New congressional Republicans who ran against U.S. healthcare reform should decline government-provided coverage in office, a Public Policy poll indicated.
Results of the Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday indicated 53 percent of respondents think incoming members of Congress who campaigned for the repeal of the healthcare reform law should not accept government-provided health coverage, while 33 percent said they thought they should.
Two GOP Reps.-elect -- Bobby Schilling of Illinois and Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, who oppose the law -- pledged to refuse government-backed health insurance when they come to Washington in 2011, The Hill reported.
Healthcare coverage for congressional members and their staffs is through the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan.
A spokesman for Speaker-apparent Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, said he doesn't see any hypocrisy in Republicans accepting congressional health coverage.
Three Democratic members of Congress from Minnesota, including House representative Ilhan Omar, were blocked from entering...
