Sen. Mitch McConnell: ObamaCare hikes costs, kill jobs

Mitch McConnell | USA TODAY

With the Obama administration's decision last week to delay significant provisions of ObamaCare, the White House seems to be finally, if slowly, admitting what Americans already know: ObamaCare costs too much and isn't working as promised.

And yet, the administration's solution isn't to fix the problem by replacing the law with common sense reforms that could actually lower costs for Americans — but rather to get a better spokesperson.

Since ramming ObamaCare through Congress more than three years ago, administration officials have had a rough time selling their partisan and divisive law to the American people. In fact, the law only seems to get more unpopular the more people learn about it.

But, in the view of the administration, the problem doesn't seem to be the law; it seems to be the people who refuse to buy their spin. In other words, the problem is you.

So, administration officials have chosen to double down on the PR. That's why they're contacting everyone from football stars to Hollywood celebrities, even your local librarian, in an effort to sell the unpopular law where they have failed.

And here's the kicker: They want to use your money to do it.

But no amount of celebrity endorsement is going to change the fact that ObamaCare is already raising costs and eliminating jobs.

Nearly every day seems to bring more news of another state projecting massive insurance premium increases, or of another insurance company pulling out of a market entirely, forcing Americans off of plans they like and want to keep. And there are so many stories about businesses holding back from expanding or hiring — even cutting back on their workforces — it's hard to even count.

So, if the Obama administration is really so concerned about getting people to like its policies, then it should pursue policies people are likely to support. The administration could also work with Republicans to repeal and replace ObamaCare with effective reforms to increase choice and lower costs.

But to ram through something people don't want, and then — in an era of huge deficits — use Americans' own tax money to convince them they actually do want it, well, that's just as absurd as it sounds.

And it's unwise to assume the American people can be fooled so easily.

Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is the Senate Republican leader.