Republican committee responsible for sabotaging Obamacare grills Sebelius

[ProSense]

Republican committee responsible for sabotaging Obamacare grills Sebelius

by Joan McCarter

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is the latest victim of House Republican Obamacare witch-hunting, in an attempt to find scandal where there isn't one. From a Web site that wasn't ready for prime time to the scandal that isn't, Republicans are working hard to score points. And make stupid jokes.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) quotes Wizard of Oz to fmr KS Gov Sebelius: "Well Madam Secy, you're not in Kansas anymore."
— @dailyrundown

What's unlikely to come up is the active role Republicans have taken in sabotaging the roll-out of the law.

In light of the website glitches and delays, administration officials have urged Americans seeking coverage to call a call center, visit a navigator or a community health center to sign up for coverage in person.

But last month, fifteen Republican members of the Committee, including Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), requested detailed responses and thousands of pages of documents from approximately 60 percent of the so-called “Navigator” organizations—more than 100 hospitals, universities, Indian tribes, patient advocacy groups and local food banks—tasked with helping uninsured people connect to coverage. The lawmakers gave the groups just two weeks to provide detailed written descriptions of their employees and activities, interactions with the Department of Health and Human Services, and "all documentation and communication related to your grant."

The inquiry—which came just as the groups were preparing for open enrollment—led at least two groups to give back their federal grants and close up shop.

You won't be seeing any Republicans having the vapors over that. Or admitting that they'd just as soon no one ever signed up for Obamacare. This really is a monkey court.

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http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/30/1251755/-Republican-committee-responsible-for-sabotaging-Obamacare-grills-Sebelius

Think Progress:

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Several Republicans on the Committee cheered the news. “If this ended up resulting in a delay, I wouldn’t be unhappy about it,” Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC) said. Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) added that his office wouldn’t help constituents enroll in Obamacare. “Our position is, if you want to sign up, you got to call HHS,” he said. “So we will say, ‘Call [HHS Secretary] Kathleen Sebelius’ office if you want to figure that out.’ ”

The effort is just the latest attempt by Republicans to undermine enrollment. Republicans on the Energy and Commerce Committee have previously sent letters seeking information from entities tasked with educating the public about the law, opened investigations into public relations companies that had been contracted to promote the law on popular television shows, and warned the National Football League (NFL) and National Basketball Association (NBA) against encouraging enrollment in the law.

UPDATE

The National Journal’s Alex Seitz-Wald adds that “Republican legislatures and officials in at least 17 states across the country have thrown up all manner of bureaucratic roadblocks in front of the program.”

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/10/30/2858211/republicans-grilling-sebelius-prevented-uninsured-enrolling-obamacare-ways/

The Fight of Obamacare's 'Navigators' Against Republican Hurdles
http://www.nationaljournal.com/health-care/the-fight-of-obamacare-s-navigators-against-republican-hurdles-20131030

Sebelius Explains 'If You Like Your Plan, You Can Keep It'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023948938

[Vox Moi]

1. I'll sandbag you at every opportunity ...

I'll disrupt your efforts
I'll lie about your intentions
I'll spread misinformation about your goals
I'll misrepresent what you say
Then, I'll hold you responsible for the results of my interference.
After all, if I don't have enough votes to change things, what else can I do?