North Carolina’s freshman Congresswoman Renee Ellmers, last featured in RWW’s The Ten Scariest Republicans Heading to Congress, refers to herself as a “product of the Tea Party” and even opposes mandating that insurance companies cover matenity care because it is “very costly.” Despite her staunch hostility to the Democrats’ “imperial ruling class attitude” and the “socialistic form of government,” Ellmers has decided to take taxpayer-subsidized health care plan because of the high cost of living in Washington DC. Apparently, the Congresswoman’s $174,000 annual salary isn’t enough to live part-time in the nation’s capital without taxpayer-funded health insurance:
Appearing on a WPTF radio call-in show Monday, Ellmers was asked by a caller whether she intended to participate in “that luxury plan” offered to members of Congress.
Ellmers responded that she signed up for a Blue Cross, Blue Shield federal employees plan, one of the options offered to members of Congress.
“Unfortunately, being here in Washington is very expensive,” Ellmers said. “Yes, we do have a salary, and we do have benefits. It costs a lot of money to be here. I’ve signed on to the private plan, just like so many in America are on. “The benefit is available to me. People need to understand out there, it costs a lot of money to be here in Congress.”
Ellmers, a nurse who is married to a physician, makes a congressional salary of $174,000 per year.
While Ellmers believes that residents of Washington DC who don’t have health insurance (and most likely earn less than $174,000) shouldn’t receive any government assistance to receive coverage whatsoever, she is fine with taxpayer-funded health insurance for herself.
Ellmers recently rejected an invitation by President Obama, who she likened to “Louis XIV, the Sun King,” to attend a reception at the White House for all new members of Congress “because she chose not to go.”
