WASHINGTON — Rep. Peter Roskam R-Ill., a longtime Obamacare critic, wants Congress to create a watchdog to monitor President Barack Obama’s healthcare law.
Roskam filed a bill on Thursday to “establish the Office of the Special Inspector General for Monitoring the Affordable Care Act” and as of Tuesday, he found 36 co-sponsors, all Republican. Roskam said the watchdog was needed because, he said in a statement, “only an independent, Congressionally-authorized Special Inspector General with the authority to reach into the many federal departments, state governments, outside contractors and a deeply involved White House can provide the much-needed transparency and accountability in a way that no single oversight official currently can.”
While this measure has a chance in the GOP House, it would never be called in the Democratic-run Senate and Obama would never sign it. But the purpose of the measure is to keep pressure on the Obama administration, which has been on the defensive over Obamacare, especially in the wake of the botched launch of the massive program.
The enrollment deadline is March 31.
