We can quibble to our heart’s content over the word “exemption”, but at the end of the day the Office of Personnel Management decision violates the text of the law
(Wall Street Journal) On Monday, Jan. 6, I am filing suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin to make Congress live by the letter of the health-care law it imposed on the rest of America. By arranging for me and other members of Congress and their staffs to receive benefits intentionally ruled out by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the administration has exceeded its legal authority.
The president and his congressional supporters have also broken their promise to the American people that ObamaCare was going to be so good that they would participate in it just like everyone else. In truth, many members of Congress feel entitled to an exemption from the harsh realities of the law they helped jam down Americans’ throats in 2010. Unlike millions of their countrymen who have lost coverage and must now purchase insurance through an exchange, members and their staffs will receive an employer contribution to help pay for their new plans.
It is clear that this special treatment, via a ruling by the president’s Office of Personnel Management, was deliberately excluded in the law. During the drafting, debate and passage of ObamaCare, the issue of how the law should affect members of Congress and their staffs was repeatedly addressed. Even a cursory reading of the legislative history clearly shows the intent of Congress was to ensure that members and staff would no longer be eligible for their current coverage under the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan.
Senator Johnson goes on to point out that once members of Congress who voted for and support Obamacare found out what’s in it and how it affect them, they went running to Obama to find a way out for themselves, ending with the magical decision by OPM to treat congress as a small business along with providing payment to Congressional members and their staffs.
The legal basis for our lawsuit (which I will file with a staff member, Brooke Ericson, as the other plaintiff) includes the fact that the OPM ruling forces me, as a member of Congress, to engage in activity that I believe violates the law. It also potentially alienates members of Congress from their constituents, since those constituents are witnessing members of Congress blatantly giving themselves and their staff special treatment.
If Johnson wins the suit, it won’t end Obamacare, much like all the suits over the contraception mandate will not end the terrible law. But, it will make Congress live under the same rules everyone else has to live under.
Crossed at Right Wing News.
I am considering running for Senate against Mary Landrieu in order to get adequate health insurance. Do you think I would get support? My platform would be, just say no. I would vote no on any bill, except one reducing the size of the government to 10% of its current.
Let’s see… as a political stunt Ron Johnson and his ilk (not the ACA) get the Congressional staffs kicked off their employer based healthcare and force them to the insurance marketplaces. No other employees in the US were treated this way. The staffer’s employer (the gov’t) agreed to subsidize their premiums. As a political stunt, Ron Johnson sues because the Congressional staffs aren’t being made to suffer enough.
The far-right continually burns with the hatred of a thousand suns.
Bummer… My little company with a dozen or so highly skilled full and part-time employees has to comply with the ACA. We had our meeting today outlining the new policies and our premiums are up 4% (total about $300/mo per family, but company subsidized, of course), co-pays cut 33%, out of pocket reduced, Rx costs cut, added vision benefits, same dental as last year. Overall, is better than last year.
Bull. Another lie from JeffyPoop.
Employees and employers had to comply with the law.
After the ACA was passed, the administration decided that some employees in the US didn’t have to comply with the law.
People like JeffeyPoop want laws and regulations for others, but not for the people they like and support.
poor little goatcuddler…
Psst…. JeffyPoop……. I don’t know if you realize this, but your wife isn’t on this blog so you may want to stop addressing comments to her.
By the way, I noticed that you didn’t address that the Congressional staffers were not required to comply with the law as other employers and employees are.