Members of Congress secretly negotiate their own exemptions from Obamacare mandates

Sunday, May 05, 2013 by: J. D. Heyes
Tags: Obamacare exemptions, Congress, Affordable Care Act

(NaturalNews) If you ever doubted that the Affordable Care Act, derisively known as "Obamacare," was a grotesquely offensive, unworkable, nightmarish and authoritarian power grab by the federal government to circumvent your healthcare choices and options, they should be completely dispelled, now that congressional leaders are in talks to exempt that August body from its clutches. Pathetic is the only way to describe it.

According to Politico:

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.

Is it any wonder why congressional approval ratings are abysmal? The rating stems precisely from these kinds of self-serving, hypocritical antics.

Avoiding the medicine we have to take

Politico noted that the talks involve the leadership of both chambers, the House and Senate, and include House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Since getting to opt out of Obamacare would be such a sweet deal, this may be the only piece of legislation that gets much bipartisan support all session.

The report described the talks as "extraordinarily sensitive" - no doubt because of the shamefulness of having foisted this monstrosity upon us, despite majorities who said they did not believe the federal government had either the right or the ability to "manage" cradle-to-grave healthcare decisions for We the People.

But they passed it anyway - and even though there was controversy at the time because, supposedly, few, if any lawmakers, actually read it, this wretched, diabolical, backdoor attempt by our elected officials now to build themselves a life raft while stranding the rest of us on the healthcare Titanic should tell you that they damned well did know what was in the 2,700 pages of Obamacare.

What's more, this isn't just some idea someone came up with, either. According to the sources who spoke to Politico, "discussions have stretched out for months."

Both parties share blame

Politically speaking, Democrats would - or should - suffer the worst if Congress winds up screwing the rest of us while saving itself. That's because Democrats, who controlled the presidency and both Houses of Congress, were responsible for Obamacare's passage.

But Republicans would - and should - suffer as well, even though they have, by and large, opposed Obamacare from the beginning and have made legitimate efforts to repeal it. As members of Congress, it would be just as hypocritical for them to vote to exempt themselves, as the tentacles of Obamacare increasingly strangle the healthcare system used by their constituents.

Perhaps what is most troubling about this whole issue is the motivation behind the notion: Selfishness. Obamacare's costs and provisions just might be uncomfortable for some congressional staffers (and wasn't this law supposed to lower healthcare costs for consumers?):

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.

Plus, lawmakers - especially those with long careers in public service and smaller bank accounts - are also concerned about the hit to their own wallets.

Beyond contemptible

So, if Obamacare costs will hit you hard, lowly constituent, well, tough - you just have to deal with it. But if it will mean our royal lawmakers will lose some precious staff or might have to pay more themselves? Oh, my goodness! "We need an exemption!"

If Congress exempts itself, they lose any moral authority to force the rest of the country to live under Obamacare's provisions - up to and including the authority to penalize anyone else who also wants to opt out.

As bad as Obamacare stinks, an attempt by our low-life political class to slither out from underneath it, after foisting in upon us against our will , is beyond contemptible.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.politico.com

http://www.gallup.com

https://www.naturalnews.com/040075_Obamacare_exemptions_lawmakers.html

http://reason.com/blog/2010/03/09/nancy-pelosi-on-health-care-we