” As Reported By The House Committee On The Judiciary (downloadable PDF file):
JCX-18-11

Originally Posted by NiteGuy

In its zeal to make sure that no one anywhere ever gets an abortion, Republicans have decided that money you save via tax breaks, tax credits, or even Health Savings Accounts isn't your money after all. It's their money, and they want to make sure you spend it the way they want:

Republicans preach a "smaller" government. A "less intrusive" government.

Conservatives complained that the Healthcare bill would require hiring, and requiring IRS agents to enforce the tax provisions of the law. And here they are, prepared to do the same thing for federally funded abortions.

Worse, actually. This is far more intrusive than making sure that everyone has health insurance. Congress is actually mandating that the IRS involve itself in the private decision between a woman and her doctor or hospital, to ensure that not a single dollar of federal taxpayer gets spent on abortion.

An audit of a woman with an HSA or employer provided (and tax credited) insurance plan would now have to prove in an audit that the abortion she had was only strictly paid for with private funds, or prove that it was carried out because of a rape, incest, or that their life was indeed physically threatened because of the pregnancy.

Bad enough they have to relive the experience in court, to put away a rapist or someone who committed incest against them. Now they'll have to do it all over with an IRS agent, so they can prove they are deserving of the funds needed for an abortion.

And of course, if they get it wrong, or somehow can't prove the claim, they could be prosecuted for tax fraud, and be fined, have property confiscated, or go to jail.

But it doesn't even stop there. This law would prohibit any State level program, such as Medicaid, that receives matching federal dollars from providing an abortion, even if they do not use any federal money to fund those abortions.

Smaller government? Less intrusive government? Too bad conservatives and Republicans don't practice what they preach. Fucking hypocrites, the lot of them.

Read The Bill: H.R. 3 - GovTrack.us

Testimony Of The Staff Of The Joint Committee On Taxation Before The Subcommittee On Select Revenue Measures Of The House Committee On Ways And Means Hearing On H.R. 3, The “No Taxpayer Funding For Abortion Act,” As Reported By The House Committee On The Judiciary (downloadable PDF file):
JCX-18-11

What a gang of lying, hypocritical bastards.

I find this absolutely repulsive; not the hypocrisy because that is nothing new for both sides, but the fact that they're going to try and audit abortions this way. How does a woman who has been raped/victim of incest prove that's why she had the abortion if she never told the authorities? So many women don't go to the police. They'll have absolutely no proof, and the ones who did go to the police probably are not that much better off. This whole thing is absolutely abhorrent - so much for women's rights.

They do know that this issue was settled in the 70's by the supreme court?? Is it normal for republicans to simply ignore the rulings of the SCOTUS?? Well.. I suppose it is when they don't agree with the ruling.. And they call themselves americans??

Sure, let's intrude on peoples' lives more. It's not like they're already having a terrible day. A good dosage of government interference will be sure to go over well. God damn SoCons.

Originally Posted by Molchmeister

So, don't try to write off an abortion as a medical expense, who does this really affect, those that make enough to itemize their deductions. I can understand completely where they're coming from. I am a conservative, but I believe abortion is a personal choice, and while the Federal government has no Constitutional authority over the issue, I can understand not spending tax dollars on a procedure the majority of Americans oppose. I wish we could do the same about wars.
Molchan

What if it is to save the life of the mother or pregnant after being gang-banged by Liberuls?

Flat, one-size-fits-all laws are bad laws.