Recent Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Senator John Thune today criticized the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) admission at a U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing that the Obama Administration has spent "just under $5 million" on the implementation of Obamacare's failed Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act. The CLASS implementation figure cited today is more than twice the $2.2 million figure HHS claimed had been spent in a letter to Thune in August, just three months ago.

"After ignoring repeated warnings from budget experts and Congressional Republicans, HHS still spent nearly $5 million of taxpayers' hard-earned money to implement a program it now says has no `viable path forward.' As families across America continue to struggle financially, the Obama Administration has wasted nearly $5 million on a failed program.

"While HHS says it will not move forward with this fiscally unsustainable program at this time, so long as the CLASS Act remains on the books, taxpayers are at risk of future implementation. Before any more money is spent on this failed program, Congress should immediately repeal the CLASS Act and move to fully repeal Obamacare."

Thune introduced his Repeal the CLASS Entitlement Act (S.720) in April and the bill currently has 34 co-sponsors. Thune has advocated for the repeal of the CLASS Act since he offered an amendment to strip the program during the Senate's debate of Obamacare on December 4, 2009. His amendment received a majority of votes in the Senate (51-47), including support from 12 Democrats, but fell nine votes short of passage.  

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