ObamaCare: no going back?

On December 21st Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius held a special news conference as an acclamation of ObamaCare. She concluded the news conference by stating "I think its important folks understand there is no going back". (1)

The "no going back" statement by Sebelius was an attack on the movement to repeal or de-fund ObamaCare.

However Sebelius missed the larger picture that first stage ObamaCare de-funding had already occurred and a showdown is in the offing for March 2011. That "no going back" had already been replaced with "going back".

What Sebelius failed to mention was the omnibus spending bill that perished in the Senate and was replaced with a continuing resolution also negated the first phase of ObamaCare funding. That is, ObamaCare requires $115 billion dollars to fund the expansion of regulators. This $115 billion expansion of departments such as Sebelius's Health and Human Services is a cost in addition to the reported $1 trillion dollar price tag for ObamaCare . The omnibus spending bill authorized the first $1 billion for the expansion of regulators. That $1 billion was never authorized as it ended with the omnibus spending bill.

Hence the continuing resolution that took the place of the omnibus spending bill precluded the $1 billion regulator expansion down payment. However, the continuing resolution expires in March 2011 and sets the stage for a showdown regarding the initial phase of funding for the $115 billion dollar expansion of regulators to administer ObamaCare.

(1) Wall Street Journal Political Diary, 12/22/2010, Joesph Rago.