The Fraudulent Media Campaign To Scandalize Obamacare

Conservatives are trying to re-litigate the passage of Obamacare. Here are the facts: the law was debated at great length, passed transparently, and it’s working.

Fox News dishonestly claimed that MIT economist Jonathan Gruber’s comment that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) “was written in a tortured way” to minimize criticism proves that the law was passed deceitfully. In fact, Congress routinely crafts bills to fit legislative rules and politically acceptable limits, and health care reform was transparently debated for years with input from Republicans.

Gruber Says That Obamacare Was Designed To Ensure Passage Into Law

Gruber Explains Law “Was Written In A Tortured Way” To Get Passed. A recent video highlighted comments by MIT economist Jonathan Gruber, who provided data and developed a microsimulation model that the administration used to estimate effects of various ACA provisions, made in 2013 about the bill’s passage.

After the remarks were aired, Gruber apologized for “describing American voters as stupid” during the discussion.[Vox, 11/11/14; The Washington Post, 11/12/14]

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