Just *Who* Do House Republicans Think They’re Hurting?

In another sign that House Republicans don’t understand the the Affordable Care Act or the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) decision to allow members of Congress to receive a benefit to which they’re entitled, House Republicans have crafted a bill to end the government shutdown but deny themselves $5,000-$11,000 in the process.

A little background: Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa) sponsored the original amendment requiring lawmakers and staffers to enter the health benefit exchanges, but he said he didn’t intend for them to lose the employer subsidy paid by the federal government. [What he was really trying to do was get the Democrats to vote against the ACA.] The government contributes $5,000 towards an individual’s health insurance coverage and $11,000 towards family coverage for a married employee. According to Grassley, he just wanted Congress and its staffers to “go through the same red tape” as Americans enrolled in the exchanges. Yeah, right!

The Grassley Amendment did a great disservice to Congressional staffers, who don’t get paid very well. So OPM stepped in and arranged to pay the employer contribution to members of Congress and their staffers. [Unlike any other group of people covered by an employer health plan, Congress excluded itself from its employer subsidies.]

In the House’s latest effort to end the shutdown, they’ve added language to deny themselves the employee subsidy while allowing their staffers to receive it. I say MORE POWER TO THEM. They don’t need the money, so let’s save the government some money . . . at the expense of these stubborn people who don’t understand the ACA nor do they want to understand it.

House Outlines Alternative to Senate Leaders’ Fiscal Deal
New York Times | October 15, 2013

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

So, now, the House Republicans want to delay the individual mandate of the Affordable Care Act for one year in exchange for avoiding a government shutdown. What, exactly, do they think will be different in a year?

Will they find a “nice” way to strip health-insurance coverage from almost 24 million previously uninsured people (mostly children and young adults)? Will they develop a plan to replace the ACA since the situation prior to the legislation was simply unsustainable? Mind you, we have yet to see a plan--or even any ideas--for an alternative after three and a half years. How will they deal with the increasing budget deficits because of out-of-control healthcare costs and the extra $29 billion lost in taxes on medical devices over the coming years?

And where do they get the insane idea that they‘re representing the “will of the American people?” Poll after poll shows that Americans like the provisions of the ACA (under whatever name you want to use). And even more people want Congress to stop messing around with a government shutdown and a debt-ceiling crisis. The people spoke in the last election; one tiny fraction of neo-conservatives doesn‘t get to hold the government or the American citizens hostage while they have a temper tantrum because they lost the election.

Maybe they are under the delusion that they‘re somehow going to win such large majorities in Congress in the 2014 elections that they can override the president‘s veto of their defunding of the ACA. <shrug>

Whatever they‘re smoking, I don‘t want to inhale the second-hand smoke.

All This Would Be Funny If It Wasn't So Crazy

Just maybe I had a little something to do with this blog post and the on-air segment on The Rachel Maddow Show later that night. Ya never know . . .

'All this would be funny if it wasn't so crazy'
The Maddow Blog | September 26, 2013

GOP Fears American Appreciation of Obamacare
The Rachel Maddow Show | September 26, 2013

Would Ya Stop it Already?

You’re not going to “defund” the ACA nor will a government shutdown affect the implementation of the health exchanges. Now can we please stop all the budget and debt-ceiling bluster and GET BACK TO WORK!

Government Shutdown Won't Stop Obamacare
Yahoo News | September 26, 2013