Seeing the Round Corners
August 7, 2017
DO AS I SAY – NOT AS I DO
President Trump is threatening Congress! Yeah, he’s threatening to take away the exemption for Congress and their staffers that former President Obama created when Obamacare was passed. Before you write the President off yet again, you might want to read on, then jump up and down cheering him on!
The Congress of these United States has always operated under the premise “Do as I say, not as I do.” The back and forth downright bullying over repeal and replace Obamacare has shown just how far Congress is willing to go to show the lack of regard they have for American citizens when it comes to healthcare.
A recent news release described Congressional action as “one more instance of Congress passing an unpleasant, expensive, onerous law on citizens and then conferring a valuable benefit on itself.”
The valuable benefit Congress received was by way of an exemption created by former President Obama “in what critics say was tantamount to an unconstitutional waiver for members of Congress and their staff from rules mandated by the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare.”
So, all the while since the passage of Obamacare, Congress has not been suffering what all ordinary Americans have been suffering. Perhaps a blunter way of putting it is to describe the waiver as blatantly illegal. You be the judge.
Congress has 535 lawmakers and more than 13,000 staffers. Then President Obama’s exemption meant Congress and its staffers were treated as if they were a “small business employing fewer than 50 workers,” – a minor provision omitted by the then President and his glorifying followers, and one that is still in place. Then and now there was no statutory authority for such an exemption which created an illegal insurance subsidy.
How was this done? By way of an Office of Personnel Management directive under President Obama. As such, it is a simple matter of President Trump entering a directive to overturn the exemption.
When documents were unsuccessfully sought by a now former Louisiana Senator from the Office of Personnel Management, the documents later surfaced that reportedly showed administrators asserted Congress had a combined total of 45 employees – it actually has 535 members.
Senior health policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation Robert Moffit stated, “I don’t think the President should use this as a threat to get Congress to repeal. I think he should just do it. The funds are not drawn from any statutory authority. Trump could have Congress in a very, very difficult spot.”
The move suggested by Moffit would be a giant step in President Trump’s “draining the swamp” as his campaign pledge promised to clean up Washington perks and privileges.
The reader's comments or questions are always welcome. E-mail me at doris@dorisbeaver.com.