Stressing ?fairness for all,? and with a desire to ?work forward in a bi-partisan way,? House Speaker John Boehner intends to broker a deal to open the government and pass a short-term extension on the debt ceiling. Once again, it would be on his own terms, ignoring the work done in the U.S. Senate.
Not only would House legislation delay a medical device tax, a key funding mechanism for the Affordable Care Act, but Boehner would also “scrap Obamacare subsidies for Congressional staffers in exchange for short-term government funding and an extension of the debt limit.”
According to?CNS News,?House Minority Leader Eric Cantor, appearing with Boehner noted that Republicans have been saying the same thing all along: Democrats should negotiate with Republicans; and no one should get special treatment under Obamacare:
“And we’ve been saying since day one that there should be no special treatment under the law and there should be fairness for all Americans, those elected and those unelected. And I’m glad to see that Harry Reid in the Senate finally has begun to sit down and talk with the Republican leader there. We encourage that.”
Cantor said that any legislation passed by the House “will reflect our position of fairness” and “no special treatment for anybody under the law.”
This is de ja-vu all over again!
Who doesn’t remember when House Speaker John Boehner stood on the House Floor, threatening to shut down the government if the Senate didn’t pass a provision to close an exemption for lawmakers and their staffs for health insurance under Obamacare.?He claimed lawmakers should be treated just like everyone else.
Yet months before, thanks to recently leaked emails, we are learning that Boehner was behind the very effort he decried. It was apparently Boehner’s idea to exempt congressional members and staff from Obamacare.
His hypocrisy is showing.
A series of emails from Speaker John Boehner’s Chief of Staff Mike Sommers were leaked by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s Chief of Staff David Krone.
The emails paint a picture of behind-the-scenes involvement whereby the two leaders worked to exempt members of congress from the health care act, commonly known as Obamacare.
Initially reported by Politico, the emails indicate Boehner, (R-Ohio) and his aides worked for months with Reid, (D-Nevada). House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, (D-Maryland) was also involved. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, (R-Kentucky) was aware of the discussions.?Boehner chief of staff?Mike Sommers wrote on July 17:
?We can’t let it get out there that this is for [Boehner] and [Reid] to ask the President to carve us out of the requirement of Obamacare.?This is a little bit more difficult because it isn’t a routine meeting because [House Minority Leader Nancy] Pelosi and [Senate Minority Leader Mitch] McConnell won’t be there. I am even ok if it is the President hauling us down to talk about the next steps on immigration.?
The National Review Online was told by a senior lawmaker that it was Boehner who came up with the plan to use the Obamacare exemption as an issue in the House budget negotiations in its battle with the Senate and White House.
Republicans are decrying the emails, claiming they mischaracterized the actions of the Speaker. They blame Reid’s staffer for leaking the documents, calling him a ?low-rent, self-dealing bagman,? according to the Republican-leaning publication The Blaze.
Krone defended his actions adding that every time one of the anonymous Republican aides takes a look at their paycheck, he hopes they remember it was Harry Reid that protected their employer contribution.
He said he ?refused to stand by and watch those who pressed for this ruling turn around and attack the very thing they asked for, simply because they don’t have the courage to stand up to a few whiners in their caucus,? referring to the more radical faction of the House.??Krone said:
?Integrity means owning in public what you advocate for in private.?
Edited/Published by: SB
