Letter: Congress should get same health care as constituents

An key issue we should all focus on is this — what does Congress have in mind for themselves at our expense?

Prior to the Affordable Care Act, members of Congress and their employees were automatically on the federal employees health care program in D.C. They are federal employees, after all. Sen. Grassley, R-Iowa, asked that Congress go on the ACA exchange in D.C. during the months of meetings, discussion and hearings.

Democrats said sure, and arranged via the Office of Management and Budget to get members of Congress classified as small businesses. As small businesses they qualify for a group classification with more generous subsidies. So, if ACA is repealed, where will our Congressional representatives (Newhouse, Rodgers, et al) go? Right back on the generous federal employees health care in D.C., with all the mandatory benefits Newhouse thinks he is entitled to but we should not have.

I have a better idea. They want to leave it to the states, good. Members of Congress and staff go on the state plan offered in the state that elected the representative or senator. No scuttling off to an executive wife’s generous Goldman-Sachs plan, as Senator Cruz did. Think about it.

This story was originally published May 26, 2017 at 7:39 PM with the headline "Letter: Congress should get same health care as constituents."