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Some Reid staffers exempt from Obamacare exchanges

Rocketman

Rocketman

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Washington (CNN) -- Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, one of Obamacare's architects and staunchest supporters, is also the only top congressional leader to exempt some of his staff from having to buy insurance through the law's new exchanges.

Reid is the exception among the other top congressional leaders. GOP House Speaker John Boehner, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell have all directed their staffs to join the exchange, their aides said.

After website woes, President pushes benefits of Obamacare

In the charged atmosphere surrounding Obamacare, Reid's decision only gives Republicans more ammo to attack Democrats already suffering politically from the law's botched rollout.

In September, Reid told reporters, "Let's stop these really juvenile political games -- the one dealing with health care for senators and House members and our staff. We are going to be part of exchanges, that's what the law says and we'll be part of that."

Some Reid staffers exempt from Obamacare exchanges - CNN.com
 
As usual, you didn't read the bottom of the article. From your source:

And all four House and Senate leaders are required to relinquish their federal employee insurance plans next year and are choosing to enroll in the exchanges.
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TheNextEra said:
As usual, you didn't read the bottom of the article. From your source:
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We'll see... what's to stop them from changing their minds and exempting themselves? Nothing.
 
Ockham said:
We'll see... what's to stop them from changing their minds and exempting themselves? Nothing.
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Again, what-if games are fun, but they typically are worthless. I'll take what the article says over rhetoric.

If they try to exempt themselves next year, I'll be right there with you denouncing it.
 
TheNextEra said:
Again, what-if games are fun, but they typically are worthless. I'll take what the article says over rhetoric.

If they try to exempt themselves next year, I'll be right there with you denouncing it.
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So they're not hypocritical for an entire year because.... why?
 
Ockham said:
So they're not hypocritical for an entire year because.... why?
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Point to where I said they are not hypocritical. However, what "entire year" are you even talking about?
 
The part that gets me is the law doesn't force anyone in Congress or their staffs to enroll in the ACA. The Republicans are 125% sure the program is bad for America, yet they are forcing their staffs to enroll when the law doesn't require them to do so.

The Republicans have been fighting tooth and nail to stop the ACA, over 30 votes to defund in the House, and constant cries to push back the enrollment deadlines. Why are the GOP leaders forcing their staffs to sign-up for so horrible a plan?

It just doesn't make sense.
 
notquiteright said:
The part that gets me is the law doesn't force anyone in Congress or their staffs to enroll in the ACA. The Republicans are 125% sure the program is bad for America, yet they are forcing their staffs to enroll when the law doesn't require them to do so.

The Republicans have been fighting tooth and nail to stop the ACA, over 30 votes to defund in the House, and constant cries to push back the enrollment deadlines. Why are the GOP leaders forcing their staffs to sign-up for so horrible a plan?

It just doesn't make sense.
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That gets me too. If Obamascare is the neatest thing since sliced bread, why did Democrats exempt themselves and their staffers?

What the Republicans are doing is called leadership. Their participation in the exchange will allow them to critique Ofailure from an informed position.
 
apdst said:
What the Republicans are doing is called leadership. Their participation in the exchange will allow them to critique Ofailure from an informed position.
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So if what the Republicans are doing is called leadership, why are they on a seperate retirement plan than the people? No, what the Republicans are doing is called playing politics.

I don't like ACA in the least, but that doesn't mean that the GOP isn't playing their own games either.
 
TheNextEra said:
So if what the Republicans are doing is called leadership, why are they on a seperate retirement plan than the people? No, what the Republicans are doing is called playing politics.

I don't like ACA in the least, but that doesn't mean that the GOP isn't playing their own games either.
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People who hate the Republicans are going to find fault with anything do. The fact remains, the Democrats credibly hail Ofail as a smashing success, when NONE OF THEM ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM.

Like it, or not, when the Republicans endorse, or poo-poo Ofailure, they'll be speaking from experience and that will go a long way.
 
Um, Reid's staffers are buying insurance through the exchanges like the law requires them to. I'm not sure I understand the problem here. Other than really bad writing on CNN's part.

Washington (CNN) -- Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, one of Obamacare's architects and staunchest supporters, is also the only top congressional leader to exempt some of his staff from having to buy insurance through the law's new exchanges.
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In September, Reid told reporters, "Let's stop these really juvenile political games -- the one dealing with health care for senators and House members and our staff. We are going to be part of exchanges, that's what the law says and we'll be part of that."

That's true. Reid and his personal staff will buy insurance through the exchange.
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Doubleyou tee eff?
 
Deuce said:
Um, Reid's staffers are buying insurance through the exchanges like the law requires them to. I'm not sure I understand the problem here. Other than really bad writing on CNN's part.





Doubleyou tee eff?
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Special exchanges, unlike any other.
 
TheNextEra said:
Point to where I said they are not hypocritical. However, what "entire year" are you even talking about?
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You didn't say they were hypocritical so by omission I had to make the assumption. The entire year of 2014.
 
notquiteright said:
The part that gets me is the law doesn't force anyone in Congress or their staffs to enroll in the ACA. The Republicans are 125% sure the program is bad for America, yet they are forcing their staffs to enroll when the law doesn't require them to do so.

The Republicans have been fighting tooth and nail to stop the ACA, over 30 votes to defund in the House, and constant cries to push back the enrollment deadlines. Why are the GOP leaders forcing their staffs to sign-up for so horrible a plan?

It just doesn't make sense.
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Yes it does, it's written in the law.

No, Congress isn’t trying to exempt itself from Obamacare
 
pbrauer said:
You're wrong, it's written into the law which was put there by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).
No, Congress isn’t trying to exempt itself from Obamacare
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Washington Post Editorial said:
But no one is discussing "exempting" congressional staffers from Obamacare. They're discussing creating some method through which the federal government can keep making its current contribution to the health insurance of congressional staffers.

"Even if OPM rules against us," one staffer said, "it's inaccurate to imply that any talks are aimed at exempting federal employees from routine mandates of ACA since any talks are about resolving the unique bind that the Grassley amendment puts federal employees in."
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They're discussing how to subsidize Congressional staffers so they don't have an increase in costs for their healthcare. Wow. Ya think the rest of us peon citizens can get that subsidy too?
 
Ockham said:
You didn't say they were hypocritical so by omission I had to make the assumption. The entire year of 2014.
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You "had" to make that assumption? :lamo I'm sorry but that is simply Bull****. You made the assumption instead of asking, you didn't HAVE to make an assumption.
 
Ockham said:
They're discussing how to subsidize Congressional staffers so they don't have an increase in costs for their healthcare. Wow. Ya think the rest of us peon citizens can get that subsidy too?
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From the link in my previous post:

But no one is discussing "exempting" congressional staffers from Obamacare. They're discussing creating some method through which the federal government can keep making its current contribution to the health insurance of congressional staffers.

"Even if OPM rules against us," one staffer said, "it's inaccurate to imply that any talks are aimed at exempting federal employees from routine mandates of ACA since any talks are about resolving the unique bind that the Grassley amendment puts federal employees in."

This isn't, in other words, an effort to flee Obamacare. It's an effort to fix a drafting error that prevents the federal government from paying into insurance exchanges on behalf of congressional staffers who got caught up in a political controversy.​
 
TheNextEra said:
You "had" to make that assumption? :lamo I'm sorry but that is simply Bull****. You made the assumption instead of asking, you didn't HAVE to make an assumption.
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Well if someone sees hypocrisy they usually call it out - since you didn't and I'm not a mind reader, what was I supposed to think?
 
pbrauer said:
From the link in my previous post:

This isn't, in other words, an effort to flee Obamacare. It's an effort to fix a drafting error that prevents the federal government from paying into insurance exchanges on behalf of congressional staffers who got caught up in a political controversy.
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That's lawyer washington BS speak for exactly what I said - subsidizing staffers who don't want to pay more for their insurance.
:coffeepap
 
I thought the problem was that the congress people, making in excess of $100k a year, will get a subsidy for their Obamacare even though the peons in society making less money will not get the subsidy.
 
Ockham said:
That's lawyer washington BS speak for exactly what I said - subsidizing staffers who don't want to pay more for their insurance.
:coffeepap
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BS :coffeepap
 
Ockham said:
We'll see... what's to stop them from changing their minds and exempting themselves? Nothing.
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Actually, the law. They will be required to enroll.
 
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