Why Does Congress Want to Exempt Itself from Obamacare?
Stanley Feld
M.D.,FACP.MACE
In mid-April
Max Baucus one of the authors of Obamacare and a major proponent of the law
made the following statement to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen
Sibelius at a Senate hearing.
.
Unfortunately only 11,723 people watched this 29 second You Tube. The traditional media gave his statement
sound bite coverage without explaining the reasons for him saying Obamacare is
going to be a "train wreck."
West Virginia Senator Jay Rockerfeller said Obamacare is beyond
comprehension.
Only 157 people looked at this You Tube whick has been up for 3 weeks.
It would have
been a good idea for congress to have read and understood the bill.
These talks involve the Obama administration,
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Speaker John Boehner
(R-Ohio), along with other top lawmakers.
“These talks are extraordinarily sensitive,
with both sides acutely aware of the potential for political fallout in the
2014 mid term elections from giving carve-outs from the hugely controversial
law to 535 lawmakers and thousands of their aides. “
Politico
along with other Internet news agencies has been the only news agency to have
in depth coverage of this attempt to exempt congress and its aids from
Obamacare and its health insurance exchanges.
Henry Chao, the Administration’s chief
technical official in charge of the
implementation of the Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges, “just hopes that Americans can avoid a “third-world experience.”
Why would both
Democrats in congress want to avoid participating in Obamacare and its health
insurance exchanges?
We need to
be reminded that the Democrats had overwhelming majorities in both houses of
congress at the time of passage of the law in 2009 without a single Republican
vote.
I am
reminded of Nancy Pelosi’s argument for Obamacare's passage.
Now that
congress knows what is in Obamacare they want to be exempt.
Congress is content to let the rest
of us suffer.
What is
congress afraid of?
- Higher
healthcare costs for themselves, their families and their aides. - Being
mandated into Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges will result in them not qualifying for government subsidy. - Congresspersons and their aids could
also lose their employer-based coverage. - This is also true for millions of
ordinary Americans. - They would also face higher costs of
insurance through health insurance exchange. - Every policy the healthcare insurance
industry sells will be taxed. It will result in passing the tax on to the
policy holders. - Contrary to the President’s promises, independent analysts expect health insurance premiums to
rise sharply, particularly for younger workers and their families.
Congressional
members have other fears if they fail to create an exemption for themselves and
their aides. These fears are:
1. They fear the
impact on Capitol Hill employment.
2. The increase in healthcare insurance
costs “could lead to a ‘brain drain’ on
Capitol Hill, as several sources close to the talks put it.”
3. Ordinary Americans who run businesses
are also faced with the same problem. President Obama and Democratic
congressmen have refused to be responsive to the dilemma faced by ordinary
businessmen.
4. American business owner fear they will not
be able to hire or retain valued employees.
5. These businessmen are presently
reducing full-time workers to part-time employees in order to avoid Obamacare’s
mandatory insurance coverage or penalty.
6. This will have the consequence of
increasing the unemployment rate and decreasing consumer spending.
7. In turn it will create an unending
spiral which will seriously impact economic growth.
8. The question Americans must ask is “what about me.”
The Obama
administration and congress have done similar things before in their effort to
passing Obamacare.
Obamacare
was passed using backroom dealings such as the “Cornhusker Kickback,” the
“Louisiana Purchase,” and the threats to political careers.
This congressional
exemption also brings back memories of (more than
1,200 waivers) to favored
businesses and unions who received special exemptions from Obamacare’s
insurance rules.
“If Congress quietly wants
to exempt itself from Obamacare, that’s great—so long as it includes the rest
of us in that midnight amendment.”
If you are "mad as hell and do not want to take this anymore"
sign this petition.
Please
click on this link to sign up and send the link on to your friends.
https://www.change.org/petitions/force-congress-to-obey-obamacare
This is the petition
To:
Senator Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader
You told me we had to pass
Obamacare to find out what was in it. Now your gold-standard health insurance
is on the chopping block as Obamacare is implemented.
If the tin-plated plan is good enough for me, my family, and my friends, it is
good enough for you and your staff.
You passed the law — now live with it like the rest of us. Or overturn the whole
rotten thing!
Stop the effort by liberal Democrats to seek an exemption from Obamacare for
Members of Congress and their staff.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Some of us will remember
Walter Cronkite’s signature was ending
each newscast with the phrase, "And that's the way it is".
I am adding this “it is now up to you ladies and gentlemen.”
Please sign
the petition. Thank you.
The opinions expressed in the blog “Repairing The Healthcare System” are, mine and mine alone
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