Although President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law , the battle against the federal takeover of health care is far from over. To the contrary, states continue to fight against the vast overreach of Washington marked by the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which impedes states’ abilities to enact their own health care reform or continue existing programs.
One of the first to arrive on the battlefield against the President’s health bill was Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. As we highlighted last week, constitutionality is at the heart of Cuccinelli’s battle against Obamacare’s individual mandate, which requires all Americans to purchase a level of health insurance deemed acceptable by the federal government, or else pay a penalty. But in March, Virginia passed its own statute protecting Virginians from having to comply with such a mandate, which serves as the backbone to Cuccinelli’s case against Washington.
In an exclusive interview with Heritage’s Rob Bluey, Cuccinelli explained, “I don’t think in my lifetime we’ve seen one statute that so erodes liberty than this health care bill. Certainly, we view our lawsuit as being not merely about health care. That’s actually secondary to the real important aspect of the case, and that is to protect the Constitution as we essentially define the outer limits of federal power. If we lose, it’s very much the end of federalism as we’ve known it for over 220 years.”
In response to Cuccinelli’s lawsuit, the federal government has claimed that the individual mandate to purchase insurance is indeed constitutional, pointing to the clause which allows Congress to regulate interstate commerce. According to Heritage legal experts, however, this argument does not hold. “…[T]he mandate to purchase health insurance is not proposed as a means to the regulation of interstate commerce; nor does it regulate or prohibit activity in either the health insurance or health care industry. Indeed, the health care mandate does not purport to regulate or prohibit activity of any kind, whether economic or noneconomic. By its own plain terms, the individual mandate provision regulates no action.” Moreover, in order for the individual mandate to find justification in the Commerce Clause, the Supreme Court would have to rule that it is limitless, a notion which has been rejected in the past.
As the case moves forward, oral arguments on the case are expected to be heard in July. And Virginia is not the only state carrying forth the torch in the ongoing battle against Obamacare. Twenty other states, with the addition of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), have also joined forces to file lawsuit against the mandate. Though Obamacare has passed, the battle against it, the outcome of which Heritage expert Bob Moffit writes is far from determined, may have just begun.
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12 commentsThis indecency to humanity wasn't thought of over night!
Before his campaign, Obama said one time, (paraphrasing) "I'm not running for president, I'm not qualified." The most dignified words I've heard him say. Of course now we know what a liar he is. He already had this health care fraud figured out long before his run.
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Federal government mandating that a citizen buy anything or be punished with fines should be made unconstitutional if it's not already. Furthermore, I think we need another constitutional amendment requiring that Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the United States that does not apply equally to the Senators and/or Representatives; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the Senators and/or Representatives that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.
It's What I Think
~Casey Peacock
Casy
We couldn't get such an amendment like that passed,as much as we need it
They have a CADILAC plan now that we pay for and will have it for life thatwe will pay foralong with a Cadilac retirement plan after just one term and the longer they hold office the better (worse) it gets.
To consider your plan would be cutting thier ownthroats ( I wish)
[…] officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.” A. Current: He [Obama] created ObamaCare for and with the expressed purpose of creating hundreds of new offices staffed with […]
[…] At least 21 States file lawsuits against ObamaCare: […]
It doesn't help when mainstream websites keep posting BS like
http://www.silverplanet.com/news-blog/what-afford…
Misinformation must be countered wherever we find it.
Bill
[…] think in my lifetime we’ve seen one statute that so erodes liberty than this health care bill,” Cuccinelli told us. “Certainly, we view our lawsuit as being not merely about health care. That’s actually […]
[…] think in my lifetime we’ve seen one statute that so erodes liberty than this health care bill,” Cuccinelli told us. “Certainly, we view our lawsuit as being not merely about health care. That’s actually […]
Just found out that the opm (office of personnel management will not let me take my adault children off my heath care.I am a retired usps employee and have to pay all the co pays for my adault children that are addicts.How am i suppose to do this untill they are 26 yrs old.Senator merkley says thats the law. Since when should I have to pay for something if i didnt want it.I was never notified that i could not take them off after the bill went into effect the goverment just decided that i needed to pay for them.The only way to get them off is to stop my heatlth care. As a result my son can go into detox at $100.00 co pay every day and i get billed for it cause i am the principle insured. what a crop of crap.
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