Sign up to receive email updates
Tipton Statement on Supreme Court Decision on Healthcare Law
Jun 28, 2012 Issues: Constitutional Issues, Small Business, Healthcare
WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Scott Tipton (R-CO) issued this statement following the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court today. The Court upheld the federal healthcare law, calling the individual mandate a tax.
President Obama had adamantly stated that the individual mandate is not a tax, telling George Stephanopoulos of ABC News that the mandate is “absolutely not a tax increase.” Watch that exchange here.
“The President sold this act to the American people as anything but what it is, a tax increase. The President’s healthcare law has increased costs for American families, and hurt job creation when we needed it most. I have voted to repeal the law, and given what senior citizens and what struggling families will face as the law continues to be implemented, we must rededicate ourselves to standing up for common sense solutions that will address what Americans are truly concerned with: affordability and accessibility of care.
“There are better solutions to provide healthcare in this country than through a massive tax increase to fund a cumbersome government plan that raids Medicare and may result in 20 million Americans losing their employer-based coverage. Those solutions include: expanding coverage across state lines, and increasing the flexibility of health savings accounts, allowing patients to choose the lowest-cost healthcare option that best meets their needs. There are parts of the federal healthcare law that should be included in future reform legislation, such as coverage of pre-existing conditions, and allowing parents to keep their children on their health plans longer. This can be accomplished by partnering with the states to create and expand programs and put into place the proper resources to ensure that high-risk Americans have access to care.
“We have begun efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal this tax and implement common sense market-based solutions. I will continue to support measures that increase patient control and health care affordability, protect Medicare for seniors and strengthen it for future generations, and provide access to quality healthcare for all Americans.”
