FREEDOMWORKS 12/10/2015 TELL CONGRESS-DONOT BAILOUT OBAMACARE!

1.  Republicans Give Away All Leverage...Again - by Logan Albright What is it about joining the Republican leadership that renders one incapable of competently negotiating? In the run up to all of the biggest legislative fights of the year, Republicans have time and time again surrendered whatever leverage they may have had before the battle lines were even drawn. The omnibus spending bill now being prepared is no exception. While Democrats are digging in their heels and vowing to vote against the package if they don’t like it, Republicans have already signalled their utter unwillingness to insist upon… well, anything. Read more here... 2. Behind the Scenes with Rep. Rod Blum 3. In Defense of the Flat Tax - by Adam Brandon via RedState The flat tax is getting a lot of attention—and a lot of criticism—as an increasing number of Republican presidential candidates embrace the idea in some form or another. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) have all proposed their own variations on the idea, with an emphasis on simplicity that seems like common sense to most people. Right now, the staggering complexity of the 75,000 page tax code is baffling to anyone without years of formal training in tax law, and even the experts are frequently stumped. Every year, Americans spend $37 billion and 3.24 billion hours simply complying with tax laws. Imagine if those resources could be freed up for more productive use! Read more here... 4. FreedomWorks to Congress: Don't Bailout ObamaCare! ObamaCare’s risk corridor program faces a $2.5 billion shortfall, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, due to insurance companies paying out a greater number of claims than anticipated. As Congress approaches the deadline to pass an omnibus bill to fund the federal government, FreedomWorks strongly urges Congress to include language to prevent the Obama administration from using any taxpayer dollars to bailout insurance companies that participate in the ObamaCare exchanges. “Don’t even think about bailing out ObamaCare. Insurers should have known the risks of getting in bed with President Obama and his administration’s poorly devised law,” said FreedomWorks CEO Adam Brandon. “Taxpayers shouldn’t have to bear the burden of their bad business decisions.” “Last week, the Senate provided Americans with a path to repeal ObamaCare through reconciliation. Unfortunately, even as ObamaCare enrollment is stagnant because of costly health plans available on the exchanges and insurers request billions in bailouts, the Obama administration refuses to accept the reality that this law is a disaster for America. We’re hopeful the next president will be willing to do what Obama wouldn’t: Sign repeal of ObamaCare into law.” Read more here... 5. Common Core Creeping on Catholic Schools Creates Controversy - by Remso Martinez Common Core is crippling Roman Catholic schools in New York as they attempt to not only keep up with their own academic standards and spiritual development but also include the new controversial material of Common Core. The Diocese of Albany recently stated that Catholic schools will attempt to "reduce the frequency of the Common Core-aligned tests while sticking with the standards." The statement issued wanted to make it clear that "although the standards of the Common Core itself are good, the collateral pieces have caused great strife for families and teachers," Albany Superintendent Michael Pizzingrillo said. According to an interview with ABC News:  Read more here... 6. A Reform-Minded Christmas - by Adam Brandon via the Daily Caller Christmas came a little early this year. We saw the House Freedom Caucus, a group of about 40 conservative lawmakers, emerge as an influential force in the lower chamber, and we witnessed a tremendous shift in power as Speaker John Boehner was ostensibly forced from his post and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy was denied the gavel. Even though we scored some important victories this year, there are still some things that we’re putting on our Christmas wish list. Read more here... Jason Pye Communications Director, FreedomWorks