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Sen. Vitter (R-LA) Wants Congress Forced To Enroll In Public Plan
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In an op-ed today, Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) said lawmakers should be forced to enroll in a government-run public plan.
"Congress has the bad habit of exempting itself from the problems it inflicts on the American people," he wrote. "Lawmakers always seem to place themselves just out of reach of the laws they create."
Vitter, who is opposed to the Democrats' reform plans, introduced a resolution earlier this month to strip Congress of access to the federal employees' health care plan and requiring them to join the public plan.
The Senate HELP Committee bill, as written now, would force members of Congress into the public plan.
Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) introduced a similar resolution in the House in July.
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The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
August 19, 2009 12:16 PM
Well, that would certainly help ensure it covers the cost of adult diapers.
Now that that's out of the way, they think they're being clever, but I think that's actually an excellent idea. They at least ought to make sure it's on the menu (which I should know but don't). I really hope they call his bluff.
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Jim H
August 19, 2009 12:24 PM in reply to The Commenter Formerly Known as NCSteve
In theory, I would agree. If all members of Congress were on the public plan, it would provide more of an incentive to make it actually work well.
In practice, though, most members of Congress can probably afford to supplement the public plan with something else.
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kenga
August 19, 2009 12:44 PM in reply to Jim H
You hit the same point I was going for, though I wouldn't have included the word "probably".
No paupers in Congress.
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CT Voter
August 19, 2009 12:22 PM
Oh Jesus, call his bluff already, ok?
He'd be left with pie all over his face.
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chimpale
August 19, 2009 12:38 PM
Pssst. Hey Dave, you guys are already on the public plan. You can go use Walter Reed or Bethesda anytime you want. Look it up. It's in chapter 2 of "Serving in the U.S. Senate for Dummies". You were issued a copy, weren't you?
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chimpale
August 19, 2009 12:42 PM in reply to chimpale
Oh yeah, and those members of Congress who are over 65 can use Medicare, too.
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ogliberal
August 19, 2009 12:44 PM in reply to chimpale
And yes, that is a blatantly obvious point - Diaper Dave is already covered by an evil, euthanizing government plan. I hear that plan killed Strom Thurmond...he may have lived to be 103 instead of 100 if he had been covered by a private plan.
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nova voter
August 19, 2009 12:46 PM in reply to ogliberal
no, he's not covered by a government plan. i REALLY REALLY REALLY wish people would stop with that stuff. federal employees are covered by private insurers.
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CT Voter
August 19, 2009 12:56 PM in reply to nova voter
Excellent point.
Not recognizing that obscures the important point that the more people in the pool that insurers have to compete for, the better the options for those people.
State employees, federal employees: we all have a pretty sweet deal because there's so many of us.
Imagine what would happen were there a public option available to everyone who doesn't have such a nice plan???
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chimpale
August 19, 2009 12:58 PM in reply to nova voter
He can use private insurance or he can use Walter Reed Army Hospital or Bethesda Naval Hospital for an annual fee. That annual fee doesn't go to a private insurer. Hence, it's a public plan.
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texasdem
August 19, 2009 12:46 PM in reply to chimpale
This was my first thought when I read this. It's sort of like listening to other military members complain about "socialized" health care. Is it ignorance or deliberate obtuseness?
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ogliberal
August 19, 2009 12:41 PM
I'm not really all that much against this...actually, let's just expand the plan government employees get to everybody. But it doesn't make much sense. If the bill is passed with a public option nobody will be forced into the public plan. If Congress wants to do this, fine...but they have to explain the reasoning because what Vitter is trying to do is to say that members of Congress should be "forced" to enroll in the public plan just as "real Americans" will be "forced" into the public plan. Nobody is forcing anybody into anything. Vitter is just trying to score political points - I'm sure most members of Congress wouldn't give a rat's arse if they were switched over to the public plan. If they do this, Congress should justify it by saying, "We believe in the efficiency and quality of the public plan so much that Congress will adopt the public plan as it plan of choice."
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nova voter
August 19, 2009 12:42 PM
the good news for vitter is that it will cover STDs.
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ogliberal
August 19, 2009 12:45 PM in reply to nova voter
But not abortions. What will happen if he knocks up one of his whores?
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kenga
August 19, 2009 12:47 PM in reply to nova voter
Senatorial Two-timing Diapers?
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Viva!America!
August 19, 2009 1:04 PM
"Congress has the bad habit of exempting itself from the problems it inflicts on the American people,"
Tell that to your party.
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fkaZk0sm0
August 20, 2009 2:29 AM
better idea:
everyone who votes against a bill with a public option - or votes for a bill that doesn't include a public option - has to go without any health insurance whatsoever. that goes for everyone in their family too. and the coverage they get as members of congress goes to a randomly selected deserving uninsured american family instead.
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