Andrea Mitchell Unaware Congress Must Enroll in Obamacare

On Tuesday, NBC News reporter and MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell revealed she did not know that lawmakers in Congress must be enrolled in Obamacare. Her remarks bolster Rep. Sean Duffy’s (R-WI) claim that the mainstream press may be both ill-prepared and unwilling to critically question the Obama administration on its signature healthcare legislation.

Appearing on Mitchell Reports, Duffy and Mitchell got into a contested debate about whether a one-year delay of the individual mandate, which Republicans want as part of a short-term resolution to fund the government, was negotiable and whether the mainstream media has properly questioned the administration on Obamacare.

At one point during the exchange, Duffy said:

And why won’t he join us in ObamaCare? Why wasn’t Michelle Obama on October 1st at the computer with her family signing up for ObamaCare? Or Jay Carney? They have their own gold-plated health care plan that they’re in and they don’t-

Mitchell then responded, “So do you.”

Instantly, Duffy replied that he did not have a “gold-plated” plan because he had to be on Obamacare:

No I’m not, I’m in ObamaCare. I’m in ObamaCare, Andrea. All members of Congress are, and my family. The President should join us in ObamaCare, and the rest of America. Is that pretty reasonable? We should all be treated equally under the law? Why should members of Congress be in ObamaCare and not the President? Explain that one. Isn’t that fair?

Duffy continued to ask Mitchell if she could “defend why the President shouldn’t be in ObamaCare like members of Congress and their staffs?”

“I think the media should start doing its job,” Duffy said.

Mitchell, visibly annoyed, then semi-sardonically responded, “Thanks for your advice. Thank you, Congressman.”

Earlier in the interview, Mitchell insisted Duffy’s demands were “non-negotiable” before Duffy said Obama is essentially saying, “I get my gold-plated health care plan but I want members of Congress and the rest of America to be in ObamaCare.”

He then pointed out that a big issue many Americans have with the media is that the it does not ask the question, “Why are you treating families different than big businesses?”

“You need Jon Stewart on Comedy Central to ask Secretary Sebelius, ‘Hey, why won’t you treat these two equally?'” Duffy said. “And she can’t answer it. I mean, that’s how pathetic I think news reporting has become, when we won’t ask tough questions to the administration.”

Duffy kept pressing Mitchell and asked her if she and her colleagues have asked Obama and those in his administration, “Why do you want your own health care and you won’t join us in ObamaCare?”

After Mitchell surmised what she thought Sebelius’s response would be to such a question, Duffy pointed out Mitchell could not point out how Sebelius has answered the question because members of the mainstream press have not posed it to her.

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