WASHINGTON — Bill Clinton jolted the White House Tuesday by dropping a bombshell on ObamaCare.
The former president abruptly joined critics of President Obama’s signature domestic achievement, saying his fellow Democrat should live up to his promise and allow Americans who like their current health-insurance to keep it.
“Even if it takes a change in the law, the president should honor the commitment the federal government made to those people and let them keep what they’ve got,” Clinton said in a surprising interview with Ozy.com.
He compared the rollout of the ObamaCare insurance marketplaces to the “disaster” that occurred when Medicare Part D was launched.
His comments — coming three days before the House is expected to vote on rolling back part of the new law — drew quick support from delighted Republicans.
“I applaud President Clinton for joining the bipartisan call for President Obama to keep his promise to the American people,” said House Speaker John Boehner.
“The entire health care law is a train wreck that needs to go.”
Clinton didn’t go that far, but even House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer, who is up for re-election next year, agreed the law needs some fine-tuning.
The Maryland Democrat echoed Clinton by saying that those satisfied with their current insurance “ought to be able to keep their policies.”
Clinton — dubbed the “Secretary of Explaining Stuff” by Obama in 2012 — played the role of ObamaCare cheerleader during a session of the Clinton Global Initiative in September when he lobbed friendly questions about the new law to the president.
But in his interview, Clinton spoke of the plight of Americans who are not covered by employers’ health insurance or government programs like Medicare and Medicaid and are well above the poverty line.
Millions of young, healthy consumers have had their coverage canceled by insurance companies complying with ObamaCare’s new regulations.
“They were the ones who heard the promise that if you like what you’ve got you can keep it,” Clinton said.
Asked about Clinton’s comments, White House spokesman Jay Carney pointed out that the former president fundamentally supports ObamaCare and also said in the interview, “The big lesson is that we’re better off with this law than without it.”