Health Care Exemptions By Zip Code? Only 20515? DC? BS! (Brad Sherman)

While the people of America fight to keep their jobs and so many are under employed, elected Legislators, making well over $150,000 a year, gave themselves an exemption AND a 75% subsidy for their health care. OUTRAGEOUS!. Now the entire US Treasury Department and IRS want the same perk. This is the greatest example of elitism ever seen in a free country. Our elected representatives are creating a ruling class and Congressman Brad Sherman is leading the charge. 

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act  was passed by the House October 8, 2009 and  December 24th 2009 by the Senate; both controlled by a Democrat majority. PPACA was signed into law by a Democrat President. The law was purportedly designed to help those in need of affordable health care insurance and not affect those who have insurance of their choice. During the process we all heard the famous quote, by then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi,  " we must pass this bill to see what's in it".

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was passed in record time and obviously under emergent conditions; thereby cornering Representatives to skirt their fiduciary duty, with such abbreviated time (before "winter-break) afforded to read the bill.  While some did read the bill,  even with limited time and an unprecedented lengthy text, most did not. Our representative, Congressman Brad Sherman,  boasted  he would “… pass whatever (Health care reform) bill is put before me”, and also admitted he did not read the bill that was passed. Do you wonder, as I do, if he has read the bill yet?  This attitude is reckless, at best, for a CPA and Tax attorney because it deals with contracts and money through regulation and oversight.

Now that government watchdogs and regulators have read the PPACA and are now trying to implement it;  they are finding all the damaging regulations and impossible mechanisms of oversight, which must be put into place. This Act is proving to be the worst piece of legislation for the economy, business, the health care industry, and the average worker it intended to help. Businesses are not expanding and are not hiring. Instead they are cutting hours of employees, firing employees, and closing their doors due to this landmark piece of legislation. The very people PPACA was supposed to help are getting hit the hardest. Their existing health care insurance is obsolete as employers search for affordable benefits in compliance with PPACA regulations. Premiums double and more employees must sign up for government subsidized polices from the “exchange”. Yesterday’s options and polices are gone; all collateral damage for passing PPACA.

The effects of the bill have been felt throughout our government agencies and unions. They have all sought exemptions from the bill and have received them. The latest is the most appalling. Congress and their staff were going to lose their health insurance as they knew it, as most Americans were experiencing.  They protested, gave themselves an exemption from the The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, AND gave themselves a 75% subsidy to their existing health care plans!

Case in point:  the very day, August 2nd, Rep. DeSantis of Florida introduced a constitutional amendment PROHIBITING CONGRESS FROM EXEMPTING THEMSELVES FROM THE LAWS THEY PASS, the Office of Personnel Management was set to rule if a special subsidy would be provided to members of Congress and their staff!  The administration was set to take executive action because it would be hard to pass  a statute of said subsidy by Congress.    Sen Vitter of Louisiana has expressed in a letter to Congressional Leaders on Wednesday the loopholes. …. allows members of Congress “to define what staff is even covered at all is particularly offensive and obnoxious.”

“It’s obviously intended to allow for a significant portion of congressional staff, like leadership staff, to be exempted from even having to deal with the Exchange at all, notwithstanding the whopping subsidy that the rule creates”

According to the Washington Times on August 7th “Under the old system, the federal government contributed to about 75 percent of premiums; members and staffers are covered through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, but it was unclear whether the program could subsidize premiums of plans in the exchanges.

The OPM makes clear that members and staff still can receive the contribution, although they are not eligible for tax credits or subsidies on the exchanges”

I, Mark Reed, stand on this premise: Congress must live by EVERY LAW they pass just as they require those who they serve to live by it.  Simply put: NO EXEMPTIONS.   We live in a free country; however, why do we sit idle and continue to vote in those (Brad Sherman) who do not read the bills,  pass laws they are not subject to, or pass new legislation to exempt themselves from the ill effects of said laws?  These elitists need to be voted out.

I believe and support a strong and healthy Country as it embraces and promotes the free-marketplace, which by definition does not create or insure economic equality.  Yet, in this freedom we have an equal opportunity to achieve whatever economic success we want. However, when true elitism takes hold of a Country, as we see encroaching with PPACA exemptions for the elected,  these freedoms and equal opportunities are gravely threatened.

Mark Reed, American and willing to speak my opinion for the electorate.