Loophole Lets Dozens of Minnesota Congressional Staff Opt Out of Key Health Care Reform Requirement
by Tom StewardMore than 100 staff members appointed by three Minnesota congressmen who serve as chairman or ranking member on powerful House committees appear to be exempt from a key requirement in the controversial health care reform bill recently passed by Congress and signed into law.
According to a Freedom Foundation of Minnesota (FFM) review of the state congressional delegation’s committee assignments, it appears that 115 committee staff of Congressmen James Oberstar, Collin Peterson and John Kline might be able to opt out of the requirement to purchase their health coverage through new state-run insurance exchanges.
“Forcing millions of Americans into government-run exchanges while exempting high-level staffers is the height of Washington arrogance,” Congressman John Kline told FFM. “If it’s good enough for Americans on Main Street, it ought to be good enough for Democrats’ favored staff members.”
While members of Congress and their personal office staff must participate in state insurance exchanges under the new health care reform law, language tucked away in Section 1312 of the 2,076 page bill appears to let hundreds of committee and leadership staff in the House and Senate off the hook and keep their current federal coverage.
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