Posted on 09/23/2013 2:01:31 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
While Ted Cruz and Mike Lee consider their next steps procedurally in the Senate, here’s Rand Paul via Mediaite already preparing Plan B for if/when the “defund” strategy fizzles.
Remember how, a few months ago, members of Congress were panicked that their staffers would start quitting en masse this fall thanks to an O-Care rule that Chuck Grassley inserted into the final bill in 2010? The rule required congressional workers to drop their federally subsidized health-care coverage and fend for themselves on ObamaCare’s exchanges just like the rest of the rabble out there. Many staffers wouldn’t be able to afford the loss of subsidies, though; the only way out for some would be to quit and head to K Street or beyond to make a living.
Our leader, knowing that he could ill afford any more discontent on the Hill over his pet boondoggle and confident that he can suspend or ignore whichever ObamaCare provisions he chooses, got the Office of Personnel and Management to issue a new regulation stating that subsidies would continue for federal staffers even after they bought a new health-care plan on the exchange. Crisis averted!
Or is it? Here’s Paul suggesting that, in lieu of defunding, one of the things the GOP could insist on in a compromise is making sure all federal employees have to live with O-Care, warts and all. David Vitter introduced a similar bill last week; via David Freddoso, watch Nebraska Senate candidate Ben Sasse below make the same argument in his new ad. The issue may be too small-ball for most defunders’ liking given their ambitions to stop the entire law cold (which won’t happen anyway), but the politics of it would be excruciating for Democrats.
Either they agree to the Vitter/Paul amendment and hope that the resulting brain drain among their staffers isn’t too much of a political and logistical nightmare for the Hill’s O-Care supporters, or they oppose it and try to explain to the public why the thought of having to cope with Obama’s big legislative “achievement” without taxpayer subsidies is horrifying. The only hitch here: Can Vitter/Paul get majority support among Republicans? They’re worried about the brain drain too. As much as they’d love to make Democrats squirm by backing this, some of them also petitioned Obama to keep the subsidies flowing to staffers earlier this year. I don’t know if this will get anti-ObamaCare forces any closer to 60 votes than the “defund” bill will.
Once again, this is COVER for an Un-Constitutional mandate (notwithstanding the sell-out of John Roberts on re-writing the Law to change the "Penalty" to a "Tax", etc.)
We already have too many government employees, whom Taxpayers are saddled with funding (and the SEIU using extortion to get them more money than they're worth).
The bottom line in this is that we need to stick to the Principle (Un-Constitutional Mandate, We The People KNOW it, and don't WANT OBAMACARE), but in the end, we are NOT represented by a Majority in Congress, no matter what their supposed Party affiliation....they ALL vote FOR Government Power, and the Progressive Agenda.
Obamacare promised cheaper rates, better care, economically stimulating, more people covered, and assurances that my current and preferred insurance plan would not be affected.
All lies. Can we sue?
I think the slogan should be:
“No lube? blood will do.”
Sure, Why Not?
He’s violated the 27th Amendment already this year to buy our feckless Congress off.
NO COMPROMISE.
Compromise is how we got into this mess to begin with.
Enough with these damned compromises.
How would obama raise salaries when they are set by congress?
You’re kidding, right? He does whatever he damn well pleases and who’s going to stop him?
“If a federal employee has health care, and contributes, say, $400 per month toward the premium (normal premium sharing as in the public sector), I don’t think it should be more than $400 per month for them after Obamacare;”
No. Federal employees should pay whatever the open-ended cost will be, just like the great unwashed taxpayers that actually pay for it all.
While I agree that it SHOULD be stopped, I have no reason to believe that it WILL be stopped, so everybody should enjoy the fruits of socialism equally, until the wheels fall off.
That’s a compromise??
The GOPe would be okay with govcare if it also covered government?
Burn this place down already
“That’s a compromise??”
Who talked about compromise? The GOPe has already rolled over on it. Barring an uncharacteristic outbreak of testicular fortitude, we’re going socialist, so everyone should get to enjoy it, not just the private sector.
The best hope is that it’s so bad that we burn this abomination to the ground and let everyone be responsible for themselves.
I don’t know how he would even appropriate money w/o congress...For example, Fed employees haven;t had a cola pay raise in 5 years as congress has not appropriated money for that. You would think he would have given Fed employees pay raises and by passed congress by now if you said was true.. Sorry, congress still has power of the purse and still the only body that appropriates money.
REMOVE ALL EXEMPTIONS from those that have obtained them.
And especially include Muslims. They come to our country to enjoy all the perks, but they get exemptions when it costs money.
That's excellent! Scum should be flippin' burgers!
But how do you enforce it, when the only way around OPM is impeachment and removal, which requires two thirds of Dingy Harry's Senate?
You better believe they run the show. Particularly with loose cannon senile critters like McCain and Feinnstein
You have senior staffers who are assiduously cultivated and bribed by lobbyists because they run the show for a Senator or Representative
Just a small sampling of the staffers and their “former” employers.
http://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/reverse.php
Helll no, get the government out of hralth care totally!
Go back to the system ther was when I was growing up, there wasn’t such a thing as health care. You went to the doctor and you paid for it and it was reasnable.
No one is entitled to health care, pay for it or you don’t get it!
Right. Eliminate health care insurance completely. Let doctors and hospitals set their prices by the market. Let charities assist the under-priviledged.
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