Posted on 04/24/2013 7:36:10 PM PDT by smoothsailing
Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, sources in both parties said.
The talks — which involve Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the Obama administration and other top lawmakers — are extraordinarily sensitive, with both sides acutely aware of the potential for political fallout from giving carve-outs from the hugely controversial law to 535 lawmakers and thousands of their aides. Discussions have stretched out for months, sources said.
A source close to the talks says: “Everyone has to hold hands on this and jump, or nothing is going to get done.”
Yet if Capitol Hill leaders move forward with the plan, they risk being dubbed hypocrites by their political rivals and the American public. By removing themselves from a key Obamacare component, lawmakers and aides would be held to a different standard than the people who put them in office.
Democrats, in particular, would take a public hammering as the traditional boosters of Obamacare. Republicans would undoubtedly attempt to shred them over any attempt to escape coverage by it, unless Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) give Democrats cover by backing it....
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
If these scumbags actually pull this off, some Americans may decide it’s time for a change.
Big change.
It won't die by itself. Boner and the Republicans have to kill it, and they can do that whenever they wish since the House controls the purse strings.
Hopefully they’ll ram the “Universal Exemption Act” through Congress and we’ll all be off the hook. I don’t think I’ll hold my breath, though.
The bills drafters which include some of the losers resulting from the tea party rebellion have been excluded.
So long as there is no Congressionally-approved budget, expenditures are controlled by the current services baseline budget and an assigned escalator.
That's exactly why Dingy Harry and the Senate have not submitted a budget for four years.
Under the circumstances, the ONLY control the House can have on expenditures is a.) the continuing resolution and b.) the debt limit -- neither of which allow for cutting any specific expenditures unless the Senate agrees. The House simply doesn't have the Constitutionally-assigned initiative regarding the purse strings.
Obviously, the Senate won't agree to any cuts of Obamacare.
Checkmate.
They don’t represent the citizens.
They represent themselves and anyone else who can afford them.
The bastards support open borders, weaponizing incoming
terrorists, shifting taxpayer money to slavers and worse,
and giving THEMSELVES and terrorists breaks from the laws.
Bow to our overlords! No wonder they want us disarmed!!!
Yep....makes no difference which side of the aisle...Bonehead’s in the thick of the “secret” negotiations with Dingy Harry.
bump
One cannot make this stuff up !! When do they want CW II to start? Does Big Sis have enough ammo yet?
Politico floats stuff like this all the time to drive a wedge between TEA party movement and GOP leadership. Hopefully Sen. McConnell and Speaker Boehner will be asked about this by a credible media reporter and put the issue to rest. If not, they might as well plan their retirement now.
You’re right about Politico. Forbes has a more recent article that offers their take on what Congress is fretting about...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.