Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen isn’t a fan of a new House Republican proposal to re-open the government and raise the debt limit, criticizing the majority for its latest salvo on Tuesday even before GOP House Speaker John Boehner hit the microphones to outline the new offer from his caucus.
Mr. Van Hollen, of Maryland, said Republicans were demonstrating the definition of insanity by once again trying to alter the new health care law, a signature legacy item for President Obama.
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“Yet here we are, two days before we risk default on the full faith and credit of the United States of America, and House Republicans want to roll the dice in an effort to undermine the Affordable Care Act,” he said. “The GOP’s willingness to risk the entire global economy to enact their right-wing agenda isn’t just irresponsible, it is tantamount to default.”
Democrats and Republicans in the Senate appear close to reaching a deal that would extend the nation’s borrowing authority into February and fund the government through mid-January. It would include limited changes to Obamacare, including the repeal of a “reinsurance fee” for health insurers and a stronger income-verification system for people who seek government subsidies under the program.
However, the House is expected to unveil a plan that would delay Obamacare’s medical device tax and force members of Congress, Mr. Obama and his top political appointees to enter state health exchanges without getting a generous employer subsidy to defray their premiums.
