House and Senate agree on funding Obamacare, disagree on carve outs for special interests

Oct. 15, 2013, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government President Nathan Mehrens today issued the following statement in response to competing House and Senate proposals to pass a continuing resolution, raise the debt ceiling, and to fund Obamacare:

“There is now no disagreement between House and Senate leadership, between Republicans and Democrats, on the most critical issue facing the nation, and that is funding Obamacare.

“On the Senate side, Republican leaders have signed off on not only funding Obamacare, but exempting labor unions from some of its harmful provisions. Meanwhile, House Republican leaders similarly have agreed to allow funding for Obamacare to take effect, and to bail out General Electric and other corporate interests who are faced with the onerous medical device tax.

“The only apparent difference of opinion is which special interest should get an exemption from the health care law. When both houses are through negotiating, they’ll likely agree that both big labor and General Electric should be exempted. This comes atop big businesses getting a one-year delay on the employer mandate, members of Congress and their staffs getting a lifetime exemption from the law from the Obama administration, and other labor unions who also got a four-year waiver from the so-called Cadillac insurance plan tax.

“Apparently, when all is said and done, everyone except for the American people will have an Obamacare waiver.

“These carve outs for special interests once again prove why we need to get rid of health care law in full. Rather than playing the traditional D.C. carve out game, House Republicans need to go back to square one and demand that everyone be treated the same by defunding the entire law.”

Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at (703)383-0880 or at media@algnews.org to arrange an interview with ALG experts including ALG President Nathan Mehrens.

###