Fox Business Network host Maria Bartiromo on Tuesday ripped the architect of Obamacare, Jonathan Gruber, over the effects of the health care law he crafted.
When confronted with how many businesses and individuals find Obamacare to be too expensive, Gruber said that Bartiromo was wrong and that the media was being misleading. Gruber blamed the costs on a transitioning business environment for health care insurance.
"It's very hard to make the case that you're making knowing what the reality is, and the reality is families cannot afford Obamacare," Bartiromo said to Gruber. "And the reality as premiums for families across the country have skyrocketed, and even if you're in a plan with your company like you say so many people are, companies are not hiring more workers because they are being forced to provide health care."
"So the plan 100 percent is being looked at as way too expensive," she continued. "That's not press; that's not speculation. This is what families and businesses are saying."
Gruber rejected Bartiromo's statement. When asked to point out where she was wrong, Gruber claimed that health insurance premiums were going down. Bartiromo pointed out how she repeatedly hears complaints about the cost of health insurance from both individuals and companies and how they say it's a fact that Obamacare is one of their largest problems.
Gruber had a problem with that comment.
"Maria, once again, please don't use the word fact, because you're not saying facts, you're saying anecdotes," Gruber said.
The conversation then turned to the effects of Obamacare on economic growth.
"Obamacare is irrelevant to economic growth," Gruber claimed.
Bartiromo then called out Gruber's past comments when he said that "the stupidity of the American voter" and lack of transparency was critical to passing Obamacare in 2010.
"So, we're stupid and that's why you were able to pass this legislation through?" Bartiromo asked.
Gruber said his comments were taken out of context and that he regretted them. He then shifted the conversation and blamed Bartiromo for denying facts. After Bartiromo said that CEOs come onto her show and state that the reason their companies are not growing is because of the health care law, Gruber denied that those were facts.
"Who cares if some CEO comes onto the show and tells you–," Gruber said.
"Who cares?" Bartiromo exclaimed.
After Gruber cited the Kaiser Family Foundation for health care insurance facts, Bartiromo tore into him again.
"I don't need to go to the Kaiser Foundation when I know what my friend is paying for health care, $1,000 and it was $500 [before]," Bartiromo said.
Gruber said that debate was not about economic growth and Bartiromo was not using facts. Bartiromo took a final hit at Gruber.
"We want to have people who are actually getting affected by the law, not someone in their ivory tower telling us what this should be, but in fact what people are seeing on the ground because they're the ones that are being affected by the law," Bartiromo said. "That's why that's fact."