What is the POINT of this?
WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Tuesday put forward the outline of a response to a Senate proposal that would end the government shutdown and raise the debt limit into next year, but would also make some changes to the health care law.
Under their plan, members of Congress and the cabinet would be compelled to obtain health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, but would not receive the employer subsidy from the government. Further, the deal would suspend a medical device tax for two years, something that was dropped from a Senate compromise in the making.
— House Outlines Plan on Spending and Debt Limit, Jennifer Steinhauer, New York Times, 9:56 a.m.
Excuse me, but what is the point supposed be in compelling members of Congress and the cabinet to obtain health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act–which the law already requires–and removing their employer subsidy? I mean, other than just showing yet again what jack asses they are.
By “the employer subsidy,” I guess they mean the money that their employer–the government–now pays toward their health insurance premiums. So this would just be a reduction in their salaries. What point are they trying to make by this? How is this supposed to analogize to something that resembles anyone else’s situation? I really don’t get this. At all.
These people are stupifyingly childish.
Bev:
I am going to assume your question is rhetorical and not meant to be answered directly.
The point to much of the Republican and Teabagger’s posturing is to impress upon the public that Congress is getting something for nothing. The stipulation is they will buy insurance on the exchanges which were meant for the unemployed and those above 138% FPL only. Nobody intended to remove the subsidy staffers and Congress now gets; but, the Republicans and Teabaggers are very willing to throw their staff under the bus to promulgate the lie of special treatment.
Lets call it what it is; Cruz, McConnell, Boehner, Cantor, Ryan, etc. are deliberately misleading the public with their lies.
threy’re just building their resumes for when they run against an even further right wingnut in the 2014 primaries…
Spot on, buddy. And you do know me well enough to know that the title is rhetorical.
What I can’t believe is that these people this kind of stuff appeals to a substantial number of people–even in their own rightwing districts.
I soooo can’t wait until a few months from now, when the crux of Obamacare will finally have kicked in–and these morons start holding Town Hall meetings at which Obamacare beneficiaries ask a few, um, questions.
Oops. Didn’t see your post, rjs, before I posted my response to run. Your comment is spot-on, too, rjs.
They’re being given enough rope to hang themselves with. And they’re using that rope to do exactly that.
Naked Capitalism has answered your question:
Improved conditions for corruption
Plus as regards Congress members themselves doubtfully Constitutional if as seems reasonable it was construed as a cut in pay.
Plus the whole thing is silly because Congress folk get near full service in house medical care. From what I understand there is a full equivalent of a clinic in the Capitol building already. And I don’t see the Teatard House Caucus raging against THAT piece of Socialistic medicine.
It is the republican new deficit-reduction plan.