Holding Obama Accountable for Benghazi and IRS AbusesPresident Obama uses weasel words to explain deaths in Libya and IRS abuses. The usual press conferences and congressional hearings are likely to drag on without answers unless the U.S. House Republicans take action. Here are two action items to get to the bottom of why four Americans died in Benghazi, Libya on Sept. 11, 2012 and to protect the public from an ever more powerful IRS that could even snoop into your medical records. House Republicans should issue a formal resolution demanding to know where the president was on the night Sept. 11 and what role he played. Obama needs to be put on the hot seat. And they should introduce a bill stripping the IRS of its role of enforcing mandatory health insurance. Obama is the master of verbal evasion. House Republicans need to replace debate with action to hold the president accountable on these issues. BENGHAZI For eight months, the White House has maneuvered to prevent the truth from emerging on why four Americans were left to be slaughtered. President Obama calls the ongoing controversy over talking points used by Ambassador Susan Rice a "side show." In fact, they are less important than what the President refuses to address — why no rescue attempt was made. At a May 11 press conference, he said, "I've been very clear about taking responsibility for the fact that we were not able to prevent their deaths." Not able? Where were you, Mr. President, and who decided not to attempt a rescue? We the people have a right to know. The House should underscore the importance of knowing by passing a resolution. Resolutions don't have the force of law. Historically, they have been reserved to address important concerns, such as disapproving President George W. Bush's deployment of more troops in Iraq. Therefore, the House of Representatives should introduce the following: Resolved: "Because four Americans were butchered at the consulate on Sept. 11, 2012, and no U.S. armed forces were sent to attempt a rescue, the House of Representatives calls on the president to answer where he was on the night of the attack and what part he played in telling forces to stand down." On Sunday, May 19, White House spokesperson Dan Pfeiffer wriggled to avoid answering these questions.
IRS ABUSES The president also has resorted to slippery responses about the IRS' targeting of tea party groups. On May 16, the president sidestepped a question about whether anyone in the White House knew about the IRS' harassment. He failed to mention his political alliance with the National Treasury Employees Union, to which IRS employees belong. The union's PAC gave hundreds of thousands of dollars in 2010 and 2012 to anti-tea-party groups, and the union president is a frequent visitor at the White House. The day before, on May 15, the president touted the resignation of acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller. Again, the master of omission, the president kept quiet about the woman who actually presided over much of the IRS misconduct, Sarah Hall Ingram. Far from dismissed, Ingram was awarded bonuses and promoted to running Obamacare enforcement at the IRS. She will be in charge of ensuring that you have the government-mandated health insurance or pay a penalty. When filing taxes, you will have to submit proof of coverage to the IRS, including your carrier and policy number. Steven Miller, testifying before Congress on May 17, was less than forthcoming about IRS employees seeing medical records. A lawless IRS that abuses political freedom cannot be trusted to respect your medical privacy. Just last year, IRS officials misused a warrant for financial data from a health insurance company to also seize unrelated medical records of 10 million people, even though the agents were warned the records were confidential. The House of Representatives needs to introduce legislation to strip the Obama health law of its reliance on IRS enforcement. Democrats will have a hard time voting against it. Betsy McCaughey is a former lieutenant governor of New York, founder of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths and the author of "Beating Obamacare." She reads the law so you don't have to. Visit www.betsymccaughey.com. To find out more about Betsy McCaughey and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2013 CREATORS.COM 
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