Democrat gives Gruber tongue-lashing for ‘stupidity’ remarks

The senior Democrat on the House Oversight Committee dressed down ObamaCare consultant Jonathan Gruber on Tuesday over his comment that the “stupidity of the American voter” eased the passage of the healthcare law.

With a fiery tone and Gruber seated only feet away, Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) called Gruber’s remarks “stupid, absolutely stupid,” “irresponsible, incredibly disrespectful” and “insulting.”

{mosads}”I am extremely frustrated with Dr. Gruber’s statements,” Cummings said, almost shouting. “I was in Congress when this law was debated, and Dr. Gruber does not speak for me or the chairmen of other committees who worked tirelessly on this bill.”

Seeking to rebut Gruber’s claims, Cummings said the House held roughly 80 hearings and mark-ups on the healthcare law prior to its passage. “Never once did I believe, or did anyone suggest, that we were somehow hiding our goals from the American people,” he said.

Cummings later spoke directly to Gruber. “I got to tell you, [the comments] were insulting,” he said. “They were especially harmful, because they gave the opponents of the [Affordable Care Act] a PR gift. You did a great job, you wrapped it up with a bow.”

Democrats have sought to distance themselves from Gruber, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who some have termed an “architect” of ObamaCare. Gruber delivered a long apology at the start of the hearing, calling his comments “glib, thoughtless and downright insulting.”

“It is important not to make oneself seem smarter or more important by demeaning others,” he said. “I do not think the Affordable Care Act was passed in a non-transparent fashion.”

Cummings also came down hard on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner over the inflation of ObamaCare enrollment numbers. 

The committee discovered in late November that CMS double-counted some people who gained both medical and dental coverage on the exchanges. The total sign-up count reported to lawmakers was inflated by about 380,000 people as a result. 

“How could that happen?” Cummings asked Tavenner. “Did you intend to deceive the committee or the American people when you provided those enrollment numbers? Or was this error inadvertent?” 

“I do not believe anyone tried to deceive the American people,” Tavenner replied. “This was an inadvertent mistake for which I apologize.”

This post was updated at 10:56 a.m.