Texas Congressman Invites Phony Obamacare Enrollee to Join Him at State of Union

Texas Congressman Steve Stockman (R) on Tuesday invited Chad Henderson, the teenager who became famous last week for making confusing claims about enrolling in Obamacare, to be his guest at the State of the Union address in January.

The congressman also invited President Barack Obama to join Henderson for a photo opportunity.

“Chad Henderson is Obamacare personified. He pushed Obamacare on other people but refused to buy it himself because he would pay more. He’s practically a Democrat member of Congress,” Stockman said in a statement. “I hope Chad will join me at the State of the Union Address so Obama can point to someone who personifies his policies."

Image source: WRCB-TV

Henderson became famous last week after he told multiple news outlets, including Politico and The Washington Post, that he had successfully enrolled in Obamacare. Shortly after outlets reported they had finally found someone who had made it through the glitch-ridden enrollment process, it was soon revealed that Henderson used to volunteer for Obama advocacy group Organizing for Action.

Image source: Twitchy

And after that was revealed, it quickly became known that Henderson hadn’t actually purchased an Obamacare plan, contrary to earlier reports.

He claims he said "enroll" and news outlets assumed he meant "purchased."

Henderson in initial reports also praised Obamacare because it supposedly helps low-income individuals like him purchase affordable health insurance.

But Stockman takes umbrage with this claim, noting that the supposedly low-income Henderson donated $1,000 last year to Obama’s re-election campaign.

“He claims he can’t afford health insurance but he’s a four-figure donor to Obama.  I know Obama can’t wait to personally meet this dedicated supporter. I’m proud to give him the opportunity,” Stockman said.

Furthermore, had Henderson actually signed up for Obamacare as he claimed he did, he would be paying approximately 400 percent more for a government policy than he would for a policy in the private market, according to the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

Henderson said he purchased a policy for $175 per month, or 18 percent of his supposed income.

“Compare that to what Chad could have paid if he bought one of the pre-Obamacare plans still available on eHealthInsurance.com until December 31. The cheapest such plan for someone meeting Chad’s profile is just $44.72 – as little as 5 percent of his annual income and about one-quarter of his Obamacare premium,” Cato Institute’s director of health policy studies Michael Cannon wrote.

Henderson has not yet responded to Stockman’s invitation.

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