The Detroit News editorial board gets it on Obamacare: Congress was wrong to get a special deal from the Obama administration:

“In crafting the bill, Congress specifically approved a Republican-sponsored amendment that required lawmakers and their staffs to leave their old federal insurance behind and go onto the exchanges created under the health care law.

“Additionally, Congress debated and then rejected allowing the federal government to continue offering premium support. Just like all other Americans under Obamacare, members of Congress and their staffs could only qualify for subsidies if their incomes were low enough.

“Democrats signed off on the amendment but later regretted the decision. Rather than accept accountability for amending the law, Congress turned to the Office of Personnel Management, which approved an exemption that the president signed off on.”

And I don’t think that’s right. Lawmakers usually cannot sue to stop a law they disagree with. But this special deal affects me and my staff, giving me “standing,” as the legal term goes. The News writes:

“Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., has filed a lawsuit to overturn the decision. The case is in U.S. District Court in Green Bay. Johnson stresses he’s not against an employer providing health care contributions, but he doesn’t want members of Congress to get special favors. Under Obamacare, individuals who buy plans on the health care exchange are responsible for their premiums.

“Taxpayer-funded subsidies for plans on the exchanges are designed for low-income Americans, not those, like Congress, who earn good salaries.

“These special subsidy payments are not only unfair but also illegal, Johnson contends. ‘If Congress doesn’t like the law as written, it should pass a new law,’ he says.”