the game within the game

The right question about health care that is not being asked by anyone: What effect on Congress does passing Obama Care have on Congress?

To get a true understanding of the hidden effect on Congress, one has to take a small step back and look at the bigger picture of how President Obama is setting up his government.

President Obama has appointed 32 Czars to help create and execute his policies. These czars are appointed and are not subject to Congressional approval or even oversight. They serve at the will and pleasure of the President. Without going into the unprecedented number of appointees, or without going into the political makeup of these czars ( which in itself could lead to a massive blog or series of blogs), the most critical fact about these appointees is that they will plan.carry out and execute the policies of the President. Being part of the Executive Branch, it is their duty and mandate to enforce the laws and policies of the Oval Office, and will do so without the approval of any governmental agency or person, save one: The President. Once laws are created and sent out of Congress, Congress's hold over these individuals is the power of the purse.

Here is where the insidious part of the Health Care Plan comes in. Unlike any other bill or appropriations in which Congress has oversight power, the Health Care Plan becomes an entitlement program. The thing to understand about an entitlement program is that it funds itself and is perpetual in duration. A discretionary program is subject to an appropriations bill and is funded annually and must be subject to review to receive a budget. An entitlement program is automatically funded as tax revenues are automatically deducted to pay for it and supposedly set aside to pay for it. All Congress can do in the instance of an entitlement program is to ensure that is guesstimate how much money should be set aside from revenues and determine who is eligible. Unlike other appropriations there is not a limit on the amount to be spent per se. If a person or persons are entitled, they must be paid regardless whether there are sufficient funds. Currently half of the US budget is the entitlement programs.

The executive branch in essence controls the program thereafter, with the discretion of how to best apply the disbursements. The inherent problem is that entitlement programs are open ended and are not capped, causing severe issues to attempts to create a budget.

The end effect on Congress is the end of Congress's power. Congress will surrender the power of the purse to the executive branch. If health care is added to the budget, the vast majority of the US budget is surrendered to the executive branch's control, and more significantly a small group of individuals. In essence, the executive branch assumes dictatorial powers with vast sums of money to enforce its will. Congress's checks and balances powers are nullified due to the reach and scope of the entitlement mandated funding. Funds cannot be cut off, the President's directives overridden, or the President's appointees removed and thereby hamstringing the President's ability to to act.

The great danger that is overlooked is the segregation of power and the ability of one branch to offset and contain another branch's abuse or potential abuse of power. If the Democratically controlled Congress votes by party line to pass this program, it does so at its own peril. Doing so will remove vast sums of money, a great deal of power , and significant influence from one branch and hand delivering to another. Congress will seal its own fate in a typically thoughtless act that does not look at the long term effects of its actions. Congress merely will become a hollow shell subject to the whims of the President and those who enforce his will with the influence of trillions of dollars.