Some very telling remarks from the Republican governor of Wyoming about the chaos that will ensue if the Supreme Court throws out Obamacare subsides on the federal exchange. Gov. Matt Mead goes so far as to say he hopes the court upholds the law, even though he personally thinks Obamacare is bad policy.
“I think we will be one of many, many states that will be scrambling, trying find an answer and seeing whether Congress can provide the statutory fix that would be needed,” Mead said.
It’s that last part about the “statutory fix” that really jumps out. Remember, the easiest fix for all this is for Congress to tweak the language of the ACA and make it clear that subsidies are available on the federal exchanges. Presto and done. But Republicans in Congress have said consistently they will never do that.
Whether that position can be sustained in the face of enormous public pressure is something that hasn’t yet been tested. Mead’s remarks give you a flavor of how hard it will be to resist that pressure, some of which may come from Republican governors and legislatures. It’s an easy fix. Why won’t you do it? I wouldn’t put it past this group of Republicans in Congress to resist that kind of pressure, but it’s going to be a real test if the Supreme Court throws out the federal subsidies come June.
