During the health care debates, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa offered an amendment to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that would require Congress to purchase its insurance from the exchanges, set up by the law. Sen. Grassley’s move was done for no other reason than to derail the legislation, hoping to siphon off a few Democratic votes. Democrats, in a show of unity for the legislation, let the amendment pass. Congress heretofore had received essentially the same socialized health care benefits as military personnel and would end up paying more if members and staffers had to purchase health care through insurance companies.
As implementation of the law drew near, Congress requested that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid seek an exemption from the Republican amendment, so that members and staffers could receive subsidies toward the health care exchanges, and President Barack Obama approved the request. Once approved, it became a new GOP rallying cry: “Obama exempts Congress from this terrible legislation, should exempt everyone!”
