Posted on 11/16/2014 4:51:00 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
The recent comments by an architect of Obamacare have created real problems for supporters of the act as Republicans win sweeping elections and pledge to hold hearings to roll back some of its measures.
MIT economist and Affordable Care Act architect Jonathan Gruber created quite a stir recently when he attributed the success in pasting legislation for it to the “stupidity of the American voter.” The comments took place at an academic conference last year and is only just now becoming public, and Republicans are seizing on it as they seek to attack the ACA, according to the Boston Globe.
The GOP is sure to use it as justification for new hearings on the act and potentially repealing it, at least partially. The comments will give them fodder to argue that the American voter was lied to, and thus it deserves another look. Gruber himself may be called to testify, in what is likely to be quite the partisan spectacle on Capitol Hill.
Gruber said the remarks were “off the cuff,” but acknowledged he regretted making them. He said his essential point was that the Obama Administration had to convince the Congressional Budget Office not to list the individual mandate as a tax even though it essentially was, because anything couched as a tax increase would not be politically feasible. He also said the Obama Administration did not tell the public that healthy people would subsidize premiums for sick people under the ACA.
The firestorm that erupted was largely ignored by Gruber and the Obama Administration as it was largely confined to right-wing circles. However, it has lately become impossible to ignore, especially with Republicans now holding the reigns of power in both the House and Senate.
The scandal has also distracted from any of Obamacare’s successes. A New York Times report recently said that after a year in place, the ACA has largely succeeded in delivering on the president’s main promises, as the number of uninsured tumbled by about 25 percent, with several million more expected to sign up in the next few years.
However, the downsides include the fact that 30 million will remain uninsured despite the act. Republicans will seize on those downsides as they reexamine the issue in the coming months and years.
“A New York Times report recently said that after a year in place, the ACA has largely succeeded in delivering on the president’s main promises, as the number of uninsured tumbled by about 25 percent, with several million more expected to sign up in the next few years. However, the downsides include the fact that 30 million will remain uninsured despite the act.”
The president promised healthcare; the stupid voters got expensive health insurance that is too costly to use. Americans thought they were getting universal healthcare akin to the European systems; instead they just got a new tax.
OMG!! I was just going to ask someone to post the MONTAGE of Obama’s LIES about Keeping your doctor and you insurance!!! PLEASE put that on EVERY THREAD!!!!
When the rate increases hit the Unions for the aca (lol) and they become angry, the Unions will be labeled right-wing circles too?
“The GOP is sure to use it as justification for new hearings...”
Enough hearings all ready!!! DO SOMETHING for a change.
Or, are they all in bed together in this thing? I believe they are.
Yes, I’ll keep calling, emailing, etc. What alternative do we have, for now? But, I don’t see this new congress having the collective balls to get it done. Sorry to be so pessimistic. You can only eat their BS for so long and at some point you just can’t get the taste out of your mouth.
(just had to vent)
“The firestorm that erupted was largely ignored by Gruber and the Obama Administration as it was largely confined to right-wing circles. However, it has lately become impossible to ignore, especially with Republicans now holding the reigns of power in both the House and Senate.”
Sucks to be you, NYT hacks. You are exposed. Naked. Transparent.
Time to employ Rules for Radicals harshly against NYT.
The thing is the people aren’t stupid because the majority of people were against Obamacare but since the employees of the people aka the Democraps like to act like fascists, they went against the will of the people and “passed” it anyway.
So now, we should demand they figure out how to end Obamacare NOW. And I don't mean them whining that they have to "use it as a campaign issue again" for the presidency.
When the RINOs here tell us that no 'pub voted for Obamacare, remind them that plenty voted to fund it when they could've stopped it.
Wasn't this the number quoted as being uninsured BEFORE Obamacare was enacted? So our healthcare system was turned on its head and we STILL have the same number of uninsured as before? And apparently, to the DBM, this is a measure of success.
What universe are we living in?
Wasn't for lack of trying, NYT. But now that you gave your game away...
"A. Eighteen times. It’s the law, you see.
The Galen Institute has compiled a list of all of the post-Thor’s gavel changes to the Affordable Care Act — there have been 35 legislative changes in total; 18 of these have occurred without the input of the, uh, legislative branch. It’s like someone there thinks elections should matter less or something.
Read the Galen Institute’s list of 18 changes below — important stuff, so I’m including the entire list here. But be sure to click on their link for the other 17. And note this key — obvious, but key — quote: “Even this large number of changes hasn’t stopped the cascade of failures we are seeing today in the implementation of the law.”....
So many of the GOP congress are stupid.
"Wasn't this the number quoted as being uninsured BEFORE Obamacare was enacted?..."
How about that!
It is important to understand that a basic tenet of Marxism is that there is no truth but only class interest. Statements either advance the cause or work against the cause. Why do you think they make a big deal about Koch sponsored campaigns and organizations? Their point is that anything coming from these men has to be rejected as not advancing the leftist cause. It’s not a matter of truth or lies. It is all class warfare for them.
Never be surprises that the left lies. Truth is a foreign concept to them. It was reject outright by Karl Marx. And Americans are so infected with this that it is enough o tell them that a campaign, idea, candidate or party is the work of millionaires and billionaires. It is all about class interest/warfare. They are liars and could not care less.
As I see it the number was 47 million and the 25% of 50 million deducted leaves 30 million
since the numbers are all unreal it doesn’t matter any way.
The bottom line, at the end of the day, nothing really adds up and the Obamacare boondoggle is a catastrophic failure
It does cause trouble for that group - you right.
Most people seem to have forgotten that during the 2008 presidential campaign democrats promised that everyone in America would get the same health care plan that congress had.
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