[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14575]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              WHY CAN'T HHS BE HONEST WITH U.S. CONGRESS?

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, while the President was again 
defending his health care law, the Department of Health and Human 
Services announced even more delays. This train wreck of a health care 
law is quickly derailing, but the President continues to provide delays 
and exemptions for everyone except ordinary Americans.
  After the President and the administration promised time and time 
again that the exchanges would be ready and online October 1, several 
States have said consumers are actually just going to have to wait. 
Maybe you can send in a paper application if you're anxious.
  Last week, on September 19, I asked the director of the agency 
charged with implementing the exchanges: Will the enrollment process be 
ready October 1 of this year? I actually posed that as a yes or no 
question. His answer: Consumers will be able to go online, they will be 
able to get a determination of what tax subsidies they are eligible 
for, they will be able to look at the plans that are available where 
they live, they will be able to see the premium net of subsidy that 
they would have to pay, and they will be able to choose a plan and get 
enrolled. Hardly a yes or no answer to a yes or no question. But 
nevertheless, yesterday's actions by HHS bespeak what really is the 
case. His answer should have been: No, they will not be ready.

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