By Kevin Hassett One of the more illuminating remarks during the health-care debate in Congress came when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told an audience that Democrats would “pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it, away from the fog of controversy.” That remark captured the truth that, while many Americans have a vague sense that something bad is happening to their health care, few if any... 

By Mark Hemingway On Sunday, the New York Times reported that the Obama administration’s economic team was kicking the policy tires on a national value added tax (VAT) as a means of dealing with the deficit, among other things. But earlier today, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the administration was not considering a VAT. If Gibbs is telling the truth, then why did White House economic... 

By John Stossel Today President Obama will propose a new tax on the nation’s biggest banks, reports today’s Washington Post. How will the tax work?  Firms would pay a “Financial Crisis Responsibility Fee” at an annual rate of $1,500 for every $1 million borrowed to finance lending and other activities. In other words, the Obama Administration is going to punish those greedy banks... 

By Erica Werner Labor leaders are pushing hard on President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats to drop a proposed new tax on high-value health insurance plans, warning of political consequences. The White House has indicated the tax may change so it hits fewer workers – but it’s not going away. A Monday evening meeting at the White House between Obama and about a dozen heads of the country’s... 

By Erica Werner President Barack Obama signaled to House Democratic leaders Wednesday that they’ll have to drop their opposition to taxing high-end health insurance plans to pay for health coverage for millions of uninsured Americans. In a meeting at the White House, Obama expressed his preference for the insurance tax contained in the Senate’s health overhaul bill, but largely opposed... 

A liberal think tank with close ties to President Barack Obama says the administration and Congress should consider raising taxes on Americans to help close federal budget deficits, an opening salvo in what is likely to be a protracted debate on tax policy. Share/Save Read More →

By Dick Morris Now that the various healthcare plans are being reduced to print, the financial details are emerging and with them a fundamental conclusion is becoming evident: The Obama plan is a giant tax increase for much of the American people (not just the rich). Share/Save Read More →

Memo to President Barack Obama: It's a tax. Obama insisted on national television during the weekend that requiring people to carry health insurance — and fining them if they don't — isn't the same thing as a tax increase. But the language of Democratic bills to revamp the nation's healthcare system doesn't quibble. Both the House bill and the Senate Finance Committee... 

By Teddy Davis It's not every day that you hear a Democratic senator charge that a fellow Democrat is proposing to raise taxes on the middle class, but that is what happened on Tuesday when Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., ripped into the health-care bill developed by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mt., the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Share/Save Read More →

By RICARDO ALONSOZALDIVAR Health care legislation before Congress would allow a new government-sponsored insurance plan to cover abortions, a decision that would affect millions of women and recast federal policy on the divisive issue. Share/Save Read More →

Divergent messages from the Obama administration in the past two days hint at a tough political reality: Nobody likes higher taxes, but that may be the price of getting America’s fiscal house back in order. Share/Save Read More →