A new ruling from the Office of Personnel Management states that the government will continue to contribute to Congress’ health care premiums. Oh, and their staffs’ healthcare, too. That’s right. Whether you like it or not, you’re footing the bill for Congress’ Obamacare premiums. When the Affordable Care Act was originally passed, Americans were told that under the legislation, members of Congress and their aides would have to buy coverage from plans “created” by the law, or from exchanges “offered” through the law. The requirement that Congress must obtain the same healthcare as average Americans was included in a provision written by Republican Sen. Grassley of Iowa. Since Obamacare was passed, members of Congress have fretted over this provision. Many expressed concern that their staffs’ higher premiums would force aides to accept more “lucrative,” private sector positions, effectively creating a “brain drain” on Capitol Hill. However, OPM’s new ruling allows the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program to contribute tax dollars to Capitol Hill’s insurance premiums. With Obamacare opening its doors on Oct. 1, members of Congress were becoming increasingly worried about the provision. Luckily for them, last week, President Obama assured Democratic senators that he was “on it,” and “personally involved in finding a solution,” according to Politico. A source at the White House said that the ruling would be officially issued sometime next week. Coincidentally, on Aug. 1, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) released a statement on Obamacare noting, “Members of Congress and their staffs must enroll in health marketplaces as the Affordable Care Act requires.” This sparked outrage from many Republicans, who believe Democrats are attempting to trick the American people about the realities of Obamacare. Following Pelosi’s statement, Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX) illustrated his anger by tweeting, “Outrageous exemption for Congress.” How do you feel about paying for Congress’ healthcare America ????
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 15:31:55 +0000
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