I hope all of you are safe and healthy and practicing social distancing to “flatten the curve” of the disease. I have had mixed emotions this week because of the devastation that the virus has caused, but this week marked the nine-year anniversary of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA). It has been an incredible nine years. When TPA first opened its doors I had many sleepless nights worrying about policy (that was actually the easiest part) and of course fundraising. Generous donors allowed me to start this journey and those same donors (and many more) are helping me continue the journey. But, I am most thankful for the people that work at TPA. This week has shown that TPA is nothing without my co-workers. Tim Andrews (Executive Director), Ross Marchand (Director of Policy), and Grace Morgan (Director of External Relations) are doing amazing work and producing a ton of material advocating on behalf of taxpayers in the United States and around the world. Their work this week (and every week) has been nothing short of spectacular. I also want to mention the Senior Fellows: Johnny Kampis, Jeff Stier, and Chip Baltimore, who act as a policy triage unit when we need extra intellectual firepower on a particular issue. So, to my donors, friends, and members of Congress who like or dislike what we’re doing, TPA isn’t going anywhere.
Three Spending Bills, One Mission…Fiscal Accountability
On Wednesday, Congress passed the second coronavirus-related relief package (weighing in at around $180 billion) to finance paid sick leave and unemployment insurance benefits. This is on top of the $8.3 billion package passed two weeks ago to provide funding for test kits and tide over health departments across the country. But, the largest fiscal package (so far) is on its way…$1 trillion to pay for $1,000 checks and bailouts of small businesses and airlines (read our op-ed on the proposed airlines bailout here).
Ideally, the legislation will include:
- implementing a payroll tax holiday, which would allow struggling workers and businesses an opportunity to keep more of their hard-earned dollars;
- allowing businesses forced to close or pare back operations (i.e. airline companies, restaurants) due to government mandates a reprieve from regulatory takings via temporary, interest-free loans provided by the Treasury;
- a one-time means-tested payment to struggling individuals and households. This transfer would cap out at $1,000 for an individual earning $35,000 and $3,000 for a family of four earning $70,000, with other, varying amounts depending on household size;
- permitting self-employed workers access to unemployment insurance systems across the fifty states, including the territories such as Puerto Rico. These workers would be on-boarded after attesting to state UI agencies that they have lost a majority of work income since the start of the pandemic; and
- expanding Health Savings Accounts and permitting the use of pre-tax dollars to be used for purchasing over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen without a prescription.
There is no doubt that President Trump will sign something, so the question is one of oversight. We have some ideas to instill accountability, which is sorely needed at a time of runaway trillion-dollar deficits. We recommend establishing a dedicated Inspector General office to monitor the disbursement of all benefits in forthcoming “stimulus” legislation. This new office would ensure that waste, fraud, and abuse is minimized as a historic amount of grants to individuals and loans to businesses are awarded. Finally, TPA recommends creating a transparency website to document to the public all loans disbursed to businesses as a result of emergency measures. This is an exceptionally difficult time for all Americans, but with the right, targeted measures and an abundance of accountability, we can get through this.
Surprise Billing “Fix” May Make a Surprise Appearance in Financial Aid Package
Putting together a $1 trillion financial aid package isn’t easy. With such a massive size, it will be tempting to sneak in unrelated items. Now, it looks like Senate Health Committee Chair Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and House Energy & Commerce Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) are trying to include their “fix” to surprise medical billing with government price controls in this massive piece of legislation. Their “solution” is to cut doctor’s pay at a time when doctors are on the front line of battling this pandemic. This is outrageous, to say the least. Yesterday, we spearheaded a coalition letter of 24 free-market, taxpayer, and consumer groups urging House and Senate leadership to stop these sorry shenanigans. The letter read (in part):
“Government price controls for medical bills would be particularly devastating at a time of great stress for our nation’s patients and healthcare providers. Doctors and hospitals are on the front line of treating and fighting this disease. Mandating in-network rates would result in direct government price controls that would artificially suppress rates for providers offering out-of-network care, resulting in enormous financial losses that would be shifted to local hospitals and emergency rooms. Many of these facilities — particularly the ones serving rural, hard-to-reach communities across the nation — are already operating under razor-thin profit margins, if they are even profitable at all. Further compounding their financial woes could exacerbate a growing doctor shortage and lead to an increase in rural provider consolidation or even closure. The net result of any of these outcomes would be fewer options and higher costs for already at-risk patients. This harmful rate-setting approach is included in legislation advanced by the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee, the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and the House Education & Labor Committee. It is critical that at a time of a national emergency you focus on the needs of the country and not use the pandemic as an opportunity to enact government rate-setting that would harm our patients and our healthcare system.”
What an outrageous and dangerous thing to do in a time of crisis. Lawmakers need to refrain from politics-as-usual and come together to solve the worst public health crisis in our lifetimes.
Blogs:
Monday: Yes To A Coronavirus Vaccine, No To More Government Slush Funds
Monday: Watchdog Urges Congress to Embrace Market Solutions for Coronavirus Response
Tuesday: Watchdog Offers Recommendations Amid “Stimulus” Talks
Wednesday: 24 Groups Oppose Rate-Setting in Coronavirus Package
Thursday: Medicare for All would fail coronavirus patients
Thursday: Watchdog Urges Lawmakers to Keep Bailout Bill Clean
Friday: Coronavirus Response Package Comparison
Media:
March 14, 2020: Issues & Insights ran TPA’s op-ed, “FCC Commissioner Rosenworcel’s Concern Over Census Digital Divide Is Unfounded.”
March 17, 2020: Townhall ran TPA’s op-ed, “Smart Tax Policies Better than Coronavirus ‘Stimulus.’”
March 17, 2020: Inside Sources ran TPA’s op-ed, “Faux Transparency Bill Would Mean More IRS Snooping, Less Healthcare Access.”
March 17, 2020: The Federalist ran TPA’s op-ed, “U.S. Funds World Health Organization That Boot-Licks China, With Deadly Results.”
March 18, 2020: The Center Square ran TPA’s op-ed, “Congress should protect privacy rights, but not by creating another bloated federal agency.”
March 18, 2020: Townhall ran TPA’s op-ed, “A Bailout Should Be a Hand Up Not a Hand Out.”
March 19, 2020: The Washington Examiner ran TPA’s op-ed, “Medicare for All would fail coronavirus patients.”
March 19, 2020: WBFF (Fox, Baltimore) interviewed me about oversight of the proposed $1 trillion financial aid package.
March 19, 2020: The Center Square ran TPA’s op-ed, “FCC pushes programs to facilitate internet access during pandemic.”
March 19, 2020: The Washington Post mentioned TPA in their piece, “The Health 202: Congress might ban surprise medical bills in the coronavirus stimulus effort.”
March 19, 2020: TPA Policy Director Ross Marchand appeared on “The Morning Edition” (WDUN 102.9 FM and 550 AM; Atlanta, Ga.) to talk about coronavirus-related federal spending.
March 19, 2020: The New York Post mentioned TPA in their piece, “Wait — who’s unpresidential? and other commentary.”
March 20, 2020: Ross appeared on “The Steve Gruber Show” (WJIM 1240; Grand Rapids, Michigan) to talk about coronavirus-related federal spending.
March 20, 2020: Ross appeared on “The Why” (Newsy TV) to talk about coronavirus-related federal spending.
Have a great weekend, and as always, thanks for your continued support.
Best,
David Williams
President
Taxpayers Protection Alliance
1401 K Street, NW
Suite 502
Washington, D.C. xxxxxx
www.protectingtaxpayers.org
