This little ditty comes from the Western Center For Journalism, an organization which apparently has never heard of journalistic integrity. (http://www.westernjournalism.com/in-2014-the-obama-dictatorship-will-be-complete/) According to this, in 2014, the Presidentially appointed Independent Payment Advisory Board will be able to impose edicts that, “…become law without congressional action, congressional approval, meaningful congressional oversight, or being subject to a presidential veto.” Moreover, citizens will have NO authority to challenge the Board’s pronouncements in court, for ObamaCare “…specifically states that the Secretary [of Health and Human Service’s] implementation of IPAB’s proposals is not judicially reviewable.”

Wow! Just wow! There is nothing in this statement which is true. Not a word. Pure baldfaced lies.

Constitutionally, the only body that can make laws is Congress. No other body can make laws. Period. Any legislation that gave an entity other than Congress the power to make laws would be immediately ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.  Apparently, the authors of this hysteria are counting on the fact that a majority of citizens do not know what is in the Constitution.

Likewise there is nothing in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that “…specifically states that the Secretary [of Health and Human Service’s] implementation of IPAB’s proposals is not judicially reviewable.” This statement is a pure baldfaced lie.

This hysterical article fails to mention that the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) is  simply the currently existing Independent Medicare Advisory Board with a slight expansion of scope. Note that most of the expansion of scope deals with the Board’s recommendations for Federal Health Care programs.

The most the Board can do is make recommendations:
‘‘(A) that the Secretary or other Federal agencies can implement administratively;
‘‘(B) that may require legislation to be enacted by Congress in order to be
implemented;
‘‘(C) that may require legislation to be enacted by State or local governments in order to
be implemented;
‘‘(D) that private sector entities can voluntarily implement; and
‘‘(E) with respect to other areas determined appropriate by the Board.

The phrase, “recommendations for such legislation” appears numerous times in the PPACA.

There are provisions in the PPACA for “fast tracking” legislation which the President submits based on recommendations of the  IPAB. These provisions include:
– Introduction of the bill in both Houses of Congress within 5 days of submission
– The only amendments allowed to the bill are those related to the Medicare program
– If the bill is not reported out of Senate and House committees in an appropriate
period of time, it will automatically be reported to the floor of each chamber without
committee recommendations.
–  Bills introduced under the PPACA must receive a straight up or down vote in the
Senate. Filibuster is not permitted.