Today is day 20 of Governor Terry McAuliffe’s budget impasse.
On Monday, Governor McAuliffe touted a one page, undated letter from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that supposedly says Virginia can end his “pilot project” without penalty.
The only problem is that the letter isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.
That fact was proven on Tuesday night, when House Democrats were trying (and failing miserably) to defend Governor McAuliffe’s Obamacare budget on the House floor.
During the middle of that debate, the Washington Post reported that the Obama administration was delaying the March 31 enrollment deadline for the Affordable Care Act.
Just another Obamacare delay alone probably isn’t surprising, but this was significant because on at least four occasions within the last month, and as recently as two weeks ago, top administration officials were insisting the deadline would not be moved.
“We have no plans to extend the open enrollment period. In fact, we don’t actually have the statutory authority to extend the open enrollment period in 2014.” — Health and Human Services (HHS) official Julie Bataille, March 11“Once that 2014 open enrollment period has been set, they are set permanently.” – HHS official Michael Hash, March 11
“March 31st is the deadline for enrollment. You’ve heard us make that clear.” – Press Secretary Jay Carney, March 21
“There is no delay beyond March 31.” – HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, March 12
If the Obama administration can’t keep its word over a two week period, what makes anyone believe they can keep their word over a two year period?