Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has a brilliant plan for fixing the health care system: If you want quality coverage, "go work for the Federal government."
At least, that was the answer that Grassley offered up at a town hall meeting in Waukon, Iowa on Tuesday after a constituent asked the senator why he is unable to find good, affordable health insurance like the kind senators get.
Despite the fact that Grassley himself enjoys the benefits of the federal government's excellent public insurance policy, the senator has been avocal opponent of including a public option in any health care plan.
Grassley's stance, incidentally, flies in the face of the opinions of his own Iowa constituents, a majority of whom say they would like to see a public health insurance option.
After sharing his family's personal struggle with the burden of high health care costs, an audience member asked, "My question is... why is your insurance so much cheaper than my insurance and so better than my insurance?"
The question made Grassley cranky.
He responded, first, by suggesting the questioner "go work for John Deere," since they "don't pay anything" for their insurance plan.
When the questioner refused to let the senator wriggle out of answering the question, Grassley revealed how little he knew about his own insurance plan.
Another audience member had to help the senator out by describing the details of the plan. After she finished, the original questioner again asked, "Okay, so how come I can't have the same thing you have?"
Grassley's response: "You can. Just go work for the Federal government."
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