By Robert Laurie —— Bio and Archives December 8, 2014
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The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is asking lawmakers not to seat ObamaCare consultant Jonathan Gruber next to Medicare's top official when the two testify on Capitol Hill next week.In other words, "This Gruber guy is so unbelievably toxic that if someone sees one of our people with him on TV, it would make us look like the charlatans that you already know we are." Poor Mr. Gruber. He's going to have to eat lunch all alone because the cool kids don't like him anymore. ....Or will he?
HHS Assistant Secretary for Legislation Jim Esquea wrote to the House Oversight Committee with the request, stating that government witnesses are "almost always afforded an opportunity" to sit alone or with other federal officials. "The accommodation of separate panels for government witnesses reflects important comity in congressional-executive relations," Esquea wrote. "The relatively few exceptions to this practice reinforce the seriousness of this accommodation."
"The request is currently before Chairman Issa but at past hearings, government officials have testified alongside other non-administration witnesses," said Becca Watkins, a spokeswoman for the committee.Uh-oh. It sounds like principal Issa may have other ideas.
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