You can call it what you want, but H.R. 22, also known as the “Hire More Heroes” act, is not about hiring more veterans. Instead it is a three-fifths compromise-like bill that Democrats offered the new gorilla in the room as a way of making peace. Make no mistake; H.R. 22 is about taxes and counting people, in this case veterans, for the purpose of lowering tax burdens for businesses. That same thinking was used in 1787 when slaves were counted as three-fifths of a person in determining political representation and tax apportionment.
“Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this Union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other persons.”
H.R. 22 specifically states, it is a bill that amends the tax code: “This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to add a provision to exempt any employee with coverage under a health care program administered by the Department of Defense, including the TRICARE program, or by the Veterans Administration, from classification as an eligible employee of an applicable large employer for purposes of the employer mandate under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to provide such employees with minimum essential health care coverage.
That IRS tax code it amends is Sec. 4980H, often referred to as the employer shared responsibility requirement and it doesn’t “exempt an employee,” as stated above. It exempts a corporation from any tax burden on a veteran eligible for VA benefits or Tricare. I say eligible because not all veterans get healthcare, one of the very reasons the “hiring” aspect touted is so flawed. Also, how will businesses know that a veteran brings along he or her own healthcare? Vets don’t put it on their resume: U.S. Navy, Honorably Discharged, brings own healthcare. Lastly, I believe there are privacy issues in the U.S. from asking about a person’s health during an interview and in the long-term, would it legally businesses to deny veterans access to an employer-sponsored plan even if they are counted?
There are lots of winners in this bill: corporations, Republicans who can provide donors a legal way around ACA mandates, and Democrats like military veteran Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) who is proudly pushing a video of her speech on the House floor urging fellow Democrats to please support this “Hire More Heroes.” We did ask for bipartisanship.
There are no heroes, though, not in H.R. 22. The reason to hire a veteran is simple: they are highly qualified with an exceptional knowledge base and experience.
No compromise. No surrender.
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NOTE: Every member below that has VA benefits also carries premium healthcare given to them and their family as a member of Congress, ok for them, not for others. Sign our petition – The What’s Good for the Goose: http://chn.ge/1DvbBfX
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Military Veterans in the
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS — January 6, 2015
Member
Ralph Abraham (LA-05), Mississippi National Guard
Mark Amodei (NV-02), Army
Brian Babin (TX-36), Air Force
Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (GA-02), Army
John A. Boehner (OH-08), Navy
Mike Bost (IL-12), Marine Corps
Jim Bridenstine (OK-01), Navy
Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Michigan Air National Guard
Larry Bucshon (IN-08), Navy Reserve Medical Corps
G. K. Butterfield (NC-01), Army
Mike Coffman (CO-06), Army, Army Reserve, Marine Corps, Marine Corps Reserve
Doug Collins (GA-09), Air Force Reserve
Michael K. Conaway (TX-11), Army
John Conyers Jr. (MI-13), Army National Guard
Paul Cook (CA-8), Marine Corps
Eric A. Crawford “Rick” (AR-01), Army
Peter A. DeFazio (OR-04), Air Force
Jeff Denham (CA-10), Air Force & Air Force Reserve
Ron Desantis (FL-06), Navy
John J. Duncan Jr. (TN-02), Army National Guard
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08), Army National Guard
John Fleming (LA-04), Navy Medical Corps
Rodney P. Frelinghuysen (NJ-11), Army
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02), Hawaii National Guard
Ruben Gallego (AZ-7), Marine Corps
Christopher P. Gibson (NY-10), Army
Louie Gohmert (TX-01), Army
Brett Guthrie (KY-02), Army
Andy Harris (MD-01), Navy Reserve
Joseph J. Heck (NV-03), Army Reserve
Duncan Hunter (CA-50), Marine Corps & Marine Corps Reserve
Darrell E. Issa (CA-49), Army
Bill Johnson (OH-06), Air Force
Sam Johnson (TX-03), Air Force
Walter B. Jones (NC-03), North Carolina National Guard
Peter T. King (NY-02), New York National Guard
Adam Kinzinger (IL-11), Air Force & Air National Guard
John Kline (MN-02), Marine Corps
Steve Knight (CA-25), Army
Ted Lieu (CA-33), Air Force Reserve
Barry Loudermilk (GA-11), Air Force
Jim McDermott (WA-07), Navy Medical Corps
Martha McSally (AZ-2), Air Force
Seth Moulton (MA-06), Marine Corps
Tim Murphy (PA-18), Navy Reserve Medical Corps
Richard B. Nugent (FL-11), Illinois Air National Guard
Pete Olson (TX-22), Navy
Steven M. Palazzo (MS-04), Marine Corps Reserve & Mississippi National Guard
Bill Jr. Pascrell (NJ-09), Army & Army Reserve
Stevan Pearce (NM-02), Air Force
Scott Perry (PA-04), Pennsylvania National Guard
Collin C. Peterson (MN-07), North Dakota National Guard
Joseph R. Pitts (PA-16), Air Force
Ted R. Poe (TX-02), Air Force Reserve
Mike Pompeo (KS-04), Army
Charles B. Rangel (NY-13), Army
David G. Reichert (WA-08), Air Force Reserve
E. Scott Rigell (VA-02), Marine Corps Reserve
David P. Roe (TN-01), Army Medical Corps
Harold Rogers (KY-05), Kentucky National Guard & North Carolina National Guard
Thomas J. Rooney (FL-17), Army
Bobby L .Rush (IL-01), Army
Steve Russell (OK-05), Army
Gregorio Kilili Sablan (NMI Delegate) Camacho Army
Mark Sanford (SC-01), Air Force Reserve
Robert ”Bobby” C. Scott (VA-03), Army Reserve & Massachusetts National Guard
José E. Serrano (NY-15), Army Medical Corps
John Shimkus (IL-15), Army & Army Reserve
Chris Stewart (UT-02), Air Force
Steve Stivers (OH-15), Ohio Army National Guard
Mike Thompson (CA-05), Army
Timothy J. Walz (MN-01), Nebraska Army National Guard Minnesota Army National Guard
Brad Wenstrup (OH-02), Army Reserve
Ed Whitfield (KY-01), Army Reserve
Joe Wilson (SC-02), Army Reserve & South Carolina National Guard
Steve Womack (AR-03), Arkansas National Guard
Mark Takai (HI-01), Hawaii National Guard
Don Young (At Large AL), Army
Todd C. Young (IN-09), Marine Corps
Ryan Zinke (At Large MT), Navy
Lee Zeldin (NY-01), Army Reserve