Lawmakers, aides try to exempt themselves from Obamacare.
Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, sources in both parties said.
The talks — which involve Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the Obama administration and other top lawmakers — are extraordinarily sensitive, with both sides acutely aware of the potential for political fallout from giving carve-outs from the hugely controversial law to 535 lawmakers and thousands of their aides. Discussions have stretched out for months, sources said.
A source close to the talks says: “Everyone has to hold hands on this and jump, or nothing is going to get done.”
Yet if Capitol Hill leaders move forward with the plan, they risk being dubbed hypocrites by their political rivals and the American public. By removing themselves from a key Obamacare component, lawmakers and aides would be held to a different standard than the people who put them in power.
There is concern in some quarters that the provision requiring lawmakers and staffers to join the exchanges, if it isn’t revised, could lead to a “brain drain” on Capitol Hill, as several sources close to the talks put it.
The problem stems from whether members and aides set to enter the exchanges would have their health insurance premiums subsidized by their employer — in this case, the federal government. If not, aides and lawmakers in both parties fear that staffers — especially low-paid junior aides — could be hit with thousands of dollars in new health care costs, prompting them to seek jobs elsewhere. Older, more senior staffers could also retire or jump to the private sector rather than face a big financial penalty."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/o ... z2RWF8OmpD
It's not just democrats or just republicans, BOTH sides are trying to exempt the selves a d their sides from the affordable healthcare act.(Obamacare) seriously? More political hypocrisy, the lawmaking class continues to try passing legislation that will affect the people and not themselves. Same thing they're trying to go with guns. How much more will we let through? Why are we demoted to second class citizens so the fat cats at the top keep getting fatter? I guess not reading bills comes back to bite you eventually, everyone on Capitol hill is starting to realize just how bad they're making our healthcare system and want to save themselves, **** the people. They're living the new American dream. It used to be that with hard work and perseverance you could achieve anything in this country, the new American dream is to screw over as many people as possible to give yourself an advantage. It's sad.
Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, sources in both parties said.
The talks — which involve Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the Obama administration and other top lawmakers — are extraordinarily sensitive, with both sides acutely aware of the potential for political fallout from giving carve-outs from the hugely controversial law to 535 lawmakers and thousands of their aides. Discussions have stretched out for months, sources said.
A source close to the talks says: “Everyone has to hold hands on this and jump, or nothing is going to get done.”
Yet if Capitol Hill leaders move forward with the plan, they risk being dubbed hypocrites by their political rivals and the American public. By removing themselves from a key Obamacare component, lawmakers and aides would be held to a different standard than the people who put them in power.
There is concern in some quarters that the provision requiring lawmakers and staffers to join the exchanges, if it isn’t revised, could lead to a “brain drain” on Capitol Hill, as several sources close to the talks put it.
The problem stems from whether members and aides set to enter the exchanges would have their health insurance premiums subsidized by their employer — in this case, the federal government. If not, aides and lawmakers in both parties fear that staffers — especially low-paid junior aides — could be hit with thousands of dollars in new health care costs, prompting them to seek jobs elsewhere. Older, more senior staffers could also retire or jump to the private sector rather than face a big financial penalty."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/o ... z2RWF8OmpD
It's not just democrats or just republicans, BOTH sides are trying to exempt the selves a d their sides from the affordable healthcare act.(Obamacare) seriously? More political hypocrisy, the lawmaking class continues to try passing legislation that will affect the people and not themselves. Same thing they're trying to go with guns. How much more will we let through? Why are we demoted to second class citizens so the fat cats at the top keep getting fatter? I guess not reading bills comes back to bite you eventually, everyone on Capitol hill is starting to realize just how bad they're making our healthcare system and want to save themselves, **** the people. They're living the new American dream. It used to be that with hard work and perseverance you could achieve anything in this country, the new American dream is to screw over as many people as possible to give yourself an advantage. It's sad.
