Congress is looking at ways to escape the coils of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) by making itself and its employees exempt from the provisions of the act. This show of confidence in its own handiwork – the major legislative accomplishment of the Obama administration – is pretty much what the public has come to expect of the political class. As John Brensnahan & Jake Sherman write in Politico:
The talks … are extraordinarily sensitive, with both sides acutely aware of the potential for political fallout from giving carve-outs from the hugely controversial law to 535 lawmakers and thousands of their aides. Discussions have stretched out for months, sources said.
The talks may have been conducted at the oh-so-very-highest levels and the very most utmost secrecy, but here is the thing – nobody is really surprised. This is how they roll.
In a better world, every member of congress would be required to enlist with the rest of us non-volunteers in Obamacare. And, also, they should all be compelled to do their own taxes.
