Posted on 10/23/2013 8:36:31 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
Sen. Mark Begich says he supports extending open enrollment for individuals to buy health insurance under the federal health care law.
The Alaska Democrat, in a statement, says he wants to work with the Obama administration to ensure individuals aren't unfairly penalized if technical issues continue with the online insurance marketplaces.
Spokeswoman Heather Handyside says Begich wants to see how things with the site play out over the next several weeks and consider what makes sense.
Glitches have plagued the site since open enrollment began Oct. 1. The law requires most Americans have insurance starting next year or face fines. Open enrollment runs through March.
Begich has defended the health care law but also said he has ideas for making it better, including getting rid of a medical device tax.
He is up for re-election.
NO DELAY.
It’s the law of the land. (as they call it)
Obama shut the government down in order to fend off a Republican delay.
Let him start the fines for not being able to purchase crap nobody wanted to buy anyway.
Republicans should refuse to pass ANY legislation at this point. There are too many Court cases pending right now.
The Democrats will use ANY legislation that they draft to fix the LEGAL problems that have them in Court right now.
Where was Mark Belich 3 weeks ago when conservatives were proposing this?
Only way Mark can get re-elected would be by switching parties. Has happened a few times up here too. Ain’t in the cards though. The Repubs have to run a good candidate to win. Alaskans like to vote kids of past congressional members back in.
Exactly.
NO DELAY. Start the fines. Obama and Begich own this.
The penalty isn’t the problem. The problem is all the people who will have no coverage next year because their policies were canceled because of Obamacare and they can’t buy one on the broken web site even if they wanted to.
In other words, a few weeks ago when House Republicans sent that CR to the Senate with the only provision attached being that the Obamacare individual mandate be delayed for a year, it now appears that there probably were enough ‘rats in favor in the Senate to pass the bill had Reid allowed to come to a vote - but he killed it immediately and caused the shutdown of the entire government rather than bring it to the Senate floor (probably because he knew it would be passed) - at least he saved Obama the embarrassment of having to vote against his own law or veto the bill - and after all, that’s the most important thing to this administration - maintaining the illusion that empty suit Obama is just fresh from the dry cleaners......
I propose a new campaign slogan for his challenger.
“Ditch the Beglitch!”
Were were these jergoff Dems when we were looking for a compromise?
I say let them own this turd.
Amen!
You OWN IT!
I know that.
Probably millions will be dropped from their current coverage in the next few weeks.
Obama and the dems fought tooth and nail for no delay.
They would not compromise.
Let the insurance drop and have these millions with no insurance.
Then fine them.
After all, It’s “THE LAW OF THE LAND”.
Cruz tried to stop it.
Let Obama own it.
Yep.
Shout it from the hills.
It can’t be said enough. (till 2014) “It’s the law of the land”
Let them choke on it.
Another red line in sand.
Republicans to Obama: Delay individual mandate (CNN 8/17/2013)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., urged President Obama in a letter to consider extending the open enrollment period for Obamacare beyond March 31, 2014, given the IT problems confronting the program.
But that decision isn’t up to Obama.
Even if Obama wanted to extend the open enrollment period, he wouldn’t be allowed to without an act of Congress — at least if he wants to follow the law he signed.
Though the health care law granted the Secretary of Health and Human Services discretion to define dates for the open enrollment period to occur each year, it also specified that the initial enrollment period (i.e. the current one) had to be announced by July 1, 2012.
Specifically, Section 1311 of the healthcare law reads, “ENROLLMENT PERIODS: The Secretary shall require an Exchange to provide for— (A) an initial open enrollment, as determined by the Secretary (such determination to be made not later than July 1, 2012).”
Given that HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has already determined that the enrollment period must end on March 31 — and nearly 16 months has passed since she made that determination — extending the period would require an act of Congress to change the law.
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