Dem House Candidate George Sinner Dodges Obamacare Question

The Bismarck Tribune has a profile up about state Senator George Sinner, who is the Demcorats’ challenger to Reppublican House incumbent Kevin Cramer.

One of the questions Sinner is asked is about Obamacare. Now, unlike past electon cycles, Obamacare is not some nebulous policy. It has been passed by Congress, signed by President Barack Obama, largely upheld by the courts and, for the most part, implemented.

So you’d think by now someone running to for the opportunity to make and shape national policy would have an opinion about it. But Sinner, when asked if he would have voted for Obamacare, can barely manage to divulge an opinion about the law one way or another.

Sinner was asked by a NARFE member whether or not he would have voted for the Affordable Care Act. He said that was an extremely tough question to answer since he wasn’t in Congress at the time to experience the debate or the intense pressure placed on lawmakers.

“The answers to these questions aren’t easy. They take thought and they take time,” Sinner said.

Sinner said the law is far from perfect, but that there are its strong points that benefit North Dakota, such as the Frontier States Amendment. The amendment provides increased Medicare reimbursement to rural states, including North Dakota.

He said hospitals in states, including North Dakota, used to lose millions annually due to lesser reimbursements because of flaws in the reimbursement formula. The amendment was in the Affordable Care Act, which Sinner said is a key reason why North Dakota’s congressional delegation, all of which were Democrats in 2010, voted for it.

“There are some good things in it,” Sinner said.

The law, one of the most hotly-contested pieces of legislation this country has seen in a generation, was passed on December 24th, 2009.

You have to wonder, how much longer does Sinner need to form an opinion about it?

Of course, it’s more likely Sinner has an opinion, but doesn’t want to speak up about it on the campaign trail.