GOPer Will Repeal Health Reform, Explains Will Keep His Own

GOPer Will Repeal Health Reform, Incoherently Explains Why He Will Keep His Own Gov't Healthcare

Newly-elected Rep. Robert Hurt (R-VA) campaigned for Congress on a promise to repeal health reform. This week, Hurt granted ThinkProgress a short interview outside of the Capitol, where he doubled down on his pledge to remove health reform. However, Hurt said he would not opt-out of the government health care granted to him and his staff as a member of Congress:

"HURT: I’ll support the repeal. Okay, what else?

TP: After you vote to repeal health care, will you also reject government-sponsored, government-subsidized health care given to members of Congress?

HURT: Uhm, well obviously we’ve got — I’ve got a health insurance policy that I pay for through the government so I don’t really–

TP: Well there’s $700 a month in taxpayer money on average that goes to a member of Congress’s health care plan given by, you know, the taxpayer.

HURT: It’s a policy that’s issued by Anthem and it’s a policy that any– it’s open to the public.

TP: But my tax dollars and everyone’s tax dollars subsidize your plan as a member of Congress. And all of your staff members. You’ve got what, thirty members of your staff? Do you think they should have government-sponsored health care if you’re going to repeal it for everyone else?

HURT: If you’re going to pay members of Congress anything, if they’re going to have a salary and they’re going to have benefits, like so many people who are employed do, then I think it’s not unreasonable to offer those benefits. So I support that."

Hurt tried to initially deny that he received any special health care and that his plan is available to the public. In fact, the regulated private insurance that Hurt and his staff receive is not open to the general public because the general public does not have access to a regulated exchange or to taxpayer subsidies.

Members of Congress on average receive a $700 a month taxpayer subsidy for their private health insurance plan, which they can choose through a highly regulated exchange offered by the government. The federal system mirrors the reforms enacted by Democrats and President Obama, which end health insurance abuses by regulating coverage through an exchange, while offering subsidies to individuals and small businesses to make coverage more affordable.

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/ar ... ealthcare/


Gawd, I love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning... He will vote to repeal it for everybody else, but has no problem with a $700-a-month taxpayer subsidized health care plan for himself, and 30 members of his staff. I guess he's another "compassionate conservative."

The watered down Obamacare bill signed by Barack wouldn't give Americans a Congressional style health plan either, was Pelosi being hypocrital too then?

A) it will when the full effect of the exchanges go into effect, so I reject your assumption inthe first place.
It isn't the Dems who are hypocritically, and cynically trying to deny it to everyone else while taking subsidized plans for themselves.

Nice try at deflection though. You got to use "Pelosi" in a sentence.

Now you know that is a lie, even if Obama had got his complete plan the general public would have received worse care than Congress, talk about delusional. Your perfect scenario, a Euro/UK plan, has their legislatures getting much better care than the general public.

I don't think anyone expected the new health care law to provide a cadallac insurance plan like congress has, they just want the basic healthcare insurance they can afford and that may well save their lives and that of their children.....but the Republicans would deny them even that. Shameful.

What right do people expect that they have? Oh, yes, the richer people have to pay for the poorer people. Now it is clear to me.

We all should have everything we want no matter what it costs others. After all, this is a me, me, me society, isn't it? That is what is actually shameful. The big bad Republicans don't want the poor and middle class to have what they want, but are too damn lazy to earn for themselves, in what was this free society.

Actually with the taxes on the best plans, Obamacare will mean worse care even if you did originally have a good medical insurance plan.

Since you obviously missed it the first two times:

It isn't the Dems who are hypocritically, and cynically trying to deny it to everyone else while taking subsidized plans for themselves.

Nice try at deflection though. You got to use "Pelosi" in a sentence.

SS109 wrote: Actually with the taxes on the best plans, Obamacare will mean worse care even if you did originally have a good medical insurance plan.

No, it means if you have a Cadillac plan, you will pay a little more in taxes for it. It doesn't equate to "worse care."

You guys make this crap up as you go along...

No, because companies will choose to pay the federal fine and stop buying health insurance. Cheaper than paying all the increased fees mandated by Obamacare like no lifetime limits on healthcare benefits.