CNN Smacks Republicans for Creating 'Uncertainty' About ObamaCare
CNN's Christine Romans played Obama spokespers
on on Monday's Starting
Point and accused Republicans of creating "uncertainty" about ObamaCare
in trying to repeal it. That fits what has seemingly become a CNN line
to Republicans of "stop fighting this law and get in line."
"I'm wondering, should Congresspeople be spending more time helping
their constituents comply with the law rather than continuing all this
uncertainty about it?" Romans challenged Rep. Marsha Blackburn
(R-Tenn.). Ironically, CNN's own poll shows a majority in favor of Congress repealing the law.
[Video below. Audio here.]
CNN has scoffed at Republican attempts the repeal the law before. Hours after the Supreme Court upheld the law, anchor Brooke Baldwin asked Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) if he wasn't being a "sore loser" for continuing to fight ObamaCare.
Romans continued to grill Blackburn about helping her constituents
comply with ObamaCare. "I mean, I hear more from Republicans saying
'we're going to make this not come true,' not 'here's how we're going to
help you get your business to comply'," she lamented.
Romans also revealed she counsels small business owners with less than
50 employees that the law won't crush them, but Blackburn fought back,
insisting health care costs for businesses are going up because of
ObamaCare. "[W]hen they talk to their insurance provider, the insurance
provider says because of the new regulations that are going to be
contained in Obamacare, this is what is happening to your insurance
cost," she told Romans.
A transcript of the segment, which aired on July 9 on Starting Point at 7:48 a.m. EDT, is as follows:
CHRISTINE ROMANS: All right, Congress is back to work this morning
after a Fourth of July recess. And in just two days, House Republicans
plan to call a vote to repeal the President's health care overhaul law.
But it's mostly symbolic, a symbolic vote, because any repeal effort
would likely die in the Democratic-controlled Senate. And of course, the
Supreme Court has ruled on this, it is the law of the land, health care
reform.
Yet Republicans want to fight it to the bitter end, and I'm wondering,
should Congress people be spending more time helping constituents comply
with the law rather than continuing all of this uncertainty about it?
Rep. MARSHA BLACKBURN 9R-Tenn.): Well, when you have 2,300 new
regulations and 158 new federal bureaucracies that are created by this
law, then there's a lot of uncertainty and a lot of "we don't know
exactly how it's going to be.
ROMANS: Do you have people in the back office who are answering the
phone calls and saying if you have fewer than 50 workers, small
businesses, don't worry, it doesn't apply to small businesses who have
fewer than 50 workers –
BLACKBURN: We have got all sorts of information on our web site, Facebook.
ROMANS: So you're going to help people comply?
BLACKBURN: Yes. Yes. It's the law of the land.
(...)
ROMANS: When I talk to small business people they think this is going
to crush them and then I say, wait a minute, you have fewer than 50
employees, this does not ref – but they're hearing –
BLACKBURN: But it does affect them.
ROMANS: – they're hearing their Republicans representatives saying – give me an example.
BLACKBURN: I will. A constituent last week, they have six employees in
their company. Their health insurance went up 54 percent this current
year. Next year, it is going to go up another 56 percent. They had to
let one employee go.
ROMANS: But it's been going up for everyone. Health care costs and premiums have already been going up.
BLACKBURN: And it is going up even more –
ROMANS: With or without health care reform.
BLACKBURN: – and when they talk to their insurance provider, the
insurance provider says because of the new regulations that are going to
be contained in ObamaCare, this is what is happening to your insurance
cost.
ROMANS: So how did you counsel them? Did you counsel them that they should move – they should take the –
BLACKBURN: I do not counsel them. That is not – when they contact us to
get provisions or information, we give that to them. But there are five
things the American people want to us do, to get rid of this and to put
in its place.
