CHICAGO, IL (WXPR) — The federal appeals court in Chicago heard arguments Wednesday on U-S Senator Ron Johnson’s effort to revive his lawsuit against Obama-care. The Wisconsin Republican challenged a requirement that members of Congress and their official staffers use the federal purchasing exchanges for their coverage.
Prior to a town hall meeting Saturday in Antigo, Johnson said he wants to look at Presidential authority. “Those are very serious constitutional issues and he’s doing it across the board, not only with Obamacare, in my personal case it was the Office of Personnel Management ruling that granted special treatement to members of Congress and their staffs. It’s just not fair.”
Johnson is appealing District Judge William Griesbach’s earlier ruling that the lawsuit is not valid because the senator did not have the legal standing to file it.
Johnson contends that the law treats congressional workers differently, because those not considered “official” staffers still get their previous federal benefits. He also said it makes lawmakers look bad, because government staffers get fully-funded coverage that rest of us don’t get.
Democrats also tried to curtail Presidential Executive Order authority during the George W. Bush Administration.
