During the October 27 airing of This Week With George Stephanopoulos, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius should keep her job and that Obamacare contains “a lot of good things for West Virginians.”
When asked if Sebelius should keep her job in the light of the myriad failures of the Obamacare exchange roll-out, Manchin said: “I think Kathleen was successful as an insurance commissioner in Kansas, she was a successful governor working with both sides of the aisle, she’s very capable of bringing people together.”
The Senator was still talking when Stephanopoulos interrupted to say again, “I’m asking if you think she should keep her job?”
Manchin then responded, “I think she should stay.”
Manchin said a one year delay in the Obamacare exchange penalty is a better solution to problems now apparent in the healthcare overhaul. He supports delaying the current fine of $95 until January 2015, “at that time the fine will be $325.”
In other words, no penalty now–but more than three times the penalty later.
Manchin said such a fine will “induce people to get involved” and the year delay “will also give [Americans] time to transition [into Obamacare].”
As with his gun control push earlier this year, Manchin said “there are a lot of good things for West Virginians [in Obamacare].”
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins
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