Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) explains the delay of the employer mandate in an op-ed for Politico, while one of his staffers is named to the “50 Politicos to Watch,” and the number of House Democrats voting against Obamacare is on the rise.
First, this from Politico Playbook:
WHAT THE WEST WING IS READING — MAX BAUCUS, Senate Finance chairman, writing on POLITICO, “Obamacare provision’s timely delay”: “Any successful business leader will tell you the importance of listening to customers … That lesson was not lost on the Obama administration earlier this month when it correctly decided to push back … the employer mandate until 2015 … Business owners in Montana and across America told me they were confused by the rules and uncertain whether they could provide health insurance to their employees by the Jan. 1, 2014, deadline I shared that feedback with the administration. It was clear that small businesses did not understand that the employer mandate does not apply to the overwhelming majority of American businesses – employers with fewer than 50 workers are completely exempt. Those employers represent 96 percent of American businesses.” http://politi.co/1awXwgM
Left out of Baucus’ op-ed? The need for delaying the individual mandate as well. Apparently he thinks businesses are having a tough time understanding and complying with the law in time for the deadline, but somehow the rest of us small fish will have no trouble wading the ACA waters.
Related news from Friday’s Playbook as well- Baucus Staffer Russ Sullican Makes “50 Politicos to Watch”
“50 POLITICOS TO WATCH,” including “2013 Players” (Maria Comella, Robby Mook, Navin Nayak, Jennifer Sevilla Korn) … “Senate Challengers” (Shelley Moore Capito, Colleen Hanabusa, Thom Tillis) … “House Challengers” (Pete Aguilar, Carl DeMaio, Gwen Graham) … “2016 Players” (Keith Gilkes, Todd Harris, Ron Klain, Cheryl Mills, Doug Stafford) … “K Street Jumpers” (Brett Loper, Kyle Nevins, Russ Sullivan) … Fundraisers and Rainmakers (Pia Carusone, Dorinda Moss, Andy Spahn, Charlie Spies) … Twitterati (@DanAmira, @EmilyMiller, @franthorpNBC, @HuffPoSpoilers [aka @alexmiz], @pfeiffer44) …
Who isRuss Sullivan?
So when the veteran Capitol Hill aide and longtime confidant and staffer to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus finally announced he was leaving at the end of 2012, there was intense speculation about where he would land.
A lawyer by training, Sullivan joined the law firm McGuireWoods in the beginning of July.
He was also a central figure in helping craft Obamacare and securing moderates to vote for the bill.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/50-politicos-to-watch-russ-sullivan-94215.html#ixzz2ZV8huwmv
From The Hill: Dem anxiety over ObamaCare shows in House mandate vote
Vulnerable House Democrats laid low Thursday after voting to delay two key ObamaCare mandates over a White House veto threat.
The hush from centrist Dems came after a considerable number cast ballots alongside Republicans on Wednesday for bills designed to embarrass the Obama administration.
Measures to delay the healthcare law’s employer and individual mandates passed with 35 and 22 Democratic votes, respectively, just after a combative White House blasted the moves as unnecessary and harmful to consumers.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/312177-dem-anxiety-over-obamacare-shows-in-house-mandate-vote#ixzz2ZV844HV6
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Another recap from The Wall Street Journal: Dems Increasingly Vote Against Obamacare
The Washington refrain is that Wednesday night’s House votes delaying ObamaCare mandates were a pointless dead end, but the White House shouldn’t be too confident. Opposition to more of the Affordable Care Act is becoming bipartisan.
The first measure, which sailed through 264 to 161 with 35 Democrats in favor, codified President Obama’s decision to suspend the Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate to extend insurance benefits to workers or else pay a penalty.
By 251 to 174, the House voted to delay the individual mandate-tax to purchase insurance for the same one-year period that Mr. Obama is delaying the employer mandate. Twenty-two Democrats joined that majority.
Townhall.com: Another Democrat Calls ObamaCare Implementation a “Real Disaster”
As the Obamacare disaster rolls along, it’s Democrats, not Republicans, who are expressing doubts over the bill. First, co-Obamacare author and Democratic Senator Max Baucus called it a train wreck. Then last week after the administration said it would postpone the employer mandate for a year, Democratic Senator Tom Harkin questioned the legality of the delay and now, California Democrat and Insurance Commissioner David Jones is warning the new exchanges could lead to rampant identity theft and fraud.
Townhall then quoted the SacBee article:
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones also said the exchange does not have a plan for investigating any complaints that might arise once the counselors start work. That means consumers who might fall prey to bogus health care products, identity theft and other abuses will have a hard time seeking justice if unscrupulous counselors get ahold of their Social Security number, bank accounts, health records or other private information, he said.
“We can have a real disaster on our hands,” Jones, a Democrat, said in an interview.