Since the Supreme Court rendered its opinion on the constitutionality of a mandatory federal health care system last summer, many Americans consider the matter settled. But others recognize that despite the pronouncement of five robed federal employees, the Constitution still does not delegate Congress the power to create and run a health care system for all 300-plus million Americans.
And while many Republicans hope electoral change in November will put the kibosh on Obamacare, others at the state level refuse to put their faith in D.C. politicians to fix a problem D.C. politicians created in the first place. With Mitt Romney’s promise to “repeal and replace” with who-knows-what, and Republican House leadership indicating they lack the political will to defund the monstrosity, the ranks of those looking to block implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act at the state level continue to swell.
Maine became the latest state considering nullification of Obamacare with the announcement that Rep. Aaron Libby (R-North Waterboro) will sponsor a bill in the 2013 legislative session declaring the PPACA unconstitutional and void in the Pine Tree State. If passed, the bill would set the stage for blocking implementation of the mandatory federal health care system in Maine, using language similar to model legislation drafted by the Tenth Amendment Center.
It shall be the duty of the legislature of this State to adopt and enact any and all measures as may be necessary to prevent the enforcement of the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” within the limits of this State.
“Obamacare is an unconstitutional encroachment on the rights of the people of the states. While healthcare legislation may be well-intentioned, the feds are hardly effective managers of services. This is why the framers of the Constitution did not enumerate this kind of power to them,” Maine Tenth Amendment Center state chapter coordinator Chris Dixon said. “Maine understands this and is not afraid to stand up for what is right. We did it leading opposition to Bush’s REAL ID Act. We did it standing up against federal prohibition of medical marijuana for those who need it. And we’ll do it to protect Mainers’ rights to make their own health care decisions.”
Libby will appear on TRX – Tenther Radio Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 9 p.m. EST to discuss the legislation.
Maine joins two other states already committed to efforts nullifying Obamacare in the 2013 state legislative session. Rep. Allison Littell McHose introduced A861 in the New Jersey legislature in January, and it will carry over into the coming year.
“Americans were always misguided to trust the good intentions of the unelected Court – the Court being the fail-safe of the establishment,” McHose said after the SCOTUS ruling last June.
The Tenth Amendment Center has also confirmed the Oklahoma legislature will consider a similar bill for 2013. Rep. Mike Ritze (R-Broken Arrow) plans to reintroduce a bill to nullify the federal health care legislation.
“I disagree with the Supreme Court’s ruling and believe that state governments were intended to serve as a check on the federal government,” Ritze said. “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is better known as ObamaCare, is an example of federal overreach, and my legislation will authorize the state to resist it and ban the enforcement of it.”
Sources close to the Tenth Amendment Center indicate that up to twelve other states will likely consider similar legislation in the coming year.
Get the New Documentary Today!
“The nullification movement is growing,” Tenth Amendment Center executive director Michael Boldin said. “People know they can’t rely on elections to rid us of unconstitutional federal acts. They are planning to exercise their power and take action on their own regardless of who wins the horse race for the Oval Office.”
ACTION ITEMS
If you are interested in spearheading the movement to nullify Obamacare in your state, click HERE to volunteer.
For health care nullification model legislation, click HERE.
To track legislative initiatives across the U.S., click HERE.
@RonPaul_2012 This is absurd, Ron. I’m disappointed u have become just another knee jerk partisan Repub. I expected better from u.
Diogeron, Ron Paul, I’m afraid was out to line his pockets just like the rest of them, unfortunately. I, too, was disappointed in Ron’s actions/reactions. I was really surprised when his kid Rand, endorsed Rom-knee. WTH was going on there? Were they, Ron & Rand, threatened or their families threatened? Who the heck knows? The whole, or should I say, hole system has become a sham. Too many folks watching “Dancing with the Stars” and not paying attention to what is going on around them, I think.
@bovine46
No, they just recognized that whatever faults one might think Romney to possess, he would still be infinitely better then the idiot in the White House. Our most pressing problem is the economy and over taxation and energy, and if their is one area where Romney can kick butt, it’s in these fields. Also, he is not likely to be a weenie on foreign policy, either. Most everything else is a red herring.
Same progressive coin. Heads or tails.
DC politicians= progressive movement and subsequent degradation of US policy precipitated by mind numbing legislative circumvention of the Bill of Rights and constitution, and America doesn’t have a clue. Obama’s going onto a 2nd term and there are only three states on nullification which is showing us the US is pretty much asleep on this issue. You are going to have a problem with the supreme court, too, since the HA HA HA-PEE judiciary is running interference on his birth certificate issues as well.
@moderator, you have a group that has ciphered in provocateuring on another one of your message boards. Why are you allowing them to run wild on your site?
@TenthAmendment @TeamRickPerry Texas, please add yourself to the list! No ObamaCare, no add’l Medicaid recipients, no cuts to providers!
So the alternative to Obama and his healthcare program is a guy who instituted the most similar program in the State of MA.
Just how broken is our government?
@walkingdevil Interesting. States are also refusing to set up the state exchanges now that SCOTUS says Medicaid $ can’t b withheld
@walkingdevil Liberty Counsel going back 2 SCOTUS w/new arguments on ACA; got docket # on 10/11/12; going 4 all or nothing w/severability cl
No, Zoie, the alternative is to have the majority of states nullify it, those rendering the point moot. Also, while the Federal Government DOES NOT have the power delegated to them to pass this legislation, one would have to read the Commenwealth of Massachusetts Constitution, in case it does confer such authority on the state. Also, unlike Obama, Mr. Romney is smart enough to LEARN from his mistakes.
Mandated as a tax, Healthcare reform must have originated in the House.
It’s constitutionally illegal as it stands having been presented by progressive Mormon child ax murderer senate majority leader, Harry BDSM/pedophile Reid. I know, character assassination. And abortion/necromancy is not?
Application of the 10th is states reserve power to nullify, which Obama has redirected to this by innuendo anyway, just the states have been slow to act, their legislatures having too little knowledge of the constitution to understand this, and in some cases just wilfully progressive beyond human reasoning. California, the little EU, is an example of the latter.
Aye, CC.