La. Gov. Bobby Jindal Among La. Lawmakers Reacting To Obamacare Employer Mandate Delay

The Obama Administration has announced that it will postpone for one year the requirement for businesses to cover their workers under the Affordable Healthcare Act.

Among the Louisiana lawmakers who have opposed Obamacare, La. Gov. Bobby Jindal has fought it from the beginning. He has said the healthcare law would not be implemented in Louisiana. And even though it became an issue during the 2013 Legislative Session, Gov. Jindal, along with a majority of state lawmakers, rejected the Medicaid money that came along with it, despite hearing objections from La. Democratic Party Chair Sen. Karen Carter Peterson and others.

Gov. Jindal took to twitter to let his feelings be known on the Obama Administration's decision to delay, as pointed out by national conservative figure Michelle Malkin.

"This latest action by the Administration shows exactly why I have opposed this law and fought to prevent this mandate from going into effect," says Republican Congressman Charles Boustany.

What this basically means is that employers are getting more time to abide by the standards of Obamacare - until 2015. The rules would have required employers with 50 or more full-time workers to provide coverage or face possible penalties.

While Congressman Boustany has stated his opposition to the law, this is an issue that he has addressed in legislation that he filed earlier this year (H.R. 903, the American Job Protection Act), to repeal the employer mandate.

I am pleased the President now understands implementation of the employer mandate will hurt our economy. Delaying Obamacare’s employer mandate is not a long-term solution. It prolongs the problem and slows down economic recovery. Employers have been limiting new full-time hires and will continue to do so as long as this policy remains on the books.

Republican Bill Cassidy, a doctor like Boustany and an opponent of Obamacare who is running against Sen. Mary Landrieu in the upcoming Senate race, had this reaction to Tuesday's news:

Obamacare's expense is killing jobs and is too great for businesses to handle. This delay in implementing the employer mandate acknowledges this while encouraging employers to drop insurance coverage for their employees; taxpayers will pay more and deficits will increase. We must replace Obamacare with patient-centered reforms which expand healthcare access without destroying jobs.

Another critic of the law, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), says this is a "clear admission" that the law is unlike what it's title suggests, that the law is "unaffordable, unworkable and unpopular."

But, on the other side, White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett says they "are cutting red tape and simplifying the reporting process" while planning to figure out a "smarter system." Of the delay, Jarrett says "this allows employers the time to test the new reporting systems and make any necessary adaptations to their health benefits while staying the course toward making health coverage more affordable and accessible for their workers."

And, keep in mind two things. The Obama Administration, which is encouraging employers to provide insurance anyway, also still plans to open up a new marketplace for government-regulated insurance plans on October 1, to take effect on January 1. Also, still on schedule for 2014, the mandate that requires individuals to have health care is still scheduled to be in place by then.