LOTF: An American Political Roleplay (116th Congress)

[Republick Deutschland]

Representative Daniel Eck
R-MI

"Nay"

---

Representative Paul Rodman
R-OH

"Nay"

[Alozia]

United States House of Representatives
Representative Julia Piotrowska
[Democratic - Illinois' 5th congressional district]

"Aye."

[Louisianan]

House Floor

Representative Linda Lazare {D} TX-7

"Aye"

[Gordano and Lysandus]

The Hon. Caroline Simone
[Democratic - 12th District of the State of New York]
{Speaker of the United States House of Representatives}

"With all votes tallied, the motion passes and Representative Lazare is invited to introduce the bill."

[Louisianan]

The Hon. Caroline Simone
[Democratic - 12th District of the State of New York]
{Speaker of the United States House of Representatives}

"With all votes tallied, the motion passes and Representative Lazare is invited to introduce the bill."

House Floor

Representative Linda Lazare {D} TX-7

“Thank you, Madam Speaker for this time.

The purpose of the HPPSO Act is to double the amount of money that public service officers are allowed to allocate towards healthcare for retirement. In the current tax code, that amount is $3.000. Meaning that public servants, employed by the government are only allowed to exclude $3.000 dollars from their gross income for healthcare during retirement. The tax code that lays this out was written in 1986, and between 1986 and now, the inflation rate has been 135.26%, which means prices have gone up DRASTICALLY on things like long term medical insurance. My bill would make sure that retired public servicemen and women, whether they be our police, our firefighters, or our nurses, are able to afford their health insurance after they've left civil service.

I urge all of you who already have you're minds set to vote Nay, to please reconsider. This bill will ensure that your constituents, those who've given time from their lives to help others around them, are protected and secured so they can afford healthcare after they retire."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

House Floor

Representative Linda Lazare {D} TX-7

“Thank you, Madam Speaker for this time.

The purpose of the HPPSO Act is to double the amount of money that public service officers are allowed to allocate towards healthcare for retirement. In the current tax code, that amount is $3.000. Meaning that public servants, employed by the government are only allowed to exclude $3.000 dollars from their gross income for healthcare during retirement. The tax code that lays this out was written in 1986, and between 1986 and now, the inflation rate has been 135.26%, which means prices have gone up DRASTICALLY on things like long term medical insurance. My bill would make sure that retired public servicemen and women, whether they be our police, our firefighters, or our nurses, are able to afford their health insurance after they've left civil service.

I urge all of you who already have you're minds set to vote Nay, to please reconsider. This bill will ensure that your constituents, those who've given time from their lives to help others around them, are protected and secured so they can afford healthcare after they retire."

The Hon. Caroline Simone
[Democratic - 12th District of the State of New York]
{Speaker of the United States House of Representatives}

"The floor shall be open for questions for Representative Lazare germane to the legislation."

[Agarntrop]

[quote="Agarntrop";p="38167446"]United States House of Representatives
Representative John Atang
[Democratic - 3rd District of the State of New York]


"Motion to end questioning, Madam Speaker."

[Democratic Peoples republic of Kelvinsi]

United States House of Representatives
Representative John Atang
[Democratic - 3rd District of the State of New York]


"Motion to end questioning, Madam Speaker."

Park: "Objection. What is the point of this piece of legislation when Medicare exists?"

[Louisianan]

Park: "Objection. What is the point of this piece of legislation when Medicare exists?"

"Well," Linda replied, "Medicare leaves a good bit of things uncovered. My bill will allow Public Safety Officers to use their hard-earned money to find coverage that works for them, coverage that they can pay for. The $3.000 cap that we currently have on the amount excludable from their gross income, is simply not enough, and all I want to do is raise that cap to $6.000. Giving more of the workers hard-earned money back to them."

[Democratic Peoples republic of Kelvinsi]

Park: "Objection. What is the point of this piece of legislation when Medicare exists?"

"Well," Linda replied, "Medicare leaves a good bit of things uncovered. My bill will allow Public Safety Officers to use their hard-earned money to find coverage that works for them, coverage that they can pay for. The $3.000 cap that we currently have on the amount excludable from their gross income, is simply not enough, and all I want to do is raise that cap to $6.000. Giving more of the workers hard-earned money back to them."

"Rep. Lazare when you talk about long term supplementary healthcare plans that are in excess of Medicare are you aware of any such insurance program that costs in excess of $3,000 a year?"

[Louisianan]

"Well," Linda replied, "Medicare leaves a good bit of things uncovered. My bill will allow Public Safety Officers to use their hard-earned money to find coverage that works for them, coverage that they can pay for. The $3.000 cap that we currently have on the amount excludable from their gross income, is simply not enough, and all I want to do is raise that cap to $6.000. Giving more of the workers hard-earned money back to them."

"Rep. Lazare when you talk about long term supplementary healthcare plans that are in excess of Medicare are you aware of any such insurance program that costs in excess of $3,000 a year?"

"For many retirees, the price becomes cost-prohibitive if they wait too long to make a purchase. According to the industry group American Association of Long-Term Care Insurance, a 65-year-old couple can purchase a policy for $4,800 per year. The price for that same plan more than doubles to $8,700 per year if the couple waits until age 75 to buy."

"Good long term healthcare plans are expensive when you look at the logistics of them as you age. If one were to buy that plan at 65 with their spouse, it would be $4.800 per year, which is currently more than the tax excludable cap we currently have per year. That retired couple would have to pay that amount per year, with that less than $3.000 they excluded while one of them was working. If we raise the cap to $6.000, that couple would have been able to get that same plan and afford it without having to pay out of pocket each year because of how much they were able to save because of our increase in the amount able to be saved."

"I guess you could say that the bill is lowering the taxes of Public Servants, including but not limited to, police, teachers, and firefighters, and directing the money saved from the tax decrease, to their healthcare when they retire."

[Democratic Peoples republic of Kelvinsi]

"Rep. Lazare when you talk about long term supplementary healthcare plans that are in excess of Medicare are you aware of any such insurance program that costs in excess of $3,000 a year?"

"For many retirees, the price becomes cost-prohibitive if they wait too long to make a purchase. According to the industry group American Association of Long-Term Care Insurance, a 65-year-old couple can purchase a policy for $4,800 per year. The price for that same plan more than doubles to $8,700 per year if the couple waits until age 75 to buy."

"Good long term healthcare plans are expensive when you look at the logistics of them as you age. If one were to buy that plan at 65 with their spouse, it would be $4.800 per year, which is currently more than the tax excludable cap we currently have per year. That retired couple would have to pay that amount per year, with that less than $3.000 they excluded while one of them was working. If we raise the cap to $6.000, that couple would have been able to get that same plan and afford it without having to pay out of pocket each year because of how much they were able to save because of our increase in the amount able to be saved."

"I guess you could say that the bill is lowering the taxes of Public Servants, including but not limited to, police, teachers, and firefighters, and directing the money saved from the tax decrease, to their healthcare when they retire."

"Madame Speaker, does Rep. Lazare have a basis for paying for her plan?"

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"Madame Speaker, does Rep. Lazare have a basis for paying for her plan?"

The Hon. Caroline Simone
[Democratic - 12th District of the State of New York]
{Speaker of the United States House of Representatives}

"Does the Representative from California raise this as a point of order against the draft legislation?"

[Democratic Peoples republic of Kelvinsi]

"Madame Speaker, does Rep. Lazare have a basis for paying for her plan?"

The Hon. Caroline Simone
[Democratic - 12th District of the State of New York]
{Speaker of the United States House of Representatives}

"Does the Representative from California raise this as a point of order against the draft legislation?"

"Yes"

[Democratic Peoples republic of Kelvinsi]

The Hon. Caroline Simone
[Democratic - 12th District of the State of New York]
{Speaker of the United States House of Representatives}

"Does the Representative from California raise this as a point of order against the draft legislation?"

"Yes"

"Under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 any tax decrease not part of the budget is offset by spending cuts or added revenue."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"Yes"

"Under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 any tax decrease not part of the budget is offset by spending cuts or added revenue."

The Hon. Caroline Simone
[Democratic - 12th District of the State of New York]
{Speaker of the United States House of Representatives}

A conversation is had between the Speaker and the Clerk for a moment before Caroline stands upright once more. "The Chair is not empowered to make a ruling on the rules contained in the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 and thus the point of order is not sustained. The floor remains open to questions for Representative Lazare, or motion to end the questioning period."

[Agarntrop]

United States House of Representatives
Representative John Atang
[Democratic - 3rd District of the State of New York]


"Motion to end questioning, Madam Speaker."

[Lavan Tiri]

Representative Jason Evander
R|SD-At-Large

"Objection."

[Louisianan]

United States House of Representatives
Representative John Atang
[Democratic - 3rd District of the State of New York]


"Motion to end questioning, Madam Speaker."

House Floor

Representative Linda Lazare {D} TX-7

After staring into space for a minute, Linda came to her senses, "Oh, I second the motion, Madam Speaker."

[Gordano and Lysandus]

The Hon. Caroline Simone
[Democratic - 12th District of the State of New York]
{Speaker of the United States House of Representatives}

"Hearing both second and objection, the House will vote on whether to end questioning on the bill."

[Agarntrop]

United States House of Representatives
Representative John Atang
[Democratic - 3rd District of the State of New York]


"Aye."

[Louisianan]

United States House of Representatives
Representative Linda Lazare
[Democratic - 7th District of the State of Texas]


"Aye."

[New Cobastheia]

Representative Kathleen Nez
[Democratic - Arizona's 7th District]
[Assistant to the Speaker of the House of Representatives]

"Aye."

[Greater Arab State]

House Floor

Representative Thomas Volker (R-MO-8): “Nay.”

[New Papan]

House Floor, Capitol Building, Washington D.C.
Representative Audrey Porter Booth, [R-IN-3]

"Nay!"