Jimmy Fallon On ObamaCare Goal: ‘It’s Amazing What You Can Achieve When You Make Something Mandatory’

April 2nd, 2014 10:31 AM

“Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon had some tough words for ObamaCare following the deadline for people to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Speaking on Tuesday April 1, Fallon joked that regarding the 7 million Americans that have signed up for health insurance, “It's amazing what you can achieve when you make something mandatory and fine people if they don't do it and then keep extending the deadline for months.” [See video below.]

Fallon then doubled-down on his ObamaCare attack and mocked how The White House “Said that 7 million people have signed up. When asked how many people tried to sign up, they were like, 30 million."

“The Tonight Show” host continued to ridicule how ObamaCare being “mandatory” was “like a Cinderella story” before he proclaimed If you still haven't enrolled, you might have to pay a penalty called the individual shared responsibility payment, which is 1% of your salary. Then Americans said, "Man, good thing I don't have a job."

On Wednesday April 2, NBC’s “Today” which usually airs clips from their late night comedy shows or from “Saturday Night Live” did not air footage of Fallon’s ObamaCare criticism. This should come as no surprise given that “Today” hyped ObamaCare’s “Late surge” in enrollments on April 1 while allowing a mere 22 seconds on new problems facing the law.

 

While all three network evening newscasts did note the lingering questions that still surround ObamaCare, none of them mentioned that the healthcare law mandates all Americans purchase health insurance or face a fine through the IRS.  

 

See relevant transcript below.


NBC

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

April 1, 2014

11:37 p.m. Eastern

JIMMY FALLON: Well, yesterday was the big deadline to sign up for ObamaCare and the White House seems very happy. They said that 7 million people have signed up. When asked how many people tried to sign up, they were like, "30 million."

STEVE HIGGINS: What? 

FALLON: What's that? 

HIGGINS: What was that again? 

FALLON: Oh, nothing. Just everything is a big success. Everything's great. 

HIGGINGS: How many signed up? I can't hear you. 

FALLON: Well it must be windy in here. I'm so sorry. 

HIGGINS: 70 million. 

FALLON: That's right, the White House said that it surpassed its goal for people enrolled in ObamaCare. It's amazing what you can achieve when you make somethingmandatory and fine people if they don't do it and then keep extending the deadline for months. It's like a Cinderella story. It's just a beautiful thing. You make everyone do it. Isn't it great how many people do it? But if you still haven't enrolled, you might have to pay a penalty called the individual shared responsibility payment, which is 1% of your salary. Then Americans said, "Man, good thing I don't have a job."