Issa Calls Gruber to Testify About Health Law Deceptions Before Oversight Committee

Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA), Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, sent a letter on Thursday to controversial MIT professor Jonathan Gruber, the “architect” of Obamacare, calling on Gruber to testify before the committee at its December 9 hearing in Washington, D.C. about health law deceptions.

Gruber has become personally radioactive since a number of videos surfaced earlier this month in which he was caughting bragging about his role in deceiving the “stupid” American people about the true details of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).

Issa also sent a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Marilyn Tavenner calling on her to testify the same day concerning “repeated transparency failures and outright deceptions surrounding ObamaCare.”

“From the outset, the health law has been the poster child for this Administration’s broken transparency promises,” Issa said. 

“Americans,” he added, “were told if they liked their plans and doctors, they could keep them. They were told the individual mandate wasn’t a tax. None of these were true.”

Issa explained why he was calling Gruber and Tavenner to testify:

Jonathan Gruber, one of ObamaCare’s chief architects, publicly lauded the “lack of transparency” that was necessary to pass the law and credited “the stupidity of the American voter” that allowed the Administration to mislead the public. CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner testified before our Committee that the Administration met its goals by enrolling 7.3 million individuals, however we now know that wasn’t the case. The American people deserve honesty, transparency and respect from those who forced the federal government into their healthcare. I expect Mr. Gruber and Administrator Tavenner to testify publicly next month about the arrogance and deceptions surrounding the passage and implementation of ObamaCare.

In his letters to Gruber and Tavenner, Issa asked them to confirm their attendance by Monday.

A spokesperson for CMS Administrator Tavenner told Breitbart News, “The Committee has asked for a response by Monday. We look forward to working with the Committee on this request.” When pressed, the spokesperson would not say whether that response would confirm Tavenner’s attendance at the hearings on December 9. 

Breitbart News asked Professor Gruber via email if he intended to testify, but Gruber has not responded. 

Issa’s term as Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Committee will end when the new Congress convenes in January. However, incoming Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) has indicated that he is likely to hold further hearings on the issue of deceptions surrounding the passing and implementation of Obamacare.