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.

Celebrating Freedom

Yesterday, schools around Florida and the US celebrated Constitution Day. Constitution Day is an American federal holiday that recognizes the ratification of the United States Constitution. It is generally observed on September 17, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787.

The law establishing the holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending bill of 2004. In May 2005, the United States Department of Education announced the enactment of this law and that it would apply to any school receiving federal funds of any kind.

We as Republicans, celebrate the Constitution and defend our liberties guaranteed by the Bill of Rights daily- especially in light of the pervayance of liberal activists judges that want to limit our freedoms or extend freedoms to illegal immigrants, terrorists, and others who are not citizens of our great country.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

And let us not forget the many who have given their lives to defend our freedoms around the world. If not for their sacrifice we would not be able to celebrate this day or any other. Patrick Henry reminided us of the importance of this when he stated, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

That has never been so more relevant. The war on terror that we are currently fighting is a struggle to preserve our first ammendment rights from those who would like to see us dead- for the simple fact that this nation stands on traditional Judea-Christian ideals.

Our enemy has declared this a “jihad” or holy war against us. Until we acknowledge the nature of that fact- we cannot understand the magnitude that the events of today will have on tomorrow. I believe that Bush understands that magnitude, though I wish he would express it more directly. And I am glad that he, a good Christian man, is at the helm.

Let us, a Republicans not waver in our beliefs and contiue to defend the freedoms of our country. Because, if we don’t no one will.

For more information on Constitution Day visit constitutioncenter.org