How Trump can win the ObamaCare fight: End the "friends and cronies" exemption for Congress

[Right_in_Virginia]

How Trump can win the ObamaCare fight: End the "friends and cronies" exemption for Congress
Fox News, Jul 28, 2017, John Fund

If President Trump wants to fulfill his repeated promise to end ObamaCare, his best course of action is a radical change in tactics that would hit members of Congress where it hurts – in their wallets. The 55-45 vote Wednesday by the Senate rejecting a straight repeal of ObamaCare makes it clear that the president needs to try something new.

With a mere stroke of his pen, President Trump could end the exemption that President Obama gave members of Congress and their staffs that makes them the only participants in the ObamaCare exchanges to receive generous subsidies from their employer (the American people) to pay for their health insurance. Nothing would better focus Congress’ attention on changing ObamaCare than being trapped in it just like other Americans.

<snip>

Although his amendment was watered down to exclude committee staff, it still applies to members of Congress and their personal staffs. Most employment lawyers interpreted that to mean that the taxpayer-funded federal health insurance subsidies dispensed to members of Congress and their personal staffs – which now range from $6,000 to $12,000 a year and cover about 70 percent of the cost of insurance premiums – would have to end.

Democratic and Republican staffers alike were furious, and along with members of Congress applied behind-the-scenes pressure on the White House. During a congressional recess in August 2013, President Obama personally ordered the Office of Personnel Management, which supervises federal employment issues, to interpret the law so as to retain the generous congressional benefits. This overturned the intent of the provision Grassley added to the law.


More:  http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/07/28/how-trump-can-win-obamacare-fight-end-friends-and-cronies-exemption-for-congress.html

[Jazzhead]

Sounds like a good idea. 

[240B]

What authority does Congress have to vote on a 'law' that they do not fall under? This has to be one of the most 'royal edict' laws in history. They are not legislating as one of the people. They are on the outside of their own rules.


Once Congress exempted itself from ACA, didn't they also exempt themselves from authority over it?

[Right_in_Virginia]

 

During a congressional recess in August 2013, President Obama personally ordered the Office of Personnel Management, which supervises federal employment issues, to interpret the law so as to retain the generous congressional benefits. This overturned the intent of the provision Grassley added to the law.

We, the taxpayer, are paying 70% of the premiums for Congressional delicates.  End it, Mr. President!  End it! 

[Bigun]

It would be a great move but I won't be holding my breath waiting for it!

[Right_in_Virginia]

It would be a great move but I won't be holding my breath waiting for it!

It just takes a pen .....  ^-^

[Oceander]

What authority does Congress have to vote on a 'law' that they do not fall under? This has to be one of the most 'royal edict' laws in history. They are not legislating as one of the people. They are on the outside of their own rules.


Once Congress exempted itself from ACA, didn't they also exempt themselves from authority over it?

The Constitution. 

[endicom]

With a mere stroke of his pen, President Trump could end the exemption that President Obama gave members of Congress and their staffs that makes them the only participants in the ObamaCare exchanges to receive generous subsidies from their employer (the American people) to pay for their health insurance. Nothing would better focus Congress’ attention on changing ObamaCare than being trapped in it just like other Americans.

Love it. They'd probably find a way around that but I still love it.

[Oceander]

It would be a good idea, so why hasn't it happened?  Too busy running gender politics by tweet?

[Right_in_Virginia]

It would be a good idea, so why hasn't it happened?  Too busy running gender politics by tweet?

The President gave the Republican Senate the opportunity to fulfill their promise .... and, hopefully, enough rope for three to hang themselves.

[massadvj]

It would be a good idea, so why hasn't it happened?  Too busy running gender politics by tweet?

There are a lot of things Trump can do to improve the ACA, including this.  For example, he can get rid of the mandatory contraception coverage, which was also done by presidential edict.  I believe the POTUS has a great deal of leverage when it comes to the subsidies as well.  There was a sunset on those in the original law, and so their continuance will be a matter of policy, not dictated by law.

If the POTUS follows the law as written, it will implode on its own.  If he bandages it up through policy, it will be the final nail in the fiscal coffin of the country.  The question is which party gets the blame?  That seems to be the only thing the politicians care about right now.  The Dems are convinced that they can make the case that Trump caused it to fail, and why not?  They have nothing to lose. 

The stupid party, on the other hand, is fully living up to its reputation.

[Oceander]

The President gave the Republican Senate the opportunity to fulfill their promise .... and, hopefully, enough rope for three to hang themselves.

/snicker

Sorry, but that's assuming a level of attention to detail, patience, and intelligent thought that is painfully lacking in Trump and his administration. 

He didn't give them anything and he won't do anything intelligent now, either. 

[Bigun]

The President gave the Republican Senate the opportunity to fulfill their promise .... and, hopefully, enough rope for three to hang themselves.

Obamacare lives because of the 17th amendment alone!  31 states rejected it out of hand!

[Right_in_Virginia]

Obamacare lives because of the 17th amendment alone!  31 states rejected it out of hand!

 :thumbsup2: :thumbsup2: :thumbsup2:

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I am...

100% in favor of this!

 

[Cripplecreek]

/snicker

Sorry, but that's assuming a level of attention to detail, patience, and intelligent thought that is painfully lacking in Trump and his administration. 

He didn't give them anything and he won't do anything intelligent now, either.

The fact is that Mr "I alone can fix it" isn't going to do squat. There's nothing preventing Trump from proposing legislation (actual detailed legislation and not this decree by tweet BS that does nothing)

[dfwgator]

:thumbsup2: :thumbsup2: :thumbsup2:

ObamaCare lives because of Chief Judas Roberts.

[240B]

What authority does Congress have to vote on a 'law' that they do not fall under? This has to be one of the most 'royal edict' laws in history. They are not legislating as one of the people. They are on the outside of their own rules.


Once Congress exempted itself from ACA, didn't they also exempt themselves from authority over it?

The Constitution.

I think you missed the point. If Congress can exempt themselves from the ACA "law", then why can't they exempt themselves from all law altogether? Why can't they exempt themselves from speeding laws, or declare that they and their families no longer have to pay taxes?


Why not enact broad legislation that says no law whatsoever applies to politicians, their friends, and their families?


This ACA precedent is setting up the ability of Congress to become an oligarchical aristocracy, who are above the mere peasants they 'rule over'.

[Oceander]

I think you missed the point. If Congress can exempt themselves from the ACA "law", then why can't they exempt themselves from all law altogether? Why can't they exempt themselves from speeding laws, or declare that they and their families no longer have to pay taxes?


Why not enact broad legislation that says no law whatsoever applies to politicians, their friends, and their families?


This ACA precedent is setting up the ability of Congress to become an oligarchical aristocracy, who are above the mere peasants they 'rule over'.

Congress routinely exempts itself from various laws. 

[Right_in_Virginia]

What authority does Congress have to vote on a 'law' that they do not fall under? This has to be one of the most 'royal edict' laws in history. They are not legislating as one of the people. They are on the outside of their own rules.

Once Congress exempted itself from ACA, didn't they also exempt themselves from authority over it?

Congress didn't technically exempt itself from ACA.  Grassley's amendment putting all of Congress under ACA was included (more details in the article).

Obama then came in and through an EO said the government contribution would continue to apply to the premiums of ACA; which translates into the government automatically paying 70% of the cost of insurance for this select, elite group of American citizens.  This one action removed the sting from the cost of Obamacare coverage and placed them under a separate and unique set of rules governing the cost to purchase insurance.

If President Trump comes along with HIS pen, the Congress would be subject to paying the same cost for the insurance as the rest of America.

This would be a real attention getter.

@240B

[INVAR]

Will never happen.

Not unless Trump wants to get impeached by a non-partisan vote in the House and an eager Senate.

THEN you will see Congress move to get something done.

[Free Vulcan]

Pull the trigger on this after coming up with a plan and give it to Congress, then lobby like hell.

[edpc]

Obamacare lives because of the 17th amendment alone!  31 states rejected it out of hand!

Obamacare exists because representative like Bart Stupak sold whatever principles they claimed to have had.  Even if what you say is true, the 17th amendment was not just pulled out of thin air. It's creation was due to the fact state legislatures were terribly corrupt and senators were bribing their way into office.   Let's not pretend this political utopia existed prior to its enactment.

[Right_in_Virginia]

ObamaCare lives because of Chief Judas Roberts.

Catch up!  Obamacare lives because of three Republican senators.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Will never happen.

Not unless Trump wants to get impeached by a non-partisan vote in the House and an eager Senate.

THEN you will see Congress move to get something done.

Impeached for what?  Undoing and Obama EO???