Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Health Care Bill Constitutional???

One of my biggest problems with Congress' health care bills is their constitutionality. And now, thankfully, Senator Jim DeMint and Senator John Ensign have raised the very same issue.

Senator DeMint said, “As an American, I felt the obligation to stand up for the individual freedom of every citizen to make their own decision on this issue. I don’t believe Congress has the legal authority to force this mandate on its citizens.” “Forcing every American to purchase a product is absolutely inconsistent with our Constitution and the freedoms our Founding Fathers hoped to protect."

You can read Senator's DeMint and Ensign's press release here.
You can read my post on the Constitution and American government here.
You can read the Heritage Foundation's article on why the health care bill is unconstitutional here.

As I've said before, I am not opposed to health care reform because I'm afraid the Democrats will get the credit. I am opposed to it because I believe it puts our American government in a position that is contrary to our Constitution. I am for health care reform, but I am for it in the right way!

Foxx Statement On Senate Health Care Bill

The following is a 12/21 press release from NC Congresswoman Virginia Foxx.

Foxx statement on Senate health care bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) today issued the following statement on the Senate Democrats’ health care legislation after the Senate voted to move forward with the bill:

“If the Senate thinks this is the sort of Christmas present America wants, they are badly mistaken. This is just the latest version of a creeping government takeover of health care that is also loaded up with new taxes and more bureaucratic nonsense.

“With $518 billion is new taxes, there’s hardly an American who won’t feel the effects of this wide-ranging thievery. There’s $149 billion in taxes on Americans who have ‘too much’ healthcare and then there’s also $43 billion in new taxes on Americans who don’t have enough healthcare. This is no way to solve our health care problems.

“If you’re lucky enough to be a senior the Senate bill has some coal for your stocking. Even the Congressional Budget office recently said the bill’s $470 billion in cuts to Medicare may ‘reduce access to care or diminish the quality of care’. Worse, many of these cuts will impact the 40,000 seniors in the 5th district who enjoy the expanded care and benefits of Medicare Advantage.

“And what’s a big government health care bill without more bureaucrats? Under the Senate plan, unelected bureaucrats will have the power to negotiate the plans that Americans will be forced to buy. Bureaucrats will also be given power to make cuts to Medicare providers, thereby limiting seniors’ access to care.”

“Of course the Senate bill also fails to maintain a strict separation between taxpayer dollars and payments for abortions. As national pro-life groups have already indicated, this is completely unacceptable. The bottom line is that this bill deserves a place on the scrap heap.”