While Indiana is a crucial state for presidential candidates Ted Cruz, John Kasich, and Donald Trump, election day in the Hoosier state brings another crucial choice: Who should replace retiring senator Dan Coats?
The choice is between Pennsylvania native Todd Young (elected 2010), and Michigan native Marlin Stutzman (elected 2010, after losing a Senate primary to Coats). Both rode the Tea Party wave into Washington, but only Stutzman, a member of the insurgent “House Freedom Caucus” waves the Tea Party flag.
Stutzman and Young come to the House from different backgrounds. Young, a Marine, worked for the Heritage Foundation and moderate Republican Richard Lugar in the Senate as an aide. Stutzman was an Indiana House member, an aide to Rep. Mark Souder (whom he later replaced after Souder abruptly resigned), and a state senator.
The last days of the primary have gotten spicy, with Stutzman recently being forced to reimburse his campaign for what some are calling a “family vacation” to California.
It seems Stutzman, as of 2014, per interviews with local press, has given up on repeal of Obamacare becoming a reality anytime soon. A Journal Gazette article yields this quote:
The two have diverged before on Obamacare, with Stutzman saying “I have heard this law is not ready for primetime and we need to do anything we can to stop it” and Young, then, suggested that repeal wasn’t likely: “I’m looking for opportunities to improve upon our current circumstances by replacing specific components of the ACA or replacing it with a comprehensive bill altogether, which I understand in the current political environment is not realistic yet.”
When it comes to their congressional office staff coverage, Obamacare is one place where Stutzman and Young diverge. The Office of Personnel Management issued a rule, controversial among Republicans, that allowed Congressmen and Senators to let their staff stay on the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan (FEHBP), rather than have to participate in the failing Obamacare exchanges.
A 2013 email obtained by THE WEEKLY STANDARD sent by Stutzman’s then chief of staff explains why Stutzman elected to keep his staff on the FEHBP, the program used by nearly all in the federal government, rather than force his staff to participate in Obamacare’s exchanges:
A spokeswoman for Stutzman confirms that his staff is “not on Obamacare” and that his staff still participates in the FEHBP.
Congressman Young, however, requires his staffers to participate in the exchanges. Their spokeswoman writes: “All of Mr. Young’s staff members are on the Obamacare exchange.”
Among some conservatives like David Vitter and Ted Cruz, this has become something of a litmus test on conservatism: Should those opposed to Obamacare in the lawmaking field have to abide by it, or shouldn’t they?
Harry Reid, retiring when his term expires, has allowed staff to retain their FEHBP coverage. Among Congressional leadership, he is an anomoly. The House and Senate don’t publicize what offices choose to do regarding the OPM rule.
In the closing days of the Indiana Senate primary, the decision of whether to comply with Obamacare or take the OPM way out is likely to be a major campaign issue.
