l****z
发帖数: 29846 | 1 Exclusive: Rand Paul wants Chief Justice Roberts, all federal workers, to
enroll in Obamacare
Posted By Alex Pappas On 12:40 AM 09/23/2013 In Politics | No Comments
Arguing federal workers should not get special treatment, Rand Paul says he
does not want taxpayers subsidizing the personal health-care plans of any
federal employee — including Chief Justice John Roberts — anymore.
With some in Congress arguing lawmakers and their staff should not get
subsidies to cover their health insurance as President Obama’s health-care
law goes into effect, the Republican senator from Kentucky told The Daily
Caller on Sunday that he’s going to start pushing a constitutional
amendment that goes even further.
Paul’s proposal — outlawing any special exemptions for government
employees — would mean all federal workers would have to purchase health
insurance on the new Obamacare exchanges instead of getting taxpayer-funded
subsidies. Some critics say those subsidies amount to special treatment. The
Obamacare health insurance exchange opens Oct 1.
“My amendment says basically that everybody including Justice Roberts —
who seems to be such a fan of Obamacare — gets it too,” Paul told TheDC by
phone on Sunday from Mackinac Island in Michigan, where he won a straw poll
of potential Republican candidates for president in 2016.
“See, right now, Justice Roberts is still continuing to have federal
employee health insurance subsidized by the taxpayer,” Paul said. “And if
he likes Obamacare so much, I’m going to give him an amendment that gives
Obamacare to Justice Roberts.”
Roberts famously voted to uphold the constitutionality of Obama’s unpopular
health-care law when it went before the Supreme Court last year.
Paul’s constitutional amendment says no federal employees should get
special exemptions from laws. The senator also plans to push a proposal
requiring that Congress and all federal employees rely on Obamacare for
their insurance.
His proposal comes after outrage from conservatives about a so-called “
exemption” for members of Congress and their staff from Obamacare.
What’s being referred to as the “Obamacare fix” for lawmakers and staff
was made because the Affordable Care Act includes an amendment from a
Republican senator that changes how the government currently covers most of
the cost of health-care premiums for members of Congress and their staffers.
The new law mandates that members and staff must enter into exchanges or be
covered by insurance “created” by law.
But after concerns about the cost of health care going up for congressional
employees, the Office of Personnel Management announced in August that it
would provide a subsidy of about 75 percent of the cost for the health care
of members and staff.
Paul revealed his new amendment push on Sunday after TheDC inquired about a
proposal from Louisiana Sen. David Vitter, who has proposed killing those
federal Obamacare subsidies for lawmakers and their staff. “I support any
effort to make all laws applicable to Congress that we pass,” Paul said.
But Paul says his proposal goes even further.
“I think mine is a little more inclusive,” Paul explained. “Mine —
compared to Vitter’s — would include all federal employees, and save
billions of dollars.”
He added: “Why don’t we do it for all federal employees? And mine would
save quite a bit more money.”
Lawmakers, including Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, have
defended the special Obamacare exemptions being made for lawmakers and their
staff. Earlier this month, the Nevada Democrat flatly stated, “That’s
what the law says, and we’ll be part of that.”
“We’ll be treated like the rest of the federal employees,” Reid said. “
It’s nothing unique that employers help pay for health care.” | x******k
发帖数: 847 | 2 yeah, one nation, one affordable plan.. |
|
