In spite of the blatant, political corruption at the IRS, Obama is moving full steam ahead with Obamacare, a law that gives unprecedented new access and powers to bureaucrats at the IRS and at least four other federal government agencies. Is that really going to undo the cynicism we have about government and protect Americans from further targeting?
Consider the potential for abuse with Obamacare’s mysterious Federal Data Services Hub, “the largest personal information database the government has ever attempted,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
For the purposes of implementing and enforcing Obamacare, HHS through regulatory fiat is building their HUB, a web portal where personal information such as medical records, tax and financial information, criminal background and immigration status will be shared between agencies like the IRS, HHS, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration, to name only a few. What does Justice, and Homeland Security have to do with healthcare?
Despite being only four months from Obamacare open enrollment, even the most basic questions about the Data Hub have yet to be answered. For instance, which agencies will have access to what information in it; will government employees, contractors and third parties have access; and what training and security clearances – if any – are required for these individuals. Which begs the question: Is this what President Obama meant by being the most transparent administration in U.S. history?
With so much personal information going in and out of the HUB likely privy to both government employees and contractors, many of whom will have discretion over health care coverage and tax penalties, the potential for abuses is staggering.
At the helm of the IRS’s eight newly created Obamacare enforcement offices is none other than Sarah Hall Ingraham, the former commissioner of the office responsible for tax-exempt organizations during the targeting scandal. Under her leadership, the IRS’s Obamacare offices will make determinations ranging from new tax regulations to mandates, market share and employment status. Will the Americans who do not purchase government approved insurance soon find themselves targeted and harassed through IRS audits? Right now, only time will tell.
In an attempt to stem the tide, Rep. Diane Black of Tennessee has introduced H.R. 2022, “Stopping Government Abuse of Taxpayer Information Act,” which would require that all government agencies with access to Obamacare’s Federal Data Services Hub to present to Congress, under penalty of perjury of the law, certification that the American people’s personal information has not and will not be used for targeting any individual or group based on their beliefs. Good luck on getting that through the Senate!
The question is: Will the president honor his promises to the American people to undo the cynicism about government and do everything in his power to make sure nothing like the IRS scandal happens again?
I can almost guarantee that Obama will honor this promise just as faithfully as he has honored all the other promises he made and didn’t keep.
