Alexander: “You Could Fit Everyone Who Signed Up for Obamacare Into Neyland Stadium”
Administration reports just 106,185 Americans signed up for private insurance on the exchanges in October
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“That’s bad news for the 5 million Americans who’ve had their policies canceled by Obamacare. This demands that the president put his promise into law and allow Americans to stay on the health care plans they like.” – Lamar Alexander
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 – U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the senior Republican on the Senate health committee, today released the following statement on the administration’s reported Obamacare exchange enrollment figures:
“You could fit everyone who signed up for Obamacare in the first month into Neyland Stadium – and still have room for the ‘Pride of the Southland’ marching band. That’s bad news for the 5 million Americans who’ve had their policies canceled by Obamacare. This demands that the president put his promise into law and allow Americans to keep the health care plans they have.”
According to UTSports.com, the University of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium held its largest crowd of 109,061 on Sept. 18, 2004, for the game against Florida.
At a hearing on the Obamacare rollout last week, Alexander noted that the White House website continues to carry the promise: “If you like your plan you can keep it and you don’t have to change a thing due to the health care law.”
“Why don’t we put those words into law?” Alexander asked, pointing to legislation introduced by Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), called the “If You Like Your Health Plan You Can Keep It Act,” which would allow Americans to remain on health care plans that have been in effect through the end of this year.
Alexander has also repeatedly called on the Obama administration to release data on the exchanges before today, including introducing a bill that would require weekly reports on enrollment and progress in fixing the website.
He said, in introducing the bill: “Before the Internet, RCA knew how many records Elvis was selling every day. Before the Internet, Ford knew how many cars they were selling every day. Before the Internet, McDonald’s could tell you how many hamburgers it had sold each day. Yet the Obama administration cannot tell us how many Americans have tried to sign up for Obamacare.”
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