Democrats to tax breast milk to pay for rationed health care

Amanda Carpenter:

When Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus proposed taxing medical devices to raise $40 billion over the next 10 years for his health care plan, opponents started digging in and looking at what would be taxed. It turned out feminine products, like tampons, were classified as class I medical devices and thus, the “tampon tax” was born.

The backlash was quick and severe enough against the idea that the committee quickly drafted new language that would exempt those necessities from the tax, along with all other class I devices, like tongue depressors, and decided to only tax class II medical devices and higher that cost less than $100.

But, just wait for the revolt to start again because women will still pay a price under the new structure. Particularly new moms who want to use a powered breast pump to bottle milk for their babies. Those devices, labeled class II, typically retails for more than $100.

And, all the rest of the more expensive, higher-class medical devices used by both men an women -- such as pacemakers, ventilators, X-ray machines, powered wheelchairs and surgical needles -- will be taxed, too.

...

I can remember when almost all medical expenses were deductible from income taxes. Then the costs had to be over a specific amount to be deductible. Now the Feds want to tax you for getting treated or for devices used in your treatment. But the indirect tax on a baby for drinking nourishment extracted from the mother's breast plumbs new depths for tax and spend liberalism.