A Look Ahead at 2015

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

NKJV

Hebrews 13:5

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you.

NKJV

It is comforting to know that Jesus will never leave or forsake us and that we can do all things through His strength.  As we face a new year there is always uncertainty but when we believe in Christ, we can be like Joshua, strong and courageous.  Let us take a moment to look back at events of 2014 and what we might expect in 2015.

In 2014, we saw the first enrollments or attempted enrollments in the Affordable Care Act or as many of us like to call it, Obamacare.  Like many of the programs of the Obama Administration, this one too had its share of problems and incompetency.  (1)  On top of the failure of many to be able to sign up, those that did experienced Obamacare sticker shock when they discovered their health insurance was not free and would cost them more than they were promised when the law was passed.  (2)

In 2015 man y will suffer shock when they prepare their taxes.  Those that chose not to, or who were unable to secure or afford health insurance will be penalized.  This year the penalty is relatively small at $95 per person or 1% of their adjusted gross income whichever is larger but in future years, the penalties will increase substantially.  (3)  Those that did secure coverage through one of the exchanges, and who received a subsidy may discover their subsidy, based on an estimate of their 2014 income was actually too much.  In this instance, they will be required, through their tax return, to pay back the excess subsidy they received.  (4)

History may also record 2014 as the year of the hack.  (5)   First, there was Target, then Home Depot, and then Sony.  Initially the FBI cited that the hack on Sony was from North Korea.  (6)  However, some cyber experts claim the attack was an inside job.  (7)  It’s uncertain which story is true but the fact that we continue to experience data breaches coupled with our increased reliance on digital data in the information age is concerning.  It would appear all the firewalls and encryptions we have in place to protect our data are insufficient, making us vulnerable to attack.

In addition, the fact that the FBI had reason to believe the data breach at Sony originated from a sworn enemy of our nation means they have reason to believe our nation could experience a cyber-attack from an enemy.  Such a cyber-attack could be against more than just a movie company because of a movie and the next attack could be against sensitive infrastructure or the financial data of the nation.  (8)  After all, the terrorists on 9/11 did attack the Twin Towers in an effort to cripple the financial infrastructure of the United States.  Perhaps the next attack on the financial infrastructure may come in the form of a malicious cyber-attack and not hijacked planes.  It is time to seriously punish cyber-crime and begin finding ways to better protect our digital infrastructure against cyber-attack. 

However, there is hope on the horizon in the United States for the voters spoke loudly in the 2014 election.  Since Republicans gained control of the House of Representatives in 2010, the Democrat controlled Senate, led by Harry Reid, has taken on the role of buffer.  (9)   They have accomplished this by shelving all legislation passed in the House thus shielding President Obama from having to veto any legislation. 

In the 2014 mid-term elections, voters expressed their disgust with the do nothing Senate and voted overwhelmingly for a change in leadership in the Senate.  Now, we can hope that the Senate will pass the legislation originating in the House and President Obama will have to dust off his veto pen.  Unfortunately, however, this is not the pen President Obama was referring to in his famous comment about having a phone and a pen. 

Unfortunately, the pen Obama was speaking of was the pen he recently used to sign his executive order to grant amnesty to 5 million people living in the United States illegally.  This means in that 2015 we may witness President Obama using his veto pen in conjunction with his executive order pen.  However, Congress, and the courts can stop Obama’s tyrannical disregard for the constitutional rule of law. 

Armed with the power of the purse, Congress can defund any executive order programs initiated by President Obama.  (10)  The question is will they have the courage to do so.  The first test of their resolve will be when they begin debate on funding Homeland Security for this will give them an opportunity to defund Obama’s executive amnesty, forcing Obama to either postpone his executive order or shut down Homeland Security. 

If Congress fails to act, states injured by the executive amnesty can sue, forcing the courts to decide.  (11)  However, this is a risky strategy as we witnessed with the Supreme Court’s decision on Obamacare.  I therefore believe the best strategy for protecting citizens against an out of control executive is through Congress.  (12)

As we can see, we face many challenges in 2015.  However, there is also hope for we know God is with us and through His strength, we can do all things. 

 

1. Simon, Phil. Healthcare.gov: Government IT Project Failure at its Finest. www.huffingtonpost.com. [Online] The Huffington Post, October 18, 2013. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/phil-simon/healthcaregov-government_b_4125362.html.

2. Coca, Onan. Obamacare Fans Get Sticker Shock. eaglerising.com. [Online] Eagle Rising, October 9, 2013. [Cited: October 29, 2013.] http://eaglerising.com/2162/obamacare-fans-get-sticker-shock/.

3. WebMD. Tax Penalty At-a-Glance: Who Will Pay & How Much. www.webmd.com. [Online] WebMD. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/insurance-costs/tax-penalties-aag.

4. Consumer Reports. What happens to my premium subsidy if my income fluctuates? www.consumerreports.org. [Online] Consumer Reports, December 17, 2013. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2013/12/will-i-have-to-pay-back-my-obamacare-subsidy/index.htm.

5. Peterson, Ryan. 2014: Year of the hack. www.wnct.com. [Online] WNCT9, December 30, 2014. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://www.wnct.com/story/27729087/2014-year-of-the-hack.

6. Chabrow, Eric. FBI Attributes Sony Hack to North Korea. www.bankinfosecurity.com. [Online] Bank Info Security, December 19, 2014. [Cited: December 19, 2014.] http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/fbi-attributes-sony-hack-to-north-korea-a-7703/op-1.

7. NY Post Staff. New evidence Sony hack was ‘inside’ job, not North Korea. nypost.com. [Online] The NY Post, December 30, 2014. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://nypost.com/2014/12/30/new-evidence-sony-hack-was-inside-job-cyber-experts/.

8. Snow, Gordon M. Statement Before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism. www.fbi.gov. [Online] Federal Bureau of Investigation, April 12, 2011. [Cited: December 2014, 2014.] http://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/cybersecurity-responding-to-the-threat-of-cyber-crime-and-terrorism.

9. Fox News. Krauthammer: 'Harry Reid is a living veto pen’. www.foxnews.com. [Online] Fox News, December 29, 2014. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/12/29/krauthammer-harry-reid-is-living-veto-pen-1730022062/.

10. Siegel, Josh. Report: Yes, Congress Can Stop Obama’s Immigration Moves With ‘Power of Purse’. dailysignal.com. [Online] the Daily Signal, November 26, 2014. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://dailysignal.com/2014/11/26/report-yes-congress-can-stop-obamas-immigration-moves-power-purse/.

11. Hohmann, James. 17 States Sue to Block Obama Immigration Order. www.politico.com. [Online] Politico, December 3, 2014. [Cited: December 30, 2014.] http://www.politico.com/story/2014/12/states-sue-obama-immigration-order-113299.html.

12. Kenny, Jack. Supreme Court Sidesteps Commerce Clause, Cites Tax Power, Says ObamaCare Is Constitutional. www.thenewamerican.com. [Online] New American, June 28, 2012. [Cited: July 30, 2013.] http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/health-care/item/11897-supreme-court-sidesteps-commerce-clause-cites-tax-power-says-obamacare-is-constitutional.