This week, Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) cosponsored legislation to correct an often overlooked, but outrageous aspect of President Obama’s healthcare law. Many Americans don’t realize that those who pushed hardest to impose Obamacare on the American people, exempted themselves from it. In a closed-door reworking of the original legislation, Congressional leaders exempted themselves, the president, vice president and all their staffs from being subject to ObamaCare.

Under Obamacare, beginning in 2014, every American who doesn’t have private health  insurance will be forced to purchase it through a government-backed healthcare exchange. Members of Congress and their staffs will be forced into these exchanges. But President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Congressional leaders such as Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and their staffs are exempt.

Congressman Lamborn has signed onto H.R. 360, a bill which would close that loophole by requiring the highest leaders in the land to live under the same law they pass for everyone else.

“First and foremost, I am committed to repealing ObamaCare. But, as long as ObamaCare remains the law of the land, I will at the very least, work to make it apply fairly to everyone. It is absolutely outrageous that the very people who pushed this law on the rest of us, exempted themselves.”– Doug Lamborn (CO-05)

Background:

On page 157 of the Democrats’ health bill, a provision mandates that members of Congress and their staff purchase insurance within the health insurance exchanges. Unfortunately, the definition of “congressional staff” exempts shared employees, leadership staff, and committee staff. The President, Vice President and Executive Branch political appointees are also curiously exempt from participation in the exchanges.

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), as ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, received committee approval of an amendment in September 2009 to require all congressional staff and members of Congress, without exception, to participate in the health insurance exchanges, along with other Americans. Later, during closed-door reworking of the legislation, majority staff carved out leadership and committee staff from the exchange requirement. Grassley sought to close the loophole with legislation, but the Senate majority rejected his efforts. 

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