What’s good for the goose isn’t good enough for Congress

by CalWatchdog Staff | June 13, 2013 1:56 pm

June 13, 2013

By Katy Grimes

[1]

Congressional lawmakers and aides are so afraid that their health insurance premiums will escalate in January when Obamacare officially begins, they are thinking about quitting their government jobs, or retiring early in order to stay under the current health plan.

It appears lawmaking is good for everyone else, until the law comes home to roost. Or in this case, what’s good for the goose, isn’t good enough for Congress.

“Dozens of lawmakers and aides are so afraid that their health insurance premiums will skyrocket next year thanks to Obamacare that they are thinking about retiring early or just quitting,” Politico reported[2] today.

Their fear is the loss of their government-subsidized healthcare. At the end of the year, when the rest of the country will be ushered kicking and screaming into socialized health care under the Affordable Care Act[3],  Congressional aides and lawmakers are also supposed to be transitioned onto the government health care exchanges. And along with everyone else, their health care benefits are going to cost a great deal more.

True to their elitist practices, some of the lawmakers and staff want Congress to amend the Obamacare law and insert an exemption for them. If that doesn’t happen, they want taxpayers to subsidize the whole enchilada.

Brain drain or brain gain?

“If the issue isn’t resolved, and massive numbers of lawmakers and aides bolt, many on Capitol Hill fear it could lead to a brain drain just as Congress tackles a slew of weighty issues — like fights over the Tax Code and immigration reform,” Politico[4] said.

A “brain drain?” While it might cause internal problems if there was a mass exodus of Capitol staff, think of the fun it would be watching certain Senators and members of Congress flail during speeches, and in committees.

But never fear, the elite political class will come to the rescue of other elite political class members.

“Rep. John Larson, a Connecticut Democrat in leadership when the law passed, said he thinks the problem will be resolved,” Politico reported[5]. “If not, I think we should begin an immediate amicus brief to say, ‘Listen this is simply not fair to these employees,’” Larson said. “They are federal employees.”

Apparently federal employees should not be subjected to the laws passed by their chieftains.

Lawmakers and their staff currently have very generous health benefits under the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program[6], of which 75 percent is subsidized. Many employers help employees out with health plan subsidies, but a 75 percent subsidy of an already very generous health plan, is unusual.

[7]

Bloomberg news reported in April that talks on the issue between [8]House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid were ongoing, but being done behind closed doors.

The rest of America lives under ‘what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander[9]‘ rule. Then again, maybe Congress is cooking its own goose.

California lawmakers will probably not be far behind once they figure out how awful Obamacare is going to be, especially after they are done with their add-ons. As I wrote in February[10], Obamacare grants everyone exemptions except taxpayers.

Source URL: https://calwatchdog.com/2013/06/13/whats-good-for-the-goose-isnt-good-enough-for-congress/

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