SC GOP Senators Fight ObamaCare
Members of the Press –
I want to bring your attention to a very important fight happening in the Senate today. In a surprise move, Senate Republicans introduced an amendment to the sovereignty resolution that makes it state policy that the Attorney General will challenge the federal government takeover of our health care system based on the 9th and 10th Amendments of the US Constitution. Obviously the Democrats are trying to filibuster the resolution to death.
As written today by The State:
“The Senate legislation makes it state policy that no law shall:
- Interfere with a person’s right to be treated by the health care
provider of their choice
- Restrict a person’s freedom to choose a private health care system or plan
- Interfere with a person’s right to pay directly for lawful medical services
- Impose a tax, penalty or fine for choosing any provider, declining
health care coverage, or participating in any system or plan.
This important fight will dominate action in the Senate today.
Thanks,
Wesley
By RODDIE BURRIS
rburris@thestate.com
Senate Republicans Tuesday took aim at federal health reforms, unveiling surprise legislation they said is designed to send this message to the federal government: South Carolina is not bound by every law Congress passes.
The Senate gutted a so-called 10th Amendment bill they unsuccessfully pushed last year reaffirming the state’s sovereignty rights under the U.S. Constitution, and re-focused the legislation to take aim at
resistance to national health care.
“A vote from the Legislature could be helpful if the folk in D.C. don’t listen,” said Sen. Lee Bright, R-Spartanburg, who authored the 10th Amendment bill last year and is one of three co-sponsors of the
new Senate amendment.
The proposed legislation, put forward in a concurrent resolution, is mainly the expression of a strong sentiment within the Legislature, rather than a bill that would be signed into law.
But Senate Democrats, who said they saw the legislation for the first time Tuesday, worried the measure could have a devastating effect on programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and national health care reform currently under consideration in Congress.
“One way or another, they are wasting time,” said Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg. “They’re targeting health care, but it’s still a waste of time. We’re sovereign and always will be. This is feel good legislation.”
The Senate legislation makes it state policy that no law shall:
- Interfere with a person’s right to be treated by the health care provider of their choice
- Restrict a person’s freedom to choose a private health care system or plan
- Interfere with a person’s right to pay directly for lawful medical services
- Impose a tax, penalty or fine for choosing any provider, declining health care coverage, or participating in any system or plan.”
The legislation further makes it state policy that the attorney general will challenge in court the constitutionality of any provision of Congress that violates the amendment, joining other like-minded
states.
South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster has led a group of top lawyers in other states who think health care reform might be unconstitutional.
McMaster will appear in Washington, D.C. today to make the case for challenging health care reform at the National Press Club.
The resolution even provides that a copy be sent to legislatures in the other 49 states.
“Should we send it by certified mail, with a return receipt to know they got it?” asked Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Columbia. “I’m disappointed we find ourselves late in the afternoon, on the first day of the session,
debating (national) health care.”
Sumter Sen. Phil Leventis, a Democrat, said of the resolution, “It’s a diversion and distraction.”
Sen. Larry Martin, R-Pickens, Senate Rules Committee chairman, said the new legislation could provide some push back against a deal reached in the U.S. Senate that absolves Nebraska from future payments into Medicaid at other states’ expense.