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Obama Fuzzy on 'Small Business' Exemption

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August 05, 2008 3:13 PM

ABC News' Gregory Wallace and Teddy Davis Report: What constitutes a "small business?" Barack Obama's campaign won't talk details.

The reticence on this issue matters because the presumptive Democratic nominee has promised that "small businesses" will be exempted from a health-care mandate facing other businesses. Under Obama's health plan, businesses over an unspecified size would have to either make a "meaningful contribution" to their employees' health coverage or else pay an undefined percentage of payroll towards the costs of the national plan.

Obama has also promised "small businesses" that he would provide them with a refundable tax credit worth up to 50 percent of what they contribute towards their employees' health premiums. 

"We haven't put out a specific number," said Jason Furman, Obama's director of economic policy, when asked by ABC News to identify who would be covered by Obama's small business exemption and health-care tax credit.

Furman made his comments Monday while joining Rep. Nydia M. Velazquez, D-N.Y., on an Obama campaign conference call with reporters. The intended purpose of the call was to argue that McCain's economic plan does not promote small business growth.

"The number would almost certainly be higher than ten employees," Furman added when asked if a recent non-partisan study by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center was correct in assuming that Obama would exempt "small businesses" with fewer than 10 employees from the pay-or-play system.

Obama has said that his tax credit for small businesses, and his partial tax credit for medium-sized businesses, would cost $6 billion per year.

Furman was asked on Monday's conference call how the campaign could know how much the tax credit would cost without knowing who would qualify for it.

"We looked at a range of estimates for plans that other people have done, but none of them are directly applicable to us, because of the interaction effects with our existing plan, so what we've said is that we'd want to work with Treasury to refine the details of the proposal and we'd want to work with members of Congress to develop the proposal in a way that they were satisfied with it as well," said Furman. "But based on what we've seen of other proposals out there, and taking into account how it would interact with our existing health plan, we're confident that it would be larger than -- it would be more than ten employees."

The Obama campaign has been consistent in saying that these details would be worked out through the legislative process

Beyond the proposed tax credit, Furman said Obama would help small businesses cope with the rising cost of health care through a reinsurance system that would pick up catastrophic health insurance costs as well as by giving small businesses the opportunity to buy into a National Health Insurance Exchange which would spread risk and lower costs.

August 5, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (20)

User Comments

Clueless, just as he is clueless on his energy policy.

Posted by: fact check | Aug 5, 2008 3:24:55 PM

clueless.

Posted by: fact check | Aug 5, 2008 3:28:19 PM

Let the games begin!!!

Posted by: REPUB | Aug 5, 2008 3:29:56 PM

Fact check.

You appear to be the clueless one dude.

Do you really read what is posted before reacting?

Posted by: Steve_NJ | Aug 5, 2008 3:40:43 PM

He's just as fuzzy about his reasons for sitting in a racist church for 20 years.

Posted by: Mack | Aug 5, 2008 3:41:43 PM

No surprise...he and his campaign NEVER want to talk details. The routine rousing rhetoric he and his campaign continue to throw out like candy to kids in a parade is really getting old and boring though. I never want to hear the phrase "yes, we can" again!

Posted by: dwc | Aug 5, 2008 3:43:16 PM

Steve_NJ,

I am sure $1000 will buy your vote.

Posted by: fact check | Aug 5, 2008 3:45:51 PM

its funny how you guys criticize obama for lack of details but your just fine and dandy with mccains complete lack of details


its ok for mccain to have gaffes

but obama.... oh my god what an idiot!

mccain can have humor in his campaign

but obama no way what a tool!!

mccain can say and do anything he wants
if obama ever did even an eighth of the things that mccain does and says every day you people who have him run out of town

lol,

im glad you can criticize obama for a lack of details but ready to embrace mccain!

obama has for more details about his plans then mccain does

Posted by: bhrandon | Aug 5, 2008 4:01:45 PM

now its pretty clear to see isnt it? obama is basically republican- lite , not any kind of progressive liberal but a middle of the road leaning conservative money grubber. National Health Insurance Exchange indeed...just another fannie mae /freddie mac operation , another pork barrel federal scam , duping the taxpayers out of billions and THEN making the taxpayers pay off the liabilities. SHEESH!!

thats what you morons deserve though , dont forget youre the ones who voted for bush (sr AND jr ) as well as ronald retard reagan.

obama OR mccain as president = one more stupid mistake for this shell shocked nation to have to endure...

Posted by: bah | Aug 5, 2008 4:05:22 PM

Fuzzy Wazzy is Obuma
Fuzzy Wazzy has no CLUE!
Fuzzy Wazzy has always been a FUZZY WAZZY!
The devil is in the details and Fuzzy Obuma has never given a straight answer or detail on anything!!

Posted by: HP Boston | Aug 5, 2008 4:10:58 PM

I am all for Obama's health plan. I am a Breast Cancer Survivor... I can NOT get insurance, no one will cover me for 5 years, and if the cancer returns then what?. Bring it on Obama, I totally understand what you are trying to do. You have my vote!

Posted by: beck | Aug 5, 2008 4:12:35 PM

Obama calling people ignorant. look in the mirror buddy.

Posted by: geevill | Aug 5, 2008 4:15:04 PM

MCCAINS BRAIN IS FUZZY!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: angie | Aug 5, 2008 4:15:54 PM

"more than 10 employees..."

wait a sec...if 10 was the MINIMUM to be exempt that exempts about 75 % of "small business" ...putting us RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED! NOBODY HAS AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE...WHAT DOES THIS B/S PROPOSAL REALLY DO BUT MAKE ANOTHER FEDERAL AGENCY ,NAMELY THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE(HAR!!)TO RIP OF AND ABUSE THE TAXPAYER ???

THANKS OBAMA!!! YOU ARE JUST LIKE YOUR HERO RONNIE REAGAN!!

IDIOTS!!

YES WE CAN !! (FVK UP THE USA EVEN MORE THAN IT ALREADY IS!)

YAAAAAY!!

Posted by: bah | Aug 5, 2008 4:51:14 PM

--angie--Look in the mirror-you and Obama supporters are fuzzy.
You have been posting for months in favor of Obama, completely ignoring the facts.

Posted by: Martin | Aug 5, 2008 4:58:12 PM

--angie--Look in the mirror-you and Obama supporters are fuzzy.
You have been posting for months in favor of Obama, completely ignoring the facts.

Posted by: Martin | Aug 5, 2008
----

Where do you think Michelle has been?

angie it is.

Posted by: lazy | Aug 5, 2008 5:12:34 PM

Obama FUZZY on other things too.
Two candidates, two birth certificates ---McCain was transparent. Obama has been secretive.
Let’s review the facts reported by the Post:
John McCain’s campaign volunteered to show a hard copy of his birth certificate to a reporter that document named the hospital where McCain was born. John S. McCain Senior was stationed at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Coco Solo, which was under the command of his grandfather, John S. McCain Sr. 5. There is also a newspaper clipping confirming his birth. Roberta McCain, the Senator’s 96-year-old-mother, provided further verification when she told a story about giving birth to her son.

Now let’s look at the facts of Barack Obama’s situation (as I understand them):
Thousands if not millions of citizens have asked to see Sen. Obama’s birth certificate. Sen. Obama dodged the request for months. Finally, Sen. Obama published an image on his website that is meant to be his Certification of Live Birth (COLB) from the State of Hawaii. The reference number is blacked out, and to the naked eye, ALL of the markings required to make it a certified document are absent. The COLB form proffered on the Internet by Sen. Obama is used by the State of Hawaii as an abstract of one’s original birth certificate. The abstract includes only bare-bones information: names of the child and parents, city, county, dates, etc. The COLB form does NOT include detailed information from the original birth certificate, such as the name of the hospital, doctor’s signature, parents’ occupations, parents’ signatures, etc. Prior to 2001, the State of Hawaii’s COLB formed included most if not all of the information from the original birth certificate. Sen. Obama, by showing a recently dated COLB, would apparently have us believe that he does not possess an older version with more detailed information. There are conflicting reports about the hospital in which Sen. Obama was born. Sen. Obama has yet to show a hard copy of his birth certificate (not even the short COLB form) to a reporter. No newspaper clippings have been produced verifying Sen. Obama’s birth. Although the Senator’s mother is no longer living, his maternal grandmother (in her 80s) is alive and lucid by all accounts; yet she has been made “unavailable” by the Senator’s campaign. Questions remain unanswered about the authenticity of Sen. Obama’s birth certificate and thus the facts related to his birth.
So, what do you say, Senator Obama? Are you willing to be as responsive as your Republican opponent in showing reporters a hard copy of your birth certificate that identifies the hospital in which you were born? Or will one of those curious citizens have to file a lawsuit to see it?

Posted by: Mike | Aug 5, 2008 8:45:56 PM

Change? Ummm. I don't think so.

http://NoBoSticker.com

Say "NO" to Obama!

Posted by: Aaron | Aug 5, 2008 11:36:22 PM

The Obama hype and frenzy has run it's course. He way over inflated his political tires. Now they're all worn out and going flat. They have no tread.

Posted by: American_first | Aug 6, 2008 1:17:29 PM

Did brother Obama use my Hawaiin birth certificate to create a fake one for himself? Wait was I (Obama's sister) even born in Hawaii? Most sources say I was born in Indonesia. Inquiring minds want to know the truth. I'll keep reading Texas Darlin for more details. Here's hoping Jake or Brian R. dig into this. Will get a "new" birth certificate when he is in Hawaii. Was he adopted by Indonesian stepfather and became Indonesian citizen? Who exactly is Barack Barry Sotero Obama? ABC please help us sort this out.

Posted by: Obamas_Sister | Aug 6, 2008 10:14:03 PM

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