Are there any remaining doubts that ObamaCare — should it survive the US Supreme Court’s constitutional scrutiny — would create a crushingly costly federal bureaucracy?
Well, consider that the White House is quietly diverting $500 million to the Internal Revenue Service to implement the new law.
That money, according to a report in The Hill, is being used to — among other things — hire nearly 1,000 new agents.
That includes 300 to cover new mandated taxes and charges, such as fees on drug companies and insurance providers.
And another 537 to administer the law’s most expensive provision: subsidies for low-income persons to buy insurance.
The money is being provided courtesy of a $1 billion appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Services that the agency can use as it sees fit.
Little wonder that Republicans have denounced it as a slush fund: It is.
According to the report, the Obama administration is moving full speed ahead to implement ObamaCare before November.
By then, it should be known whether the law passes constitutional muster; the high court’s opinion is expected in June.
But even if the justices strike it down, it will be hard to undo what’s already been put into place.
Recall the old Nixon White House line: “Once the toothpaste is out of the tube, it’s impossible to put it back in.”
Meaning this latest expansion of government looks to be permanent — regardless of whether ObamaCare actually is allowed to proceed.
And if the court does give a green light — well, watch out for the truly dramatic expansion of government that will follow.