GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
In early September, I reported on HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' infamous "zero tolerance" policy toward insurers who dare to suggest that Obamacare will raise costs. Undeterred by criticism that the government was trying to muzzle dissent, Sebelius's agency went even further. On September 21, HHS sent a memo to all Medicare Advantage insurers directing them to immediately stop all communications to beneficiaries about the potential impact of health reform legislation (this was in response to Humana, which had the temerity to advise its clients that Obamacare could raise costs).
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) looked into the matter and, in a wonderfully restrained report, suggests that HHS's behavior was "unusual." According to the report, the adminstration took issue with that conclusion, asserting that it was engaging in normal regulatory behavior. But the GAO stuck to its guns, stating that it could find no precedent for HHS's Sept 21 directive. (ht: Cato-at-Liberty)
"Unusual" is certainly one word, but others come to mind. How would you describe HHS's actions?
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Comments :
Aug '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
Oh, come on, it's not unusual. Sing along!:
It's not unusual to muzzle anyone.
It's not unusual to shut up anyone.
'Cuz when I see you speaking out against some one
like me, you make me cry...
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
Midge, I like it! But perhaps....
Jun '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
Does anyone else wonder why we need HHS (Health and Human Services), HUD (Housing and Urban Development), HEW (Health, Education and Welfare), and DoE (Department of Education), not to mention a GSA (General Services Administration)? Why not just combine them all into Housing, Education, Licensing, and Litigation and call it HELL?
Jul '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
Oh ye of little faith. I bet you even doubt electoral integrity of the Windy City, eh?
Aug '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
Commie Dominatrix Threatens Grandma's Insurance Agent!
Film at 11...
Jun '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
A few synonyms that could replace "unusual": tyrannical, overbearing, despotic.
Jul '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
A speech code with government muscle behind it -- just another reason to throw this gang out so fast and far they bounce twice. "Progressive" is rapidly becoming as toxic as "liberal," the political persuasion that dare not say its name. And look how fast it happened.
Jun '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
Ricochet contributor Dr Tevi Troy might have an idea or two about that -- From his profile: From 2007 to 2009, Dr. Troy was the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service – the second in command and chief operating officer of the largest civilian department in the federal government, with a $716 billion annual budget and 67,000 employees.
Edited on Oct 20, 2010 at 1:43pmAug '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
Sebelius, daughter of a rust belt governor, came to Kansas and got to be governor. Her biggest contributor ? The late Dr Geo Tiller,abortionist extraordinaire.
Successfully defending herself for a couple years against that reality can really build one's language skills.
She, and Browner and some other women, are the elite of the Shock Troops. She was just trying out some language, probing the public's level of compliance. I don't think it took too well, the MSM can't spin as well and so they buried it and scurried along. Demagoguery confuses the press, they get so excited but can't translate their frisson into a headline that doesn't sound frightening.
Jun '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
AP/Reuters: The GAO's use of the word "unusual" to describe a recent HHS memo, is ... unexpected.
May '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
In other words, don't count on administrators to protect our civil rights.
May '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
By the way, what's especially ridiculous about this is that the "Accountability" office needed a month to "report" on this. It's like a school principal calling a student to his office half a day after catching the student misbehaving. Generally speaking, sanctions must be timely to be effective.
Jun '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
Right you are Aaron. Fifteen pages of gobbledegook which doubtless went through multiple drafts, bouncing around several levels of management, and many staff meetings to avoid stating the obvious: The Secretary's attempt to intimidate the insurance industry through veiled, extra-legal threats was an abuse of her office.
Edited on Oct 20, 2010 at 4:42pmOct '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
Ominous is the word that comes to my mind.
Jul '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
Pilgrim
Right you are Aaron. Fifteen pages of gobbledegook which doubtless went through multiple drafts, bouncing around several levels of management, and many staff meetings to avoid stating the obvious: · Oct 20 at 3:28pm
"The only thing that saves us from the bureaucracy is inefficiency. An efficient bureaucracy is the greatest threat to liberty."
Aug '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
I call it lawsuit bait. I hope someone's willing to sue the gubmint over this. Make great politics.
Jul '10
Re: GAO Finds the Administration's Muzzling of Speech to be "Unusual"
This sent a deep chill down my spine the first time I heard it. For a high official of the government to say, "Do not speak the truth, it gets in the way of our agenda" sounds like a reprise of the Alien and Sedition Acts.
The Administrative State will be the death of our Republic, if we do not change things quickly.
As radio host Jason Lewis is fond of pointing out, "Nothing is more dangerous than a Law and Order liberal".