American Commitment is leading a coalition of national conservative organizations in requesting an investigation into the apparently false small business declaration under which Congress and congressional staff are currently enrolled in the DC small business exchange. Congress has falsely certified the House and Senate as “small businesses” in order to fund health insurance for themselves and their staff with taxpayer dollars—circumventing key provisions of Obamacare.
In a letter sent to Congressman Jason Chaffetz, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, the coalition states: “Documents obtained by the nonprofit watchdog group Judicial Watch indicate that the House and Senate have falsely certified themselves as small businesses in order to qualify for taxpayer-funded health insurance payments for themselves and their staff, sidestepping provisions of Obamacare.”
The letter continues: “Senator David Vitter of Louisiana tried to subpoena the District of Columbia Health Benefit Exchange Authority for the documents, but Senate rules required a majority vote of his committee which he was unable to obtain… Under House rules, you have the authority to issue a subpoena for these documents without a committee vote. On behalf of the members and supporters of our organizations and millions of other Americans keenly interested in this issue, we urge you do so… These documents claim that the House and Senate have just 45 employees each, even though more than 13,700 employees have reportedly signed up. It would appear, therefore, that the District of Columbia Health Benefit Exchange Authority is complicit in an ongoing fraud that is squarely within the jurisdiction of your committee.”
“One of the most outrageous but least reported ongoing scandals in Washington is that the House and Senate have both falsely certified themselves as small businesses in order to fund health insurance for themselves and their staff with taxpayer dollars, circumventing provisions of Obamacare,” said Phil Kerpen, president of American Commitment. “We urge Congressman Chaffetz to immediately issue a subpoena in order to expose and bring an end to this fraud.”
“Nothing makes the American people more angry than Congress cutting corrupt backroom deals to give themselves and their staff special benefits — especially a deal that relies on the blatantly false claim that the House and Senate are small businesses,” said Kerpen.
The entire letter can be viewed below.
Conservatives Urge Chaffetz To Investigate Congress’s Obamacare Fraud