Jonathan Gruber — the Obamacare architect who’s been outed by video crediting the “stupidity” of the American voter for the health care package’s passage — is now out of a job.
The MIT economist was let go from his contracted role as an adviser to help set up Vermont’s state-run health care system, Fox News reported.
A spokesman for Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin said the state will not pay for Mr. Gruber’s services any longer.
“As the governor and I have said, the comments by Mr. Gruber are offensive, inappropriate and do not reflect the thinking of this administration or how we do things in Vermont,” said Lawrence Miller in a statement reported by Fox News. “As we have also said, we need solid economic modeling in order to move forward with health care reform.”
Mr. Miller also said that he told Mr. Gruber that his team should finish the work that Vermont hired them for — but that “we will not be paying him any further for his part in completing that work,” Fox News reported.
Mr. Gruber’s contract with the state was more than $400,000 — $160,000 of which he’s already been paid.
The governor’s move comes on the heels of last week’s plea from Senate Minority Leader Joe Benning to end Mr. Gruber’s contract.
Mr. Gruber was captured on several videos saying that “the stupidity of the American voter” and the purposeful clouding of language of Obamacare’s text were two big reasons the health care reform was successfully signed into law.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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