Republicans, who have called for budget cutbacks, wasted over $50 million trying and failing to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
The House GOP, by some estimates, spent up to 89 hours debating or voting on repeal of Obamacare. Though every effort has been fruitless, it’s cost a pretty penny. The Huffington Post calculates how much it would cost at just 80 hours of debate:
CBS’ Nancy Cordes reported Wednesday that Republicans’ many fruitless attempts at repealing the Affordable Care Act have taken up at least 80 hours of time on the House floor since 2010, amounting to two full work weeks. As the House, according to the Congressional Research Service, costs taxpayers $24 million a week to operate, those two weeks amounted to a total cost of approximately $48 million.
That $50 million spent blowing hot air could have provided subsidies for about 4,500 families of four in the exchanges, or one year of foodstamps for 31,131 people.
This is particularly ironic considering the GOP’s heated cries of “waste” about the Affordable Care Act, a law that is actually expected to reduce the deficit and help millions of Americans.