http://www.nationalreview.com/article/358550/congresss-exemption-obamacare-john-fund
Senator David Vitter from LA is behind the move to force Congress to make a public stand, unlike the President, who ordered the OPM to exempt (OK, to "reimburse") members of Congress for any costs related to their forced entry into the ObamaCare exhanges--like the rest of the people, except those favorites who've already received exemptions and extensions. Still more, including some of the larger unions, are calling for exemptions. Hey, if the thing is so darn good, why are so many people seeking exemptions?!?!?!
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OK, I am not sure if you are intentionally blurring the issue here but the other day you said:
"And, in a way, I feel vindicated. A few months ago I blogged that members of Congress should also be required to participate in the health exchanges of ObamaCare. I was told by several people that, indeed, they are. Well, that's not so, at least not according to a US Senator I heard last week. I believe he is from Louisiana. He emphasized that President Obama signed a special rule, through the Office of Personnel Management, in August that permits this: members of Congress can designate themselves and/or members of their staffs to opt out of ObamaCare or, if they remain in, are reimbursed for the extra costs of keeping their old coverage."
This is not true based on anything I have seen anywhere nor have you posted any evidence to back up this claim: "members of Congress can designate themselves and/or members of their staffs to opt out of ObamaCare." They may not opt out of the exchanges unless they opt for no coverage at all.
The exemption, as I have stated previously, simply allows the employer paid subsidy that they were getting before to be applied to the purchase of insurance from the exchange. I agree this is against the letter of the law but it was made difficult by the forcing of Congress and their staffers off of their previously employer provided plan. That is something that the law does not do to any other people. There is nothing in Obamacare that requires people to give up their current employer provided insurance and join the exchanges except for Congress and their staffers. It is unfair to expect Congress and their staffers to lose a benefit that was provided on hire and not then increase their salary the same amount as the benefit that was taken away (total compensation should not be diminished due to the law). I know that my employer pays a large part of my insurance premium as do most large employers around the country (as I am sure your employer did during your years at HVS).
I do not see anywhere in your link, nor have I even seen David Vitter on his own website claim that Congress and their staffers may opt out of the exchanges and keep their previous coverage.
We will, of course, soon see the integrity of Mr. Vitter when he decides whether to continue protesting the exemption or he goes on the exchange and gladly accepts the subsidy that he is trying to get rid of.
Personally, I agree that their are myriad problems with Obamacare that need to get fixed. It would help if there was any effort on the part of the Republicans to try to fix the problems instead of trying to constantly repeal with no plan of their own to address the issues. It also doesn't help that so much misinformation about things such as a Congressional exemption keep getting spread around without a clear understanding of what the exemption actually grants and what it does not grant.
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