Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R-NC-02) released a statement this afternoon following reports that Obamacare is hurting teachers in North Carolina:

"Every day we learn of the dangers facing millions of Americans due to Obamacare. Last night, we learned that our substitute teachers in North Carolina are losing their hours and income. In just one North Carolina county, as many as 200 teachers are facing fewer options - all because of Obamacare's employer mandate. This is happening all over our state and across the country. Millions of hard working Americans are told to work less and suffer more in order to comply with the law."

"In my own district, substitute teachers are facing the same problem. A Lee County official confirmed this to my office today, saying 'we are cutting hours for all our part-time people so they don’t trigger healthcare coverage.' Lee County officials also noted that they are considering sending those employees who are currently over the 30 hours per week threshold to a temporary agency and then hiring them back through the agency to avoid the healthcare costs."

Last night, NBC WITN Greenville reported on the new struggles facing North Carolina teachers due to Obamacare's employer mandates:

Substitute teachers are trying to find ways to substitute their incomes after recent cuts being attributed to the Affordable Care Act.

Jordan Banjo, a sub in Pitt County, says she's now wondering how she will continue to survive and make ends meet without that income. She worked over 30 hours a week until last month when the district sent a notice to all subs that their hours would be restricted to just 3 days a week--about 21 hours. Banjo says that was disheartening, "Cause I need the money, need to work, I'm willing and able to work and now they're telling me I can only work for so long."

Pitt County Schools spokesman Brock Letchworth says it's because of the Affordable Health Care Act. He says, "The cost for us to be able to provide health care to everyone would be just over a million dollars, is what I'm told, and that is the lowest cost to this school system."

Letchworth says there are 400 subs in the district. "We had about 200 who were averaging more than the 30 hours per week, which the Affordable Care Act deems as full time." So the solution was to cut their hours.