Ron DeSantis says endings subsidies would force lawmakers to act on Obamacare


By Sally Persons - The Washington Times - Monday, July 31, 2017

Rep. Ron DeSantis said Monday that taking away insurance subsidies from members of Congress would force lawmakers to act on Obamacare.

“Other Americans who are in exchanges are not getting employer subsidies. It’s illegal and somehow Congress gets a workaround. So I applaud the president for raising this issue and if he moved swiftly on it, I think you’d see a lot of these members and senators, they would want to work to repeal Obamacare very quickly,” Mr. DeSantis, Florida Republican, said on Fox News.

Mr. DeSantis was commenting on President Trump’s tweet over the weekend that threatened to end bailouts for members of Congress if the new health care bill was not approved soon.

“If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!” Mr. Trump tweeted on Saturday.

Mr. DeSantis said that he agrees with the president and currently declines the subsidy because he believes it’s “unlawful” to take a benefit not offered to other Americans on the exchange.

“I decline the subsidy. It’s not right, and I don’t take it because I don’t think it’s lawful. And I think president would be absolutely within his rights to cancel the Obama rule that conferred this subsidy on Congress,” Mr. DeSantis said.

Insurance companies currently receive monthly payments from the federal government to offset the cost of Obamacare to lower-income consumers on the exchanges. Mr. Trump will reportedly make a decision about stopping the payments this week.

Donald J. Trump
✔@realDonaldTrump

If a new HealthCare Bill is not approved quickly, BAILOUTS for Insurance Companies and BAILOUTS for Members of Congress will end very soon!
11:27 AM - Jul 29, 2017


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