Sen. Ted Cruz
The irony is breathtaking but Sen. Ted Cruz, the most implacable foe of the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare in Congress, will soon sign up for health care coverage under Obamacare.
Cruz, who declared himself a candidate for U.S. President under the Republican Party on Monday, told his audience at Liberty University he will repeal "every word" of Obamacare if elected president in 2016.
Cruz, however, will soon be signing up for coverage under the health plan of his wife, Heidi, a Goldman Sachs executive, who took a leave of absence from her job to help his campaign.
"We will presumably go on the exchange and sign up for health care, and we're in the process of transitioning over to do that," the Tea Party hero told the Des Moines (Iowa) Register Tuesday.
Under the Affordable Care Act, which is seen by U.S. President Barack Obama as his signature triumph, members of Congress seeking insurance must sign-up through an exchange. The exchanges, which became law under the Affordable Care Act, are an online marketplace where people who carry their own coverage and the uninsured can buy health insurance.
"Well, it is written in the law that members will be on the exchanges without subsidies just like millions of Americans," Cruz answered when asked if it was uncomfortable for him to sign up for Obamacare.
"I think the same rules should apply to all of us. Members of Congress should not be exempt."
In September 2013, Cruz led a misguided effort by extreme right wing Republicans in the House of Representatives to gut Obamacare by holding up a government spending bill. Their intransigence led to a 16-day government shutdown and widespread condemnation of Cruz for picking a fight that badly damaged the image of Republicans.
In an earlier interview, however, Cruz said he would no longer be covered under his wife's health insurance plan after saying he didn't need to receive government health care benefits. The Register said Cruz confirmed this remark.
As an employee of the federal government, Cruz will use the exchange to choose his employer-provided insurance.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, was responsible for an amendment to the Affordable Care Act that requires members of Congress to obtain their coverage via the exchanges.
