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Marsha Blackburn says Obamacare Official Mislead Congress and the American People

Congressman Marsha Blackburn

7th District of Tennessee

U.S. CongressWashington, D.C. – Congressman Marsha Blackburn, Vice Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, commented on a new report that chronicles misleading testimony given by CMS Acting Administration Andy Slavitt at an Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing on December 8th, 2015.

The report states, “[i]n his opening remarks before the committee, Mr. Slavitt testified that ‘over $200 million of the original grant awards have already been returned to the federal government, and we’re in the process of collecting and returning more.’”

U.S. Congressman Marsha Blackburn
U.S. Congressman Marsha Blackburn

According to documents subsequently provided to the Committee by CMS, the federal government has only reclaimed $21.5 million from the 17 state-based exchanges.

Additionally, the $21.5 million did not represent money that had been “recouped,” but rather funds that were leftover because the grant had expired or the funds were no longer needed.

Since the hearing, CMS has refused to correct the record, and now insists that the $200 million was just an “estimate” of the dollars that were de-obligated from all 49 states and the District of Columbia, not the 17 state based exchanges. Even if that is the case, then it is an estimate that is off by over $100 million.

The report summary states, “[a]s a result, it appears that Mr. Slavitt’s testimony before the committee was based on estimates and conjecture, not facts. Mr. Slavitt’s original source for the ‘over $200 million’ figure he testified to has still not been provided to the committee.”

In response, Vice Chairman Blackburn said, “CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt either misspoke to the tune of $178.5 million in taxpayer dollars or he lied under oath in an effort to make the American people believe the President’s health care law is working. The truth is, the Affordable Care Act is in no way affordable and this Administration cannot continue to hide the facts. We will continue our work on the House Energy and Commerce Committee to hold this Administration accountable for the billions in taxpayer dollars it has wasted on failed Obamacare exchanges.”

At the December hearing, Vice Chairman Blackburn questioned CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt about how much grant money was spent and how much would be returned to the taxpayers. Click here to download the video. Transcript follows below.

Blackburn: “What we want to know is, where is the balance of the money? Where is it currently sitting? Do you have a proper accounting of that?”

Slavitt: “We do. In fact, we can provide you with an accounting of every dollar that’s been spent, every dollar that hasn’t been spent that we still have control of, and we are in the process — in many cases — of pulling that money back.”

Blackburn: “OK. Then do provide us with that accounting because we will need to see that.”

Slavitt: “We will.”

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