SALT LAKE CITY – He said what?
Utah Senator Orrin Hatch has very unflattering words to describe supporters of Obamacare.
While Senator Orrin Hatch was speaking about tax reform at the American Enterprise Institute, he had this to say about the Affordable Care Act. “That was the stupidest, dumb-ass bill that I’ve ever seen. Now some of you may have loved it. If you do, you are one of the stupidest, dumb-ass people I’ve ever met,” Hatch said.
Hatch continued to say that eliminating the insurance mandate was a major step in the process to repeal and replace Obamacare. “This was one of the most regressive taxes in the tax code, with lower-income families paying most of the freight. The individual mandate represents one of the great ironies of Obamacare,” he said.
After the comments were made, Matt Whitlock, a spokesman for Hatch’s office stated, “The comments were obviously made in jest, but what’s not a joke is the harm Obamacare has caused for countless Utahns.”
Even if it was in jest, Utah Health Policy Project Executive Director Matt Slonaker wasn’t laughing. He says none of the people who were able to buy health insurance for the first time through the ACA believe it was stupid, nor do the young people who were able to stay on their parents’ plans until the age of 26. “A lot of times, Utah kids have their first baby and it ends up being on their parents’ plan. It’s not stupid for those folks, either,” he added.
He also cited a recent poll from Kaiser, showing most people don’t agree with the senator’s comments. “Fifty-four percent of U.S. residents actually support the Affordable Care Act,” Slonaker said.
(Photo Credit: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News, file)