Health Care Lawsuit Heads to US Court of Appeals

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments on June 8, 2011. It moves one step closer to the Supreme Court.

The case challenges the constitutionality of the individual mandate – forcing people to buy insurance or incur tax penalties and even jail time. US District Judge Roger Vinson already declared the law unconstitutional passed a declaratory injunction expecting the executive branch to follow the law and cease and desist implementation of ObamaCare, but they refused.

The case will now move to the appellate court and FL Attorney General Pam Bondi is hopeful that it will make it to the Supreme Court this fall, stating, “This case will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, and a case of such national importance should have no delay.”

Health Care Freedom Act Passes

The Federal Health Care Reform legislation recently signed into law by President Obama forces uninsured individuals to purchase health insurance or face penalties imposed by the IRS.

The Florida House and Senate passed a measure intended to send a clear signal to Washington that Floridians reject intrusive health care mandates.

The measure proposes an amendment to the State Constitution prohibiting the government from interfering with an individual’s personal health care decisions.

Representative Plakon, sponsor of the measure, issued the following statement:

The government has never required citizens to purchase a product from a private for-profit company as a condition of lawful residence in the United States. As elected officials, it is our duty to protect citizens from Federal and State mandates that strip away the very freedoms our forefathers risked their lives for. With this vote, the Florida House has empowered the citizens of this great State to vote in November and make their voice heard on whether medical freedom is a fundamental right that must be protected in our State Constitution. I humbly thank all of the grassroots supporters and my House colleagues for looking beyond politics by pursuing public policy that ensures that we remain free souls under God and not property of the State.

Since the measure proposes an amendment to the State Constitution it will need to receive 60% of the vote to be ratified and made law.

What Changed?

Last November, Suzanne Kosmas voted against the health care reform bill because she believed that the bill before the House was fiscally irresponsible.

Here is the explanation in her own words:

Health care reform is, at its core, an economic issue, and addressing rising costs was always one of my highest priorities. Last year’s bill simply did not do enough to rein in costs or to reduce the federal deficit.

On March 19th she declared tha she would change her vote to Yes because:

“We now have a bill that, while not perfect, represents the change needed to put the economy and our health care system on a sustainable and positive path – a bill that includes numerous ideas from both Republicans and Democrats.

“It was my commitment to families and businesses in Florida’s 24th District to be a voice for fiscally responsible, common-sense solutions and positive change for our children and their children. This bill represents those priorities, and that is why I will vote yes.”

Now she says:

As I have considered health insurance reform, a critical priority in my decision-making has been that reform must be fiscally sound. Unlike the original health care bill before the House, the reform bill that I supported is fiscally responsible and takes critical steps to rein in health care costs that are overwhelming our economy. This reform represents the single largest deficit reduction effort in over a decade, reducing the deficit by over $140 billion in the first 10 years and $1.3 trillion in the decade to follow.

Apparently, the only thing that changed was her opinion. She voted No the first time, and Yes the second time – to essentially the same bill. I guess now when she runs for re-election in the fall she can claim ” I voted against it before I voted for it.”

I hope she is happy with her vote, because come November she will be unemployed.

Rainbows and Unicorns

It not all just all rainbows and unicorns – like the Democrats would like you to believe.

The End of Freedom

Representative Michael Burgess (R-Texas) told CNSNews.com that if the mandate in the health care law requiring individuals to purchase health insurance or be penalized is upheld by the courts, the federal government could mandate anything, such as requiring all Americans to purchase a General Motors car.

Rubio on Health Care

During an interview on “This Week in S. Florida w/Michael Putney,” Marco discusses health care (Sunday, 3/21/10, Part 2).

Faces of Government Healthcare

Listen to the real-life stories of the victims of government-run healthcare. Video produced by Conservatives for Patients’ Rights.

Kosmas to Vote Yes

Suzanne Kosmas announced on Friday that she will change her vote from No to Yes on ObamaCare. Although, she expressed reservations about the bill earlier this year saying it was “fiscally irresponsible” she intends to vote for it now. Here is her explanation in her own words:

Last November, I voted against health care reform because I did not believe the bill before the House was fiscally responsible. Health care reform is, at its core, an economic issue, and addressing rising costs was always one of my highest priorities. Last year’s bill simply did not do enough to rein in costs or to reduce the federal deficit.

“The bill before us now represents the single largest deficit reduction in over a decade, saving nearly $140 billion in the first 10 years and over $1.2 trillion in the decade to follow. This legislation provides truly fiscally responsible reform, and it contains the strongest measures ever enacted to help eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in the system, to rein in skyrocketing health care costs, and to stabilize Medicare while preserving benefits.

“Families and individuals can keep what they have and can continue choosing their doctors. Small businesses get $40 billion in tax credits to provide care and can join together in exchanges that offer affordable choices. And reform will close the donut hole in Medicare prescription drug coverage while improving benefits for our seniors and stabilizing the system over the long haul.

“This health care reform bill also holds insurance companies accountable by preventing them from denying coverage based on preexisting conditions, by making sure they can’t take away your coverage if you get sick, and by eliminating the arbitrary caps on coverage that send many families into bankruptcy.

“We now have a bill that, while not perfect, represents the change needed to put the economy and our health care system on a sustainable and positive path – a bill that includes numerous ideas from both Republicans and Democrats.

“It was my commitment to families and businesses in Florida’s 24th District to be a voice for fiscally responsible, common-sense solutions and positive change for our children and their children. This bill represents those priorities, and that is why I will vote yes.”

FL to Join Suit

Florida’s Attorney General Bill McCollum will join 37 other states and file a lawsuit against the Federal Government if ObamaCare passes.

The suit will target two key components of the bill, the healthcare mandate and the manipulation of the states. The mandate compels people to buy healthcare or incur a tax penalty. This essentially taxes people for just living. The manipulation of the states has to do with sovereignty and the 10th Amendment.

The Florida legislature is considering two bills this session.

Senator Carey Baker and Representative Scott Plakon filed the Healthcare Freedom Act which amends Florida’s Constitution “to prohibit any law or rule from forcing people into a one size fits all, federally mandated health care system such as that being rushed through Congress.”

In addition they are taking up a resolution reasserting Florida’s tenth amendment rights under the Constitution of the United States.

Ultimately, the Supreme Court may have to decide on the Constitutionality of the Health Care Bill.

Rules…Who Needs Rules?

Alcee Hastings comments on deem and pass to get the healthcare legislation through this weekend.