This Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) called Obamacare ‘horror stories’ recounted from both individuals and business owners around the country “untrue.”  When questioned for his statements on the Senate floor, Reid returned to the podium to amend his record saying not all the stories were lies, but the “vast, vast majority of them are.”

According to the Majority Leader of the US Senate, American families and business owners are lying about their experiences dealing with Obamacare. It was quite a bold accusation, even for someone as out of touch with Louisiana as Harry Reid.

Here in Louisiana, business owners suffering under the strains of Obamacare have received national attention. Baton Rouge florist William Heroman Jr. was interviewed just weeks ago about his struggles to stay afloat under the new Obamacare fees.  Heroman, who has provided insurance for employees in the past, is being forced to cut hours for employees to avoid the additional fees of coverage.

Larry Katz, owner of Dot’s Diner, even testified in front of the Senate Small Business Committee in June 2013 attesting to the hit his business would take as a result of Obamacare.  The Committee was then chaired by Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu who voted for Obamacare despite the overwhelming disapproval of the law in her home state.  Katz testified it was more fiscally responsible for him to close or sell his business, rather than stay open and try to manage under the new healthcare mandate.

As if those two stories were not enough, Jim Donelon, Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance, estimated in January that nearly 93,000 Louisianans were at risk to lose their health insurance as a result of Obamacare. Rep. Steve Scalise (LA-01) has been collecting Obamcare stories at his website for months. Scalise invited one Slidell man, Aaron Hirsch, to be his guest at the State of the Union after Hirsch shared his Obamacare experience with the Congressman. Hirsch and fellow Louisianan Allison Cousins shared their Obamacare ‘horror stories’ with Scalise in a Google Hangout available here.

Senators Reid and Landrieu’s insistence on passing a law against Louisiana’s wishes is now followed by Senator Reid’s denial and refusal to acknowledge thousands of Americans hurting because of this law. Senator Reid is relying on a ignorance of the facts to justify Obamacare.

Obamacare is hurting Louisiana families and businesses, and that’s no lie.