Over 2.9 Million People Now Exempt From Obamacare
During his Second Opinion today, Senator Barrasso (R-WY) discussed recent news regarding the President’s health spending law. He specifically talked about Senator Johanns (R-NE) Amendment to repeal the 1099 provision, new regulations that deal with accountable care organizations, and the newest batch of Obamacare waivers. Excerpts include:
Johanns Amendment Repeals 1099 Provision
“The first thing I would like to do is congratulate this body and specifically congratulate Senator Johanns from Nebraska for the repeal of the 1099 form regulations, which is a significant burden to small businesses all around the country.
Accountable Care Organizations
“The six pages of the health care law that had to deal with accountable care organizations has resulted in a release of regulations on March 31 of 429 pages of regulations which will have a significant impact on restructuring the way that medicine is practiced in the United States.
“The other thing that was so interesting watching this administration is they have come out with a statement about regulations. Small business people that I’ve talked to will tell you that increased government regulations add to the costs of doing business, make it harder for them to hire more people, and it’s specifically related to the increased costs.
“The administration apparently believes that if you increase the rules and regulations on businesses, it’s going to make it better for them when they will tell you universally it will make it worse.
49% of Obamacare Waivers go to Union Workers
“This past weekend, Secretary Sebelius added another 128 waivers covering another 300,000 to say you get a one-year waiver—you don’t have to live under the mandates of Obamacare.
“Now we’re at a point where the total number of waivers granted is 100,000 covering 2.9 million people. 49%, almost half of all the waivers have been granted to people who get their insurance through the unions.
“Now, I just looked at this list that came out, and it’s interesting because one of the waivers that has been granted for 13,000 employees in the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
“If we can go to their website and go to the area that deals with health care, what it says is ‘thanks to your hard work over the past year, Congress passed a health care reform bill that was signed into law by President Obama.’ They say, ‘this landmark reform is a hard-fought victory for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.’
“Well, wait a second. These are the same people that went in and asked for and got from the Secretary of Health and Human Services a waiver so they don’t have to live under it.
“The union members who absolutely lobbied for it are now saying, now that they’ve read the bill, now that they know what’s in the law, they’re saying they don’t want it to apply to them.”
Click here to watch the video of his remarks…