From Boehner to Rush: Republicans Are Crushed as Obamacare Enrollment Hits 17.8 Million

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Republicans are so crushed by the news that total ACA enrollment has reached 17.8 million that they are immediately trying to forget Obamacare, and are changing the subject to Benghazi.

The numbers via an HHS press release:

I

mportantly, 2.2 million (28 percent) of those who selected a Marketplace plan were young adults ages 18 to 34 — a number that grows to 2.7 million when counting ages 0 to 34, the report found. The report also shows, for the first time, the race and ethnicity of the 69 percent of enrollees in the Federally-facilitated Marketplaces who voluntarily reported this information.

HHS also announced today that more than 4.8 million additional individuals enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP through the end of March 2014, compared to enrollment before the Marketplace opened last October.

“More than eight million Americans signed up through the Marketplace, exceeding expectations and demonstrating brisk demand for quality, affordable coverage,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “In addition, over 4.8 million more people have been covered by states through Medicaid and CHIP programs, around 3 million more Americans under 26 are covered under their parents’ plans, and recent estimates show that an additional 5 million people have purchased coverage outside of the Marketplace in Affordable Care Act-compliant plans. Together we are ensuring that health coverage is more accessible than ever before, which is important for families, for businesses and for the nation’s health and wellbeing.”

If we exempt the three million kids who stayed on their parents’ plan, because they didn’t enroll, the total number of people who now have coverage thanks to the ACA is 17.8 million. The majority of ACA enrollees are white (62.3%) and female (54%). Thirty-four percent of those who enrolled are under age 35, and 28% are age 18-34.

Republicans have reacted to the fact that they were completely wrong about the ACA, by changing the subject to Benghazi.

All Speaker Boehner wants to talk about is Benghazi emails, “Someone needs to answer why this administration hid these documents – and tell the American people what else is being concealed. The House used its subpoena power to obtain documents, including emails, last year, but these emails didn’t show up until now, after a court ordered their release to an outside watchdog group. This defiance of the House’s subpoena power is the most flagrant example yet of the administration’s contempt for the American people’s right to know the truth about what happened when four Americans died in a fiery terrorist attack. If the White House won’t explain it, Secretary Kerry should come to the Capitol to explain why he defied an official congressional subpoena. And the White House needs to understand that this investigation will not end until the entire truth is revealed and justice and accountability are served.”

It isn’t just John Boehner and the Republican Party. From Fox News to Rush Limbaugh, nobody is talking about their crushing defeat on the ACA. The word is Benghazi. The news is so bad that Republicans aren’t even trying to spin it. They have resorted to pretending that it doesn’t exist.

Reality can’t be allowed to touch the Republican masses. They must be distracted with another bogus scandal before they realize that the Republican Party has completely failed to destroy Obamacare.

The Republican Party looks like they are in the middle of a full blown nervous breakdown, as they are incapable of handling the success of the ACA.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association