"I suspect he was about to become an embarrassment."
Posted on 12/06/2014 1:08:09 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is asking lawmakers not to seat ObamaCare consultant Jonathan Gruber next to Medicare's top official when the two testify on Capitol Hill next week.
HHS Assistant Secretary for Legislation Jim Esquea wrote to the House Oversight Committee with the request, stating that government witnesses are "almost always afforded an opportunity" to sit alone or with other federal officials.
“The accommodation of separate panels for government witnesses reflects important comity in congressional-executive relations,” Esquea wrote. “The relatively few exceptions to this practice reinforce the seriousness of this accommodation.”
The Oversight panel, led by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), is preparing to grill Gruber over his comments that the "stupidity of the American voter" and a "lack of transparency" helped ObamaCare pass in 2010.
"The request is currently before Chairman Issa but at past hearings, government officials have testified alongside other non-administration witnesses," said Becca Watkins, a spokeswoman for the committee.
While he has apologized, Gruber's remarks have become their own flashpoint in debates over ObamaCare. Republicans say the comments confirm their view that the law was not passed in an open process.
Democrats have sought to distance themselves from Gruber. The Esquea letter is the clearest example related to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, who will serve as a witness at the same hearing.
Having the two seated together — with all the resulting photos — would be a public relations nightmare for the administration. The letter was first reported by Politico.
If he was given a contract by HHS for anything related to healthcare, he should be sitting right beside them when they are grilled.
The GOP needs to put their butts in a chair next to Gruber.
"Comity!?" [1. courtesy and considerate behavior toward others. 2. an association of nations for their mutual benefit.]
Really?!
With the videos and Gruber's penchant for crowing about how his work gave us Obamacare, I doubt he will sit silently as HHS is grilled and tries to lie about how they fooled the stupid people - throw Gruber under the bus.
It will be fun watching the democrats on the committee “grill” Gruber. Will they praise him as they usually do administration supporters...or will they try to distance themselves?
If I were a betting man....I’d guess that they refuse to help the HHS folks out and continue the seating arrangement. Then I’d guess that the HHS person supposed to show up....professes at the last minute as having the flu, and NOT attending.
That contract netted Gruber $95,000, and an additional HHS contract, inked that June, added $297,600 to the deal – steering almost $400,000 to the creator of the Gruber Microsimulation Model. Still another contract with the agency, as reported here, was said to have exceeded $2 million in value since 2007.
The National Institutes of Health clinched a deal for a like amount ($2.05 million), and the Department of Justice contracted with Gruber for nearly $1.74 million. DOJ? You might ask. Why would the Justice Department be hiring the architect of ObamaCare? Records show Gruber earned the DOJ fee for helping to develop viable incentives to be extended to the tobacco companies in order to dissuade them from targeting teen smokers.
Similarly, Gruber collected $103,500 from the State Department for his services as an expert witness, providing testimony in a NAFTA dispute with a Canadian tobacco firm.....
...."They do seem like fairly large state contracts, particularly relative to the size of some of these states,” said Tom Shoop, editor in chief of the website www.govexec.com. “I think he's unusual in terms of the scale and scope of it. There are not a lot of individual university economists who get this level of funding from federal and state governments.”......
"I suspect he was about to become an embarrassment."
Yes.
Gruber has become a very big headache for Leftists and their Revolution - the transformation of the country.
The stupidity of the ‘Rats in CONgre$$ who were tricked by Gruber. Or, would that be co-conspirators? The continued stupidity of the RINOS in CONgre$$ who were tricked by Gruber. Or, would that be co-conspirators, Mr I$$a, presenting another episode of kabuki theater, featuring National Socialist Gruber’s check$ and balance$?
Socialism Is Legal Plunder - Bastiat
We just blew past 18T without raising an eyebrow, CONgre$$. YOU DID build that.
Socialist’s wealthcare masquerade.
The kicker is that not only will Gruber be seated to their right, Lois Lerner will be on their left.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her colleagues erupted in cheers and hugs as the votes were counted, while Republicans who had fought the Democratic efforts on health-care reform for more than a year appeared despondent.
"Today we have the opportunity to complete the great unfinished business of our society and pass health insurance reform for all Americans as a right, not a privilege," Pelosi said before the House approved the bill, which first passed the Senate on Christmas Eve.".............
Speaking of “optics” why not handcuff them together?
He should be sitting on Ms Tavenner's face during the entire hearings.
I’d like to see some serious questions about how all of Gruber’s ‘contracts’ were negotiated and priced. Specifically, how the rate buildup was accomplished, the estimated number of hours, etc.
I am betting he charged multiple sponsors for the same physical time. His contracts may have been sold as “sole source” but I seriously doubt some sort of backup justification for the estimated services was not required.
A close look at his political campaign donations would probably help to narrow the field down.
Sebelius should sit on his lap...
Gruber and Lerner as bookends would be great with a pile of email recovery tapes in front of them.
Make them sweat. Let the arrogant socialists dig a deeper hole.
I’ll take that bet. I say the Republicans are so spineless, they’ll cave to even this request.
I urge Issa to nail Tavenner on this item:
HHS “Started” Individual Obamacare Applications Prior To Deadline; Obtained Personal Info From States
Shark Tank / FR Posted on Friday, April 04, 2014 by M. Thatcher
In the closing days of the open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) , the US Dept of Health and Human Services (HHS) was mailing out letters notifying certain Americans that the govt agency had already started a healthcare coverage application on their behalf.
The HHS letter stated that the information they used to begin the application for individual Healthcare was obtain by the state agency in charge of implementing Obamacare.
The next step for the individual would be to visit the web site Healthcare.gov and complete the already started application to see if they qualify for “Marketplace coverage.”
News of the HHS letter was first mentioned by a listener of the popular “Daybreak with Drew Steele” Show on Fox 92.5, which is out of Fort Myers, Florida.(Excerpt)
Read more at: http://www.shark-tank.com/2014/04/04/hhs-started-individual-obamaca ...
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NEED TO KNOW:
(1) which states participated in giving confidential information to HHS, and,
(2) how would state agencies know which of their citizens would want or need a new Obamacare-compliant policy.......without violating that individual's privacy--and without consulting the individual?
(3) for an application to be legally enforced, the individual would have had to sign it.
(4) Who signed the app? (Forgery must be considered.)
(5) When a third party commits you to a financial transaction, that person is considered your fiduciary....and CANNOT act WRT a payment method or other financial burden that conflicts with your best interests.
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