Poe Statement on the Two Year Anniversary of Obamacare

Statement

Congressman Ted Poe (TX-02) issued the following statement on the second anniversary of the President's health care law:

"When President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, he declared that America would "finally confront the reality of reform'. Two years later, Americans have learned the hard way that the President's reality is something we cannot afford.

The premise that citizens must buy government approved healthcare is an unconstitutional denial of liberty. That is why I introduced legislation that would prohibit any funds from being used to implement or enforce the individual mandate. The government does not have the authority to force Americans to buy any product, whether it is health insurance, a car, or a box of doughnuts. Healthcare decisions should be made between patients and their doctors, not by unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.

Not only is the nationalized healthcare law unconstitutional, it's expensive. When it was signed into law, we were told that the law would cost $940 billion. Two years later, we learned that the price tag is twice as high--nearly $1.8 trillion over the next decade. Also hidden deep in the law is a striking blow to our seniors--Obamacare cuts Medicare by $575 billion.

Next week the Supreme Court will take up this case. This is one of the most consequential cases in modern history. If the Supreme Court allows this government invasion of choice, what is next? Is the government going to force citizens to buy only government approved green cars, only government houses, only government food?

A majority of Americans do not support the government takeover of healthcare. An ABC poll last week revealed that 2/3 of Americans want the high court to throw out the entire law or at least the individual mandate portion.

I have voted to repeal Obamacare and will continue to vigorously defend the Constitutional rights of the people I represent."

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