Texas Democrats Defend Federal Health Reform
Texas, via its Republican leadership, has already joined the two-dozen other states challenging the constitutionality of federal health care reform before the U.S. Supreme Court. Now, 27 Democratic Texas lawmakers have signed on to try to defend it.
They join some 480 state lawmakers from across the country who are filing briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the measure, which they believe will expand access to health insurance in places like Texas, where there are currently more than 6 million people without coverage, many of them children.
"My colleagues and I are filing these briefs ...
Comments (25)
Darrel Mulloy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
All they have to do is tell the federal government that we are not going to comply. We have the tenth amendment and they don't have squat.
Trey Pope via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Those "Texas" Democrats like Coleman (D-Obama's pocket) might as well be working for the Obama Regime...
Jennifer White via Texas Tribune on Facebook
We are "mandated" to "buy" stuff all the time -- roads, schools, police, etc. All paid for by mandated taxes. The people outraged over the health insurance mandate need to find a new beef.
Chris Thornton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Obamacare is unconstitutional and will be overturned in the Supreme Court.
Trey Pope via Texas Tribune on Facebook
As good as the Obama Kool Aid tastes to some, health insurance is not a taxpayer funded commodity, as cell phones, internet, flood insurance and 401Ks aren't. Here in the United States, the above mentioned products aren't owned by the government (unless I missed the memo and didn't see what else the Obama Regime has taken over, besides banks, the auto industry, the health care industry and the food industry- via Moochelle)...
Sergio Hernandez De Santos via Texas Tribune on Facebook
@jennifer you'd seen the guy in the WH ? That way we don't like universal healthcare, in the past even the Heritage Foundation supported it, but again you seen the guy at the WH
Julie Joffee Covey via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Thank you, Representative Coleman.
Mara McCoy via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Trey, we already pay for it -- Medicaid, Medicare, and your county ER. We're just spending too much on it because of the piss-poor way we've managed it (and yes, the ACA is designed to fix that lack of management).
Frances Demps via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I thought Republicans were all about personal responsibility. And yet, for some reason, they don't want to make people responsible for their own health care. Let's say a healthy 27 year-old doesn't have health insurance. He has an accident of some sort requiring extensive medical intervention. If he can't pay his bill, do you think the hospitals and doctors and just going "write off" the cost. Heck, no! They're going to recoup their money from those of us who do have insurance.
We either make people buy insurance, or make others pay for them. Where's that Republican personal responsibility spirit?
Patrick McGuinness via Texas Tribune on Facebook
"don't want to make people responsible for their own health care" Taking away our healthcare freedom as obamacare does doesnt create 'responsibility' only enslavement to a centralized dictating system. We don't want 54 new bureaucracies in Obamacare making decisions for the rest of us.
Gary Denton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
How is taking away the freedom to be a burden to taxpayers by clogging up emergency rooms enslaving responsible people Patrick?
Gary Denton via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If you have health insurance you have already turned over your health care, become enslaved, to a company whose financial interests is in trying to pay as little as possible when you need medical care. Sometimes the way to do that is to deny coverage and let you die. The other interesting statistic is how many bankruptcies are caused by health care expenses - for people who have insurance.
Mark Paulson via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Gary, you cannot speak facts to a Republican as long as the N Korean style faux mafia feeds them with continuous lies. It is not taxpayer funded. It is completely private and makes the insurance companies create large and healthy pools that lower costs considerably, the insurance lobby bought and sold the republicans long ago, and they in turn brainwashed their base into complete and utter stupidity. I wish THEY could opt out and let their mothers die in the streets. Fuck them, I have zero empathy for ignorance.
gypsy314 ne
The democrats want to give health care to everyone including the illegal aliens face it folks we can not afford to fork out funds to cover everyone under the sun. We need to make sure all illegal aliens are not covered. We can tune up the coverage we have to cover only American citizens BUT we must be able to pay for it and not just the rich footing the bill. I say everyone should pay there fair share meaning a flat tax should do it and cut all aid to other country's does not make sense to borrow money from china to pass it out to country's that want to see us dead. Democrats need to wake the hell up before it is to late.
Anyone but Obama!
Remember a vote for a democrat is a vote for Obama and illegal aliens , homosexuals and terrorist.
Marsha Willis
I don't think any of your "constituants" are doctors or you just havn't asked their opinion. My PCP is ready to leave the profession all to gether NOW and is so overworked with the already activated regulations that she "can't doctor anymore".
If the 480 state lawmakers would really listen, they would hear how this monster has already cost billions and has only put unreasonable restrictions on patient and physician. WAKE UP!
Marsha King Willis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
The government can't run ANYTHING except into the ground. Given the opportunity to shop across state lines to find the best insurance for each of us will make the companies competitive and keep the gov. out of it all. Govt regulation is what guarantees that the companies can charge all they can get away with and we have no say in it. Cracking down on fraud in welfare will do a lot, compitition will do the rest.
Karen Spivey-Cummings via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Marsha, you crack me up. Govt. run? Nope. Lack of govt. regulation you mean don't ya? The reason health care costs are so high is because Congress is bought and paid for by Health Insurance Companies and Big Pharma.
Dale Curry
Of all the issues that face our great nation, this one has lead to the most lies, disinformation campaign by the right. From Death panels (there are none _ 2009 Politifact LIE of the year,) to Government takeover
of Healthcare (2010 Politifact Lie of the Year), it has been one lie after another. Here are some truths:
1. There are no Death panels
2. health care reform is more insurance reform and less health care reform
3. Individual mandates are/were a republican idea as proposed by Gingrich during their debate
against "Hillarycare"
4. Heath care reform will ultimately reduce spending for healthcare
They will tell you that it will provide $ for abortions, it does not. They will tell you it is healthcare for illegal
aliens, it is NOT. Obamacare is not unconstitutional, it is a rational balanced approach to a problem that
has been festering nationally for 30 years.
David Kennedy
The irony is that under the private health insurance dominated system we have today, if you want health care, the conservatives have "mandated" that we give our money to a for-profit insurer. Many of us healthy individuals should be permitted to participate in the Medicare system, and if we were, an immediate billion dollars per month would come into the system, most of it not being tapped by those new enrolees. I haven't met a deductible in years, and there are millions like me, and we should be able to give our money to those who need it, and the conservatives can continue with their profit driven system if they show choose - the idiots. But, the mandate now is their mandate that I give my money to insure them, and that is an unfair system. david@christianadvocate.com
gypsy314 ne
It this bill is not a lie then why did Nancy say pass it and then read it if this does not say the whole story then I do not know what will except the supreme court will give there two cents on it soon enough.
Anyone but Obama!
Remember a vote for a democrat is a vote for Obama and illegal aliens , homosexuals and terrorist.
David Spratt
Just another way to pick the pockets of people who work and pay their own way to support those who do not work and expect everyone else to carry them. Another huge welfare program in the works designed to support thousands of government employees who will be required to administer it. How many uninsured have every product Apple makes, walk around in $200 sneakers and have rims worth more then the car? I would also expect the legal children of Illegal parents would be the recipients of benefits. Rammed through under the notion we have to pass it to find out what is in it and how it will work , speaks to the flawed premise of the law to begin with. No one knew what they were voting on. The extended care portion has already fallen to not being financially viable. Comprehensive reform of anything is not a good idea. Issues should be addressed individually and not in a comprehensive manner. The left continues it's agenda to secularize and socialize the United States and many continue to support their efforts when in the end they will claim they did not know this was the plan all along. Most liberals do not see themselves as socialists , but they do belong to the socialist party. Obama has said he will fundamentally change America. While some tweaks are needed , fundamental change is not one of them. Fundamentally speaking , there is not another system of government that would be acceptable to the majority of Americans. So why would anyone vote for someone who advocates it ? Theocracy, Communism, Socialism, A Dictatorship , Oligarchy, Monarchy, Marxism, Totalitarian , Maoism , which one would you prefer?
bob walters
I agree with the previous poster (chris thornton), the Supreme Court will overturn the individual mandate. The mandate is the keystone of the bill. Without, the bill will completely fall apart.
To require individuals to buy anything from a for-profit company is an infringement on our rights. I have refused to buy insurance for years and have saved thousands in the process. I would urge all Texans, as a protest to the mandate, to just refuse to buy insurance and opt out of your employer plans. Show the power of the individual and flex the muscle of your individual rights!
Jason Shaw via Texas Tribune on Facebook
To Jennifer White..."Mandated Taxes"...you are flat out wrong about the mandated taxes for roads and schools. The only time you have to pay the taxes for the roads and schools are when you own a vehicle or property (house or land). If you own nothing or do nothing ("inactivity"), then you DO NOT pay any taxes! With the new healthcare law, you are FORCED to buy health insurance, there is no other recourse, not even with "inactivity". Do you understand the argument on why the mandate for the healthcare law is unconstitutional?
Dale Curry
Health insurance is a matter of personal responsibility. If the government can mandate auto insurance for everyone driving, it should stand to reason, and I would certainly believe it would be reasonable, for the power extends to include healthcare. Without the mandate, it does not work. A mandate that was first proposed by Newt Gingrich and (gasp) Frankly, we can continue to cling to a early 20th century concept of health care, or we can embrace a 21st century approach that includes the participation ( protection) of the government, along with our health care providers, and most importantly ourselves. In an increasingly interconnected world, I know our government has a place in the structure of healthcare in this country. We have certainly paid for a 21st century healthcare,
( http://www.kff.org/insurance/snapshot/OECD042111.cfm ) easily outstripping any other nation yet we rank 36th in life expectancy. Obamacare is our nation's first step in developing health care infrastructure delivering 21st century results. Those opposed, are just using your healthcare as just so much political fodder for the next Presidential election.
gypsy314 ne
I think States can mandate health insurance but the federal can not.
Anyone but Obama!
Remember a vote for a democrat is a vote for Obama and illegal aliens , homosexuals and terrorist.