In Separate Vote, House OKs Nullifying Congressional Exemption From Its Health Law
The American Health Care Act originally exempted lawmakers from its provisions, but House members voted on another piece of legislation, which nullifies that exemption.
The Washington Post:
Members Of Congress And Their Aides Won’t Be Exempted From The GOP Health-Care Plan. But They’re Unlikely To Feel The Impact Much Anyway.
Lawmakers and congressional staff are unlikely to face higher premiums or fewer health-care benefits as a direct result of the House Republicans’ health-care plan for one big reason: they work in the District of Columbia. That’s the conclusion of health-care experts who said Congress’s 535 lawmakers and the thousands of Capitol Hill staffers who work for them won’t be much affected by the American Health Care Act, which passed the House narrowly on Thursday. This is despite the House’s move to nullify a provision in the amended bill that originally exempting them from the plan’s changes, according to several health-care experts. (Viebeck, 5/5)
The New York Times:
Fact Check: Is Congress Exempt From The G.O.P. Health Bill?
Accusations of hypocrisy greeted the House passage of the amended American Health Care Act on Thursday, as people were outraged — erroneously — by claims that the bill does not apply to Congress. It is true that an early version of the bill exempted lawmakers from its provisions. But a subsequent piece of legislation, which the House approved, eliminated the exemption, effectively nullifying that claim. (Qiu, 5/4)
