Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is the latest victim of House Republican Obamacare witch-hunting, in an attempt to find scandal where there isn't one. From a Web site that wasn't ready for prime time to the
scandal that isn't, Republicans are working hard to score points. And make stupid jokes.
Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) quotes Wizard of Oz to fmr KS Gov Sebelius: "Well Madam Secy, you're not in Kansas anymore."
— @dailyrundown
What's unlikely to come up is the
active role Republicans have taken in sabotaging the roll-out of the law.
In light of the website glitches and delays, administration officials have urged Americans seeking coverage to call a call center, visit a navigator or a community health center to sign up for coverage in person.
But last month, fifteen Republican members of the Committee, including Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), requested detailed responses and thousands of pages of documents from approximately 60 percent of the so-called “Navigator” organizations—more than 100 hospitals, universities, Indian tribes, patient advocacy groups and local food banks—tasked with helping uninsured people connect to coverage. The lawmakers gave the groups just two weeks to provide detailed written descriptions of their employees and activities, interactions with the Department of Health and Human Services, and "all documentation and communication related to your grant."
The inquiry—which came just as the groups were preparing for open enrollment—led at least two groups to give back their federal grants and close up shop.
You won't be seeing any Republicans having the vapors over that. Or admitting that they'd just as soon no one ever signed up for Obamacare. This really is a
monkey court.
You can watch the hearing here.