09/22/2013
When the bill returns to the House it will go to a conference committee of Senate and House members to work out the difference. At that point my suggestion (which I titled "one weird trick" because advertisers claim it gets readers' attention and I want yours) is to insist that (a) all exemptions from the coverage of the act, including House and Senate members and staff, favored donors, and other cronies be scrapped. We are all covered or none are; and (b) given the huge amounts of fraud already rampant within the Medicare, Medicaid, and food stamp entitlement programs, no subsidies will be given out absent proof of identity and income verification. (The government will be relying on the "honor system" for income representations and about 2 weeks from launch cannot still put in place a computer system to correctly calculate subsidies.)
If the Democrats refuse to agree to these provisos, it seems to me the public debate -- if the Republicans can muster any sort of decent response -- is not evil Republicans shutting down the government but rather, the Democrats are so committed to increase fraud and favoritism to their supporters and donors that THEY'D shut down the government to keep that graft and privilege alive.
