Westmoreland Does Not Support Latest ObamaCare Fix

Statement

Since it passed in 2010, there has been a constant string of problems and glitches within the more than 2,000 page ObamaCare law. Rather than addressing the overall issue with the law -- that it is too complicated and expensive to actually implement -- the Obama Administration continues to make small adjustments to it. In fact, the president has issued over 1,200 waivers to his friends and allies in attempts to exempt them from this terrible law.

One of the problems with ObamaCare is the way it handles health care coverage for congressional staff. Due to a technicality in the law, when it takes effect on January 1, 2014, the government will no longer be able to provide employer contributions to the health plans of congressional members and staff as they do now (and as a large portion of the private sector does for its employees). That glitch would force congressional staff to pay 100 percent of their health insurance premiums come January 1st.

It was widely reported in the media that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) used this glitch to issue a regulation that would exclude Members of Congress and their staff from ObamaCare completely. What OPM actually did was issue regulations stating the government can continue to make the employer contribution to the health plans of Members of Congress and their staff -- exactly as they do right now. I want to assure you that Congress will still be subject to ObamaCare beginning January 1st, as they should be, just like a large number of Americans.

However, the facts of the fix are irrelevant. I do not support this move by OPM. This latest problem only shows yet again what a horrible law ObamaCare is, and we saw again last week that now there will be yet another delay on the caps for out of pocket insurance costs. The fact is, this law was passed without my support and the president can't keep issuing regulation after regulation or delay after delay to try and fix it. He needs to admit that the law is unmanageable and agree to work with Congressional Republicans to repeal it and replace it with real health care reforms.

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