The funny thing about the Republicans' decision to quietly allow themselves and their staff to keep the benefits of Obamacare in their repeal and replace bill is that the only reason they get those benefits is because of an earlier attempt to prevent the law from being passed in the first place:
The trouble started in 2009 with a cheap stunt orchestrated by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). While lawmakers already get insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan, just like other federal employees, the Iowa Republican pushed a proposal to force members of Congress out of the federal system and into exchanges.
The point wasn’t to shape policy, but to create a talking point for Republicans. Grassley desperately wanted to say, “Those darn Democrats think the exchanges are good enough for millions of Americans, but not good enough for themselves,” and he assumed Dems would balk at his “plan” because they’d be unwilling to give up the generous Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan.
But Democrats called Grassley’s bluff, embraced his idea, and added it to the Affordable Care Act.Just eight years later, Republicans are sneaking in secret riders to keep the benefits of Grassley's poison pill for themselves.
