HR 4951: Bill to Fix HCB Loophole which Exempts The President and Congress

Washington, Mar 26 – Last night Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-Texas), Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus, introduced H.R. 4951, which would fix the loophole that exempted certain staff, as well as Administration officials, from participating in the exchanges created by the Democrats’ flawed health care bill. Burgess’ bill, which has 26 original co-sponsors, including Republican Leader John Boehner, requires participation by the President, Vice President, political appointees, all Members of Congress, and all Congressional staff, including committee and leadership staff.

“I believe that the expansion of government control over health care was the wrong approach to take in health reform,” Burgess said. “Regardless, the Democrats’ flawed bill is now the law of the land, and if Americans must abide by the law, then all Members of Congress and their staff, as well as the President, Vice President, and political appointees, should also. If this exchange is good enough for millions of Americans, as Democrats contend, then it should be good enough for the politicians who pushed so hard for this bill’s passage.”

“Over the objection of the American people, President Obama and Democrats in Washington have forced through an unpopular, unaffordable health reform bill that is propped up by backroom deals. One of those deals ensured that these same individuals don’t have to get the government health care that they force millions of Americans into. This is wrong, and Dr. Burgess’ bill would fix this loophole,” Leader Boehner said.

On page 157 of the Democrats’ health bill, a provision mandates that Members of Congress and their staff purchase insurance within the health insurance exchanges. Unfortunately, the definition of “congressional staff” can be interpreted to exempt shared employees, leadership staff, and committee staff. The President, Vice President and Executive Branch appointees are also curiously exempt from participation in the exchanges. Burgess’ bill closes this loophole.

“My bill closes the loophole that exempts certain individuals from being covered by plans operating in an exchange. Congress and this Administration should stop asking the American people to make sacrifices they are not willing to make themselves,” Burgess continued.

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, who has attempted numerous times to fix this loophole, introduced companion legislation in the Senate, S. 3174.

More Than a Million Spent by Congressmen for Denmark Motels & Food (And, yes, this Includes Pelosi)

Thanks to a recently filed Congressional expense reports there’s new light shed on the Copenhagen Climate Summit in Denmark and how much it cost taxpayers. At least 106 people from the House and Senate attended – spouses, a doctor, a protocol expert and even a photographer.

For 15 Democratic and 6 Republican Congressmen, food and rooms for two nights cost $4,406 tax dollars each. That’s $2,200 a day – more than most Americans spend on their monthly mortgage payment. CBS News asked members of Congress and staff about whether they’re mindful that it’s public tax dollars they’re spending. Many said they had never even seen the bills or the expense reports.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is a key climate change player. He went to Copenhagen last year. Last week, we asked him about the $2,200-a-day bill for room and food. “I can’t believe that,” Rep. Waxman said. “I can’t believe it, but I don’t know.” Hmm, this guy going to be voting on any budgets in the upcoming session???

The group expense report was filed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. She wouldn’t talk about it when CBS tried to ask. Pelosi’s office did offer an explanation for the high room charges. Those who stayed just two nights were charged a six-night minimum at the five-star Marriott. One staffer said, they strongly objected to no avail. You may ask how they’ll negotiate a climate treaty, if they can’t get a better deal on hotel rooms. Total hotel, meeting rooms and “a couple” of $1,000-a-night hospitality suites topped $400,000.

Flights weren’t cheap, either. Fifty-nine House and Senate staff flew commercial during the Copenhagen rush. They paid government rates — $5-10,000 each — totaling $408,064. Add three military jets — $168,351 just for flight time — and the bill tops $1.1 million dollars — not including all the Obama administration officials who attended: well over 60.

“I was there because I thought it was important for me to be there,” Rep. Waxman said. “I didn’t look at it as a pleasure trip.” Then maybe a Motel 6 with double beds would have been better.

But considering the size of the deficit, and the fact that that no global deal would be reached — critics question the super-sized U.S. delegation — more than 165 — leaving the impression there’s dollars to burn. In this case, more than a million.

Attendees
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Pelosi’s husband
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
Rep. George Miller
Rep. Henry Waxman
Rep. Ed Markey
Markey’s wife
Rep. Charles Rangel
Rep. Bart Gordon
Rep. James Sensenbrenner
Sensenbrenner’s wife
Rep. Sander Levin
Rep. Joe Barton
Barton daughter
Rep. Fred Upton
Rep. Earl Blumenauer
Rep. Diana DeGette
Rep. Jay Inslee
Inslee’s wife
Rep. Shelley Moore Capito
Rep. Moore Capito husband
Rep. John Sullivan
Rep. Tim Ryan
Rep. GK Butterfield
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords
Gifford’s husband
Rep. Marsha Blackburn
President Obama
Sen. James Inhofe
Sen. John Kerry
Stacee Bako
Don Kellaher
Wilson Livingood
Brian Monahan
John Lawrence
Karen Wayland
Drew Hammill
Kate Knudson
Bridget Fallon
Bina Surgeon
Mary Frences Repko
Nona Darrell
Tony Jackson
Josh Mathis
Phil Barnett
David Cavicke
Lisa Miller
Peter Spencer
Andrea Spring
Lorie Schmitt
Greg Dotson
Alex Barron
Christopher King
Shimere Williams
Tara Rothschild
Margaret Caravelli
Gerry Waldron
Ana Unruh-Cohen
Jeff Duncan
Eben Burnham-Snyder
Joel Beauvais
Michael Goo
Tom Schreibel
Harlan Watson
Bart Forsyth
Ed Rice
Steve Rusnak
Carey Lane
Matt Dempsey
Dempsey wife
George Sugyama
Tom Hassenbohler
31 additional unnamed Senate staff

State Dept:
Special Envoy Todd Stern
Secretary Hillary Clinton
Pershing Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change
Maria Otero, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs
Ambassador Alejandro Wolff, Deputy Permanent Rep. United States Mission to the U.N.
Daniel Reifsnyder, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment
Lilburn Trigg Talley, Director of the office of Global Change
Sue Biniaz, Deputy Legal Adviser
William Breed, Director of Climate Change Programs USAID.
Energy Dept:
Steven Chu, Energy Secretary
Jean Chu, Spouse of the Energy Secretary
Rod O’Connor, Chief of Staff
Amy Bodette, Special Assistant to the Secretary
David Sandalow, Assistant Secretary for Policy and International Affairs
Rick Duke, Dep. Assistant Sec. for Policy and International Affairs
Holmes Hummel, Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Policy and
International Affairs
Elmer Holt, Economist in the Office of Policy and International Affairs
Matt Kallman, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Policy
and International Affairs
Dan Leistikow, Director of Public Affairs
Devin Hampton, Lead Advance Representative
Interior Dept:
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar
Deputy Secretary David Hayes
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland
Science Advisor Kit Batten
Senior Advisor of Global Change at USGS Tom Armstrong
USGS Director Marcia McNutt
Deputy Communications Director Matt Lee-Ashley
Jack Lynch (Security)
Dave Graham (Security)
Mike Downs (Security)
Director of Advance Tim Hartz

EPA:
Security Officer # 1 Security, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
Marcus McClendon Director of Advance, Office of the Administrator
Security Officer # 2 Security, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
Jennifer Jenkins Physical Scientist, Climate Change Division, Office of Air and Radiation COP 15 Negotiator
Shalini Vajjhala Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of International Affairs COP-15 Negotiator
Maurice LeFranc Senior Advisor, International Climate Change, Office of Air and Radiation COP-15 Negotiator
Kimberly Todd Klunich Technical Expert, Climate Change Division, Office of Air and Radiation COP-15 Negotiator
Leif Hockstad Environmental Engineer, Climate Change Division, Office of Air and Radiation COP-15 Negotiator
Seth Oster Associate Administrator, Office of Public Affairs
David McIntosh Associate Administrator, Office of Rep.ressional and Intergovernmental Relations
Michelle DePass Assistant Administrator, Office of International Affairs
Security Officer # 3 Security, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance
Lisa Jackson Administrator, EPA
Gina McCarthy Assistant Administrator, Office of Air and Radiation

White House Executive Office staff:
From the Office of Energy and Climate Change:
Heather Zichal
Tony Russell
Jake Levine
Joe Aldy

From the Office of Science and Technology Policy:
John Holdren
Steve Fetter
Shere Abbott

From the Council on Environmental Quality:
Nancy Sutley
Amy Salzman
Jess Maher

National Security Council:
Mike Froman
Ed Fendley

Communications:
Ben LaBolt

Liberal Media Should Read “Going Rogue” before Critiquing (After all they are not Congressmen)

Here’s just a few of the comments that went through various media forms today:

Mark Whittaker (NBC News): On issues, it’s full of conservative platitudes and seemingly Googled philosophical wisdom. It’s mostly a work of self-mythologizing — Annie Oakley gets her political gun — mixed with bitter political dish.

Robert Quigley (Mediaite): That wacky cover/title, though. There are lightning bolts coming out of the clouds, rather than sunshine!

Leslie Gornstein (E Online): She’s no ordinary D-lister with a big mouth. She’s an ordinary D-lister with a huge mouth, a mouth that knows exactly how to make people look, and keep looking, regardless of real substance.

Mary MacElveen (Oped News): At this point, I do not know the price of her book, but all I will add is to put that money towards food, clothing and housing. Feed your children instead of feeding Palin’s political aspirations. If it is meant to be.

Outside of the usual personal insults it would be nice if they could add a little substance to their critique. I believe, however, that what they fear is quite true: Sarah Palin is liked far more than any of them could ever hope to be. That, as they say, “chaps their hide.” The fact of the matter is that Sarah Palin is drawing crowds to her book signings and even brought Oprah Winfrey her best ratings in two years when she appeared on her show. Similar to how she helped Saturday Night Live last year, though they will arrogantly claim to have helped defeat her. The left knows what power Sarah Palin has. They stop at literally nothing to stop her it appears. Even support an unvetted candidate into the white house and then discover he is sympathetic to the muslims because he is one. What a slap in the face for the military forces who combat these terrorists day after day only to find out their own commander in chief is a sympathizer with the enemy.