Posted on 03/24/2010 3:16:20 PM PDT by CitizenM
RICHMOND - Governor Bob McDonnell (R) signed Virginia’s opposition to the Democratically led federal health care reform bill Wednesday afternoon.
The governor put his signature on the Virginia Health Care Freedom Act at a ceremony in Richmond. State Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, State Senators Steve Martin, Fred Quayle, Jill Vogel, Delegate Bob Marshall, and Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources Dr. Bill Hazel all took part in the event.
“We all agree that we must expand access to quality health care and reduce costs for all Virginians. However, that should not be accomplished through an unprecedented federal mandate on individuals that we believe violates the U.S. Constitution. The Virginia Healthcare Freedom Act sets as the policy of the Commonwealth that no individual, with several specific exceptions, can be required to purchase health insurance coverage. The Act was passed with bipartisan support, in sharp contrast to the narrow straight line partisan vote that enacted the federal health care bill on Sunday night. Virginia’s Healthcare Freedom Act received the votes of leading Democratic Senators, as well as the Democratic House Minority Leader. It was an important step to sign this bipartisan legislation today,” McDonnell said in a news release.
“The states have long been leaders in identifying and implementing innovative policies to expand access to, and improve the affordability of, healthcare coverage. Virginia will continue to play that important role. We will do this through promoting incentives for the purchase of long term care and individual medical savings accounts, focusing on preventative health and combating obesity, studying our medical delivery systems with the objective of reforming them to work better for our citizens, expanding free clinics and aggressively finding new ways to reduce the cost of our Medicaid system, which has already grown 1600% in the past 25 years. There are fiscally responsible ways by which we can reform healthcare and expand quality coverage that do not involve the forcing of unfunded and unprecedented mandates onto individuals and states, and the unsustainable growing of our national debt,” the Governor added.
Cuccinelli said, “Virginians spoke loudly and clearly in rallies, in town halls, and at the ballot box about their opposition to the new federal health care law. The governor and both Democrats and Republicans in the General Assembly heard them, and as a result, the Virginia Health Care Freedom Act is being signed today.”
I’m moving to Virginia!
well no... I wouldn't do that...especially for zer0bummer.
but you thank them for coming to their senses, albeit too late to keep a Marxist out of the White House.
you are way too easy on the beltway crowd.
yeah, I’d say they redeemed themselves.
Gov. Crist is why not there.
You’re right...forgot our ‘friends’ in Fairfax County...
but there was some nasty turn arounds, like N. Carolina, VA etc this past election cycle... Scary... these are states I look up to as a NYer to hold ground and the switch gave me the chills.
RIGHT-ON!!!
No.
Perhaps Virginia could pass a state law that any and all government agents acting under the color of law within the state must obtain a Virginia Law Enforcement Permit to Possess a Firearm. Then deny it to the IRS, etc. Twenty year felony on first offense should do the trick.
I think you are missing the point. I read this as more a case of Virginia invoking its rights under the 10th Amendment. The Constitution does not grant the Federal government the right to mandate individuals purchase insurance and Virginia is protecting its citizens from an unlawful curbing of their liberty.
BTTT
Welcome back from the darkside. Give both of them the boot next time around. Especially that horseface Dork Warner. He has voted the straight Obama line every time.
Congratulations and many kudos. However, what about the taxes and penalties? What does Virginia plan to do to thwart the likely federal reaction of cutting off reallocation of federal funds?
But, but, what about the supremacy clause; the interstate commerce clause, the necessary and proper clause??? What about the federales know best??? Oh woe is me... ;^)
Makes my heart go pitty pat knowing Virginia is right next door to the DC swamp. The proximity will make it easier for them to drain it.
You may want to do some research, Florida’s Attorney General, Bob McCollum (my soon to be Governor) was the 1st person to file against the health care bill, 7 minutes after Obama put his grubby paw prints on it.
Absolutely. Got all that. The two additional points I was trying to make were:
1) It puts the average Joe in an interesting position with conflicting State and Federal laws, and
2) The intense amount of legal activity will cause millions to be spent on attorneys that could have been spent actually providing healthcare.
Virginia used that because they already have a law on the books that does not allow citizens of Virginia to be mandated into buying health insurance. Today’s bill further affirmed this right and updated a few things left out in reaction to Sunday’s vote.
Florida is looking at putting this into our Constitution three ways - first, legislation has been introduced in the House that with passage would have on November’s ballot an Amendment to Florida’s Constitution protecting us from federal mandates of health care.
Secondly there are already numerous citizen petitions being passed around that would do the same.
If neither of those are able to be done by November, the House, which is under Republican control (Marco Rubio is our current State Speaker of the House and future Senator) will introduce legislation that allow by law the ability of Floridians to opt out of the Fed mandate.
Florida’s Senate has a Dem majority (slight majority) and should change after November - here as in most places Dems are not faring well after Obama and especially after this past Sunday.
Once the Senate and House are in GOP hands we’ll easily have the Amendment passed as well as the opt-out law.
Thank you, Virginia.
yup, many people dont realize that texas is on the same system as the federal .gov
Every two years
the only difference is that our state does not make up enough bullpoop laws to take up the entire two year session. in fact we usualy dont even fill up a 6 month session.
remember it was supposed to be “meet every two years if we need it or not” just to make sure there are no outstanding items. thats how hands off our federal .gov was supposed to be.
Once the House and Senate are conservative in November funding can be blocked by Congress for any government healthcare. Additionally, mandatory healthcare taxes can be stopped as well. This essentially renders government healthcare meaningless since it is not funded by government or any new taxes. Congress has this power and it only takes a simple majority vote for approval.
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