Although the vote has been delayed until after Congress’ August recess, the debate swirling around ObamaCare and the potential government takeover of American medicine is still raging as furiously as ever.
Also raging—or enraged, rather—are Congressional Democrats who have been caught red-handed in a textbook case of “do as I say, not as I do.” In short, they are refusing to personally enroll in the so-called “public-option” healthcare plan that they are trying to force on the rest of the country—or, in their aristocratic minds, the “common folk.”
One of those responsible for revealing the Democrats’ hypocrisy over this situation is Representative John Fleming (R-LA) who recently introduced a resolution (H. Res 615) with the sole purpose of shedding light on the left’s duplicity. The resolution states that “Members who vote in favor of the establishment of a public, Federal Government run health insurance option are urged to forgo their right to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) and agree to enroll under that public option.”
In a recent interview with the Washington News Observer broadcast news service, Representative Fleming articulated the situation as follows:
“This government takeover has a carve-out for members of Congress—so that members of Congress can continue their own private insurance plans while the rest of the country will have to suffer through a bureaucratic government takeover of medicine…
We put this resolution together…with the express idea that if a member of Congress votes for this single-payer government takeover plan, that he or she would be willing to sign up for it. Very simple.”
In other words, Congress ought to have a taste of its own medicine.
Not surprisingly, however, no Democrats are lining up for a spoonful. As Mr. Fleming stated:
“There has not been a single Democrat to sign on [to the resolution]. And we have reached out to them. We have reached out to Henry Waxman and to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. I’ve not had any takers.”
Currently, members of Congress enjoy a robust healthcare plan that offers a wide variety of options, including private coverage and other alternatives. According to the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan website, “Federal employees, retirees and their survivors enjoy the widest selection of health plans in the country.”
Therefore, Representative Fleming’s point—and the point of Senator Tom Coburn who introduced a similar resolution in the Senate—is that if the ObamaCare public “option” is such a desirable plan, why aren’t the Democrats willing to jettison their current healthcare package in favor of the very plan they themselves are devising?
Their actions reek of hypocrisy—and their constituents are starting to catch a whiff.
So as Congressional Democrats head into the August recess, the heat will be on—and not just because of the late summer sun. If they think their Republican colleagues are a nuisance in Washington, wait until they get an earful from own their voters back home.
