Democrat Legislators Fight Dirty To Keep Their Special Snowflake Obamacare Privilege
Health care laws are for the little people -- not legislators and their staff. Certainly not.
Democrat and Republican legislators alike are pressing to keep the exemption from Obamacare for themselves and their staffs.
Senator David Vitter, a Repugblican who's returned to the Senate after a scandal involving high-priced prostitutes, fought against the exemption.
And now, Democrats are fighting dirty against him. As Jonathan Turley writes:
While there is a definite appeal to Vitter's view that the Congress should live under the same law applicable to average citizens, there may be some legitimate argument that I am missing. What should be clear is that some Democrats reacted in worse possible way. Politico is reporting that it has legislation drafted by Democrats that would eliminate health care benefits for lawmakers where there is "probable cause" to believe they patronized prostitutes. If true, this is really a sophomoric act of retaliation. Politico is reporting that this is not a joke but something actually raised as a meeting of Democratic members.Apparently even Republicans are mad at Vitter for exposing the hypocrisy of Congress imposing a law on the country while (yet again) creating an exception for itself. The law actually has language barring exceptions, but the Obama Administration issued an order during the August recess to require the Office of Personnel Management to retain the subsidy for members and their staffs.
Even if you believe Congress should be able spare itself from having to get insurance like other Americans, this alleged proposal (and other retaliatory measure directed at Senators supporting Vitter) would set a new low for Congress.
And that certainly is a feat.
I'm ill-informed about this one. I thought if your employer provided your insurance you didn't have to buy it yourself? Doesn't Congress get insurance through their job? Is this bill to have them stop getting insurance through their job?
NicoleK at September 16, 2013 10:44 PM
Amy Alkon
https://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/09/democrat-legisl.html#comment-3920548">comment from NicoleKFrom the WSJ:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324635904578644202946287548.html
You know, just like regular people.
Amy Alkon
at September 17, 2013 5:23 AM
Is anyone really that surprised by this?
The "Goose and gander" and all that jazz is as old as time when it comes to politics.
I feel so smug when I look at my Liberal friends who were so keen on Obama and his Health Care Reform.
Sabrina at September 17, 2013 8:51 AM
How do they react to stories like this Sabrina? Mine either totally ignore it, or claim its lies
lujlp at September 17, 2013 8:59 AM
A co-worker just had this one started happening to him late last week. He contacts our company's health insurance carrier to drop his 19 year old son off the insurance plan. They say that he has to send proof that his son is covered. So he sends a copy of his son's USAF military id and a copy of his orders to a Texas AFB.
The insurance company replied his son being in the USAF doesn't prove he has medical coverage. We're all like WTF?!?!?!?!
I'll let you all know how it turns out.
Jim P. at September 17, 2013 11:43 AM
A co-worker just had this one started happening to him late last week. He contacts our company's health insurance carrier to drop his 19 year old son off the insurance plan. They say that he has to send proof that his son is covered. So he sends a copy of his son's USAF military id and a copy of his orders to a Texas AFB.
The insurance company replied his son being in the USAF doesn't prove he has medical coverage. We're all like WTF?!?!?!?!
I'll let you all know how it turns out.
Posted by: Jim P. at September 17, 2013 11:43 AM
Somewhere in all the paperwork the 19 year old filled out, is a Tricare enrollment form. Have him find that, photocopy it, and send it to the ins company, or the dad.
Isab at September 17, 2013 1:23 PM
I'm ancient school USAF. Back then if you were single with no children there was no paperwork you had to fill out. Still I'll pass the info back.
That was like the Selective Service sent a letter, forwarded by mother, complaining I hadn't registered for the Selective Service by 19, while on active duty. I called the SSA and chewed on the poor clerk and her supervisor for about a full 20-25 minutes to tell them they should be getting their records from the DoD and why aren't they? I eventually got a very nice apology letter sent to me.
But regardless -- saying an active duty member is not covered is like saying the sky is not blue. Just file the damned paperwork the dad sent and take him off the policy.
Jim P. at September 17, 2013 6:07 PM
The military has so many different catagories of full time part time military civilians working now, that I am afraid nothing is black and white anymore. If the kid was ADFT he would still need regular insurance. if he was a reservist etc, the ID card specifics are in the chip, and a photocopy tells you nothing.
His ID probably looks exactly like my husband's ID, and my husband is an Air Force civilian working overseas. He has been in and out of tricare three times. We will both be back in again in two years when he becomes a real retiree, as opposed to a grey area retiree.
Not simple, if the kid does not know what he needs, the unit clerk or the tricare office at the nearest military hospital can help him with it.
Isab at September 18, 2013 10:09 PM
Well, you military types will be glad to know that while you're at sea on a submarine, you have total health care. It's called a Corpsman.
And the catastrophic protection is provided by Sonar and the OOD.
Radwaste at September 19, 2013 7:29 AM
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