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Harry Reid exempts some of his Senate staff

Posted: Dec 5, 2013

One of the biggest public supporters of the Affordable Care Act has reportedly decided that some of his staff should be exempted from the new law. CNN reports that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is the only top congressional leader to exempt some of his staff from having to buy insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchanges. That’s right, even House Majority Leader John Boehner and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who have voted against the healthcare law dozens of times, have told their staff to sign up for insurance plans through the federal exchange. Yahoo News has reached out to the offices of all 100 U.S. senators to see if any other members have exempted committee staff from the federal exchange. So far, the offices of 42 senators have responded to our inquiry, with 37 saying that the senator and their entire staff will switch over to the exchanges in January. The offices of Ron Wyden, Tim Johnson, Barbara Boxer, Patty Murray and Thomas Carper, all Democrats, said they were exempting some of their staff. Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, has not responded. (Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ... ;

Hypocracy by the ruling class. no msg - DD prepper

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People should be marching in the streets over this, but - we are too infected by normalcy bias,

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and intellectually lazy to admit this is wrong.

I keep thinking of the bumper sticker of King George III that said Miss Me Yet? We revolted against Britain because of taxes raised on us here.

Agreed - I think some of us are also too busy - working...

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so that Harry Reid and others can keep their cushy insurance plans - that we pay for!!!

I've seen the bumper sticker you're talking about. Wasn't the tax on tea that was the final straw only 2%?. I'm okay with paying my "fair share," but I'm tired of seeing my money wasted - I'm absolutely certain that if I can pay for my own health insurance, Harry Reid and his staffers can too!!

I'll have to refresh my memory but I recall - Stamp Act in addition to the tea

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dumping in Boston Harbor.

I always wondered if that's why we don't drink tea like the Brits and instead drink coffee! I know prohibition ruined a lot of beer and wine makers here. They branched out into the restaurant business.

That was taxation without representation. - sm

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We were paying taxes without being represented in the English parliament, more or less making us British subjects who had no say in English law, which is tyranny. The revolution was not about paying taxes, it was about paying taxes without having the full rights of an Englishman.

True, but it was about every little thing that it - takes to produce something

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being taxed. It was a combination of things that led up to the Boston Harbor. The British after the French and Indian war left soldiers here and England decided to levy taxes to pay for that war.

Do you people remember BUSH!!! The - republicans are no better.

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Think about THAT!

O, give it a rest. Please. - nm

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nm

I just about spit my coffee all over my keyboard - reading this.....

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Bush, Bush, Bush. Obama has been in office for 5 years, quit the blaming.

Politicians should abide by the laws they pass for the rest of us "second class" citizens, including sending their children to public schools, Obamacare, et al.

public school - Effie

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Just out of curiosity, which republicans send their kids to Washington public schools? And which democratics? I am guessing none..

That's a very good question! (NM) - Libby

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Oh for Heaven's sake. This is not about Bush - broken record

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Bush is not exempting anyone from OC. In fact I don't even think you have realized this but Bush is no longer in office. He has not been in office for over five years. Typical lib-speak. When you cannot address the wrong doings of this regime lets throw in a "but Bush...". It's a broken record with libs. Fortunately people in country are smarter than this deterrence.

Wasn't there a bill to prevent this? - ZvilleMT

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and Reid wouldn't even bring it up for a vote, saying something like it wasn't necessary because it was obvious that all members of congress and all their staff would sign up?

Ugh!!

Think it was during the so-called "shutdown" - It's up to us to change things,

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Waiting on someone to fix things ain't coming. Watch what they do, not what they say.

So true!! (nm) - ZvilleMT

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The only way we can change things right now - through voting. Unfortunately

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it may be too late by then. When is the next election? How much damage are they going to inflict in the meantime.

This is like watching a lady get raped in the streets and sitting back saying, lets wait until it's over and the damage is done to see if that's what his real intent was.

Wow. Seriously? - nm

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Wow. Yup, seriously! - nm

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does the analogy hold true - sm

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for all women, or just ladies? I'm interested in your choice of words. I'm not trying to be snide or reckless.

I'm thinking they mean "women." (SM) - Libby

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Most GOP/TP politicians think that if a woman is raped, she probably "wanted it," and no real "lady" can be raped.

At least, that's what their total lack of respect for women has led me to believe (remembering how Rush, the king of the GOP, referred to Sandra Fluke, when there wasn't even a rape involved).

You think wrong. Disgusted by your words - The Sarge - sm

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No politician whether they be democrat or republican ever thinks a women deserves or wants to be raped. That kind of thinking is seriously sick. You should be ashamed of yourself, but am sure you are proud you were able to come up with something so vile. Do tell, were you sitting there snickering while you were writing it knowing it would upset people.

Sandra Fluke created her own little victim mode. She knew exactly what she was doing. You want to talk about lack of respect for women, there are plenty of men in the democrat party we could talk about. Don't think you want to go there.

Which brings me to another question. Why does the democrat party accept men who disrespect women as prominent candidates and just ignore it as though it will go away? If you are in the democrat party and disrespect women that's okay, but if you're in the republican party that's different. Just like if your a democrat it's okay to fillibuster. If your a republican it's not. If your a replublican it's okay to publish your home address hoping someone will harm you or your family, but if your in the democrat party you deserve privacy. Same mentality.

Thanks for the heads up on your viewpoints. Will be skipping your posts. Every time I read one I feel like I need a shower.

LOL! I'm glad I could give you a heads-up. - Libby

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Skipping your posts is something I plan to do, as well.

Glad we could agree on something.

By the way, I don't think it's right (or productive) for ANY politician to filibuster. Please provide the link where I said that I think it IS okay.

Also, I agree that it's not okay to publish ANY home addresses. Again, please provide the link where I said that I think it IS okay.

I also agree that there are some democratic males who have no respect for women. The right fringe right wing, however, has proven, through THEIR ACTIONS is what I base my opinion that there are more GOP/TP who have no respect for women.

I'd appreciate your supplying the links I requested. Otherwise, your post is nothing but fiction.

Thanks for bringing sense back to the board - I, too, am sick of "L" and crazy posts

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Seems that poster is completely in love with herself - the rest of us, not so much. Posts are so bizarre and lack any kind of logical though process. Then the little L followers pile on. I, too, skip all their posts...sick of the endless bashing and personal attacks they seem to love.

A woman is a lady. Also known as - through voting. Unfortunately

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Female, girl, dame, doll, diva, maidens, lasses and some of us are even godesses.

Point of no return sadly. nm - MT

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I really do not understand what you mean by this - I am "exempted" from the new law

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By virtue of having insurance offered to me by my employer. My guess is this is what this means.

I have tried to sign up for Obamacare, the first thing they ask is if you have insurance offered by your employer, then they say you are not eligible to sign up for the exchanges if you are eligible for insurance coverage through your employer.

Is this something different? I imagine everyone in the govt has decent insurance just like some in private industry do (not us MTs, of course), but how is this different than us not being allowed to buy through the exchanges because we are offered insurance through our employer?

I would appreciate if anyone could explain this to me. Paul Broun jumped on Gina McCarthy when he asked her if she had signed up for Obamacare and she explained she already had health coverage through the govt and was ineligible to sign up for Obamacare, and he pounced on that as though it were some dastardly deed, when in reality he himself must have this same "exemption," as do all govt employees!

I wish they would change it so I could not be "exempt" from Obamacare because it is much better than what I was offered through my MTSO!

It means that they are getting special treatment - and you the taxpayer will

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pay for their subsidies.

Look up the Grassley provision of Obamacare. "Enrollment by Members of Congress and Congressional Employees. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning July 1, 2013, Members of Congress and congressional employees would be required to use their employer contribution (adjusted for age rating) to purchase coverage through a state-based exchange, rather than using the traditional Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan." It says members of Congress and congressional employees.

Per CNN, "In September, Reid told reporters, 'Let's stop these really juvenile political games; the one dealing with health care for senators and House members and our staff. We are going to be part of exchanges, that's what the law says and we'll be part of that."

Okay, still a little confused - Aren't we paying for subsidies with Obamacare

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And a lot of the staff would be eligible for them, if not the bosses. Are they saying they want no subsidies at all, because to my reading the staff would get subsidies (75%) through the fed govt and also through Obamacare, just as you or I would if we were making not big incomes.

Has Grassley bought his insurance through the exchanges? Just not entirely sure what the point of it is, except that Obamacare is supposedly worse than the Federal one. It just seems to be one extra silly step to go through to prove a point that is what?

He's breaking the law that he helped passed is the - gist of the story. nm

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x

Not so. The gist of the story was - just the opposite.

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The Yahoo report left out all the details in the context of their piece but did provide links to more complete info (see below). The CNN report very clearly states the following:

In September, Reid told reporters, "Let's stop these really juvenile political games -- the one dealing with health care for senators and House members and our staff. We are going to be part of exchanges, that's what the law says and we'll be part of that."

That's true. Reid and his personal staff will buy insurance through the exchange. But it's also true that the law lets lawmakers decide if their committee and leadership staffers hold on to their federal employee insurance plans, an option Reid has exercised.

Reid spokesman Adam Jentleson emphasized, "We are just following the law."

Again, folks with coverage through their employers have the option to keep their current policies. Just because the GOP is trying their very best to stir this pot (AGAIN) doesn't mean there is any THERE there.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/04/politics/reid-obamacare-staff/

Thank You! - sm

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The only thing more alarming to me than propaganda touting itself as news is the fact that so many people buy it. Daily. Hook, line, and sinker.

I think that's called CONtext. LOL! (NM) - Libby

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and this spin, folks, is why we are in the - mess we are in...point of no return. nm

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xxx

They are keeping their employer-provided insurance, - just like I am.

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I don't see how that's controversial, when I'm doing the very same thing.

People over 65 and eligible for Medicare are also exempt. nm - VTMT

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Not really. It's all income driven. (SM) - Libby

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If someone is receiving Medicare right now but their income is a certain percentage of the poverty level, they are eligible for Medicaid.

In fact, I'm in that position right now, and I'm receiving Social Security disability payments and was told to apply for Medicaid.

At least, that's how it is in my state. It might be different for those governors who aren't cooperating with the ACA.

If you receive Social Security Disablity ... - Huh?

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...and you've been disabled for over two years, you automatically are qualified for Medicare. And if you're destitute, Medicaid covers the deductible and copay. It's always been that way. But you're not taken off Medicare--unless you're actually on SSI and not SSDI. It's easy to confuse the two.

It has nothing to do with the ACA. Maybe you haven't been on SSDI long enough to know this.

The formula they use is your income (sm) - Libby

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and the income limits have been loosened under the ACA, so that what I wasn't eligible for before, I'm now eligible for.

I'm not familiar with the exact numbers, but for example, if I receive $10,000 a year but the cutoff for Medicaid was $9,700, then Medicare kicks in.

What they've done is raise the income limits, so many who weren't eligible in the past for Medicaid (a much better plan than Medicare, in my opinion), now ARE eligible for Medicaid.

Please excuse me if I still didn't explain this clearly enough.

Please see message. - Libby

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I'm perfectly aware of the difference between SSI and SSDI. I have worked for 40 years (they count quarters worked when calculating SSDI).

As far as Medicare is concerned, from the time applied for SSDI until I approved took two years, so once I was awarded my SSDI, my Medicare IMMEDIATELY took effect. They base it on date of application.

As far as it having nothing to do with the ACA, ACA has everything to do with INCOME levels and the percentage of the poverty level the person is (I think it's around 138%, something like that).

Every medical professional I have dealt with in the past couple months has told me to apply for Medicaid as soon as I can, since I am now eligible for it.

I hope that helps to clear things up for you.

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