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B²: SCOTUS and ObamaCare

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Last week, President Obama delivered a pre-emptive strike against this year’s Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act’s insurance subsidies secured through the federal marketplace.

“There is no reason why the existing exchanges should be overturned through a court case,” Obama said. “It has been well documented that those who passed this legislation never intended for folks who were going through the federal exchange not to have their citizens get subsidies.”

While the Administration has been on the offensive talking about the “intent” of the law, the Supreme Court ruling has the potential to affect 6 million people who signed up for insurance on Healthcare.gov and the subsidies they receive. This large number of Americans could have cause for worry and panic if solutions aren’t discussed.

It’s complicated. But the B² team is here to help you avoid a messaging position in apparent support of leaving people high and dry, especially those who are struggling to pay for healthcare.

Good thing it’s Tuesday, B² day.

Here is this week’s likely media question and the B² (block and bridge) that sets the narrative straight:

Q: “What will all these people do, 6 million of them, if these subsidies are eliminated?”

B²: “This case is more bad news for those who signed up for insurance on Healthcare.gov since our President said they could receive subsidies when the law actually says they can’t. The good news is that this opens up opportunities to lower high costs for them and every other American. We can get there by <insert talking point>.”

Wherever you take the conversation next, start by maintaining that people have another broken promise from the President. Then, turn to solutions! Focus on the fact that the Affordable Care Act has driven up healthcare costs and disrupted the existing coverage of millions of Americans. And then offer up a plan to remedy the situation. Get specific!

B²: Wage Wars

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President Obama is waging a war…on wages. In the midst of the fights in cities (Los Angeles being the most recent battleground), the President is set to take on the wage battle where he thinks he can – overtime pay.

Bill Samuel, director of legislative affairs for the AFL-CIO told Politico:

“The minimum wage they can’t do. This is probably the most significant step they can take to raise wages for millions of workers.”

Obama is purportedly posed to bypass Congress and, through the Department of Labor, propose a new rule on overtime pay as early as this week.

Do you know how to talk about the potential government-mandated overtime pay increases without sounding like you’re trying to keep the struggling guy down?

Good thing it’s Tuesday, B² day.

Here’s the likely media question and the B² (block and bridge) that sets the narrative straight:

Q: “How is it fair that millions of Americans are working overtime without overtime pay?”

B²: “What isn’t fair is that so many Americans can’t even find work these days, let alone a job that includes overtime. And what we do know is that <insert talking point>.”

You can continue the conversation by focusing on the reports that show this will severely limit flexibility in the workplace without improving pay (base salaries will be lowered to offset higher costs). Or, you can focus on dealing with overtime pay the right way – through Congress and not executive action.

But wherever you choose to take the conversation next, do highlight the fact that the real problem in employment are those who can’t find work and have had their hours cut due to Obama’s policies.

Last, a messaging note of caution. Unions have been very clever in branding the term “living wage.” Don’t let their words trip you up. Instead of focusing on how much money people need to make ends meet (which varies from person to person and city to city), focus on the specific ideas that bring more income to all American kitchen tables, regardless of where they live. Solutions trump problems!

B²: It’s Not Easy Being Green

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It’s no secret that President Obama wants the United States to be the leader in all things green. While Solyndra didn’t pan out too well for him, he’s upping his game with the Clean Power Plan – a convenient foundation for him to submit commitments to the United Nations.

The Plan, which focuses on significantly reducing carbon emissions by 2030, will be discussed from now until the climate change conference in Paris in December. A significant focus will be on new and existing power plants as the EPA finalizes regulations this summer.

No doubt you can expect questions about ice melting, seas rising, and the devastation of our children’s and grandchildren’s future.

So, do you know how to answer questions on the environment without sounding like you hate polar bears?

Good thing it’s Tuesday, B² day.

Here’s the likely media question and the B² (block and bridge) that sets the narrative straight:

Q: “Don’t we owe it to our children and grandchildren and the rest of the world to reduce our carbon pollution?”

B²: “We owe it to our children and grandchildren to leave our world in a better place, but this Plan won’t lead us in that direction because <insert talking point>.

Wherever you take the conversation next – whether to talk about the high energy costs passed along to people with little to no benefit to the environment, or the fact that we are cleaner today due to the boom in natural gas development – do show that you care about our environment. We get tripped up when we sound like money matters more than people.