Wolf Reality Check

From the Feder campaign, a bit of reality for Frank Wolf.

Wolf Reality Check: Still Supports the Largest Tax Increase on the Middle Class in History...and Cuts in Medicare Too!

On Thursday Oct. 16, 2008 Congressman Wolf said: I think the proposal that has been made with regard to Senator McCain and many others. With regard to a $5000 tax credit: Most people receive their health insurance through their place of employment, that would also help employers large and small to do it. Also, the $5000 tax credit would allow you to take it some other place. For realtors to band together, for small businesses to band together. Also for the portability to take place. [Prince William County 100 Candidate Forum, 10/16/08]

Tuesday Oct. 21, 2008 Wolf's campaign manager Dan Scandling said: What Congressman Wolf has said is that tax credits are something to look at because they provide portability. No where, no way, in no shape did he say that "I support taxing your health care benefits." [Northern Virginia Daily, 10/21/08

Wednesday Oct. 22, 2008 Wolf's campaign manager Dan Scandling said: Wolf spoke well of McCain's tax credit idea, but "he hasn't endorsed any plan" [Northern Virginia Daily, 10/21/08]

REALITY CHECK: You can't support the McCain health care tax credit and not support taxing employee health care benefits and cuts to Medicare and Medicaid. The McCain plan specifically ties them together by proposing to pay for the tax cuts by taxing employee health benefits and cutting Medicare:

"John McCain would pay for his health plan with major reductions to Medicare and Medicaid, a top aide said, in a move that independent analysts estimate could result in cuts of $1.3 trillion over 10 years to the government programs...In the months since Sen. McCain introduced his health plan, statements made by his campaign have implied that the new tax credits he is proposing to help Americans buy health insurance would be paid for with other tax increases. But Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Sen. McCain's senior policy adviser, said Sunday that the campaign has always planned to fund the tax credits, in part, with savings from Medicare and Medicaid." [McCain Plans Federal Health Cuts, Wall Street Journal, 10/6/08]

"McCain's plan would cost $3.6 trillion over 10 years, the campaign said. McCain would pay for the program by eliminating the tax break employers get for offering insurance." [Tax Credits at the Heart of McCain's Health Care Proposal, CNN]
"Taxes on insurance benefits would be offset by a refundable tax credit: $5,000 for families and $2,500 for single people. At first, those credits are expected to cover the additional taxes for workers in most tax brackets. Over time, rising insurance costs could outstrip the credit." [Health care plans: Obama vs. McCain, USA Today]

"The Wolf campaign is trying to have it both ways, they want to claim the tax credits without explaining how they plan to pay for it," said Feder campaign manager Luke McFarland. "The bottom line is that for almost a week now the Wolf campaign has been twisting itself into knots trying to claim it supports one without the other. Either Congressman Wolf doesn't understand what he's endorsing or he's just not being honest with the voters about how they plan to pay for this. The record is very clear: they're going to raise taxes and cut Medicare and Medicaid."