Nomination of Katherine Archuleta to be Director of the Office of Personnel Managment

Floor Speech

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Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, we have all now been aware over the last few days in the news about the problems being faced with the Web site upon which people are supposed to go in order to sign up to be on one of these exchanges. That is important, because next year Americans are going to owe money to the IRS if they do not have health insurance by a certain date.

One of the ways people are supposed to get health insurance is by going on one of those Web sites and logging on, registering, and being able to see what their options are for insurance, and then signing up. If you do not do that, then you are going to owe money to the IRS next year.

The problem is those Web sites are not working. In fact, just today as the Secretary was testifying before a House committee, the Web site crashed again. There are a lot of different reasons why that is happening. I am sure eventually, with all of the experts who are involved in it, they will be able to set up a Web site that functions, because this is the 21st century. The ability to go online and buy something, frankly, is something people do every single day with all kinds of things. So to me, it is inexplicable that they are not able to do that when it comes to health insurance.

But in the meantime, people are struggling not just with the Web site, by the way, there are problems now with the 800 number and the paper application.

I believe the prudent approach is to say we are going to delay, that we are going to put off punishing people, that we are going to put off the individual mandate until the Web site works. I will admit, I do not think the law works at all in its totality and it will eventually have to be repealed. That is what I favor. But in the interim, what I am proposing is something that I think is pretty reasonable; that is, the notion that until these Web sites are working, how can we punish people for not buying health insurance? Why are we going to punish someone for not buying health insurance if the Web site they are supposed to buy it on, by the administration's own admission, is not properly working?

This is creating a lot of anxiety for people. That is why I filed a bill to do that. That is why I come on the floor today for the purpose of making a motion.

As if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 225, S. 1592, which is a bill to delay the individual mandate until the health exchanges are functioning properly. I further ask unanimous consent that the bill be read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

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