After receiving no acceptable answers about the failed Obamacare implementation from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, comedian Jon Stewart was forced to consult Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) — and the host essentially interrogated the Chair of the Democratic National Committee about the President’s healthcare law, as she tried her best to dodge his questions.
Wasserman Schultz sat down with Jon Stewart on Tuesday’s episode of The Daily Show, where the duo had a lengthy discussion about the current state of Obamacare. Their interview comes just three weeks after Stewart shredded Sebelius on his show.
The host primarily wanted to know two things: why President Barack Obama didn’t know about the problems with HealthCare.gov prior to its dismal launch and why Obama promised that people wouldn’t lose their current health insurance — and now they are.
“Both of those things strike me as really troubling at a foundational level,” the host said. “Is that understandable as a concern?”
“Well, there’s no question that it was problematic that the website was not working properly right from day one,” the Congresswoman dodged.
“But that he [Obama] was not aware of it,” Stewart pressed. “Apparently after a day, they said he found out.”
“I think we have to look past and not focus — ” Wasserman Schultz responded.
The host began laughing, but then let her continue.
“What is important is making sure that people who need healthcare coverage that don’t have it now, can get on the website,” she said, again not answering the question. “I don’t want to spend my time pointing fingers.”
The Congresswoman added that some of her Republican colleagues only want to point fingers. The host wouldn’t let the issue drop, however, asking if there was a disconnect between the President and his administration.
“Wouldn’t that speak to a managerial crisis of some sort?” he asked.
Wasserman Schultz finally admitted that there should have been “more communication” in the White House.
The host then shifted to Obama’s promise that people would not lose their current health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act.
“The President and the people that were talking about Obamacare really were very definitive that you would not have to change your healthcare plan if you didn’t want to,” he said.
“And here’s the thing, primarily, you don’t,” the Florida Congresswoman answered.
She pointed fingers at Republicans for trying to push the idea that people’s healthcare coverage was being cancelled. Using the recent Democratic buzzword, she said the insurance plans were “transitioning.” Stewart countered that the “Republican narrative” was not unreasonable.
“I’m just trying to get to the other part that I think is a reasonable criticism that I think deserves a better response than, ‘They’re terrible’ and all that,” the host continued.
He also later pointed out that some people will be “losers” under Obamacare, forced to purchase insurance programs they might not want or be able to afford. Wasserman Schultz tried to avoid the question, proclaiming how much better the quality of health insurance plans are under the ACA. Stewart didn’t relent, however.
“I don’t think we should be burying under the rug though…real people put in real situations where, if I’m making $30,000 a year and I’m paying another $1,200 a year for a product that is an individual mandate — what does that person do?” the host said. “That’s a real strain.”
Wasserman Schultz finally admitted that people who didn’t previously have insurance will now have to pay.
“Things will be different for them,” she said.
Watch the three-part interview below:
